THE EXHIBITION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 27, 1 February 1907, Page 4

THE EXHIBITION.

SOME INTERESTING NOTES. ' CHRISTCHURCH, 31st January. Two special trains from Timaru today brought twelve hundred visitors to the Exhibition, and some eight hundred Eatronised, a special excursion from Ashurton. They were fortunate in arriving on the day fixed f<?r tho combined demonstration by Fijians and Maoris of songs and dances prior ,to the return ot the Maoris to their homes in the N^>rth Island. The Fijians, in full war p;vint, danced their war club and fan danc«s with great enthusiasm and energy. -The New Zealand natives were at their best>in poi dances apd hakas. There was a very large attendance. : The Fijians arc expected to take their departure -vpry" shortly. This will be greatly' regretted, as the popularity gf their displays'* is at its height. The Maori pa will be left with a small garrison in command till the arrival of a contingent of Ngatikahungu natives from Hawkes Bay on the 7th prox. Upj to the present twenty-on.e oil paintings, , thirty-four water coloursj and six miniatures have been purchased from the British section of the «irt gallery ' for a total amount of £7070. Details of purchases are as follows : — By New South Wales National Gallery — Oil paintings- £2190, water-colours £918- ss ; Auckland City Council — oil paintings £512 10s, water-colours, £137 10s; Academy of Fine Arts, Wellington — Oil paintings £263 ; ,wator colours £155 ; Canterbury Society of Arts — Oil paintings £1317 10s, water-colours £3SO, miniatures £82 10s. Private sales— Oil paintings £263, water-colours ' £155 ; The National Gallery of Victoria may decide to make a selection as the result of a visit "of the director, Mr. Lindsay Bernard Hall, who is now in Christchurch. Mr. Gill, secretary of the Adelaide Art Gallery, is expected to arrive shortly with a commission to purchase pic tures. Sales of works of art, glasswork, and samples of hand- weaving are being made in large numbers. The Bubble Fountain, near the aquarium, is the centre of much interest when it is in operation. During calm weather the shimmering irridescent spheres, proj duced in their thousands, are at once the delight and despair of astounded juveniles, who witness the production 01 these fleeting glories at every opportunity. Wonderful buoyancy is imparted to the bubbles by their being inflated with coal gas. Messrs W. S. King, of Christchurch, and Otto Schwartz, of Wellington, will be the judges of the solo competition; at the Exhibition band contest during the week commencing 11th February. The "Bcss'on" shield, of the North Island Brass Band Association, now held by the Wangajiui Garrison Band, will be awarded to the band securing tha highest number of points in the grand 'selection.' The n-ext Exhibition flower display will take the form of a begonia show. It*' will be held on Wednesday and Thursday next. Entries close on Monday. As the show will be held in the main ' corridor, free admission will be gained to the same. Everything points j to a very fine display being made. j Hundreds of visitors daily pass through the Government aquarium, which has received some interesting additions since it was opened. The model Rotorua, .w.here an imitation geyser sports its columns to a great height and j Maori boys dive for pennies in most realistic* style, is also as popular as of iore. The Exh : bition has now passed through three calendar months. The aggregate attendance for that period has reached the satisfactory total of 1,053,128. To-day contributed just on 13,000 tovEids that total, aud though the number was not large compared with some recent attendances, it is officially stated that the ratio in cash payments to the number of persons admitted was probably the highest yet experienced, this being the result of the unusuaiiy large number of visitors in town. It is probu^ie that tho gold watch awarded Miss Alice Jennings, the millionth visitor to the Exhibition will be presented to her by the Hon. Dr. Findlay, who succeeds the Bon. J. A. JUillar as "Minister-in-Cl-cige. \