THE ILLUMINATIONS.

Evening Post, Volume 27, Issue 77, 27 September 1907, Page 2

THE ILLUMINATIONS.

AN EFFISUTi v DISPLAY. The best way to see the illuminations last night was first to get a genera' vjew from. Oriental Bay or some similarly advantageous standpoint, and next to make little tours 'in detail. Fran the bay was 1 to "be seen the campanile-like tower of Government House, outlined in light from where it sprang from the main building to the very truck on the flagstaff. Three powerful electric beain6 were projected from H.M.S. Challenger, two of theal merging were thrown upon the Town Hall and one on Government House. The beam* would sometimes vibrate an- 1 occasionally they would shoot right up into the thick cloudmantle that fay over the city and its encircling hills- The Challenger herself was out'ined in incandescent light 3, and the thy;c funnels were indicated by ' lines" of lights. The I'.nVumcnt Buildings were only paitially illuminated, the facade alone being tioated. The work wax conspicuous for its good tuetc nnd appi opriate character. The principal featuies of the main entrance, the aicade portico, balcony, and guMes were outlined in clear glass lights! The motto. Advance New Zealand,'" was to done as to closely resemble a 'gigantic pearl brooch. Lower down, and just above the balcony were two historical facts, emphasised in ruby lights ?• "Colony 1840," "Dominion 19 J7." The illuminations of Government House were restricted to, the tower, al- . ready mentioned. This structure was outlined in clear lights. A grQat red star glittered on the bide facing Molesi worth-street, an^ 1 on that towards 1 Lambton-quay there were the letters "N.Z." in ruby lights. On the top t of the tower was a crown, jewelled ; with coloured lights, and at the top of '. the flag-staff was the form of a flag in ■ white and coloured lights. Tbe setting of the trees in the grounds added much to the general effectiveness Of the whole. Specially attractive was the central 1 portion of the Government Buildings. Here tho festoons of lights reached from the pediment to the lawn, and plaited strings of lamps, like ropes of pearls; were carried from the ground to the roof. A clever and well-proportioned map of New Zealand was worked in liputs obliquely arranged in accordance with the country's relation to the points of the compass, tho pediment of the building being taken as the north. Each of tho piiucipal cities were indicated in the ,nwp by a ruby light, nnr) the allotment was one city one red light. Liven the capital was indicated 6y only one red light. "The New Dominion," formed of ruby lights, running diagon-' ally and parallel with the map, shone out with striking prominence. The clock and coat of arms were framed in lights and loops of sapphire-tinted lamps were hung above the map and its description. At the General Post Offico considerable pains had been taken to make the illuminations graphically descriptive. Every \iindow was filled with a transparency. On tho ground iloor New Zealand birds, lioth land and marine were utilised. They wefre well drawn, tairly accurately coloured, and formed an interesting ornithological panorama. The tm, wektt, ken, pavadis>o duck, seaf gull, kakapo, petrel, and other fowl ; were exhibited, and in the upper windows wove the shamrock, in the centre, flanked by the' rose and the thistle. There were Union Jacks and the New Zealand flag, with its red stars, nnd separating the -lings Vere representative native vegetation, such as toi-toi, cabbage tree, and nikau. "God Saye ' the King," in very large coloured letters, occupied panels immediately above the bird transparencies, and the words "Dominion oi Now Zealand" reached from hide to side of the front. "Dominion" was wrought in electric lights, and shono . out above everything else. Of civic and private illuminations there seemed to be none. As part of an extremely well-planned and wellmanftgpd bnectuclc, the illuminations . wore exceedingly good; and 'in artistic . cdfifiktt.