ZEALANDIA.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 570, 28 February 1878, Page 2

ZEALANDIA.

Tir. ..)'. S. Willis, llio well-known tin -atrical scene-painter, who in. s\t present in Wellintrron, is ene.aged painting a- panorama of New Zealand, illustrative of ns history, settlement, progress, and scenery. It is stated that such of the, views as have, been finished are nal gems. The paimvania, which is to he called ■' Zealandta, ' will lirst bo exhibited throughout the Colonv. and will then lie taken to the Home Country, where it should jimvi- an excellent, advertising agent for New Zealand. The tun, referring to this panorama. says :

"Zea'landin."—Sue I .', is '.he title of a, -rand pictorial exhihitioii of New Zealand scenery now in course of preparation by .Messrs. V.'illis and Seymour, which undertaking, it is understood, will receive the warm paironnre and iinaneia! axsist-ate-e of the Government. Some idea ■>]" th.e magnitude of their enterptise may lie >;a! hered from the fact that " Zcaiaiuiia " will he painted on six thousand feet of canvas, and that each picture will measure twelve feel in length l>y nine feet in height. Commencing with the eariiesi p, riod of New Zealand's history, colonisation, and. settlement. New Zealand will be seen in its primitive (lays and as it is a], rhe present, time ; and. to avoid local j.alousies, every pad of the Colony will bo reiwsented according to its importance aY.d the nature of it.; historical ciniions. To afford some indication of the liberal and comprehensive scale on

whieh Messrs. Willis and Seymour int.-no ; placing "Zealandta" before the public, it. j may be stated that the exhibition will, j amongst other pictures, include the follow- j j,,,,- : —Captain Cook on the epiai'ter-ileek of the Endeavour, with the loom of laud in the distance ; Natives' astoms!!meut P.t the approach of the Kndeavour ; Landing of Cook at Povi rty I'iav : Cook Tree Cove, Queen Charlotte's Sound: .Bay of Islands, ami landing of British troops ; Attack on Okaihau ; Burning of Kororareka ; Auckland as it was ; Auckland as it is ; Wreck of H.M..S. Orpheus on the jMauukau bar ; Landing Surf-boa is at Taranaki ; Principal "Street in Taranaki ; Taranaki Iron Sand. Works : Outbreak of the Waiiara NV'ar ; Scenes on the way overland from Taranaki to Wanganui ; Genera! view of Wanganui ; Monument hi Friendlies, and Blockhouses, Wam-a-nui ; Principal Street in Wanganui ; General view of I'loi.on, Blenheim, and Nelson ; Scene of the Mungat.apu Murders by moonlight ; General view of Crcymoiuh and Hol.-itika ; Bcvel-slreet Hokitika ; Greenstone Creek ; 'Views on the road from Hokitika to Christehureh : Ch.ristchurch in the Early days, ami views in and around the City ; Lyttckon, and arrival of the Canterbury Pilgrims ; LyUelton a:i it is ; General view of Akaroa. shewing also the scene of the To Kauparaha's butchery ; General view of : Tlmaru : Oamaru, and Port Chalmers ; Views from' top of Peninsula ; Dunedin, from the Bay ; Scenes about Dunedin ; Starting for Gabriel's Gully ; Princesstreet, Dunedin ; The Friendly Societies Picnic to Lt. Leonards, Dunedin Bay ; Gabriel's Gully rush ; General view of Lawrence and Dnnstan ; Roaring Meg ; | Gentle Annie ; Queenstown ; Lake Wanaka by moonlight and winter ; Lake Wakatipu by moonlight and in winter ;

Source of the Molyneux ; Lady Waterfall ; Mount Aspiring; Martin's Buy ; Jackson's Bay ; Mi'lford and other ."Vtnds; Stewart's Island; The Bluff; view of Invercargill ; Principal Street in ditto ; Wellington aa it was ; Arrival of the first Immigrants in 1840; Wellington as it is ; Lainbton Quay ; Several scenes in city and neighbourhood ; General view of Napier ; Principal Street in Napier ; Poverty Bay Massacre ; Opotiki, and Murder of the Rev. Mr. Volkuer ; Exterior of Pali, and War Dance; Interior of Pah; Tauranga ; Gate Pah; Tauranga Cemetery ; Lake" Taupo, UotoiiKihiinii, Ixotorua ; Tongariro Mountain ; -Boiling Geysers ; Waiwera ; The Thames Goldliehls, with general view of GrahamHtown and Shortliind ; .Meeting of Sir George Grey and the Maori King. etc. Messrs. Willis and Seymour, it will thus be seen, have undertaken a great task, and one involving not only a very considerable amount of hard work ami study, but also the expenditure of a good deal'of money before they can reap any return for their invested capital. It is their intention to make their exhibition a really tirst-elass one, and to spare no expense in order that ''Zealandia" may be worthy of the colony and themselves. The paintings will be executed by Mr. Willis himself, a scenic artist whose talents stand second to none in this part of the. world.

We are informed that the Government have kindly supplied Messrs. Willis and Seymour with a large number of photographs, Ac, and that Mr. Dereril, the Colonial Photographer, is preparing a further supply. Messrs. Willis and Seymour have also secured at considerable cost, a large number of New Zealand and native curiosities. In this manner they will carry about with them a sort of museum," and tins various articles composed in it will be shown to the public during the day and again at the evening entertainments. After going through the various cities and towns ...l' New Zealand. Messrs. Willis and Seymour will make a. tour of Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, Vneeiishnid, America, I Canada, thence to England, Ireland, ami i Scotland, and in all probability to portions ,m" the continent, the tour occupying about live years. New Zealand is now attractin"'so much attention at home, ami there are so many people in the old country who have frh mis out here, that we. have no i ,ioi'bt. Iho exhibition will prove very niI tractive. Not onlv to large cities and | (owns of the mother country, but aW I to ; !,e centres of population ill those elisi diets from which we'are certain to obtain | the most suitable class of immigrants, lit I (.his manner "Zealandia" cannot, fail to j promote the interests of New Zealand ■, for while directing the attention of the capitalists in a j rominent, manner to a. eoloi.y in which he can invest his money to the best advantage, it will at the same lime bo the means of inducing the class of ppop!,! we most require to emigrate to the.vi shores, and so ensure the utilisation of thai, capital for the good of all. Bosides this, "Zealandia'' will be a kind oi Popular educator: it will impart to the; present population of New Zealand an intimate knowledge of the country they live in, and outside our own immediate* circle will tend to remove a. great deal of the- ignorance that prevails e'.oneerning one of the. brightest, jewels in tireat Britain's diadem. We cordially wish Messrs. Willis and Seymour every success in their gve::t uudi'i'taking.