NEW ZEALAND EXHIBITION, 1865.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 913, 23 November 1864, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND EXHIBITION, 1865.

"We would hint to intending exhibitors, that tbe Building is ready, and that the Roynl Commissioners and their officers are wailing to receive exhibits ; and that the time now left for arranging a large and varied Exhibition is so short, that there should be not an hour's delay on the part of any who desire the successful opening of thp first Industrial and Art Exhibition in New Zealand. If exhibitors will not realise these fncts, the efforts of the district committees, which together make up the Local Committee in each Province, cannot result in getting together tho exhibits ; but with hearty cooperation, wo arc sure that the Commissioners might very speedily be at hnrd and constant work in arranging the different products within the Building, according to the settled plan of classification. The extraordinary statement made by Mr Adam, in the Provincial Council, relative to a giving way of part" of the Building, will no doubt be remembered by our readers. At the time, we gave reasons for the conviction that this statement was altogether unfounded. Messrs Mason and Clayton, the architects, reported to the Commissioners jesterday, that they had examined the Building, and found it in good order and repair ; adding, " We have further to report, that in consequence of the remarks which fell from a member of the Provincial Government of Otago, in his place in the House, relative to the stability of tho Building-, having been brought under our notice, we are in a position to state that there does not exist any foundation in fact for that statement, and that the Building is in a sound and substantial condition."

The Commissioners, properly following the plnn adopted in all cases -with Exhibition Buildings in Great Britain, directed that the strength of the galleries should be thoroughly tested ; and this has been done under the superintendence of Mr E. Horsman tof the firm of Cornwell and llorsman, the contractors.) He has reported that on Friday, a four-wheeled truck, with wheels 12in in diameter,.and having a bearing area of 12 superficial feet, was placed in the centre of the gallery, in a longitudinal direction. The truck was loaded with boilerplate iron to the weight of one ton ; it was propelled by four men at a moderate speed, and the deflection of the girders (24ft long) was found to be three-tenths of an inch. When loaded to 2 tons 7 cwt there was a further deflection of one-eighth of an inch; and when the weight was increased to 3 tons 5 cwt, and the truck was propelled by five men, the total deflection of the girders was found to be half an inch. On Monday, Mr Horsman reported the results of further tests. The truck, weighted with 3 tons 5 cwt, and propelled by five men, was passed centrally along the floors. The greatest deflection was found to occur in the anglegirders, they having the longest span (26ft • Gin) the deflection being from seven-tenths to nine-tenths of an inch. The test weight was equal to that of 37 adult persons. The space covered by the truck was 12ft superficial, or sufficient standing room for four persons only ; so that the number of persons whose weight was represented on the 12ft. would in the same I ratio occupy an area of 1 lilt, superficial. Reporting to the Commissioners upon this subject, Messrs Mason and Clayton say that they have carefully considered Mr Horsman's report as to the tests. " The results of these tests are in the highest degree satisfactory ; and the Commissioners may confidently rely upon the strength of the floor being fully equal to any of the purposes for which they may require to use it." THE INDIAN COLLECTION. We have before been enabled to state that the Indian Department of the Imperial Government had responded most nobly to the appeal for assistance towards the New Zealand Exhibition ; and as to the kindness of making and forwarding a special selection of products, there has been most judiciously added the kindness of preparing and printing a catalogue of them, we are enabled to give some general particulars as to what the Indian Collection will include. The <atalogue has been prepared by J. Forbes Watson, Esq., A.M., M.D., &c, Reporter on the Products of India, who has also addressed to the Commissioners a prCcls of the communications that have passed, and some instructions as to the unpacking of the cases, and the arrangement of their contents.' From these documents, we learn that " the collection of Indian produi ti and manufactures intended for the New Zealand Exhibition of 1805, have been forwarded per ship Ramsey," " together with 900 copies of the catalogue of the collection." Tha consignment origir.ated in an application to the Secretary of State for India-, from Mr John Morrison, the London agent of the Commissioners, dated the 28th April last, requesting "that Her Majesty's Indian dominions might be represented ia the forthcoming Exhibition, to be opened at Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand, in January, 1865;" to which the Secretary of State replied on the 2nd ot Junr-, " that the application would be complied with as far as possible." Immediate, steps were fciken, but as the whole collection had1 to be shipped by the last week in August, it was obvious that the only source whence supplies could be drawn was the Museum attacned to the department over which Dr Forbes Watson presides. "Tliis collection having from time to time —and especially on the occasions of the Exhibitions of London, in 1851 and 1862, and of Paris, in 1856.—received valuable additions from all parts of India and the adjacent countries, a selection has been forwarded which it is hoped and believed will prove of considerable interest." Dr Forbes Watson adds, " With respect to the ultimate disposal of the goods, I have the pleasure to state that the whole of the section of Raw Products, aivl a portion of the Manufactures, are presented, in the how; t'mt, as one of the results of the forthcoming Exhibition, they may assist to form the nucleus of a Local Museum, if such does not already exist." There are some samples of Manufactures, hevvever, of which duplicates do not exist in the Museum of the Department, and of them it is requested that proper wire may be taken, with a view to their return. The instructions are ample for dealing with the exhibits when received ; and amongst the things oa board the liamsey. there are " labels for every article, except a few photographs and drawings, which have each a special inscription." The Collection will occupy about 1000 ft superficial, and, it will be shown in handsome cases made of New Zealand woods. Turning to the Catalogue, we find that the exhibils number 10-U in the whole ; and that ICJ only have to be returned, 873 being presented to the Commissioners. As to " Mining, Quarrying, Metallurgical Operations, and Mineral Products," the contents of the Museum will not allow of a representative collection being iormed. Chemical Substances and Products, and CHEESE, &c; ALSO,

Pharmaceutical Processes, will be represented by 78 exhibits.

SmisTASCKS usm> as Foon.--Agricultural Produce : This division includes Cereals grain in the oar und threshed ; Kice, Pulses, and the Pia and Bean tribes ; Starches, including arrowroot, tapioca, sago, &c. Altogether these will number 00 exhibits. Substances used in the. Preparation of Drinks, &c. : Here there will he about 130 samples of tea, including samples from Assam, Cachar, Daijeeling, Dehia bhoon, Kmm.on, Gnrwhal, and Kangra (Punjab) ; the varieties including: •souchong and pouchong, boh. 'a, hyson, and congou, Pukb hyson, imperial and other gunpowdiTS, orange, scente , and flowery pekoe, &c. Coffee will be represented by 12 specimens ; Sugar by four of cane and one of erystalised, coming from North Areoi, tbe Astmgram Factory, Madias, the Caledonia. l£*tate, Penang, and from Shajrhanpore. There will also be specimens of Isinglass•^ubstances used in the Preparation of Intoxicating or Stimulating Drink.", will include opium (especially as prepared for the Chinese market), poppy, tobacco, bhang, and betel.

Animai< and Vjbgktabi..e Substances DSEu i.v Manufactures.— This interesting and valuable class is minutely subdivded. Thus we find—(A.) Oils, Fiits, and Wax, including bees' wax and East India fish oils j Vegeiable O'ls and Oil Seed?, .vhieh comprise lii • ed, sesame rape, poppy, saffl )wer, ground nuts, cucumber seed, crnton seed, laurel nuts, and castor-oil seed ; Solid Fats, or cocoa-nut oil, piney tallow, gamboge fat, Mowha oil, moss paste, &c. (U), Wool : Samples from Daijeeling, Choonian, Thibet, Jc-sselraei's, Jlmi'ig, Mysore, Guzerat, Pushun (used in the manufacture of Cashmere shawls), Shirkapore,. Khelat, Umritsur, Pushun (from tbe Thibeian goal), Thibetan goat's wool (used in the manufacture of Cashmere shawls), Cuttaclv and Ahmedabad; the whole numbering 34----specimens. Silk, represented by 18 samples. (C), Vegetable Substances used in Manufactures. These include gums, resins, lac r dye stuffs, tanning materials, &c. Under the head Fibrous Substances, we find 80 samples of cotton, and four of silk cotton, which has hitherto been used ctrefly for stuffing pillows, but which is a valuable fibre, although as yet found to be difficult of spinning, and could bo supplied in yreat quantities.

Fiukes.—This class is divided into—l. Fibres suited for Spinning and Manufacturing Purposes: (a) Flax;, (b) Ithea, one kind of which, Urtica tenacissimus, is described as at present attracting more attention than all the other Indian fibres, being second only in importance to cotton and flax; (c). Puya; (rf), Nilgiri nettle; (c), Mudar Yereum; (/), Beddlee Sutta.—ll Fibres suited for Spinning and Manufacturing Purposes, but of inferior durability to the preceding : Jute, Sufet bariata, Ambaree (or hemp-leaved Hibiscus), Roselle, &c. — 111. Fibres chiefly suiied for the Manufacture of Cordage, Twine, &c ; Himalayan and Sunn hemp, Jubbulpore. — IV. Fibres for miscellaneous purposes, adapted for Twine, Cordage, and Paper, and occasionally capabler of being manufactured into fibres suited for Women's Dresses,, imitation Horsehair Cloth, &c (all from endogenous plants) : These include moorva, marool (or bowstring hemp), well calculated to compete with hemp from the Phillipine Islands, agave or aloo, Adam's needle, plantain, and screw-pine.—V. Fibres suited tor the manufacture of Mats, Brushes, coarse Cordage, imitation Horse hair for stuffing purposes, &c. Under this division, we find coir, goinuti (superior to all others for the manufacture ot artificial bristles, tor brushes, &c.), nioonj.

Manufactures moil FinnES.—These comprise canvas of various kinds, Ame/icaa: gunny cloth, from the Borneo Company, Calcutta, cord, rope, anil twine.

Photographic Apparatus and Photographs.—These embrace photographs of articles in the Indian Museum, taken under the direction of Dr Forbes Watson, by William Griggs, ol the, Mustum. The things thus, represented comprise a temple, a minaret, and a Mahoniniedan pulpit ; boxvs, carvings ia soap-stone, cabinets, and agricultural implements. There are also Portraits of native officials of diffident kinds, tradesmen and artificers, ami s kcted types of various tribes. The portraits are the " pink" of about 800 subjects.

Manufactures. —Cotton : Between 70 and SO specimens, including many of the beautiful Dacca muslin, " unrivalled for its fineness of texture, and whicli used to be principally sapplied to the K)y;d wardrobe at Delhi," and to which, in the highly figurative language of the East, have bemi applied such names as " alrowan," or running water, and " sliabran," or evening dew. Silk; and Velvet : Caiefly from the Punjab, where silk fabrics form an important item of trade. For substance and beauty of finish and color, these silks are almost matchless. Woollen and Worsted, including Mixed Fabrics generally: Iv this category come the Cashmere shawls of wi-icli all have heffrd, but whicli aremuch oftener couutorieit thin genuine, even when "long prices" h"ve been, paid for them, anl their possession is much. boasted of; scarf shawls, shawl cloths, neckties, &c, of the same famous manufacture. Carpets, of silk, and wool, anl c ittou ; mats,, mattings, &c. Woven, Spun, Felted, and Laid Fabrics, sent as specimens of Printing and Dyeing : These include several samples of Mahommedan prayer-clcihs, used at meals,, bed covers, &c. Tapestry, Lace, and Embroidery, comprising muslin in pieces, neckerchiefs, dress-skirts, collars, canopies, &c, in. all nearly 50 exhibits.

Articles of Clothing.—ln this division, turbans.and caps, and garments to be worn over the head and shoulders, samples of the doputta, the dhottee, and the sa-ee, with waist-bands, &c, are included.

Papers.—There are thirty-seven varieties in the catrJogue. Passing overthose not distinguished other than by the name of tho locality whence they coiae, wo iitid sonis "sprinkled with gold and silver," l'rom Hyderabad, and a .other called gkss-paper;"' some made ol: old,gunny bags,, l'rom Cuddiipah,,snd a sample from the samepluce madu of. the fibre of the aloe. The Laves of the screw-pine and the root .of the kodrah tree, aloe rope.oehro, surghuni,. karghas, wara.h, and waste silk, all figure as papermaking materials, the last-named specimen being tioii> Cashmere. FURNITURU ANI> UriIOLS'I'ERY. This cIaSS comprises pit per hangings and papier machG goods, the 30 specimens, being chiefly remarkable as furnishing evidence of skill and fertility in decorative design. Iro:i ani> General Hardware.—The utensils, " both of clay and metal in domestic use by the natives of India, are remarkable for their admirable symmetry and classical forms; the metallic vessels are often elaborately engraved." These sent comprise examples in pewtur, zinc, brass, and copper. Manufactures not included in the previous classes, comprise baskets, combs, backscratcher, strainer, lans, &c. Paintings, jn Oh. and Water Colors. — Thcßd are chiefly l'rom Madras, where ara 24 CASES SINCLAIR'S

produced the fine t specimens of native art. They comprise illustrations of different occupations and piistimes, and there are mythological subjects, in which animals are formed by the grouping of female figures in various attitudes. Native musicians and religious ceremonies are also here depicted, as is also the celebrated rock temple at Madura

As a close to the list, we find some carvings in sandalwood, sent as specimens of inlaying with metals, &c.

We are sure that the summary we have given of Dr Forbes Watson's catalogue will prove to all, that the Indian Collection in the New Zealand Exhibition will he widely interesting ; and that it has been so classified as to make the examination and comparison of its contents as easy and gratifying as possible.