IMPRESSIONS OF MELBOURNE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 6642, 18 October 1888, Page 2

IMPRESSIONS OF MELBOURNE.

THE EXHIBITION.

(By a Wanganpi Visitob.) Pact 11.

After the great question of Melbourne's present prosperity and future outlook, tho mo3t important subject is undoubtedly the Exhibition. There have been many opinions expressed as to its success, but my own is that it is a great triumph for "Victoria, and reflects tho utmost credit on that colony. Its huge pile of buildings, second only to the last Now York Exhibition, is magnificently arranged, and as ono wanders from court to court, he cannot fail but be impressed with its great size and extent. I visited it somo six or seven times, but only saw a quartor of tbo whole, as the different passages through tho courts necessitates walking a great many miles. Tho exhibits aro very fine, but of rourse in these Victoria carries off the palm. Tho wealth of her industries is really startling, and as ono sees the extent and variety of her manufactures in ovory branch.as compared with New South Waleß, which is far behind other colonies in this respect, it causes a comparison not at all favourable to the latter, which by her foolish bo called " f rcetrade " policy (which, aftor all, is only a half-and-half policy, as she lovies protective duties pretty stiflly <5n all our New Zealand productions,) has played into tho hands of Victoria. Except in the matter of manufactures, New South Wales shows up woll, and a very fine theatrical effect is produced by the orection of a huge stage, on which is pourtrayed the landing ot Captain Cook, with the surrounding figures of sailors and natives executed in waxwork. Franco and Germany also show up well, while the English '. court produces some excellent exhibits, more especially in hor show of pottery, which is simply charming. China contributes a dawhng show of gold and siik goods that is very wonderful, while Italy has confined herselt almost entirely to sculpture — from tho cheapest to tho lou i lic»t works in marble. America makes the poorest display of all, very few exhibits boing shown South Australia shows to great advantage, her magnificent silver trophy looking trulj grand. South Australia adjoins

I'HE NEW ZEALAND CODIiT,

which certainly docs not do justice to this colony. At tlie entranco a fine largo trophy showing tho nmouafc of gold exported from Now Zealand is displayed to great luhnntage, and gives it almost creditable appearance, with tho large amount of gold shown valued at £44,000,000, which would como in handy now to pay off the public debt. On entering tho Court, which is the very last and quito out of tho way, the exhibit of tho Mosgiel Woollen Company commands attention at onco. It is not to bo beaton in the Southern Hemisphere, and shows what a high place Now Zealand holds in woollen goods. Tho Gear Meat Coy. hns also a fine display, and the Wanganui Meat Coy. also exhibiis, but of course, to hardly such advantage us tho Gear Company. Thero arc also good oxhibit3 of various local manufactures, but us I did not taVe special note of them it is diliicult to name them all. Wanganui photographs are plentiful, and tliia class of work is veil represented from all parts of New Zealand. The carved Maori whare and surroundings looks very nice, and is an object of curiosity to most visitors, as it occupies a very prominent position. There lms been a good deal of grumbling about tho Now Zealand Court, but when we consider that it was only at tho last moment the Government agreed to give a very small sum towards it, and that generally tho people of the colony have not exhibited to n great extent, it is haidly Mr to blame the New Zealand Commissioners for its lack of attraction compared with other courts. An immense raised model of New Zealand gives one an idea that our country is a mas') of mountains, tho level country seeming so small that a strangar would bo curious to know whore we found room to support tho population without a large proportion being inhabitants of mountain peaks. I suppose it i» designed all right, but my impression was it vi as a bad advertisement. Tho great fault I had to find with the New Zealand Court was tlio wretched May in which the pictures (of which there were a good mini} ) and photographs w ere exhibited. Instead of tho pictures being placed on wnlls in tho usual way, the art exhibition was broken up into small spaces, diamond shaped, about twelve feet wide and eight feet high, and as you pass through several of thc'O, tho effect is to give the pictures a poor appearance, and mar the general oiTect. An exhibit of my own I found had been scattered in different directions, and as i 6 was arranged to go together, tho effect was rather curious, as it was puzzling for tho boholder to know what it me.vnt. I did not, however, grumble, as the commissioners have plenty of troubio of their own, and 1 did not want to add to it.

sum snows.

A very fine aquarium is attached to tho Evhibition. and tho wonderful show of fish, from the tiniest to a good sized shark, is yen interesting. Ono cannot comprehend the wonderful creatures existing in tho ocean until he sees ono of theso popular place:,. The most interesting feature to me about tho garden view was that it was outively laid out with largo New Zealand fern trees, but some ignoramus hiis wise cnou"h to attach ft lot of stag-horn f*rnß to the sfeinß w ilh pieces of string, which neither looksornaiuontivl nornalural. Anothcrsource of attraction was the lift, earring peoplo to tho dome of the exhibition at a charge of sixpence, from which v splendid \iew was to be seen of Melbourne illuminated by gaß and electric lights. The Sw itchback Euilw ay is also a continual source of attraction, by which on payment of 3d passengers enjoy tho excitement of travelling downhill at tho rato of thirty miles an hour and then up again to bo once rooro hurled down at tho sinno vapid itvte. The females especially seemed to enjoy it judging from tho frightful shrieks emanating from thecars. 1 tried it myself oueo, as I thought it a duty to sets -a hat it ■* as like. Tho man in chargo asked mo if I would go again, but I thanked him, and said I was not partial to standing on n vessel in a howling gate of wind when the stern was up in the air, and the bowsprit buried out, of sight, but that was amoolhue^iNelt compared with tlie decent in v Switchback. The wild excitement of the thins is a continual soiree of nttinchon, ami quite a little fortune w made out of it. Perhaps tho most wonderful p.U't of llw exhibition is

Tin: svsrKJi ov lar.CTitic lioutivg.

It is no simple matter to illuminate a v«»J building JiKp the Inhibition, and the lighting is on n Mwt scale. 1 was allowed to wait tlio enormous building »' "inch n situated (he machinery required to produce tho lights. There arc no less than 03 dynamo jnuchineß at work, lighting up 1100 brilliant are and large incandescent lamps, driven by machiuery of 1350 horsepower, and that is not oil, as there are lots ot other lumps driven by machinery in another part of the building.' One of tho dynamos used is a ci «nntie ono, weigliing three tons, and drives 113 nro lights, and is tho largest one in tho Australian colonies. \ icvung all these dynamos at work is very w onderf ul, and I consider it is one of tho great sights of the Inhibition, although few people trouble to visit them. It did not stnko mo (hat the attendance ««s 60 largo as I expected, but the building is so enormous that it is easy to be deceived as to numbers. One of tho most rn joj able sights of tho Exhibition are tho ait galleries, in which are shown some of tho lint st works of ijrt of England, Germany, and Fiance. Such v show is like puling n I' 001 ' mul hu "«V man i\o\mi to a. migaiueent banquet -nith tho tabled loaded TviHv every conceivable dclicaoy, Ho docs not know on what to start first, especially if his time is limited like mini), Ono picture nlono, \n in <ny ewes, would repay iv long inspeotion, but when it came to hundreds thevo was no other chance but to walk along, gazing at all sorts of gems as you went along. It reminded mo of soinu i>f tho -well-known elobo-trotters who rueh along at high pressure, mid afterwards boast of tho rapid mimncr in which thoy had "done" the I eights they had come thousands of miles to see. England undoubtedly hns llio finest collection, although tho other collections are very fine. I see by tho papers exoopfion is taken to somo of the nude figures in the French collection by somo silly and prurient individuals, but he must bo a coarse minded man who could see anything indelicate in tho artistic and lo\cly painting* complained of. 1 loft tho art galleries with deep rogrct and as " a thing of beauty is a joy for over, I nrcsnmo I must be content with tho brief view I had of the finest works over soon in t)io Southern Hemisphere

From att to music is an cay transition, and to mv thinking tho wagnjficont miyic, under tlip lcpdpnMp rf *f* <*««». '\ on , v pj tho gypfttpst attractions of the Wei-

bourne Exhibition. Tho music hall is arranged near tho entrance, and close to the great dome, and is brilliantly illuminated with are lights with globes of a red colour to protect the eyes from glare, while over tho stage, and arranged in other parts of the building, are some incandescent lamps of 100 candle powor, which are the invention of some ono connected with the building. These lamps are of immense size, and answers admirably for public buildings. Tho great organ built specially for the Exhibition, and of Victorian manufacture, is arranged at the back of the platform, and tho first night I was thero I had the pleasure of listening to a concert of 800 performers. The concerts are of three kinds, the ordinary instrumental band, afternoon, and evening, to which admission is free to tho body of the building ; and a grand combined vocal and instrumental concert evory Thursday ovening, at which the full number of performers are present and to which admission is charged from one shilling to three shillings ; and special popular ballad concerts, to which payment has aleo to be made for admission. The first night I was present tho appearance of the largo number of lady vocalists had a very pretty effect, the sopranos and contraltos being all dressed alike in white, the former wearing blue sashes and the latter red. It is impossible for me to convey anything like an idea of the beauty of tho music. Tho effects produced by tho precision and delicacy of the playing by the instrumentalists was really enchanting, and under the able conductorship of a musician liko Mr Cowen, of world-wide fame, it is not to be wonderod at that the , concerts aro such a success, more particularly as money has been lavishly spentin procuring musicians of tho very highest order. Mr I Cowcn, I understand, brought out thirteen of them from England, who, of course, have added to tho attraction and appreciation which tho colonial performers have so well deiervod. I understand Mr Cowen is ' dolightcd with hia orchestra, and so he should be, for it would be difficult to get together a more perfect band of trained muiicians. In tho choruses, when the mu>ic-nas working up for a grand forte effect, the organ at tho back would come in with a loud crashing effect that was at once majestio and impressive. The aolos performed on tlw different instruments during the performance of a piece weva simply erquisite. No ono was allowed lo enter or leave during the performance of a piece, and unseemly noise and confusion was thus avoided. Exception has been taken fo these concerts by some people, who say they are of too high a class, but Mr Cowen replies to this by saying that if music of a high character was not wanted, it was a mistake in going to the expenso of getting him from England, as cheaper muaic could easily be procured to do inferior work. Mr Cowen, I understand, gots £1000 a month, and the leading violinist gets £25 a day, and other musicians of noto are equally well paid. The concerts aro well patronised, and tho perfect quiet which prevails is the highest complimont that could be paid by an ap.prcciative tvudience. This silence is occasionally broken by enthusiastic applause, when the rendering of a piece is again demanded. Such music has novorbeen heard in these colonies before, and it will probably be years before such a combination of musical talent will be heard again.

THE COMPLETION

of tho Exhibition is still in a very backward stato, and it will be some timoDeforc work will bo finished. Thero is also a great deal of work to bo done in finishing some of the courts, a good deal of unpacking taking place while I was there, giving portions of the building a very incomplete appearance. This is a pity, as one would have thought timo had been araplo since the opening of tho building to finish all tho arrangements. (To bo continued.)