OUR ILLUSTRATIONS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VI, Issue 30, 26 July 1890, Page 9

OUR ILLUSTRATIONS.

In the centre pages of the present issue will be found two lithographed illustrations presenting certain aspects of life in the city of Wellington. In that upon the left our readers cannot fail to recognise the figure of our present Governor and his debonnair consort, the Countess of Onslow, doing the honours to their guests at the recent ball at Government House. There are besides portraitures of other persons whose identity is unobseured, as there is no particular reason for concealing it. There are, however, situations about all ballrooms (even at Government House) over which it is only fair to throw a decent veil of dissimulation, and therefore our artist has shown a delicacy with which we can all of us sympathise, in entirely concealing the lady and only half revealing the gentleman who are Hirting on the stairs. On the other side our artist has given full rein to his imagination, and shown us, in an exaggerated way, the grotesque situations begotten by the squalls which are traditionally reported to rage about the Empire City. As the lawyers say, this is all ‘without prejudice.’ We mop and perspire in Auckland, or shiver and blow our finger tips at Dunedin, or rub out the dust of a Christchurch nor’-wester, each in our season, according as the elements assault us. The best we can wish Wellington is that some day an exceptional breeze may take down a few of the hills and finish up the reclamations, so that ample surface may be created for the development which she is so consistently showing.