Describing the Beautiful Inventions and Manufactures Exhibited Therein;
with Pretty Stories about the People Who Have Made and Sent Them; and
How They Live When at Home
London: Thomas Dean and Son 35, Threadneedle-Street, and
Ackermann and Co. 96, Strand.
What a pretty picture we have in the first title page, of the Great
Exhibition in Hyde Park! This gigantic structure is built of iron,
glass, and wood; but as, at a distance, it seems to be made entirely
of glass, it is called the "Crystal Palace." Does it not look like one
of those magnificent palaces we read about in fairy tales?
The Great Exhibition is intended to receive and exhibit the most
beautiful and most ingenious things from every country in the world,
in order that everybody may become better known to each other than
they have been, and be joined together in love and trade, like one
great family; so that we may have no more wicked, terrible battles,
such as there used to be long ago, when nobody cared who else was
miserable, so that they themselves were comfortable. Only look at the
thousands of people who crowd the Park,--all so different looking, and
so curiously dressed. Grave Turks,--swarthy Spaniards and
Italians,--East Indian Princes, glistening with gold and
jewels,--clever French and German workmen, in blue cotton
blouses,--Chinese gentlemen,--Tartars, Russians, energetic Americans,
and many more. I wonder what they all think of us, whose habits in
many things are so different from their own?
And what charming things there are in the Exhibition itself! Fine
porcelain wares, mirrors, books, statues, perfumes, and many more
articles from various parts of the world,--beautiful fans, books,
bronzes, and an infinity of other matters, from France in particular.
Here is a model in miniature of the Crystal Palace itself, in glass.
Ah! talking of glass, what think you of an enormous French decanter,
in which three persons, having gotten inside by a ladder, can sit and
dine off a table a yard in circumference? This is quite an exhibition
in itself, I think. In another part of the building, we have a
looking-glass, from Germany, which is the largest that ever was made,
and is encased in a splendid frame of Dresden china. But here is a
darling little English steam-engine, so small that you could, after
wrapping it up in paper, lay it very comfortably inside an
ordinary-sized walnut-shell, while the plate on which it stands is not
bigger than a sixpence!
In the very centre of the building, a gigantic crystal fountain
diffuses a delicious coolness around, its bright clear waters
sparkling, leaping, and playing, as if in delight and astonishment at
the splendid and wonderful articles surrounding it. And there are two
immense statues just beside it, looking mightily pleased with the
agreeable coolness of the water. But here are two large bronze
lions;--how terrible they look: they seem almost as if they were going
to jump at us. There are animals of various kinds in different parts
of the Exhibition; stags, horses, foxes, birds, cats, and even a
ferocious-looking tiger.
There is a bundle of nails so diminutive you can hardly see
them--another bundle of three thousand nails, one thousand gold,
another silver, and the third iron; so light that the whole weighs
only three grains,--a French watch, smaller than a fourpenny
piece,--Hindoo stuffs, so thin you can scarcely feel them, yet are
made from rejected cotton-husks,--a highly-finished model of a palace,
from Italy; and a handsome carriage, from Prussia.
But among the curious articles we must notice this imitation of a
camelia japonica tree in china, with buds, leaves, and blossoms, all
perfect, which came from Germany;--and that painted oil-cloth from
Manchester, covered with the most extraordinary mathematical
ornaments, and which took eleven years to complete, and is worth 500
guineas. And that table, made of 38,000 pieces of wood, of
twenty-eight different colours, looking like mosaic, which was sent
from Switzerland. Nor must we forget to look at this piece of gold, on
which is engraved "The Lord's Prayer," and is yet so small that a
common pin-head covers it: that came from Portsmouth. And here is a
German bed, which being wound up, like a clock, to a certain hour,
throws the sleeper out on the ground, when the time comes; no lazy
lie-a-beds with that, I fancy!
But here is an odd contribution, also from Germany; it is--what do you
think?--a piece of lace, darned, and a fine table napkin, also darned!
however, don't laugh, until I explain to you the reason _why_ it has
been mended in this way: an ingenious young lady, wishing to show
industrious lasses that torn clothes may be made to look as if they
had not been injured in that manner at all, got a piece of cloth, tore
it for the purpose, and taking up the stitches neatly, worked thread
after thread till she had darned it in such a way that nobody could
tell where it had been torn; she then thought of sending a specimen of
her industry to the World's Fair.
Here are snuff-boxes made of coal, which have been sent from Woolwich;
and a beautiful little cannon of agate, from Germany; and two violins,
worth a great deal of money, which have been contributed from America.
I know that the productions of India will delight you by their beauty
and ingenuity: the costumes the natives have sent are even prettier
than those of Turkey, Spain, or Persia, and their gold, silver, and
mother-of-pearl ornaments, are enchanting; what splendid veils,
dresses, shawls, carved ivory, and curiosities!
I would have you look very attentively at the contributions from
India, they are so gorgeous; such superb muslins, baskets, and fans;
with silks, cotton, cocoa-nuts, roots, woods, and such tempting
fruits. I always like to see Indian articles, they are so magnificent.
The persons who have sent these things must have worked very hard, to
make so many beautiful specimens; but then the poorer people of India
are exceedingly industrious; they live very simply, eating rice,
boiled with milk and spices, as their principal food, for it is
against their religion to touch meat of any kind. They would lead
rather a sorry life, were it not that their tastes were so extremely
simple, and their wants so few. A Hindoo village looks more like a
gipsy encampment, than anything else, and bears a very strange
appearance to a European, at first.
[Illustration]
However, although the poor people live in this way, the princes and
nobles lead a far different life; an eastern grandee could formerly do
anything he chose, even to killing of his wives and slaves, and, only
I do not wish to frighten you, I could tell you many stories about the
cruelty of the Indian nobles. They live in great state, and are
always surrounded by a throng of slaves, and attendants, who wait on
them as they recline lazily on a pile of the softest cushions, which
are covered with the skins of beasts, and with silks, velvets, and
satins. When they go abroad they are carried in what is called a
palanquin, borne on the shoulders of servants, if they do not choose
to ride on a horse or an elephant.
[Illustration]
Their houses are adorned with the utmost magnificence, while the
gardens or approaches to them are delightfully cool and refreshing,
being shaded by fragrant trees, and shrubs, perfumed by the most
beautiful flowers, and cooled by fountains, playing in marble basins.
The Indian machinery is very clumsy indeed, and the mills are the
funniest-looking things imaginable: I must show you an oil-mill.
[Illustration]
A very cruel custom prevails in many parts of India, which I know will
shock you very much: when a Hindoo of rank dies, his widow is laid by
his side on a pile of faggots, which being set fire to, the poor
creature is suffocated, or else burnt alive, and they pretend that she
likes to be so destroyed. The ceremony is called a "Suttee," and is
conducted with great pomp, all the relations of the woman and her dead
husband being present, in addition to an immense crowd; before getting
on the pile, the widow divides all her jewels and ornaments amongst
her friends. Here is a picture of a widow about to bathe in a
"consecrated" river, before going to be burnt.
Here are lovely specimens of the manufacture of gold, silver, silk,
jewellery, and Lebanon horns, from Syria, with seeds, fruits, oils,
and woods; and even ornaments and marble from Jerusalem! Little did
the Crusaders of old think, when they were fighting in Jerusalem, and
the Holy Land, that the Infidels, as they very incorrectly called
them, would be sending in such a friendly way to England.
[Illustration]
What splendid caps, slippers, veils, and perfumes, with such
picturesque guns and swords, from Turkey! The Turks are a fine,
handsome race of people, and very grave and sensible, except when they
are angry, when they grow raging and furious; they are fond of ease;
and the chief delight of those who can afford it is to sit
cross-legged on a low couch, drinking coffee, and smokeing a long
curled pipe, called a _hookah_. They often sit by the side of a canal
for a whole day, looking at children flying kites. Instead of sitting
at a table to dine, they put the dishes on a carpet of Turkey leather,
and sit round it on the floor, eating, with wooden spoons, meat and
rice stewed together, called _pilau_. They are not allowed to drink
wine, or eat pork. A favourite diversion with them is playing on a
kind of lute, and sometimes they amuse themselves with chess,
draughts, and other games; but their principal amusement, like some of
my little friends, is to sit and listen to stories, told by men who
earn their livelihood by relating entertaining tales and romances.
[Illustration]
The Turks do not undress and go to bed at any time, but being seated
on a sofa, they smoke till they are sleepy, then laying themselves
down, their slaves cover them over for the night. The poor people of
the cities carry water, cakes, loaves, and other things, through the
streets for a living, or act as buffoons, musicians, tumblers and
wrestlers, at the Sultan's and other of the rich people's palaces.
They cannot use wheel carriages in Turkey, the streets are so narrow,
and the pavements in many parts so bad; everything is therefore
carried by men, horses, mules, and donkeys, which is very
inconvenient, as the mules and donkeys very often tumble down, and
throw their burdens right in everybody's way; as for a horse, when
heavily laden, it takes up the entire road; and when two loaded horses
meet, the bawling and confusion is dreadful.
The markets in Turkey are called "bazaars," and there you can buy
almost anything you want; and every trade keeps together in knots of
shops, different from us, in particular quarters, so that you are not
obliged to walk all over the bazaar in search of a hat or a pair of
shoes. In these bazaars, it is customary for a dealer to ask much
more than he means to take, and for a buyer to offer infinitely less
than he means to give; it is, therefore, rather difficult to strike a
bargain, and sometimes several days are occupied chaffering about a
price.
The Turkish houses, above the ground floors, are usually built of thin
laths, painted of different gay colours, and the roofs made of tiles,
so that every few months a terrible fire takes place, and several
thousand dwellings are burnt down; but the people are so accustomed to
this that they do not mind it, and look on very contentedly while the
fire rages, smoking their pipes, and drinking coffee.
The Turks are exceedingly charitable, and not only give alms to the
sick and poor, but even to travellers and strangers; and some of them
have exercised their benevolence so far that they have left a sum of
money for digging wells, and for the support of several cats and dogs.
A very great trade is carried on from many parts of the world with
them, as their country is famous for its rich brocades, thick soft
carpets, mattings, baskets, curiously-wrought gold and silver
embroidery, and balsams. It is also remarkable for its attar of roses,
spices, figs, and coffee; all very good things, I dare say, you will
think.
[Illustration]
Some things have been sent from China to our Exhibition; but the
Chinese people do not seem to care much about it. Indeed, I wonder
they sent at all, for they consider themselves as the only civilized
nation in the world, and call China the "Celestial Empire," while they
imagine that the Emperor is an intimate relation of the Sun, Moon, and
Stars! They are a very industrious nation, however, and the Emperor
encourages them by his example. The poor work in every way they can;
and one of their occupations is carrying about water for sale, as they
have not water brought by pipes into the houses, as we have here.
Here is the picture of a Chinese water carrier.
[Illustration]
They also make the most elaborately carved ornaments, in wood and
ivory; their toys and lanterns are celebrated for their ingenuity and
workmanship. Their fireworks are superior to all those of other
nations; and they excel in tricks and amusing entertainments. The
cultivation of tea is universal, and agriculture--which, you know is
the art of tilling the earth--is held in high esteem; the principal
products being rice, wheat, yams, potatoes, turnips, and cabbages. The
dwellings of the peasantry too, are not in villages, as in old
England, but are scattered through the country; and they have no
fences, gates, or anything to guard against wild beasts, or robbers.
The females raise silk-worms, spin cotton, manufacture woollen
stuffs, and are the only weavers in the empire. The art of printing,
though done in what I must confess is rather a clumsy manner, is much
exercised amongst them, and gives employment to many people.
I do not think we should like to dine with a Chinese gentleman, or
Mandarin, as he would treat us to strange dainties, as--a roast dog, a
dish of stewed worms, a rat pie; or, perhaps, a bird's-nest. But the
bird's-nest would be the best of the list, for it is not like the kind
of bird's-nests which you have seen, but is made, I believe, of the
spawn of fish, and looks something like isinglass. It is the nest of a
sort of swallow, is about the size of a goose's egg, and is found in
caverns along the sea shores; so it is not so bad as it seems at
first. And the rats are as large and fat as some of our rabbits, being
fed on fruits and grain, purposely for eating; as also are their dogs,
for eating.
The people of the "Celestial Empire" are celebrated for their fondness
for making beautiful gardens; but their houses and gardens are quite
different from ours.
What a pretty scene! what a delicious cool walk is formed by the grove
of trees leading to the porcelain tower. And those ladies walking
towards the boat,--or hobbling, more likely; for the Chinese ladies
have feet not much larger than your papa's thumb, which is there
considered a great beauty.
[Illustration]
The common women cannot afford to have little feet, as the feet of the
rich girls are bandaged up in iron shoes, when they are two or three
years old, to prevent their growing larger. These small feet are
called "Golden Lilies;" but I am glad no such barbarous custom
prevails in our own dear country. The Chinese ladies, however, are
extremely accomplished, and can play on many musical instruments,
paint, and embroider. The merchants of China are not at all remarkable
for their honesty, though a few of them are very scrupulous. Many of
them amass great fortunes.
The Chinese have sent in embroidered shawls, table-covers, teas,
curious and intricate toys, and specimens of handicraft.
[Illustration]
Why, we have even specimens of Russian industry, in the Great
Exhibition; and very good specimens they are, too. Russia is not such
a pleasant country, in some respects, as any of those I have been
telling you of; for in the winter the frost is so severe that many of
the poor Russians die from cold. The rich wrap themselves up in warm
furs, and ride in fur-lined sledges, instead of the usual carriages;
but the poor people are forced to continue working out of doors at
their various employments, being very careful, however, to cover their
legs, hands, and head with fur, lest they should be bitten with the
frost, which sometimes seizes those parts and turns them white. Though
many of the poor women stand for hours together, washing their linen
in holes cut in the ice, without getting frozen, yet it often happens
that coachmen and other servants have been frozen to death in the
streets at night, while waiting for their masters.
At the end of every year, the Russians keep a long fast, and as soon
as it is over, lay in their store of winter's provisions, at a market
held once a-year on the river Neva, which is then frozen over. I
should like you to see this market, it is so full of gaiety and
singularity, while the high piles of frozen provisions look so
picturesque along the ice. The Russians are remarkable for their
cheerfulness and contentment, and are so fond of singing, that they
are always enjoying a song when at work. Russian songs are very
different from ours, and sound rather odd to us.
The food of the common people is black rye bread, sometimes, by way
of treat, stuffed with onions, carrots, or green corn, and seasoned
with sweet oil. They use eggs, salt fish, bacon, and mushrooms, of
which last they have a great plenty. The men are ordinarily dressed in
loose trousers; short coats of sheep-skin, tied with a sash round
their waists, and folds of flannel, fastened round with pack-thread,
on their legs, for stockings. The women are dressed just as oddly, in
short gowns, and with their hair plaited and hanging down their backs,
if they are unmarried; or a cap and cotton kerchief round their heads,
if they are married. The peasants' houses are built of wood, and have
one or two rooms only; they are miserably furnished, with no beds, as
the family sleep on benches in summer, while nearly one-fourth of the
principal apartment is filled by an enormous stove, or rather oven,
upon which they sleep in winter; for the smoke of which, there is no
chimney beyond a hole in the wall. I don't think you or I would much
like to spend a winter in Russia.
Many useful things, you may observe, have come from Spain--cheeses,
honey, dried fruits, salt, lime, wool, oil, flax, and cotton; with
guns, swords, and also beautiful ornaments; with some precious
stones, diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. The Spaniards are not either a
very active or a very cleanly people, but they are exceedingly proud,
honest, and hospitable; they are skilful workers in woollen and silk
stuffs, and manufacture sword-blades of a very fine kind; while their
leather is celebrated for its superiority. They also work beautifully
in gold and silver; and trade in immense quantities of those oranges
you like so well, lemons, citrons, grapes, raisins, olives, nuts, and
wines.
The chief amusement of both high and low is one which neither you nor
I would be pleased with, I hope, for it is bull-fighting; which cruel
entertainment they learned from the Moors, who once had possession of
Spain, and built all the beautiful castles and palaces that are in it.
The manners of the rich people are merely like those of our own
gentry, but the common people are very peculiar; and all classes
delight in playing on the guitar, and singing, both of which they
perform charmingly. They have also two favourite dances, called a
fandango, and a bolero, both extremely lively and graceful. The mode
of conveyance in Spain is by mules, and these beasts are surprisingly
obedient to their masters, and answer to their own names just like our
own pet dogs. The tails of the mules are oddly decorated, by cutting
the hair into stars, flowers, and other fanciful designs.
The villages are mostly mean, and the roads narrow; but Madrid, the
capital of Spain, is a large city, with long, straight streets, many
of them cooled by noble fountains. The houses in Madrid are built of
brick, and even the grandest of them have only lattices, instead of
glass windows, most of which have, however, handsome balconies,
supported on columns. In the churches, there are neither pews,
benches, nor chairs; the ground is covered with matting, on which
every one kneels together, from the grandee to the beggar. In the
suburbs there are many woods of evergreen oak, vineyards, olive
plantations, and orchards of mulberry, plum, and almond trees; and the
flocks of black sheep and goats, grazing in the country meadows, have
a pretty effect.
I don't think you would find the Spanish cookery much to your taste;
for the Spaniards are very fond of rancid butter in their meals, and
of oil that has a very strong smell and flavour; indeed, when they
are going to cook anything that requires fat, they lift down the lamp
from the ceiling, and take out what oil they want. Bread, steeped in
oil, and occasionally seasoned with vinegar, is the common food of the
country people. Their favourite wine is that which has a strong taste
of the leather bottles or casks, in which they keep it; and they will
hardly eat any thing that has not saffron, pimento, or garlic, in it.
They have, however, even amongst the poorest, such fine grapes, ripe
melons, and tempting oranges, as my little readers, I know, have
seldom tasted. In summer, they use a quantity of ice, which is sold in
glasses, in the streets, for a trifling sum. In place of candles, the
poor people have a piece of cane, cut with holes through it, which is
fixed to the ceiling, and from one of the holes a lamp is hung by a
hook.
[Illustration]
The dress of the lower orders is very pretty indeed, and they
themselves are mostly tall and handsome, with black hair and eyes, and
dark sun-burnt complexions. The climate is so warm and balmy, that
they can grow their fruits in the open air.
Some pretty articles have been sent from Portugal, a country which is
near Spain, and very like it in all respects. It is a very fine
country, famous for wine, and oil; and the sheep are much prized for
their superior wool. The ladies of rank still spin flax from a
distaff, to show their industry. The peasantry are not very well off;
their only luxury is tobacco, and their usual fare is bread, made of
Indian corn, with a salted pilchard, or a head of garlic, to give it a
relish. They are polite and hospitable; but the people of the towns
have not the least scruple in stabbing any body that offends them; so
that it is a dangerous thing to affront them.
What elegant tables, pictures, vases, marbles, statues, shells, woods,
and perfumes, have been contributed to the Exhibition from Italy.
Here is a table of a most beautiful material, called pietra dura,
which took one hundred and twenty years to finish, and came from
Naples.
Italy has always been celebrated for the beauty of the articles
manufactured there; and the things it has sent us now are certainly
worthy of its fame. It is one of the loveliest countries in the world,
in the spring and autumn, and is ornamented with the richest foliage;
vines, mulberry, olive, and orange trees; and with high hills and deep
dales, towns, villas, and villages. The soil is extremely fertile, and
produces abundance of grain, the finest fruits and vegetables, with
flax, saffron, and manna. The climate is delightful, except in
summer, when the weather is dreadfully hot, and the winters are so
mild, that ice and snow are quite rarities, except in the mountains; I
wonder what my little-boy friends would do there, for a skate on the
ice, or a merry game of snow-balls?
Rome, the capital of Italy, is a splendid city, full of the remains of
ancient temples, pillars, arches, and fountains; but many of them
sadly ruinous and decayed. There are a great many Jews in it, who are
forced to live in a particular part, called the _ghetto_, which means
a place for Jews. The city of Rome and the surrounding country are
very unwholesome during summer, in consequence of the land not being
properly drained, as it used to be in the times of the ancient Romans,
so that it is dangerous to dwell near them at that season of the year.
The numerous vineyards in Italy, are not divided by hedges, but by
rows of rather fine trees, the vines clinging in graceful festoons
from one bough to another. In some parts of the country, there are
various picturesque corn fields and meadows, bordered by olive trees.
The Italians are not a very industrious people, but they make silk
stockings, soap, snuff-boxes of the lava of Mount Vesuvius, tables of
marble, and ornaments of shells, besides gloves and caps of the
filaments of a kind of muscle, which they get off the rocks, where it
fixes itself by spinning a web from its own body, like the silk-worm
or spider. These caps and gloves are actually warmer than those made
of wool, and are of a fine glossy green colour.
[Illustration]
There are a great many beggars, I am sorry to say, in fair Italy, who
are called _Lazzaroni_, and they live on whatever they can get,
sleeping under porticos, piazzas, or any place they can find, and are,
as you may guess, excessively idle, like all other beggars.
There are also hordes of thieves, who are called _Banditti_, and who
rob people in the most daring manner, for there are very few police.
But there are also numerous persons who are quite well-behaved, and
do all they can to earn their bread honestly. Among these is a set of
men called _Improvisatori_, who tell stories, or repeat verses in the
streets, and get a good deal of money from those who stop to listen to
them. It must be very pleasant, on a cool summer evening, to sit under
some magnificent old portico, listening to some interesting poem, or
hearing a pretty story related.
Throughout Italy, one of the remarkable customs, is keeping of a grand
festival, which begins some weeks before Lent, and is called the
"Carnival;" on this occasion, every place is brilliantly adorned, and
the people go about singing, dancing, joking, and masquerading. The
most splendid Carnival is kept at Venice, a remarkable city of Italy,
built upon a several islands, the sea, which runs every where among
them, serving the inhabitants for streets.
The Italians are very handsome, and have jet black hair, dark roguish
eyes, and fine figures. The dress of the lower orders is even prettier
than the pretty Spanish costume. The men wear high-crowned hats, such
as you may sometimes have seen on the organ-grinders in the streets of
London, velveteen jackets, gaiters, and open shirt-collars, loosely
fastened by a silk ribbon; while the women have short scarlet
petticoats, and jackets of a darker colour, with exceedingly short
sleeves, tied with bright ribbon, and their long black hair decorated
with coloured bows of ribbon, and confined by a silk lace net, which
falls partly over their shoulders. Instead of sending thieves to
prison in Italy, they are sent on board the galleys, a large kind of
rowing vessels, where they are chained to the decks, and obliged to
endure every species of hardship.
What a number of things the Germans have contributed! Bracelets,
articles of straw, beautiful household furniture, toys, wire, and many
other manufactures. Here is a splendid tray of polished amber, with a
little carriage, made according to a proper model, and a large
chandelier of amber, capable of holding several thousand lights. There
is a beautiful cabinet made of a collection of pieces of unpolished
amber, intended to show the different kinds of that mineral, its
various forms, its peculiarities, and its varieties. Here is a
bedstead, worth it is said ten thousand pounds; and the most elegant
furniture ever seen. And here is a piece of white silk embroidered
with portraits of our Queen and the Prince of Wales, done in a thin
kind of thread, called "hair thread."
You know a good deal about Germany itself, I dare say, already; but I
must tell you something about the Germans themselves. They are grave
and thoughtful, but highly romantic and full of enthusiasm. Their love
for their country is most remarkable. All classes in Germany are
well-educated, and many painters, poets, and musicians, have been born
among them. The art of printing was first practiced in that country,
and at present the number of books printed there is immense; while
every year a book-fair is held at the city of Leipzig. The produce and
manufactures of Germany are exceedingly numerous, and you see they are
of great variety, such as clocks, watches, woollens, linens, toys,
wines, ornamental work in iron and steel, worsteds, and silks. In the
public walks and gardens, on Sundays, the people assemble in great
crowds, dressed out in their holiday clothes, while ladies and
gentlemen walk about without the least restraint among the working
people.
The chase is a favourite amusement with the nobles and gentlemen, and
is a sport in which they are lustily joined by the peasantry. The
immense forests with which the country abounds gives shelter to wild
boars, wolves, and many other ferocious animals. On grand occasions
there is held what is called a _battue_, when a number of deer are
driven into an enclourse, and shot at by the sportsmen. The habits of
the peasants are extremely simple, but the people are industrious and
ingenious. The villages and cottages are neat and comfortable. The
peasants make many pretty toys and ornaments, and bring provisions to
market from a great distance, in light roomy wheel-barrows, made for
the purpose. The German people are in general fair, with blue eyes,
flaxen hair, and full figures; but they do not wear any very peculiar
dress.
In models of ships, in rosewood furniture, in silver embroidery, and
silver cups,--besides linens, calicoes, and glass beautifully painted
for windows; many contributions have been sent in by the Dutch. There
are also soft thick blankets with scarlet borders, which make one warm
merely to look at them.
The Dutch people are industrious, and cleanly. The women are the most
active and nicest house-wives in the world; they scour and brighten,
and rub not only the furniture and inside of their houses, but the
outside as well; the houses in Holland, by-the-bye, look like painted
baby-houses, and are roofed with glossy delft tiles, and the rooms are
lined with smooth square tiles of delft, and the floors paved with
marble. The people are never idle in Holland, but are always working
at a great variety of manufactures, among which are leather, woollen,
and linen articles,--also, paper, wax, starch, pottery, and tiles.
Large quantities of gin are likewise made, and this liquor is in
England called "Hollands" for that reason. Carts are not much used by
the Dutch; their goods are carried on sledges, very light waggons, and
boats. The reason of this is, that they are afraid lest the wheels of
vehicles should injure the foundations of their cities, which are
generally built on piles of huge trees, driven like stakes into the
bog beneath. The common people are very humane to their cattle; they
rub down the cows and oxen, and keep them as clean and sleek as our
English horses. Canals run through the principal streets, and in
winter they are frozen over for two or three months, when the whole
country is like a fair; booths are erected upon the ice, with fires in
them. The country people skate to market, with milk and vegetables;
and every kind of sport is seen on the frozen canals. Sledges fly from
one street to another, gaily decorated, and numberless skaters glide
about with astonishing swiftness and dexterity. No people skate so
well as the Dutch.
[Illustration]
Holland was once a quagmire, almost covered with water; but by making
canals higher than the land, and pumping the water out of the fields
into them, the land was drained. The bogs are numerous, and supply so
much turf that little else is burned. There are no beggars; and the
people are in general pretty warmly clothed, and comfortable looking,
with ruddy faces. The townspeople are dressed almost like the
Londoners, or Parisians; but the costume of the country folks is
rather funny. A farmer's wife, when out for a holiday, wears a large
kind of gipsy hat, like a small umbrella, lined with damask; a close
jacket with long flaps; and full short thick coloured petticoats. Her
slippers are yellow, her stockings blue, and her cap is without a
border, being made to fit her head exactly, and gaily ornamented with
gold filagree clasps; while her costume is finished by a pair of
earrings and a necklace. The farmer himself wears a hat without a rim,
and huge silver buttons on his coat; and keeps whiffing away at his
pipe, which he is seldom without. The Dutch are most excellent
gardeners, though they sometimes ruin themselves by their love for
flowers.
Among the articles that have been sent here from Switzerland, are
several well worth looking at, they are so wonderfully ingenious. Of
this kind are two boxes, one of white wood, and the other of brown;
the white has a lovely Alpine rose, with garlands of flowers upon the
sides, the rose and lid being cut out of one piece of wood, and so
beautifully made to imitate nature, that the slightest touch with the
point of a knife or a needle, makes the leaves move and quiver without
spoiling the flower. This was made by a Swiss peasant. The people of
Switzerland are very remarkable for their industry, contentment, and
ingenuity.
Among the villagers, their chief occupations are the management of
dairies, and the breeding of cattle; and many of the peasantry make a
living by hunting the chamois, as the wild goat is called. This is
rather a dangerous employment, yet the chamois-hunters delight in it;
they carry a long hook pointed with an iron spike, and with the help
of this, they leap from rock to rock, over frightful chasms and
precipices; yet such is their surprising activity, that they are never
killed. Other peasants earn a livelihood by fattening and preparing
snails for market; for these creatures are considered a great delicacy
in many parts of Switzerland. In another part of the country the
inhabitants almost exclusively follow the trade of watch-making, and
polishing the crystals and pebbles that are found in the mountains,
Geneva, a city of Switzerland, is celebrated for the watches that are
made there.
The women are extremely domestic, delighting in their children; and
all the Swiss are remarkable for their passionate love of home. In
every village there is a school, established by the Government for
the instruction of poor children. The Swiss are the most graceful of
all peasants, and wear very smart costumes. The men wear large hats,
and their dress is generally a brown cloth jacket without sleeves, and
puffed breeches of ticking. The women have short blue petticoats, a
cherry-coloured boddice, full white sleeves fastened above the elbow,
and a muslin kerchief thrown round their necks; while their hair is
plaited, and twisted about their heads. They also wear pretty flat
straw hats, ornamented with bows of ribbon.
The scenery of Switzerland is of the most charming and romantic
description; there are towering mountains, craggy rocks, steep
precipices, with foaming torrents dashing down their sides, and dizzy
heights, which I should be sorry any of my little friends were looking
down. But these are delightfully intermixed with beautiful valleys,
adorned with groves of fir, beech, and chestnut trees; clear lakes,
rapid rivers, cataracts, and bridges of one arch reaching an immense
distance from rock to rock. Portions of the mountains are covered with
villages and scattered cottages; and the inside of the dwellings are
so neat and look so comfortable, that you could almost wish to live in
one of them, if you were not told that there is a perpetual danger of
their being buried under one of the enormous masses of snow that
frequently roll from the tops of the mountains, and destroy everything
in their way. These masses are called Avalanches.
Between the summits of the highest of the mountains are valleys of
ice, frozen into many fantastic shapes, formed by one crust of ice
growing hard over another; but what is more extraordinary, is that the
borders of these glaciers, as they are called, are fertile:
strawberries, wild cherries, nuts, barberries, and mulberries, grow
there; and goats browse on the most inaccessible parts of the rocks,
and bound with the most surprising agility from one cliff to another.
[Illustration]
Several contributions have been sent by the Prussians and Austrians;
woollens, minerals, linens, china, and other things.
The Prussians are a very polite and well-educated people, and nowhere
are there more schools than in their country.
Prussia itself is an extremely pleasant place, and the towns are fine,
with wide, regular streets, and high antique-looking houses; the
streets are mostly lined with trees, which look pretty enough while
their leaves are green, but rather prevent the free circulation of
air. The Prussian ladies delight in fine clothes, and would be much
vexed if they were obliged to go out without them. The gentry speak
French, but the common people talk German. The beautiful Dresden china
we see at the Exhibition, cames from the town of Dresden.
Austria is a very fine country, and contains a great variety of
people. The principal artizans are tanners, furriers, boot makers,
lace workers, and cabinet makers. There are also workers in iron,
copper, alum, saltpetre, besides many others. The general habits of
the Austrians are like those of the Germans, so I do not think I need
tell you anything about them.
The Poles and Hungarians have also sent their industrial productions
to the Great Exhibition; cloth, lace, furniture, brooms, linens,
woollens, and other articles. I dare say you have heard a good deal
lately about the Hungarians, when they were fighting against the
Austrians and Russians. The Hungarian peasants are very hard-working;
indeed, they cannot help being so, for as the nobility and gentry are
not taxed, the poor people are forced to pay all the taxes, besides
being obliged to give money and provisions to their masters, the Lords
of the Manor, who, I am sorry to say, are excessively tyrannical. They
are also compelled to pay tithes to the clergy, the magistrates, and
the soldiers, and to work for nothing on the public works; against
which bad laws they fought. Agriculture, and the breeding of cattle,
are carried on to a considerable extent.
Hungary is occupied by a variety of people, with entirely different
habits; it contains Frenchmen, Sclavonians, Turks, Jews, Spaniards,
Gipsies, Germans, and Greeks. The Magyar language, the original
Hungarian tongue, is spoken by the peasants; but in the cities the
people mostly use German and French.
The Poles live in a cold, flat, marshy country, in the north of
Europe. The peasantry are in a miserable state, very dirty and
frequently drunken; and their land is in a wretched condition.
The Swedish and Danish people have made many things to be exhibited in
the World's Fair. Sweden is in the north of Europe, and the climate is
very disagreeable, for it is extremely cold in winter, and intolerably
hot in summer. The people do not live very luxuriantly; their bread is
not only black and coarse, but so hard that they are sometimes obliged
to break it with a hatchet; and this, with dried fish, and salt meat,
forms the chief part of their food. Yet they are very hardy and
contented. At Michaelmas, they kill their cattle and salt them, for
the winter and spring. Their favourite drink is beer, and they delight
in malt spirits; some of them have tea and coffee. Their houses are
generally built of wood, and their cottages are made of rough logs;
the roofs are covered with turf, on which the goats browse. The
Swedish women do everything that men are employed to do in other
countries; they plough, sow, and thresh, and work with the
bricklayers; the country women, as well as the ladies, wear veils to
shade their faces from the glare of the snow in winter, and from the
scorching rays of the sun reflected from the barren rocks in summer.
[Illustration]
The iron mines of Sweden are exceedingly useful; they furnish great
quantities of metal, to be exported to England, for the use of our
steel manufactories. The extensive forests supply numerous pine trees,
which are cut down and sent to foreign countries, for ship and house
building; while pitch and tar are made from the sap,--a preparation
which gives employment to many of the inhabitants.
The Swedes contrive to make things from materials we should throw away
as good for nothing; they twist rope from hogs'-bristles, horses'
manes, and the bark of trees; and form bridles of eel-skins. The
coarse cloth they wear they make themselves, for the women are
continually busy spinning or weaving. Sweden is the birth-place of the
famous botanist, Linnæus, and the charming singer, Jenny Lind.
Norway is united to Sweden, but it is still colder in winter and
hotter in summer. The people live very simply, mostly on milk, cheese,
and dried fish; and sometimes they have slices of meat, sprinkled with
salt and dried in the wind. In some parts of the country, the people
make bread of the bark of the pine tree; and in winter, for want of
hay, they are obliged to feed their cattle on dried fish. The houses
are built of wood, and many of the roads are made of the same
material; while wooden fences are used instead of hedges. The
Norwegians send metals, minerals, salt, butter, dried fish, and furs,
to other countries.
Denmark is a very fine country, perfectly level, except a single ridge
of mountains. Its chief products are grain, tobacco, flax, madder, and
hops. There are a great many mines, but few manufactures carried on;
though the Danish gloves are much esteemed. The climate is generally
rather warm, but very wet. The Danes are mostly well-educated; they
are like the Swedes in their manners and customs. They have sent many
specimens of their industry to the Great Exhibition.
[Illustration]
Why, who would have thought of seeing Persian and Egyptian
contributions at the Exhibition?
And such splendid articles as they are! Persia, you know, is a rich
and fertile country, near Russia, in Asia; but although it has many
beautiful flowers and fruits, yet is there very little timber; owing
to which they have no shipping. The Persians delight in fine clothes
on which they lavish the greater part of their money, and they are
fonder of scarlet, or crimson, than of any other colour. They are very
skilful in dyeing, in making silks, shagreen, morocco, gold and silver
ornaments; and they form excellent swords and weapons. Their commerce
with Turkey, China, Arabia, and other places, is carried on by means
of what they call "caravans," which are large companies of merchants,
who travel together for the sake of security from thieves, by whom
however, they are often robbed; these companies have frequently more
than a thousand camels, to carry their luggage and their goods; and in
consequence of the excessive heat, they are obliged to journey mostly
in the early morning, and rest during the day. The Persians live
chiefly on rice, fruit, and coffee, and eat very little meat; they
luxuriate in baths, and the poorest amongst them endeavour to have a
horse. They use the Turkish language, and are nearly all Mahometans;
they used to worship the sun and fire, though very few continue to do
so still. The Persian ladies never appear in the streets or any other
public place, without having long veils, in order to conceal their
faces, as the Turkish ladies do. The Persians are very like the Turks
in their manners and customs, which I described to you before.
Egypt was, formerly, a mighty empire, and had rich and haughty kings,
who adorned it with magnificent temples and palaces. I dare say you
remember what you have read of it in the history of Joseph and his
brethren, and in that of Moses. It was here that Solomon built his
magnificent and gorgeous Temple. It is now, however, an exceedingly
mean country, and is governed by a Turkish Pacha, whose grandfather
contrived to make himself master of Egypt, as well as of Syria and
Palestine. The climate of Egypt is excessively hot,--in fact, the
nights in spring are the only pleasant part of the year. The nights in
autumn are also very fine,--even delicious; and the rays of the moon
are so bright that the natives, who sleep in the open air, cover their
eyes to prevent their being injured by the brilliancy. The greater
portion of the land is covered with burning sands; but wherever the
waters of the river Nile have been conducted by canals, and allowed to
flow over the country, the earth becomes fertile, and fruits thrive
luxuriantly. There are but few garden flowers, but roses are
extensively cultivated, the attar of roses forming an article of
commerce.
There are many valuable minerals found in the earth; and beautiful
marble, alabaster, salt, alum, and other useful things. The woods,
marshes, plains, and rivers supply a variety of animals, most of them
wild and ferocious. It was in Egypt that the Hippopotamus was found.
The people devote themselves to agriculture, the rearing of bees, and
poultry; they also carry on an important trade with other countries.
Most of the Egyptians are strong, of a tawny complexion, and of a gay
disposition. They luxuriate in water; and esteem it the height of
enjoyment to sit by a fountain, smoking their pipes; they are
excessively fond of bathing. Cairo, the capital of Egypt, is a large
city, with irregular unpaved streets, and brick houses, with flat
roofs. There are a good many small manufactories; and some schools, a
printing-office, and a large library. There are numerous magnificent
fountains in the city, which are indispensable on account of the
intense heat; and more than a thousand shops for selling cups of
coffee, of which the Egyptians are very fond; these coffee shops are
called _rahwehs_. All along the river Nile the banks show signs of
industry; cotton, tobacco, and other produce being grown down to the
water's edge. The Pyramids of Egypt, the time of the building of which
is not known, are considered one of the wonders of the world.
* * * * *
The Greeks have sent some fine stuffs; their silk manufactures are
really beautiful, and their sculptures and feather-fans are splendid.
Greece was a famous country long, long ago, in ancient history, but it
has undergone many sad changes, and was for a long time ruled by the
Turks. The English, French, and Russians rid it from Turkish hands;
but its present government is weak and imperfect, for the numerous
petty chiefs pursue a wicked system of robbery, fighting, and tyranny.
Indeed, many of these chiefs have fitted out vessels as pirate ships,
in order to seize and plunder any other vessels weaker than their own
with which they may fall in. There are, however, many wealthy Greek
merchants; and a number of rich Jews live in various parts of Greece.
The Greek people are beautiful and graceful. The women have fine oval
faces, their eyes are large and dark, their eyebrows and hair are of
deep shining black, and their complexions are mostly pale. They are
very splendid in their dresses; the costume of the men is extremely
like that of the Turks. From having been so long subject, however, to
their Turkish rulers, the Greeks have become artful and cunning.
The rich ladies and nobles of Greece have fine young slaves to wait
upon them, and amuse them by singing or dancing. These slaves are
bought from the Tartars, who steal them from Russia, Circassia, or
Georgia, and are taken great care of, being taught to embroider, sing,
dance, and deport themselves with elegance and grace. Their masters or
mistresses scarcely ever sell them, but when they are tired of them,
either give them to a friend, or set them free. When they do sell
them, it is as a punishment for some crime, or for being useless.
There are numerous brigands, or thieves, in Greece, who are divided
into bands, and rob with the utmost impunity. They manage to hide
themselves very artfully in the roads where they expect to meet
travellers, doubling their bodies up behind stones and bushes, or else
lying flat on their faces on the ground, when they suddenly all start
up and surround any unfortunate individual who may happen to pass that
way. There are also honest, industrious people in Greece; and among
them are the guides, men who show strangers over the curious portions
of the cities for a trifling sum of money; and there are the cabmen of
Athens, who are usually very intelligent and well-informed; there are
a number of cabs in Athens.
The Greek houses have only one story; but there are generally large
gardens, carefully tended, attached to them. The climate is generally
mild, but not so much so as formerly, on account of the cutting down
of the forests. The spring and autumn are delightful; but the summer
is too hot, and the winter is almost a succession of storm and rain.
The earth is extremely fertile, and produces corn, wine, and fruits,
besides the honey and figs you like so much. The people manufacture
silks and cottons, and export quantities of small raisins, which grow
very luxuriantly in and about the city of Corinth. Corinth is one of
the most charming places that you can fancy to yourself, and is
surrounded by beautiful views and the remains of ancient temples,
columns, and statues; groves of fine olive trees border the city, and
the waters of two bays meet near the entrance. The ruins of the
ancient temples and buildings in Athens, the capital of Greece, are
still to be seen; but so little do the ignorant and foolish people,
who have lived in the city in modern times, value these great works,
that they have for hundreds of years used the greater part of the
splendid marbles to build their houses, which are only ordinary and
common-looking.
[Illustration]
The inhabitants of Bavaria and Belgium have sent almost numberless
articles of industry to the Exhibition; furs, lace, machinery, corn,
books, furniture, and metals.
Belgium was formerly called Flanders, and the people produced superior
cloth, hats, cutlery, and other useful things, a very great many years
before the English could make any thing better than the most common
sort of goods. The Belgians are still celebrated for their ingenuity
in making toys, lace, cloth, silk, satin, velvet, and other useful
articles. They are also famous for the culture of flowers, in which
they excel even the Dutch. Every house has a garden attached, which is
frequently surrounded by a moat. The country is small, but every part
of the land is made fertile by the industry of the farmers, of whom
there are a great number; many of them grow flax, which is woven into
linen by the women. There is a weekly market for linen, held at Ghent,
whither the peasantry carry their products for sale, and both men and
women may be seen standing in two long lines, with benches before
them.
The farms in Belgium are cultivated with great care and attention, and
much resemble the market gardens round London; they all have gardens,
and grow an ample supply of fruit and vegetables. The food of the
peasants, is rye-bread and milk, for breakfast and supper; potatoes
and onions, with bacon and beer, for dinner; they eat off pewter; and
although their fare is simple, it is good and plentiful. Their dress
is somewhat coarse, but it is neat and clean, the men wear blue linen
frocks; and the women have printed cotton gowns, linen caps, and
woollen petticoats.
The towns and villages of Belgium are numerous, and thickly peopled.
Brussels, the capital, is a fine city, and is celebrated for its
manufactures, particularly for lace, camlet, and carpets. Ten thousand
people are employed there in making lace. It is also famous for its
pottery and porcelain. The other articles made there, are cotton and
woollen stuffs, silk stockings, and earthenware. The carriages built
there, are superior to even those of London or Paris; there is a
specimen of Belgian carriages at the Exhibition.
There are numerous silk manufactories in Brussels; and the beautiful
linen, called damask, is exported in great quantities. There are
innumerable breweries, too; for no people in the world are so fond of
drinking beer as the Belgians. The people carry on a considerable
trade with foreign countries, by means of the various canals, on which
a vast number of steam-boats are constantly passing and re-passing.
The upper part of Brussels is magnificent, and has a splendid park
laid out with shaded walks, and surrounded by the palaces, private
houses, and public offices; but in the lower part, the streets are
narrow and crowded, though the market-place is very beautiful. There
are twenty superb fountains in the city, ornamented with sculpture.
The Belgians delight in music, and they hold musical festivals every
year. In the Horticultural Gardens at Ghent, during summer, there are
several concerts performed in the open air; and even among the
labouring people, the songs and pieces of music sung together by
groups of peasants and working people are often delightful to hear;
for in Belgium, as in Holland, Prussia, and over a great part of
Germany, even the poorest children are freely taught to sing in
harmony at school. There are several railways in Belgium, which is a
very great convenience to travellers. The climate is good; and, in
winter, snow does not fall deeply.
Bavaria is in Germany also, and is celebrated for its manufactures of
iron, glass, paper, hardware, clocks, linen, woollen, and fire-arms.
The people are industrious and careful, excepting in smoking tobacco,
of which they are very wasteful. Industry is encouraged; and several
schools have been established for teaching young men agriculture and
gardening, with the usual branches of education.
[Illustration]
We must not forget to see what has come from America. Our Great
Exhibition has been almost as much talked of there, as it has been at
home, and an immense number of contributions has been sent from that
country. Machinery, sculptures, stuffs, carriages, minerals, boots and
shoes, iron-work, and wines, have been dispatched over to the
Exhibition.
America was formerly inhabited by numerous tribes of Red Indians,--a
wild, warlike race,--of whom but few now remain, and those not at all
civilized; but the greater number of the white people of America are
the same in their dress, manners, and language, as ourselves.
A large portion of America is called the United States, which is a
Republic; that is, it is governed by the people themselves, without a
king, queen, and a royal family; they appoint a President every four
years. Long ago, the United States belonged to the English, but the
natives gradually grew more powerful than they had been, and threw off
all foreign control.
America produces every kind of grain and fruit, as well as spices,
dye-woods, and balsams. The people export quantities of natural
productions to Europe, but their manufacturers are not as yet able to
compete with those of what are called the _old_ countries. The
principal manufactures are of cotton, woollen, iron, and leather;
which they exchange with the Red Indians for prepared bark, skins, and
birds' feathers. Mines abound, particularly for gold and silver; and
there is abundance of precious stones. The farmers are a very
industrious and intelligent class, and display much taste and neatness
in their management.
The finest timber for ship-building is abundant, and easily obtained;
and there are many excellent harbours. Numerous fishing stations are
situated along the coasts, and are very valuable; for fishing is
there a very good employment, and engages many of the natives of the
Northern States. As these fishermen get accustomed to a sea-faring
life, and inured to fatigue, they soon become excellent sailors, and
furnish men for the navy.
[Illustration]
The whale fishery is also a valuable pursuit, but it requires uncommon
bravery and skill.--In the United States there are numerous schools
and academies, wherein the children are educated free.
The rich people in America are free from haughtiness, awkwardness, or
formality, but they do not display the elegance and refinement of the
higher classes in England or France. As for the common people, they
are serious, shrewd, and industrious; but often seem rude and
uncourtly to strangers, for they wish to show their independance by an
annoying surliness of behaviour. A great number of turnpike roads,
railways, canals, and bridges, have been formed, and improve the
country very much, as you may imagine.
The Americans make works in iron and wood, articles of machinery and
of husbandry, tanned leather, and dressed skins. They are famous for
ship-building.
[Illustration]
Peru, which is in South America, is a very fine country, and produces
many useful things, such as tobacco, pepper, jalap, Peruvian bark, and
indigo.
There are numerous valuable gold and silver mines, which make the
inhabitants so rich, that at one time, long since, they paved several
streets with ingots of silver, in proof of their wealth. There are
whale fisheries on the coasts. Only _one_ specimen of industry has
been sent from Peru!
[Illustration]
Mexico is another portion of South America. Its products are numerous,
but the country suffers much for want of water, though the dew falls
heavily every night. The soil is rich, and well cultivated, although
not so carefully as with us. Indian corn is the principal food of the
natives, and is cultivated so generally, that when the crop fails,
there is a year of famine. A drink is also made from it, called
chicha. Sweet potatoes, yams, and quantities of red pepper, together
with vegetables, and fruits, and tobacco, are grown. A kind of plant,
called a cacao, is so highly prized that the grains are used for
money.
For want of streams, of which the country is sadly deficient, the
mills are mostly worked by animals, and are very inferior; and the
machinery is so bad, that the cotton is separated from the seed by the
hands of workpeople. The principal manufactures are cigars, cottons,
soap, tanned leather, gunpowder, pottery, and hats.
The rich people use a number of silver vessels, and a quantity of
plate, on account of the want of manufactures of china and glass, so
that the trade of a silversmith is rather good. Boots, saddles, and
coaches, are well made: but the furniture, which is mostly of pine and
cedar, is coarsely and clumsily put together.
The streets of Mexico are rather wide and well paved; the houses
are ornamental, and the churches and public buildings are
magnificent.--The rich people pass the greater part of the day on
their sofas, in darkened rooms; but in the evening, they appear
arrayed in the most elegant costume, for they are particularly partial
to parties and brilliant assemblies.
[Illustration]
There are numerous beggars, called Leperos, who are very drunken and
dishonest; but lively, voluble, and extremely civil; though they will
pick any body's pocket. There are also innumerable Indians, who make
earthen pots very neatly, and use them instead of iron or copper
vessels.
You have heard of Canada, which is a part of North America, and all
that now remains to England of her vast American colonies.--Well, we
have an enormous canoe from Canada!--I wonder who can have sent that?
A canoe, as you know, is a kind of boat, which uncivilized people, who
live near rivers, use. The canoes of Canada are of a very thin
material, and so light, that the boatmen, in passing overland from one
river to another, generally carry them on their heads. The canoes are
mostly covered with bark, the pieces of which are sewed together with
a particular kind of grass; the bark being usually not more than a
quarter of an inch in thickness.
The people of Canada, who are called Canadians, are rather
industrious; they make very fine fans, they hunt, fish, and collect
sugar from a tree called the Sugar maple. Their houses are built of
stone, and are plastered, but seldom are higher than one story, except
in the towns, and are made very warm by means of stoves. The furniture
is usually made by the Canadians themselves, and is exceedingly
simple.
The chief article of food is peas soup, with a small piece of pork
boiled in it, and a dish of thick sour milk. The women and children
scarcely ever drink other than milk and water, but the men are
particularly fond of rum.
Winter lasts six months, during which time the greater part of the day
is devoted to amusement, principally dancing. Most of the women can
read and write, but the men can hardly do either; and the manners of
both are very gay and light. There are a few lead mines in Canada, in
which silver is also found. Their exports are timber, furs, potash,
grain, and pearl-ash.
[Illustration]
Australia has also sent her contributions to the Exhibition. Among
them are specimens of the skins of animals, dried plants, fine woods,
and other things.
In Australia, there are scarcely any extensive manufactures, but the
natives make some useful things, from the various and curious trees
which abound. For instance, they form the most durable furniture and
weapons from the casuarina or club tree; they make cloth from the
finest bark of the paper-mulberry tree, and cord from a peculiar kind
of flax. There are sago and cocoa trees, which grow to the height of
one hundred and fifty feet, and are thirty feet round. Figs, lemons,
oranges, sugar-canes, gum-trees, bread-fruit, and a kind of pepper,
from which a drink, called ava, is made, are very useful to the
natives. There are mines of a very rich quality, but they are as yet
scarcely attended to. The original natives are very idle, and not very
well off; those who live near the sea shore, catch fish; and those in
the woods, eat such animals as they can get; or climb up trees, for
honey, squirrels, and opussums.
[Illustration]
The settlers, who are the people who have gone out from England and
other countries, to dwell there, live in a very comfortable manner;
they have large farms, with flocks of sheep and herds cattle, fields
of waving corn, rice, and wheat; pretty huts, or shanties, as they are
called, and a profusion of the most beautiful plants and creepers. In
some parts of the country there are thriving towns, with good streets,
elegant shops, and fine houses, such as there are in London.
[Illustration]
From the West Indies, specimens of industry have also come. Rice,
fruits, sugar, metals, and plants, are among the contributions.
The West Indians send us sugar rice, currants, raisins, cloves,
nutmegs, cinnamon, allspice, and mace, for puddings; nice nuts, for
our little boys and girls; coffee, cocoa, and chocolate, for our
breakfast and tea; and fine silk, and cotton, for our dresses.
Under the name of the West Indies, there are many countries:--Cuba,
Jamaica, Hayti, Porto Rico, Barbadoes, and others. In Cuba, are found
mines of gold, copper, and different other metals; there is a quantity
of sugar grown there; and the tobacco is finer than that of most other
islands. The trees are principally ebony, cedar, and mahogany, which
are hewed down, and sent to foreign countries, to be made into
furniture of various sorts. Cedar wood is also used to scent clothes
and papers, on account of its sweet perfume. The Cubans are fond of
bull-fighting, and of cock-fighting, I am sorry to say. Balls and
parties are also a favourite and more innocent amusement.
In Jamaica, the principal exercise of industry is in growing sugar,
indigo, coffee, and ginger. These are cultivated in what are called
plantations, which are attended to by negroes, who used to be slaves,
and used to be lashed on to work unnaturally hard with whips; but they
are now free in all the British colonies, as I hope they will be every
where, long before any of my little friends, who read this book, may
die. For not only were men and women kept in a state of slavery, but
all their dear innocent little children, both little boys and little
girls were treated as slaves.
The bread-fruit tree is one of the most useful productions of the
country, it not only supplies food, but other necessaries. Of the
inner bark is formed a kind of cloth; the wood, which is soft, smooth,
and of a yellowish colour, serves for the building of boats and
houses; the leaves are used for wrapping up food; some parts of the
flowers are good tinder; and the juice, when boiled with cocoa-nut
oil, is employed for making bird-lime, and as a cement for mending
earthenware vessels. So you may guess how useful it is to the people
of Jamaica, and yet it is not a native of the West Indies, but was
first brought there by English people, within the last seventy or
eighty years.
Hayti is now a much more flourishing island than it was; the Emperor,
Faustin Soulouque, does every thing in his power to render it a
civilized and polite country. He encourages all the arts and
industrial sciences; and, in his court is kept up the grandeur of a
great and powerful state; though the Haytians are black people, and
were for the greater part negro slaves.
Barbadoes is an exceedingly warm country, and is unfortunately liable
to dreadful hurricanes, which sometimes overthrow whole towns and
villages. The products are sugar, cotton, ginger, and rum. The tall
sugar-canes, which grow as high as five or six feet, are set in
plantations and tended by negroes; and the cotton plants are also
taken care of by the negroes, who are almost the only persons who can
work in the open air, on account of the heat. The houses of the
planters are numerous all over the country; and, with the green hills,
and the luxuriance of the vegetation, make an extremely picturesque
scene.
Since slavery has been abolished in our West India islands, schools
for the children, and chapels for religious worship, have been erected
at the expense of the negroes; numbers of whom have also become small
landowners.
[Illustration]
What a number of specimens have been despatched to the Exhibition from
Algeria, Tunis, and the Cape of Good Hope: one, a model of a winged
head, moulded in fine yellow clay, is really pretty; and the preserved
fruits have quite a tempting look. And here are some boxes, made of
most brilliant fancy woods; a few knives, soaps, cigars, herbs, and
specimens of various woods, in blocks and in polished pieces. Here is
also opium, paper made from the palm-tree, articles manufactured from
native woods, with essences, perfumes, and splendid veils, slippers,
caps, guns, and swords.
Algeria now belongs to France; it was formerly one of the Barbary
States, in the north of Africa, and many very useful plants and trees
flourish there; oranges, melons, cucumbers, cabbages, lettuces, and
artichokes, grow in great luxuriance. The sugar-cane is cultivated
with success; and everywhere may be seen quantities of white roses,
from which a sweet essence is extracted. The stems of the vines, which
the people tend, are sometimes so thick, that a man can hardly put his
arms round them; and the bunches of grapes are a foot and a-half long.
Only think of bunches of grapes half a yard long! they must be
something like those which we read of in the Bible, that were brought
to Joshua, to show him what a fertile country was the land of Canaan.
Acacia and cork trees grow in the woods of Algeria; the natives obtain
gum from the acacia. There are many mines, but the Algerines make no
use of them. The people themselves are strong in body, and of a tawny
complexion.
Tunis is another of the Barbary States, and contains a great number of
people,--Moors, Turks, Arabs, Jews, and Christians, merchants and
slaves. All these carry on a large trade in Morocco leather, linens,
gold-dust, oil, woollen cloth, lead, ostrich feathers, horses, and
soap. There are the same variety of vegetable productions that there
are in Algeria.
[Illustration]
The Cape of Good Hope is in the south of Africa; it produces fine
fruits and flowers, grapes, lemons, oranges, and figs, but no nuts.
The aloe and myrtle grow to a great size, and the almond and wild
chestnut are very plentiful. There are scarcely any manufactures, but
the farmers keep immense flocks of sheep, and herds of cattle; and
there is a vast quantity of fine wool sent every year to England; and
ships provisions, such as beef, pork, and butter, are supplied to the
vessels sailing to India, Australia, and many other parts of the
world; their other chief export is Cape wine.
In some parts of this country are large herds of zebras, antelopes,
and giraffes, which are usually preyed upon by lions, obliging the
shepherds to watch their flocks, and the farmers to ride about with
loaded guns. A strange mode, my little readers will think, of being
shepherds.
[Illustration]
There have been no scarcity of French contributions; rich silks,
velvets, satins, linens, fruits, woods, herbs, statues, machinery,
furniture, iron-work, glass, plate, and a heap more of industrial
products; and such splendid carpets. In the "Arabian Nights'
Entertainments" we read about the Palaces of Fairies and Genii, with
the floors covered with the richest carpets, and divans and cushions
or gorgeous tapestry, and we long to see these carpets in reality; and
so we shall at the Exhibition, for there are some so magnificent, that
I do not think the Princess Badroulboudour, or the Fairy Queen Pari
Banou, ever sat on finer. And charming little models of ships; and
such beautiful fans. Do you know how many persons it takes to make a
fan? Fifteen; and although those fans at the Exhibition are each worth
several guineas, yet, in France, tens of thousands are sold at not
more than a halfpenny a-piece. The French fan-makers get two shillings
and six-pence a-day each, for their labour. The people of France are
our next-door neighbours, almost; and from being our bitterest enemies
they have now become our most intimate friends, and exchange visits
constantly with us; steam vessels and railways having made the journey
one of only a few hours.
Paris is the capital of France, and it is the gayest city in the
world; there are theatres, balls, processions, feast-days, fairs, and
more amusements than I can remember. But there are also numbers of
very poor people, who almost live in the streets, and get food and
clothing as they best can. Some, who are called cheffoniers, go about
with a fork and a basket, to pick up pieces of iron, rags, bones, or
any stray valuables, if they can find them, from holes and corners in
the streets, and from the dust heaps; others look for the ends of
cigars, and sell them to be made into pieces of tobacco for the common
people; and a number, I am very sorry to say, either beg or steal.
Among the peasantry there is a great deal of industry displayed. As
they are all desirous of having a cottage and some land of their own,
lads of fifteen or sixteen years of age, hire themselves as labourers
to the farmers, and receive wages, out of which, and their mode of
living, they save enough money in a few years, to buy a piece of
land. If the land is fit for it, they plant it with vines; for the
vineyards of France yield an abundant harvest, and well repay the
labour bestowed on them. The French wines are among the finest and
most expensive in the world.
[Illustration]
The cottages of the peasantry are not remarkable for comfort, being
very rude buildings, frequently having merely a hole in the roof for a
chimney. They are mostly, however, extremely picturesque, completely
covered with vines. The wines, called Bourdeaux, Burgundy, and
Champagne come from France. From the fruit of the olive-trees, which
grow in vast quantities, a fine clear oil is obtained, and this forms
a large part of the commerce of the country. The rearing of poultry is
carried on to a great extent; and most of the eggs sold in London,
which are used by us at breakfast, for sauces, and for puddings, come
from France. Most of the cottagers keep one or two small hardy cows,
which their boys or girls, or old people, are usually leading about by
a halter, to eat the rank grass in paths or road-ways between the
fields. Their milk and butter form a good part of the people's food.
In Tours and Lyons, there are numerous manufactories for the most
superb silks and damasks; some years ago, there were fifteen hundred
pairs of silk stockings finished each day at Lyons.
The plate-glass of Paris is now much better than that of Venice, which
was formerly the finest in the world, the plates being of an immense
size and extraordinary clearness. Their tapestry is beautiful; the
tapestry of the Gobelin in particular, for it is just like splendid
painting. Indeed, some of the designs, copied from pictures, surpass
the originals, in point of beauty and brilliancy. There are many
specimens of this tapestry at the Exhibition, both in draperies, and
fitted to pieces of furniture.
The porcelain made at Sevres is exquisitely beautiful, and is used
for numerous ornamental purposes; vases, tea services, chimney
ornaments, figures, and other articles. The painted papers, which
represent various ornaments in painting, sculpture, and architecture,
serve to employ a great number of people. Watches, cutlery, shoes,
dresses, bonnets, and jewellery, are also a good source of employment
among numerous families. All these beautiful things we shall see at
the Exhibition.
The forests, in France, are very extensive; and as wood is the general
fuel used, great attention is paid to the growth of the trees. Cattle
and domestic animals are rather scarce, and the sheep are ill-managed;
in winter, they are fed on straw and hay, instead of green food, so
that the French meat is not so good as the English; but they have a
nice way of dressing it. The country people are very simple in their
habits and manners, and very frugal in their way of living; they live
for the most part on black bread, garlic, fruit, and milk. The
costumes of some of the peasants are exceedingly pretty.
[Illustration]
What a many thousand contributions have come from foreign countries,
yet even a greater number have been sent in from all parts of our own
dear islands, England, Ireland, and Scotland. Here is a silver
tea-kettle, manufactured from a fourpenny-piece, by a working man. I
think that would grace the diminitive tea-table of the Emperor of the
Lilliputians. And a pair of boat-sculls, made of white ash, and only
the size of writing-pens, which I dare say, the oars of the King of
Blefuscan's barge resembled; these, with a magnificent oar, thirty-six
feet long, are intended as presents for His Royal Highness the Prince
of Wales.
Here is a scarf, containing twelve miles and a-half of thread, three
millions four hundred and seventy-five stitches, is nine feet ten
inches long, three feet wide, and weighs only five ounces and
a-quarter;--that came from Ireland. Look, too, at that beautifully
embroidered dress; it came from Ireland, and is worth seventy-five
guineas.
There are many little models of different buildings; and there is a
colossal horse and dog; and two gigantic statues; and there is a
nicely carved oak chair, made by an English ship-carpenter; and here
are cotton stockings, manufactured so fine, that they look exactly
like silk. There are also models of carriages, ships and machinery;
a magnificient epergne of glass, with some large pearls, from Ireland.
A beautiful piece of sculpture, representing the Scottish games, is
the most remarkable contribution which has come from Scotland.
The English people are celebrated for their industry and perseverence;
they manufacture numerous things, and carry on a alrge commerce with
other countries. The industry of the peasants have made the soil
produce wheat, barley, rye, oats, beans, potatoes, turnips, hops, hemp
and flax. Nearly every variety, of vegetables, and a great number of
fruits, are also grown. There is abundance of timber, which is used
for many purposes; the oak tree is chiefly employed for building
ships. The ships of war are called the "wooden walls of England."
The domestic animals are taken great care of; sheep and hogs, when
killed, are made into mutton, pork, bacon, and ham. The English cheese
and butter is superior to any other. There are abundance of mineral
treasures found in various parts of the kingdom; indeed, the English
people are greatly indebted to the well-worked mines for their wealth.
At the Exhibition, are several specimens of ores.
In addition to the rich mines, and the vegetable productions, the
English are celebrated for their superior manufactures, which fame
they are enabled to enjoy by means of the most ingenious machinery,
rail roads, and canals, by which they can easily and rapidly send
their goods, and travel from one part of the country to another.
Cottons, woollens, linens, silks, iron, jewellery, leather, glass,
earthenware, paper, and hats, are manufactured in great quantities.
I dare say you would be much amused by a visit to Manchester, in
Lancashire, where the art of spinning cotton is carried to a high
perfection. There are more than a hundred and forty cotton factories
in that city, where men, women, and children, are continually at work,
minding the machines, which are about twenty thousand in number. When
you first go into one of these factories, you hear a terrible noise of
whirling and whizzing, and see an immense number of wheels flying
round and round.
Halifax and Leeds, in Yorkshire, are the chief places for woollen
cloth, the manufacture of which employs the greater part of the
inhabitants. A weekly market is held in Halifax for the sale of
woollens, in a spacious building called the Piece Hall; but in Leeds,
the markets are held two days in the week, in the two Cloth Halls.
Staffordshire is famous for earthenware; the reason of this is, that
there is such an enormous quantity of yellow clay suitable for that
manufacture, found there. Indeed, there are several towns and villages
formed into a district called "The Potteries;" and in consequence of
the innumerable furnaces, which are always blazing, the place looks at
night as if was on fire. Gloves, lace, and stockings, are mostly made
in Nottingham, where there are several thousand machines for the
manufacture of these things.
From Kidderminster, in Worcester, we have very fine carpets; from
Gloucester, we have cheese and pins; Northampton is celebrated for
leather; Shrewsbury, for flannel. The great mines are in Cumberland,
Cornwall, Northumberland, Durham, and Derbyshire. However, if I were
to tell you of all the places in England, that are famed for
different manufactures, I am afraid I should both exceed our space,
and wear out your patience, which I should be sorry to do. So I will
now tell you something about London.
[Illustration]
London, which you know is the capital of our own dear native land, is
the greatest commercial city in the world; it has been reckoned that
the value of the property shipped and unshipped on the river Thames,
every year, is more than one hundred million pounds. An enormous
quantity of property is laid in the London Docks, at Wapping; indeed,
the warehouse for tobacco alone covers a space of nearly five acres,
while the vaults underneath the ground are more than eighteen acres in
extent.
More coaches, omnibusses, waggons, vans, and other conveyances, crowd
the streets of London than any other city in the world. You will,
perhaps, be a little surprised when I tell you that in one principal
street, seven thousand vehicles pass to and fro every day. Almost
every kind of manufacture is carried on in London; silk goods,
jewellery, clocks, watches, ear-rings, hats, furniture, instruments of
every kind, porter and ale, with many more that I cannot now remember.
However, you must not think, from all this, there are no poor people
in London; for, unfortunately, there are thousands. Some beg, others
steal, and those who are honest and able to labour, work. But those
who cannot obtain work are very badly off; and persons die from
starvation.
The industrial manufactures of Scotland are like those of England; the
exports are linens, muslins, woollen stuffs, cottons, iron, lead,
glass, earthenware, leather, and other articles. The chief
manufacture is linen: but manufactures of stoves, and grates, and
many other things, from their immense iron works, particularly from
those of Carron, are also a principal part of the industrial products.
[Illustration]
The Scotch people are remarkable for their thrift and prudence; the
lower orders are in general well-educated, and it is the height of
ambition in a Scottish mechanic, to appear with his family in neat,
clean dresses, on Sundays and other holidays.
The costume of the Highlanders is very picturesque; the plaid is made
of woollen stuff, of various colours, with a jacket, and a short
petticoat called a kilt, which leaves the knees bare; the stockings
are also a plaid, generally red and white, and do not reach up to the
knees, but are tied round the legs with scarlet garters. The
head-dress is a flat blue bonnet, as it is called, ornamented round
with scarlet and white plaid, and frequently adorned with eagle's
feathers. The Highland women go without shoes or stockings, and wear
short petticoats, a plaid jacket, and a plaid scarf.
Most of the Scotch people are intelligent, and so far advanced in
education, that even the miners in the south have a library, where
they read, and improve their minds; and yet these poor miners were
little better than in a state of slavery two hundred years since. The
favourite musical instrument, with the Scotch, is the bag-pipe; which
does not, however, sound quite so well to our English ears, as it does
to theirs. Their national dances are the Highland reel, and fling,
which they perform with great agility and grace. The sheep and cattle
are rather small, but give exceedingly good meat; and the sheep, in
particular, are valued for their fleece, which is almost as fine as
the best Spanish wool.
Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is, in the new parts of it, a
fine clean city; the houses in the old town are excessively high, and
the streets inconvenient; but the streets of the new town are very
broad, and almost all in straight lines; some of them are a mile long.
Most of the houses are built of white stone, which sparkles as if it
was inlaid with diamonds when the sun shines on it.
The manufactures carried on in the city, are mostly cabinet-work,
furniture, carriages, musical instruments, linens, shawls, silks,
glass, marble, brass, and iron work. There are also many breweries,
for Edinburgh has long been celebrated for its ale, large quantities
of which are sent to London, and other parts of the kingdom, Glasgow,
which is the principal manufacturing and trading town, contains
extensive cotton factories.
In many parts of the Highlands, the natives are employed in feeding
sheep and cattle, for the markets; and in the valleys, and other
sheltered places, hemp, barley, flax, and potatoes, are cultivated,
though unfortunately most of the barley is made into whiskey. In the
more northernly parts the general employment is fishing.
[Illustration]
Ireland is a much warmer and more fertile island; it is celebrated, in
point of industry, for its wool, butter, beef, hides, tallow, cows,
horses, pigs, sheep, potatoes, wheat, barley, oats, and linen. Linen
is the chief manufacture. There are numerous mines, from which are
obtained gold, silver, iron, copper, and lead; all very useful metals,
I think.
There are also quarries of marble, slate, and freestone; and in
various parts are found coal and turf. In Ireland, turf is the
principal fuel used. The brewing of stout, and a strong bittered beer,
for exportation; and the distilling of whiskey, another strong but
spirituous drink, are other branches of Irish industry.
Fishing is an important occupation with those peasants who live on the
sea-shore, and near the rivers or lakes. The making of roads, draining
bogs, and improving the land, now employ thousands of poor labourers,
who formerly used to be without any occupation.
The Irish dairies are well-managed and are generally extensive; many
counties in the south part of the island are occupied almost entirely
by dairy farms. As many as thirty or forty cows are kept on some of
them, for butter is the chief produce, and this is sent into England,
Portugal, and the East and West Indies. Some of the nice butter you
eat on your bread and rolls comes from Ireland. Sheep and cattle are
fed in great quantities on large pieces of land devoted to the
purpose the sheep are large, and have fine wool.
The mud cabin of the Irish peasant is the most miserable cottage you
can imagine; the walls are formed of clay, which hardens in the
sunshine, the roof is made of sticks and straw, and the floor is the
mere damp earth. It has frequently neither door, nor chimney, and
consists of only one room; the furniture is rarely more than a stump
bedstead, two or three stools, an iron pot, to boil the potatoes in,
and a table to eat them from. Generally, there is a small piece of
land attached to the dwelling, and in this potatoes are grown; the
peasants of Ireland hardly ever eat anything besides potatoes. When
they have enough of them to eat, and a little whiskey to drink, the
poor people are exceedingly jovial and merry; they laugh, sing, and
joke; and go to weddings, fairs, dances, and what are called in
Ireland "wakes," which, among the poor, is a kind of laying in state
before funerals;--but sometimes the crops of potatoes fail, and then
the unfortunate peasants die by hundreds from hunger. The favourite
dance of the common people is called a jig.
Dublin, which, I dare say, you know is the capital of Ireland, is an
elegant city, with fine houses and good streets. The churches, the
castle, the linen hall, exchange, bank, custom-house, and
post-office, are all very noble buildings. There are also parks,
gardens, theatres, canals, and other ornamental places throughout the
city. From Dublin have been sent models of carriages, specimens of
metals, slates, and linens, and a model of a house made in granite.
[Illustration]
I have now told you, my dear little friends, a great many stories
about the industry of all nations, and we have gone through the
World's Show together. We have seen nearly all the useful and splendid
things sent to the Great Exhibition from all parts of the world. I
have told you about Europe, and Asia, Africa, and America; and I must
soon leave you. But before I go, we must have another look at the
Exhibition, and one more glance at those few things which we have not
as yet seen.
We forgot to examine this magnificent chess-board, worth one thousand
two hundred guineas. You will doubtless wonder why it is such a dear
board, but your surprise will cease when you observe that the
"checks," as they are called, are of mother-of-pearl and
tortoiseshell, while the rim is of beautifully burnished gold, and the
chessmen are of gold and silver, elaborately wrought, and ornamented
with the portraits of celebrated historical characters; one of them
represents the Emperor, Charles the Fifth. I dare say you would like
to play a game with me on this chess-board. As a companion to this
beautiful chess-board, is a very elegant colour box, fit for the
Queen, or the most noble young lady in the land, to use for painting
with. And here is a model of the town of Liverpool, with several
thousand little people in the streets; and these figures are so
exceedingly small, that a thousand of them would fit into an ordinary
sized pill box.
In contrast to this specimen of a great town in a minute space, we
have in front of the transept a wonderful clock, which is kept in
motion by a set of powerful electro magnets, eight in number, on which
is wound a length of twenty-five thousand feet of copper wire. This
gigantic time-keeper sets in motion the immense hands on the principal
dial, which is twenty-four feet in diameter, besides two smaller ones
which are fixed in front of the galleries, at the east and west ends
of the building. I am afraid that it would tire you, were I to attempt
to tell you exactly what electricity is, and must therefore satisfy
your curiosity, for the present, by letting you know that it is caused
by the coming in contact of different substances possessing peculiar
properties, which cause them to vibrate, when they touch.
There is another very curious clock in the Exhibition, which will go
for a hundred years before requiring to be wound up again; and there
is one wheel in it which is said would take ten thousand years to go
round once.
Next there is a case of stuffed birds, which came from Scotland, and
which we cannot help admiring. There are in this case specimens of all
the various kinds of birds which are peculiar to Scotland, neatly and
carefully stuffed; and really they almost look as if they were alive.
Ah, ah! Mister Eagle, you are not so much to be feared now, I think,
as you were when you lived in your lofty home in the Highland
mountains.
And here is another case in which are all the different sorts of
mother-of-pearl buttons that can be imagined; there is every variety
of ornament on the buttons, which look exceedingly brilliant.
This immense block of granite, from Scotland, is not quite so pretty,
though it is, perhaps, more useful; it is twenty feet long, and is a
piece of the finest kind and colour that could be found. Another very
useful thing, also from Scotland, is a large lighthouse bell, managed
so as to ring very loud, to warn any ship that is going too near a
dangerous rock or shoal, near the lighthouse where the bell may be.
Among the more beautiful specimens of industry, there are several
elegant vases made of silver, and of a delicate material called
Parian, which is an imitation of Parian marble; some of them are
ornamented with blue and gold, and others are ornamented with silver.
There is also a splendid tea-service, adorned with charming pictures
of the dear old fables we all know so well,--the "Lion and the Mouse,"
the "Wolf and the Lamb," the "Dog and the Shadow," and others.
Near the very middle of the building, close by the crystal fountain,
there are the splendid iron gates from Coalbrookdale, which look very
magnificent. I fancy Samson would find it rather a difficult matter
trying to bear off _these_ gates on his back, strong as he was. Close
by these gates there is a gigantic statue of our good Queen, on
horseback, which towers high over our heads; and she sits smiling at
us as if she could see us looking so delighted.
There are several gigantic things at the Exhibition. Here, for one, is
a monster cake, covered with the most superb ornaments; it is four
feet high, and weighs about two-hundred and twenty-five pounds. Yonder
is another monster contribution, an immense map of the busy city of
Manchester; and there is a huge railway carriage; and still further
on, there is an iron wire, one mile long. At a little distance stands
a magnificent bed and bedstead, fit for the Queen to sleep in. It came
from Edinburgh, and is made mostly of materials which can be produced
in Scotland. And in this direction, we can see a set of beautiful
mantelpieces and fenders, from Sheffield, all decorated in the most
elegant manner. The first mantelpiece we must look at is made of
cast-iron; the mouldings of the cornice are richly ornamented, and
supported by little pillars covered with graceful wreaths of
oak-leaves, while the freize is adorned with a cluster of rich fruit.
The next mantelpiece is painted white and gold, and has a burnished
steel grate; while the third is painted blue and gold, and has a
stove made on a new plan, for it is managed so that its own brightness
shall help to throw out the heat of the fire in an equal and agreeable
manner. The fourth and last mantelpiece is painted black, and
ornamented with ormolu; it contains a polished steel stove. Three
ormolu fenders, and five bright ones are placed together with the
mantelpieces; and they certainly make a goodly show. But we must now
leave them, and go on to see some other wonders.
Here are several most beautiful loo-tables inlaid, and they seem to
attract a good deal of attention from more than us. You look a little
puzzled at the word _inlaid_; I think I must explain it to you, by
telling you that it means pieces of different material let into a
piece of furniture to ornament it.
There are numerous models of various buildings in the Crystal Palace;
those of York Cathedral, and Chance's Lighthouse, are particularly
well made. There is also a model of the Britannia Tubular Bridge; and
there are models of many of the fine public works of London.
Here is a pair of scissors made in Sheffield, and ornamented in the
most beautiful way, with a crown for a handle; and yonder are a pair
of cotton stockings from Ireland, spun so fine that they look exactly
like silk, and indeed you would be likely to mistake them for silk, if
you were not told they were merely cotton.
How brilliant this collection of gems looks; how the stones sparkle!
they have been sent as specimens of the jewels which Ireland produces.
But here are some pretty English agates; and a huge mass of Irish rock
crystal, which is very bright and clear. In a compartment, at a little
distance, we may see a book, bound according to a new method, by which
the leaves are so firmly placed together, that they would not loosen
in ten years' time, no matter how the book was tossed about, unless
they were purposely taken out.
We must now have a look at the machinery department. Firstly, there is
the great steam-engine that works all the other steam-engines in the
Exhibition, though, of course, you cannot understand it by looking at
it; neither can I, although I know so much more than you do. Near it
is a model of a new agricultural machine for cutting, turning up, and
making into light mould, the clay of fields, so as to make it ready to
receive the seeds to be set, without the farmers being obliged to
plough the earth. There is a machine for making bricks and tiles, so
that people may, if they like, form those materials for building
houses cheaper and better than in the usual way. But here is a useful
machine. It is a measuring machine, by which you could measure to the
smallest size, even to the hundred-thousandth part of an inch!
Here is a very pretty contribution; it is a model of the house of the
great play-writer, Shakspeare,--of whom, perhaps, you may have
heard,--and it is surrounded by figures representing different
beautiful scenes from Shakspeare's plays. It was made by a workman in
his leisure time: and it certainly does him credit. It is called the
Shakspeare Jubilee.
Yonder is another piece of ingenious industry; it is a group of
figures showing all the various Scotch games; there is one figure
dancing the Highland fling, another throwing the beam, and all the
others engaged in similar sports. That came from Scotland, of course.
Let us now go on to look at that splendid design embroidered in gold,
and intended for a communion cloth. Oh! here it is; does it not look
beautiful? But here are several lovely specimens of china, and
earthenware, which would grace the sideboards of the richest house in
the land, I think. Here is a fine marble font, made of Devonshire
marble, which is very nicely carved, as well as I can judge. Further
on, we have some less showy, but more solidly useful articles. Various
kinds of iron, copper, zinc, lead, silver, and gold ores are
displayed, with oils, quartz, stones, coal, &c. There are lanterns on
a new plan, microscopes, barometers, optical and philosophical
instruments, farming implements, machines for melting metals;--besides
hundreds of other articles which we cannot stop to notice more
particularly. There are two or three very interesting models of mines,
with mining machinery, and plans for improving the air of the mines,
so as to make the poor miners more comfortable. And there are other
models of ships, printing presses, looms, and machines for making gas,
which deserve some degree of attention. There is also a new machine
for printing cotton on both sides, which will be very useful, as the
cotton printed with it will be as ornamental on one side as the other.
There are four splendid and very powerful organs, and several
beautiful piano fortes, in the Exhibition; and there is an accurate
model of Plymouth Breakwater, with a very very little ship attached to
it, and all complete, even to the smallest rope ladder. Plymouth
Breakwater is a vast heap of stones built across the entrance of the
Sound, so as to leave a passage for ships at each end, but preventing
the heavy waves of the Atlantic Ocean from dashing into the harbour.
It has cost more than a million of pounds in money.
Here we have a beautiful writing table for ladies, which is one of the
most splendid things in the Exhibition, and which came from that land
of ingenuity and industry, Switzerland. It is made of two kinds of
wood, white and red, the Swiss national colours; and is cleverly
managed by machinery, so that by merely pressing a spring, the whole
contents of the desk is laid before the spectator, while, at the same
time, a stand for writing on, and a seat, are produced. It is covered
with figures of men and animals, and with ornaments most exquisitely
carved; and it is a writing table which the greatest lady in England
might use.
Along the centre of the aisle, or chief walk, are arranged colossal
statues, pillars of marble, beautiful fountains, magnificent feathers,
crystals of alum, crystals of spermaceti oil, specimens of silk
manufactures, from Spitalfields; and fine cutlery, from Sheffield.
There is also an immense dome of iron and glass, forty feet high
which looks very astonishing; and a curious Russian chain bridge,
which is very ingeniously made. Besides these, we have a gigantic
telescope, which attracts a great deal of attention from the crowd of
people who are walking down the aisle.
In the nave there are several beautiful pieces of sculpture. One is a
colossal group, representing St. Michael conquering Satan; another is
a figure of the celebrated warrior, Godfrey of Bouillon, mounted on
horseback; and a third, is an Amazon, who is just about to hurl her
javelin at a ferocious tiger, who has fastened on the neck and
shoulders of her frightened horse. Here is also a figure of Mazeppa on
the wild horse, which is extremely well made, and, perhaps, reminds
those of my little friends who have seen the play of "Mazeppa" at
Astley's Amphitheatre, of the scenes where poor Mazeppa was carried
along on the terrible horse's back, through brambles, thorns, and
crashing boughs. But what have we here? A grim-looking growling bronze
lion, from Bavaria, who glares at us as if he would be only too glad
to eat us up if he were alive, and does not seem at all the kind of
beast one would like to shake hands, or rather paws, with.
We have a charming representation of Reinecke Fox's adventures, by
means of stuffed animals, in the German portion of the Exhibition. The
expression of the different animals is very funny, and makes us laugh
to almost an inconvenient degree. The first group represents the fox,
with his rosary in his hand, confessing his sins to the cock, who is
listening very gravely, and reading him a sermon on his wickedness.
The next group shows the tom-cat, coming to summon Master Reinecke to
court, to answer the accusations brought against him; the fox sets
out, and on his way wounds a poor hare, whom he carries with him. But
we cannot stay to notice all the groups now; only we must just glance
at the fox lying on the sheep's skin, after his repast, for here
Master Reinecke's expression shows him to be so well satisfied and
comfortable that it is very droll.
In the Russian division we may observe a most magnificent pair of
candlesticks of bronze, gilt, which look exceedingly sparkling and
brilliant, and are the first objects that meet our eyes as we enter
the department.
In the transept, at the opposite end to where the gates from
Coalbrookdale are situated, are another beautiful specimen of
ornamented gates for a park, in the style of the elegantly wrought
iron work, made about a hundred and fifty years since, and which adorn
the entrances to many of the old mansions of England. Some parts of
these are tastefully gilt, and produce a remarkably pretty effect.
It would take us more than a month to see everything in the Crystal
Palace, and those who wish to examine all the wonders, must pay
several visits. But we have, I think, seen enough for the present, and
will now leave the Exhibition, if you are satisfied. Perhaps, before I
go, you would like me to describe the ceremony of the opening of our
Palace of Wonders, by our good Queen? If so, I shall be very happy
indeed to oblige you, by telling you all I saw on the first of May.
Early in the morning of that day,--soon after dawn,--thousands of
people in London were wending their way towards Hyde Park; horses
feet, and carriage-wheels clattered through the streets, and strange
looking foreigners passed along among the crowd, all eager to see the
procession.
I dare say you would have been delighted with the grand sight:--first
there came a long line of splendid carriages, containing various lords
and ladies, in gorgeous costumes;--diamonds flashing, and feathers
waving; next came a troop of Life Guards in scarlet coats, bright
cuirasses, and glittering helmets: they were escorting the Queen's
carriage, which was followed by a goodly number of other carriages.
You should have heard how the crowds huzzaed and shouted when they saw
the Queen, who looked very much pleased, bowing and smiling to her
people. She entered the building amid the loud cheers and hurras,
followed by Prince Albert, the Prince of Wales, and the Princess
Royal. After staying a short time in the elegant robing-room, which
was fitted up in a single night, her Majesty proceeded to her throne,
between flower stands, and tropical plants, past the Coalbrookdale
gates, and the fountains and statues with which the centre of the
palace is adorned. When she appeared, the twenty-five thousand people,
who were present, rose to welcome her.--Ladies waving their
handkerchiefs, the gentlemen their hats;--and you may readily guess
how splendid the scene looked. Even the sun popped out his head from
the clouds, and poured a flood of golden light in through the
glittering dome of the transept, to illuminate the brilliant
spectacle.
As soon as Her Majesty was seated on her throne, one of the organs
commenced pealing forth the notes of the National Anthem, the choir,
which was collected for the occasion, singing to the music. After
this, Prince Albert joined those gentlemen who have directed the
affairs of the Great Exhibition, and going near to the Queen, read to
her an account of the Exhibition from the commencement; to which Her
Majesty answered, when the Prince had finished, that she was much
pleased with the description of the proceedings, and that she hoped
the World's Fair would do good to all mankind, by encouraging the arts
of peace and industry, strengthening the bonds of love between all the
nations of the earth, and promoting a friendly rivalry among our
fellow creatures, in the useful exercise of those faculties which have
been given by GOD for the good and happiness of all mankind.
The Queen having read this answer, the Archbishop of Canterbury
approached the throne, and offered up a prayer to Heaven, intreating
the Lord's blessing on the Exhibition; that it might benefit every
body on earth, making them love and help each other. I hope all that
heard the prayer, joined in it with heart and soul: and I hope, too,
that my dear little readers will think of it when they go to the
Crystal Palace.
At the close of the prayer, the choir sang the Hallelujah chorus, and
you may form some idea of the effect of this performance, when I tell
you that all the persons who sing at the Queen's Chapel, at St. Paul's
Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and St. George's Chapel, Windsor, were
all singing together, besides part of the band of the Sacred Harmonic
Society, pupils of the Royal Academy of Music, and many other
songsters, both foreign and English.
The immensity of the building left scope for the rich volume of sound
poured forth; and you may imagine what an effect the splendid strains
had on the feelings of the multitude of spectators. Indeed, one of the
audience,--a Chinaman, was so excited by the grandeur of the scene,
and the triumphant music, that he rushed forwards, made his way
through the crowd of nobles and ladies that surrounded the Queen, and,
advancing close to Her Majesty, saluted her by a grand salaam, which
she graciously acknowledged with a smile and a bow. A salaam, you must
know, is the eastern way of bowing, and consists in bending the head
until it almost touches the ground.
When the Hallelujah chorus ceased, the procession was formed for the
Queen to go round the building. First went the heralds, in their
splendid costumes; then a great number of gentlemen, who were more
immediately concerned with the Exhibition; after them, the Duke of
Wellington,--of whom, I dare say you know,--with more gentlemen, and
the Archbishop of Canterbury; and then the Queen and Prince Albert,
with the Prince of Wales, and the Princess Royal, both of whom looked
extremely delighted and astonished with the gorgeous spectacle they
were viewing. The Royal Family was followed by a number of lords,
ladies, and attendants, the procession being concluded by heralds.
The train first went to the west end of the nave, on the north side,
everybody cheering loudly as it passed. The view varied every minute,
but was always picturesque, and beautiful. Even those persons who were
most acquainted with the wondrous objects that lay on every side, were
surprised by the new and charming attractions displayed. The Indian
collection, and the compartment filled with specimens from the
colonies, were left behind; the department devoted to sculpture, and
other finer products of industry, was passed, and the procession moved
into that portion of the palace which contains the English
manufacturing products. You might then have caught a glimpse, over the
heads of the spectators, of the Furniture Court, where the furniture
is placed; and of the fixed machinery beyond it, the massive iron form
of each machine looking as much as to say "move me, if you can." Then
the procession passed the enormous dome of iron and glass, the two
gigantic statues, the figure of Shakspeare, and the many other objects
which adorn the centre aisle; leaving behind the furs of bears, and
other wild animals, hung beneath the galleries, and the carpets which
lent their brilliant colours to finish the decorations; it reached the
western entrance, where it was reflected in the immense mirror,
exhibited at that point. Then, turning round by the model of the
Liverpool Docks, it was returning on the south side of the nave, when
the gigantic organ placed there, suddenly hurled forth an immense
volume of music, which sounded extremely fine: but every one was
already so much astonished, that I do not think anything more could
surprise them. At length the procession reached the transept, round
the south end of which it proceeded, and then swept into the Foreign
Department of the Exhibition, where great efforts had been made to
receive it properly. The French had collected together all the
choicest specimens of their manufactures to grace the foremost part of
their division; and I am sure you would have admired the tasteful
manner in which the contributors decorated the collection. Some of the
other countries, as their exhibitors had sent in their contributions
sooner than the French, were of course able to make a more
satisfactory appearance. The two organs, from France and Germany,
each, in turn, poured forth their music as the procession passed; and
two or three of the Queen's bands played a march as the pageat moved
round the eastern end of the building.
At last the procession returned along the north side of the nave, the
cheering and waving of hats and handkerchiefs, which had continued all
the time getting now more joyful than ever; and the Queen returned
once more to her throne. One of the noblemen, named the Marquis of
Breadalbane, then called out in a loud tone of voice, that Her Majesty
declared the Exhibition open; a flourish of trumpets, and a roar of
cannon, told the people outside that all was now concluded, and the
Queen, with the royal family and other attendants, left the Crystal
Palace, the choir again singing the National Anthem.
In order that the workmen and their families, who come to see the
Exhibition, should live comfortably when they return home again,
Prince Albert has had a model building erected, with four dwellings,
or sets of rooms, each containing all the conveniences essential to a
distinct family-house, with four distinct entrances for the four
different families, such as he wishes every honest working couple in
this country, and indeed every honest couple in all parts of the
world, should possess. And, in order to shew to working men, and to
builders, and to persons of property who desire to do good, how they
can usefully assist their fellow creatures to comfortable habitations,
for the same rent that they now pay for closely-built, unhealthy ones,
he has erected these four model houses under one roof, each of them
dry, warm, convenient, fire-proof, and healthy, and yet cheap. They
are built of very hard hollow bricks, made by machinery, and are
situate at the corner of the barrack yard, near to the Crystal Palace,
and will be shown freely to all persons visiting the World's Fair.
Now, boys and girls, good-bye; I know you are sorry to see me going
away, and you may be certain I am sorry to be obliged to leave you.
But I hope we shall soon meet again, for I am thinking of coming to
see you very shortly, to tell you more stories and have another talk
with you. So, if you say you have been amused, and have learned
something, by reading these stories, I will pay you another visit
soon, and tell you something more about other things. But in the mean
time, let us hope that the suggestions of Prince Albert, the husband
of our gracious Queen, will do good; and that every body, and every
nation, may become better, and learn more, and love each other more,
in consequence of meeting together, in friendship and harmony, at
"THE WORLD'S FAIR."
[Illustration]
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