Tr was in the year 1851 that a new ides, wu idea which bad up till then never presented itself to the minds of statesmen and the friends of progress the first time took tangible shape before the eyes o! Tt was then that }the first World's Fair, the firet Iuternation Bx held; and if the Utopian dreams of universal brother hood, and the damning of a millennum of pence and goodwill which then possessed go many minds, were not and have not since been realised, there oun be ion that industry, ci knowledge, and friendly feelings, And mast be conceded that if few more 14 have ever been presented interior of the Crystal Palace, as it was called, in Hyde Park, even allowing for the additional charm of wonderment and novelty which enhanced the attractions of that structure, still the art of exhibition-maki progressed stenchly and rapidly since then, Rows upon rows of stalls, farnished forth with specimens of natural and artiGeial produce from different portions of the globe, are apt to become wearisome, Slabs of chocolate from or of cheese from Mongolia, bottles of cod-liver oil from Japan, usters of bine piece-goods from ina and of the cos ies used by!
Cherokees, no doubt huve a certain interest attaching to them from a strictly econ standpoint; bat they do not appeal to the imagina-induce thut pleasurable sensation of excitement and ently im which prompts the subjects of it to long to visit in person the strange, outlandish realms from whichsomeofthe articles are brought. An International Exhibition should, if possible, provide us a picture of the countries represented,—something lifelike, something realistic, And it was not long before this idea stick root, The first attempt to realise it, we believe, was made in the Crystal Paluco at Ssdenham, where, in the Pompeinn, Egyptian, Assyrian, and Alhumbra Courts, we wore presented with what purported to be imitations of interiors? in all these various styles, It is still pleasant to saunter amid the bearded bulls of Asayrin, to contemplate the serene despair of Egyptian ephinxes, and to pass under those wonderful domes, fretted with the richest colours nnd most delicate workmanship, which give us ao vivid an impression of the glories of the Alhambra Palnce. But recently ® very much more important step hus been taken, and since Henltheries and Fisheries nnd Inventories came into vogue we have been presented with actunt Ixndseapes which look as though they hnd been imported direct from Indin and Japan, or come down to in perfect preservation from past Londoners have been enabled to walk through London streets of century ago, with all their quaint gables nud enormous signboard; to drink ten in an actual Chinese ting', served by a real Chinese Indy; and to explore the neat thoroughfares of a Japanese village, with the barber and the podler, and all the other villagers, re-real live Japan Tat all these sights should be visible in the Lenrt of London today is a very curious and very admirable thing. We hope that every year will bring with ib fresh developments of this most delight-and that the result will crest, on the part of stay. st-homer, in the people of the Far East, And we wish that sume of the people n the Far East would follow their example, Jupun has alrendy con menced, and the exhibitions in Lokio and Kioto attract a large number of visitors every year, When will China condescend to do something of the sort A duy will come, we dure say, in the remote fature, when a grand Inters national Exhibition will be held somewhere under the walls of Peking, and Hie Mujesty the Emperor, in an elegant onrtinge-nud-eight, will drive along the splendid boulevards of his'Cupital, attended by all-the Princes and Princesses of the blood, to perform the opening ceremony in person, But how remote dues that future appear! What centuries ut progress nud enlightenment will have to elapse first, even if crushed into the smaller period of no more Uban fifty years! And yet the question of holding an International Exhibition in China has' already been mooted, An attempt was made in that direction five
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.