Tu accordance with a promise made on the return home of the Prince and Princess of Wales from their colonial tour, the numerous gifts and addresses presented to them during their triumphant progress through "His Majesty's dominions beyond the Seas" are now on view at the Imperial Institute, and for a collection of corresponding interest one has to go back to that of the late Queen's Jubilee gifts, which were shown in the same gallery, some years ago. The present exhibits are 871 in number, about 200 of which are presents, and the remainder addresses and gold and silver trowels used at the laying of various foundation stones. I noticed that in each of the Australian Colonies the Chinese res-idants had presented an address, some of 1g Muminated with great taste. I wilarly struck by the one presented by those resident in Western Austr: The outside of the border representation of the Aus'rali either side were the Emu and Kangaroo, at the top the arms of the various colonies and underneath the address, the Australian Motto "One Flag, One People, One Destiny." thus tacitly showing that they identified themselves with the country of their adoption. I found myself wondering whether it was not an object lesson to those of their race in their native land who, from what one can gather, are not quite so much one people" "as they might be in all particulars. Among the offerings from the various countries visited think, perhaps, the most. interesting came from the Cape. There was a lovely black ostrich-feather fan, with pierced gold sticks and a large M in diamonds, iven to the Princess by the ladies of \petown, which I much coveted; also some lovely furs, 170 pure water diamonds, and a large diamond and opal pendant seemed very desirable from a woman's Kimberley Diamond Mine was very in-oint of view. A model of the great teresting, especially as it was noted in the catalogue that it was under the particular shaft shown that Mr. Rhodes provided shelter for the women and children of Kimberley during the celebrated siege ofthe town. It was 1 charmingly ornamental piece of work, the case being of wrought iron, elaborate in design each of its eight sides being studded with gold rosettes containing a diamond in the centre. The workings were shown in silver and every little car had a diamond in its roof, whilst the ground was studded with the same costly gems. The New Zealand offerings wore likewise full of interest. A model of a Maori house was beautifully made, also another in silver of a Maori canoe manned by seven boatmen with gold paddles. The canoe stood on a slab of New Zealand jade or green stone, which is so hard that it can only be polished by hand, which process usually occupies at least a year if the piece is of any size. From Canada came furs; also the birch bark canoe used by their Royal Highnesses in shooting the rapids, which was presented to them by {the lumberman of the Ottawa Valley. It seemed to attract a great amount of interest and kad quite a little crowd round it, [noticed an address from the Chinese Reform Association of Canada which had been enclosed in a very curious leather case, somewhat in the form of an Etruscan vase. From the women of Malta the Princess received an exquisite lace mantilla. Sir Frank Swettenham, of Singapore, gave a magnificent gold chain, copy of the famous chain of cocoa-nut flowers. The Raja Reronissuri, wife of the Sultan of Perak, presented a sleeping mat of yellow velvet, made on a grass mat foundation, the border of which had been most elaborately embroidered, with gold and tiny beads of various colours, by herself. The Chinese of the Federated Malay States contributed " beautiful album of views, with an illuminated address on the frontispiece, and another very similar one was given by the Straits Chinese-British Association. Among what may be called war relics I noticed a set of three bells, each being formed from a cartridge shell collected at Ladysmith; a gong constructed from a portion of a captured gun carriage; some paper weights made of Pom Pom shells, supported on mauser bullets models of Cape cart and bullock wagon, made by Boer prisoners in St. Helena; also several walking sticks and serviette rings from the same source. There were grotesque objects from every country, quaint spears, implements of war and articles of wearing apparel too numerous to mention, but all full of intere t. None more so, however, than some of the things given by the Iroquois Indian thief at Sherbrooke, and The Coat of a Brave," a most extraordinary leather garment embroidered in geometrical designs in coloure beads, and in parts stained with vermilion, which was presented by the Red Indians and had once belonged to "Micasto," their chief. One would be somewhat alarmed to meet a gentleman garbed in this attire when in a lonely part of the country.
"Three Little Maids."
After a great deal of advance advertisement and a few postponements Mr. Georse Edwards presented this newest of musical Rus Ada Reeve who was to hare been one lays most successfully a few nights ago.
the three was unfortunately too indisposed to appear, but her place was most creditably filled at, I believe, only three days' notice, by is Madge Crichton, a lady who has never been seen in London before, and who is only just out of her teens. The' work is both written and composed Paul Rubens, and though light in plot and musical structure Eon be well known, I expect, through the pretty and catchy throughout and_ will
medium of the piano-organ. Miss Edna May and Miss Hilda Moody are the re-two maids and do extremely well in their respective parts. Mr. Rubens' idea was to use each lady's Christian name for her name in the lay, so we have Edna, Hilda, and dx' though, as it turns out, in this instance Ada, for the time being, is Madge, They are all daughters of an impecunious clergyman who, in order to make life easier for their father, come up to London and serve in a Bond Street tea shop. Of course, three rich young men fall in love with them and all ends, as one would expect, with the Wedding March, etc. Miss Moody is lucky in having the best song, The Miller's Daughter." I am afraid it will soon be all too popular as it has a most haunting refrain. Miss Crichton's "Men, Men, Humbugging Men," will be another well-known number, and the third is allotted tour. Huntley, whose song on algebra was decidedly funny, but quainter still was his dissertation on golf which he mixed up hopelessly with billiards, in the end fairly bringing down the house, as also he did when he entered the tea shop which was decorated in Dutch style and inquired if it was intended to be American. When told it was Dutch he said, "Well it's all the same, isn't it? I thought that chap, Morgan, had bought Holland If he hasn't, he s.on will; he buys everything." JK.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.