un|inn»lle<l spectncle such ns inrmr day we can linrdly hope 

 t') se** repcatnl. I'or the first lime sinre the world bGg;in, 

 tlie diHi'reni nniions of liie earlh have collected into one fo- 

 cm the chdicost specimens of their iisitural wealth and their 

 i'ldiis'.riHl products. Within a buiklini; linppily adapted for 

 tiie purpose, thousands of people of all ages, and fi-oin every 

 country liavo nsseniMed to view this spectacle. Four mil- 

 lions and a lialf of visits have been p.iid to it since the open- 

 iiiL' ; nearly jC40U, 000 has been realized by admission fee^, 

 the greater proportion consisting of shilling payments, 'i'he 

 popularity of the Kxhibition became its greatest wonder, and 

 many who went ihi^re to study the marvels of manufactu- 

 ring skill cinild only gaze at the multitudes which they at- 

 tracted to Hyde I'ark. There is a magnetic power about 

 large musses gathered in one vast edifice, and swarming in 

 happy excitement along spacious avenues, where tlieir num- 

 bers will tell upon the eye, which eclipses every other spec- 

 tacle, however splendid or interesting. Man is superior to 

 the choicest example of his handiwork, and never have vast 

 assemblages been seen in a situation more imposing. Those 

 who have witnessed the aspect of the building on a crowjued 

 shilling dny, will not readily forget the strange and in-descri- 

 bable sensation-; with which it inspired them. Who can say 

 that we shall ever be able to witness such sights again '! It 

 is not a small excitement which drags up humble provincials 

 en Jiiasse from the country — which induced an old woman of 

 84 to travel on foot all the way from Land's-cnd — which 

 sends a bushel and a half of watches in one night to the sho|) 

 of a single pawnbroker in Leeds, and which so stirs the 

 heart of private benevolence throughout the kingdom, that 

 even our charity schools, and the inmates of our workhouses 

 are largely represented at this jubilee of industry. On the 

 ground, therefore, of popular excitement alone, few of us 

 can expect to see suaii a spectacle as that which is now 

 about to close repeateJ in our day. Let those who have not 

 yet visited the Crystal Palace, and who have it in their 

 power to do so. defer no longer. After the 11th of October 

 It will be no longer possible for them to take the measure of 

 the industrial arts in the middle of the l!Hh century. Books 

 may .supply them with the fullest information on the subject, 

 but they can never touch the heart, or stamp their lessons 

 upon tlie memory, like a personal inspection of the display. 

 Forourselves vve have always felt our powerlessness in deal- 

 ing with the details of a collection so vast and comprehen- 

 sive. An o.xhibition which embraces every kind of indus- 

 trial product cannot be grasped within the limits of a news- 

 paper article, and a history of it, if attempted, would exhaust 

 tiie patience of the most indefatigable reader. The bare 

 classiiicution of objects occupies 13 closely printed foolscap 

 pages. The power of discussing advantageously each divi- 

 sion of that immense classilication, involves a minute know- 

 ledge of every art to which the ingenuity and the labor of 

 mankind have been directed, and is plainly imprncticable in 

 8 journal. For the deterininaiion of excellence in each de- 

 partment, the public may. therefi>re, be most safely and 

 authoritatively referred to the awards and reports of the dif- 

 ferent juries. There are, however, general results wliich it 

 comes fairly within the province of the press to point out — 

 particular inventions, to indicate the importance of which 

 justifies a special notice, and lessons of experience for the 

 guidance of our future industrial carerr, which ought not to 

 be lust siglu of. Many of these lo|)ics have from time to 

 time been touched upon. Others may not suggest them- 

 •elves till long after the Exhibition has closed ; but now, 

 when the llth of October is so near at hand, the discus>^ion 

 and solution of such questions become more urgent ; it is 

 necessary to gather up the threads of interest which the 

 specincle in its progress has brought into light, and to trace 

 out the full significance of facts and objects which we have 

 still for a limited jicriod before our eyes. 



A distressing occurrence which took place in the building 

 on Frid:'y. liirevv u coiisiderablo amount of gloom upon those 

 of the vinitors who were aware of it. In the central refresh- 

 ment rooms, n gentleman was observed to fall down in a lit. 

 The large printed placards on boanls, which are always in 

 readiness, wiiti the words "A medical man wanted at the 

 south entrance," printed upon them, were put into requisi- 

 tion and three medical gentlemen immediately reaponiied to 

 the call. Upon examination, however, it was found that life 

 was extinct, unJ the deceased was conveyed by the police 

 to St. Margaret's Workhouse. 'I'iiero was nothing found 

 upon hirh to nflurd any clue as to the name or residence of 

 the unfortunate gentleman. His linen was marked •''!'. T." 



On Saturday £1,852 2*. 6d. was taken at the doors of the 

 building, the number of visitors being 20,236. During the' 



afiernoon a most extraordinary specimen of gold ore from 

 California was placed in the American portion of the nave, 

 which, from its si/e and eVidcnt richness, attracted an im- 

 menso amount of attention. In appearance it is a hu"e block 

 of quartz rock, impregnated in every part with the precious 

 metal, and the value of it may be estimated from the fact 

 that the fortiin'.ie owner refuses to part with it lor a sum of 

 £:5,2.!>0. Ho has arrived in England with this specimen fi* 

 the purpose of buying machinery to work the vein in which 

 it was discovered, and he is himself as curious and interest- 

 ing an object as the contribution, being fresh from the dig- 

 gings, and wearing a gold watch chain of the most preposter- 

 ous dimensions. The recently discovered gold mines in 

 Australia are also now represented in the Crystal Palace, at 

 No. il, class 23. 



With but two exceptions — viz : the 15th of July, when 

 the number of visitors was 74,122, and the 21st of July, 

 when there were 70,610 — Monday was the most numerously 

 attended day since the opening of the Exhibition. 'i"he 

 number returned by the police was G8,512, the amount re- 

 ceived being £,.i,2'M) liis. 



The Hundkku and Thirty-First Day. — Tuesday again 

 saw a vast attendance at the Crystal Palace. The number, 

 exceeding by nearly a thousand that of Monday, was 69,34{) ; 

 being the largest attendance, with the exception of Tues- 

 day, the 1.5th, and Monday the 21st of July. The amount 

 received was £o,;303 4s. Among the visitors were many 

 children from various schools, including, among others, those 

 belonging to the British schools of Pelerslield.^Hants. 



Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, the re- 

 ceipts at the doors on Wednesday amounted to £2.830 11*., 

 the number of visitors being 59,050. It raised fast and furi- 

 ously as the hour approached for the building to close, and 

 great was the dismay and confusion, the demand for oaha, 

 and the cramming of omnibusses, in consequence. The 

 south entrance of the transept was completely blocked up 

 with impatient and distressed waiters upon the siiy y influ- 

 ences. 'I'he distress manifested by the female porii n of the 

 assemblage for the j>rospective destruction of thei finery, 

 was particularly tiflecting, nor in the wildest flights c Bloom- 

 erisin could anything bo found more grotesque tha i the ar- 

 rangements of dress which were made to neutralize as far as 

 possible the efVccts of the weather. Gowns were inverted, 

 and petticoats tucked up with the most unhesitating energy, 

 while, by one of those extraordinary examples of tiie law of 

 s-upply and demand, umbrellas of every size and quality 

 sprang up in forest-like abundance. Of cabs and omiiilius- 

 ses there was, as there always is on such occa.--io;is, a dread- 

 ful deticiency, so that a large proportion of the people had to 

 trudge, under the pelting rain and ankle deep in mud, on 

 their way homewards. 



On Thursday, notwithstanding the unfavorable state of 

 the weather, 04,298 persons visited the building ; and the 

 receipts amounted to £3,080 12.>-. Gd. Among other arrivals 

 came 30 boys and 20 girls belonging to the Knggcd School, 

 Pye street, Westminster, who obtained admission by sub- 

 scriptions from the benevolent, sent in consequence of an 

 advertisement on the subject inserted in the Tunes. There 

 were also 18 old people from liletchinglcy, whose expenses 

 were defrayed by the rector and other gentlemen in the pa- 

 rish, whose joint ages amounted to 1,141 j ears. Such f icts, 

 but the former especially, taken in connexion with the daily 

 incidents of a similar character, place beyond possibility of 

 question the propriety of that decision which refused free 

 admissions to our charitable institutions. Had the numer- 

 ous applications made upon this subject been acceded to, we 

 should not have witnessed those delightful and gratifying 

 efforts of private benevolence, the statistics of which, when 

 collected at the close of the Exhibition, will I'urnish one of 

 the most interesting and remarkable features <if the many col- 

 lected with its diiirn il history. We are happy to hear that 

 numerous and valuable presents are being made by exhibi- 

 tors to the Koyal (^"ommission for the formation of a perma- 

 nent museum after the present display in Hyde Park has 

 terminated. .\n opal of extraordinary beauty, from Hungary, 

 his just been added to the Austrian collection by Messrs. J. 

 (loldschmid & Son, of Vienna. 



We underi.tand that it has been decided that the two days 

 which \\ill remain between the close of the Ilxhiliition to the 

 public, on Sntuplay the llth. and the meeting of the Com- 

 missioners on Wednesday, the ]5th of October, will be de- 

 voted exclusively to exhibitors and their friends. It i-> inten- 

 ded to send to each exiiibitora ticket, which will admit him- 

 self and two fiiends upon Monday the 13ih, and Tiies lay 

 the 14th, without any payment fur admission ; and the ticket 



