52 
POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
most careful attention. Perhaps the photographs are the most 
instructive, as they are certainly the most pleasing and most 
easily understood of all the mining and quarrying illustrations. 
Of mining models there are several, very well constructed, 
and one that ought to have been exceedingly popular. A large 
gold crushing and washing machine, in the great court of the 
Eastern Annexe, was long- unable to do itself justice, and the 
interest that would have attached to it was thrown away on a 
hand illustration with a tin basin. Important as the subject of 
gold-mining is, there are few noteworthy modifications of ore- 
dressing especially adapted to gold sands, if we except some 
very weak repetitions of old German machinery introduced as 
novelties. An ingenious model of the method used in some of 
the Hungarian mines is exhibited. There are some ingenious 
contrivances to prevent accident on the breaking of the chain 
or lifting-gear in shafts. 
2. Mineral Products . — It may well be supposed that the 
great strength of the exhibition of minerals would lie in this 
direction, and it certainly does so. Very irregularly exemplified 
—some departments sadly weak, some ridiculously prominent — 
some difficult to see, and more difficult to judge of; still there is 
within the walls of the building an amount of material which, 
if it had been fairly presented, would have possessed the most 
absorbing interest. 
Let the reader figure to himself the result had there been in 
the Exhibition a Court of the Precious Metals. Had all the 
gold exhibits been collected into one space, the mere area 
occupied would have helped to impress the visitor. The gilt 
pyramid, ridiculous in the place which it filled, would have 
assumed an importance and a meaning in the centre of such a 
court ; and the various collections grouped around would have 
told with wonderful effect their important tale. The whole his- 
tory of gold, its real properties, and its sources of value as a 
representative metal, would have been at once felt and under- 
stood. Never was there a better opportunity, and never was 
an opportunity so lost and frittered away. 
In spite, however, of everything, the collections of gold, 
especially from Victoria, are of the most singular interest. 
The grains and the pepites, the small and the large nuggets, 
the crystals and the flat discs — all are present in abundance 
and variety — all are good and true. The largest nuggets 
are well represented in useful models, so as to give complete- 
ness to the exhibit. Besides the Victorian gold, there is much 
from other parts of Australia. California is not represented, 
but Vancouver’s Island has sent an interesting series. A re- 
markable and interesting group of specimens is sent from the 
