THE EXHIBITION Of 1862. 
53 
recently discovered localities in North. Wales, and there are 
some specimens, not without interest, from the Brazils. 
Near the gold is placed the metal platinum, in lumps of a 
magnitude never before produced, surrounded with the still 
rarer metals — iridium, osmium, rhodium, palladium, and ruthe- 
nium. In this case, the manufactured platinum is exhibited 
by Messrs. Johnson and Mathey, side by side with the metal. 
The French manufacturers of the same metal have placed some 
fine chemical utensils in their court since the opening of the 
Exhibition. These were, no doubt, intended to outshine the 
productions of Messrs. Johnson and Mathey. They are ex- 
tremely beautiful, but inferior in variety, and not superior in 
execution. 
As an exhibition of progress, then, the precious metals, with 
the exception of silver (which, although there are some fine 
snags from Norway, is little exemplified either in ore or metal), 
must be considered as justifying every expectation. All that 
is remarkable is new, and has never been put together as a 
group before. All that was wanted was that the articles should 
have been so placed as to illustrate each other. 
Another interesting group might have been made by 
bringing together a number of miscellaneous and mixed metals 
and metalliferous minerals. A beautiful series of manufactures 
of aluminium — a metal that will some day enter largely into 
use — was itself a great illustration of progress, though a final 
result is not yet attained. The manufactures of German silver 
are well illustrated, but the illustrations as usual are quite un- 
available for comparison. Ores of mercury are shown from 
various localities. Ores of chrome, antimony ores, and other 
miscellaneous but valuable minerals, may be found huddled into 
corners unnamed and neglected amongst the multitude of more 
showy, but less really interesting objects around. 
Copper is one of the most important and valuable of the 
common metals. Some of its ores exhibited are very remark- 
able, but are accompanied with no general account, and can 
hardly be said to be instructive. From Australia, the series is 
extremely large, and includes many specimens of great interest. 
From Canada, also, there is a fine series. Native copper — 
the rich carbonates, both green and blue, and the more common 
sulphurets, are all present. Had they been placed so as to be 
capable of direct comparison with those from other ore-pro- 
ducing districts, and had the various important details of the 
veins been duly recorded, this part of the Exhibition might 
have possessed considerable value. As it is, few, probably, 
will look twice at the long series of dust-covered minerals dotted 
at intervals over all parts of the building — on tables in and 
