THE EXHIBITION OF 1862. 
183 
of colours, and bargaining with, we believe, a travelling pedlar. 
The different operations of the diggers are well delineated, 
and the distant town gives excellent effect to the picture. 
There are views of other gold-fields ; but we cannot stay to 
examine them, and must finish our frontispiece with another 
vivid sketch of colonial life. 
It is a representation of the “ Maories driving off Settlers’ 
Cattle : an Episode in the late War.” * Let us endeavour to 
recall the chief features of the scene. 
In the foreground, we have a group of natives concealed in 
the “ bush ; ” the men are armed with rifles, which they are 
discharging in the direction of the settler’s house ; whilst a 
woman, with uplifted axe and with eyes flashing fire, spurs 
them on to the conflict. Beyond, to the right, we have the 
broad cultivated fields of the colonist, through which the Maories 
are chiving away his oxen and other cattle, as well as his 
horses, ready saddled and bridled for use. Here and there, 
one of the natives, bringing up the rear of the marauders, turns 
round to fire at the pursuers. These are not visible on the 
scene, but the quarter from which they are advancing is indi- 
cated by their heavy fire and the rolling clonds of smoke. 
It is, indeed, a bold and stirring picture ! Yonder, on a 
slight eminence, is a barn or outhouse which has been set on 
fire by the plundering Maories ; whilst in the foreground, con- 
cealing the colonist’s party, is a magnificent tree-fern, such as 
we met with in the picture of the “ Fern-tree Gully,” and which 
affords great relief to the various stirring incidents represented 
in the other portions of the picture. 
This is our frontispiece — as presented to us by the colonist 
himself in illustration of the scenes which characterize his 
checkered life. Now let us enter his show-rooms and examine 
the fruits of his industry and enterprise. 
The first court to which our attention is directed is that of 
Tasmania, which is completely surrounded by a high wall of 
polished planks — woods indigenous to the colony. Here we 
will enter, and examine, first of all, this beautiful cabinet, the 
material of which offers a rather difficult problem for solution. 
“ Is it of satin-wood or bird’s-eye maple ? ” we ask of the gen- 
tleman in charge of the court. It has the mottled appearance 
of the latter, with the wavy lines of the former. Taking us to 
the great “trophy” of woods in the centre of the court, the 
conservator of these treasures shows us, with a smile, a polished 
plank of the same wood as that of which the cabinet is con- 
structed. “ It is the Huon Pine ( Dacrydiam Franlclinii ) , one of 
the most valuable trees in the colony.” 
* By W. Strutt. 
