And here is another case in which are all the different sorts of mother-of-pearl buttons that can be imagined; there is every variety of ornament on the buttons, which look exceedingly brilliant.
This immense block of granite, from Scotland, is not quite so pretty, though it is, perhaps, more useful; it is twenty feet long, and is a piece of the finest kind and colour that could be found. Another very useful thing, also from Scotland, is a large lighthouse bell, managed so as to ring very loud, to warn any ship that is going too near a dangerous rock or shoal, near the lighthouse where the bell may be.
Among the more beautiful specimens of industry, there are several elegant vases made of silver, and of a delicate material called Parian, which is an imitation of Parian marble; some of them are ornamented with blue and gold, and others are ornamented with silver. There is also a splendid tea-service, adorned with charming pictures of the dear old fables we all know so well,—the "Lion and the Mouse," the "Wolf and the Lamb," the "Dog and the Shadow," and others.
Near the very middle of the building, close by the crystal fountain, there are the splendid iron gates from Coalbrookdale, which look very magnificent. I fancy Samson would find it rather a difficult matter trying to bear off these gates on his back, strong as he was. Close by these gates there is a gigantic statue of our good Queen, on horseback, which towers high over our heads; and she sits smiling at us as if she could see us looking so delighted.
There are several gigantic things at the Exhibition. Here, for one, is a monster cake, covered with the most superb ornaments; it is four feet high, and weighs about two-hundred and twenty-five pounds. Yonder is another monster contribution, an immense map of the busy city of Manchester; and there is a huge railway carriage; and still further on, there is an iron wire, one mile long. At a little distance stands a magnificent bed and bedstead, fit for the Queen to sleep in. It came from Edinburgh, and is made mostly of materials which can be produced in Scotland. And in this direction, we can see a set of beautiful mantelpieces and fenders, from Sheffield, all decorated in the most elegant manner. The first mantelpiece we must look at is made of cast-iron; the mouldings of the cornice are richly ornamented, and supported by little pillars covered with graceful wreaths of oak-leaves, while the freize is adorned with a cluster of rich fruit. The next mantelpiece is painted white and gold, and has a burnished steel grate; while the third is painted blue and gold, and has a stove made on a new plan, for it is managed so that its own brightness shall help to throw out the heat of the fire in an equal and agreeable manner. The fourth and last mantelpiece is painted black, and ornamented with ormolu; it contains a polished steel stove. Three ormolu fenders, and five bright ones are placed together with the mantelpieces; and they certainly make a goodly show. But we must now leave them, and go on to see some other wonders.
Here are several most beautiful loo-tables inlaid, and they seem to attract a good deal of attention from more than us. You look a little puzzled at the word inlaid; I think I must explain it to you, by telling you that it means pieces of different material let into a piece of furniture to ornament it.
There are numerous models of various buildings in the Crystal Palace; those of York Cathedral, and Chance's Lighthouse, are particularly well made. There is also a model of the Britannia Tubular Bridge; and there are models of many of the fine public works of London.
Here is a pair of scissors made in Sheffield, and ornamented in the most beautiful way, with a crown for a handle; and yonder are a pair of cotton stockings from Ireland, spun so fine that they look exactly like silk, and indeed you would be likely to mistake them for silk, if you were not told they were merely cotton.
How brilliant this collection of gems looks; how the stones sparkle! they have been sent as specimens of the jewels which Ireland produces. But here are some pretty English agates; and a huge mass of Irish rock crystal, which is very bright and clear. In a compartment, at a little distance, we may see a book, bound according to a new method, by which the leaves are so firmly placed together, that they would not loosen in ten years' time, no matter how the book was tossed about, unless they were purposely taken out.
We must now have a look at the machinery department. Firstly, there is the great steam-engine that works all the other steam-engines in the Exhibition, though, of course, you cannot understand it by looking at it; neither can I, although I know so much more than you do. Near it is a model of a new agricultural machine for cutting, turning up, and making into light mould, the clay of fields, so as to make it ready to receive the seeds to be set, without the farmers being obliged to plough the earth. There is a machine for making bricks and tiles, so that people may, if they like, form those materials for building houses cheaper and better than in the usual way. But here is a useful machine. It is a measuring machine, by which you could measure to the smallest size, even to the hundred-thousandth part of an inch!