sketch on blotting paper and ink, exhibiting the first design of the Crystal Palace as made by Paxton. Viewed in connection with the magnificent building itself, it was an object of extraordinary interest, and will doubtless be preserved to the latest times. There were in this class, many other articles which it would be interesting to describe, did the limits of this report permit.

CLASS 18. Fabrics woven, fitted and laid, shown as specimens of printing and dyeing.-The improvements which have taken place in dyeing and printing within a few years, have been very great. Chemistry has been brought into co-operation with the manufacturer, and the result has been a wonderful advance, not only in the beauty of the fabrics, but in lessening the expense of their preparation for market. Connected with every important manufacture, the laboratory is to be found, and the advantages derived from the chemist in this class of articles are very great. The labor of weeks formerly, is now performed in one day. In the early stages of printing, only one color could be applied, now, as many as ten, are applied in constant succession. The French excelled in this department, and their fabrics presented a brilliancy and beauty of colors, as well as elegance of design, which I think were not surpassed in the exhibition. Prussia, Switzerland and England, however, showed great taste and beauty of finish, and in the India Department were fabrics that were most superior, and perhaps in many respects would be considered unequalled.

CLASS 19.-Tapestry, Carpets, Floor Cloths, Lace, &c.—The display in this class was of the most attractive character. The articles were arranged in different parts of the palace, so as to attract attention and at the same time develop their most striking qualities. From the extent which Carpets, Tapestry, &c., were shown, they occupied a very prominent part in the exhibition. Among the attractions in the Carpet display was one executed for her Majesty, Queen Victoria, by 150 ladies. The carpet was thirty feet by twenty. The pattern, designed and painted by the artist, was sub-divided into detached squares, which were worked by different ladies; and on their completion, the squares were re-united,

so as to complete the design. In the pattern, consisting partly of geometrical and partly of floral forms, heraldic emblems are introduced. The initials of the ladies executing the work, are ornamentally arranged, so as to form the external border. This was used on the day of the opening of the exhibition, upon the platform on which the throne for Her Majesty was erected, and after the ceremonies had closed, and the Queen and her attendants had left, the anxiety of the people was so great to examine the carpet, that it would probably have been seriously injured, had not the police removed it at once.

From the East Indies were shown several admirable specimens of workmanship; and a silk carpet from Cachmere, was an article of great splendor and of immense value. Some fine samples of carpeting and rugs were shown from Persia.

The English exhibitors were much more numerous than any other nation, and nearly equal, in fact, to all the others. There was a great variety in the English exhibition, and some of ther were of remarkable richness and beauty.

In the American department there was but one exhibitor, Lawrence of Boston, who received an Honorable Mention. Specimens, however, were shown of Brussels carpet, woven by steam power, by Mr. Bigelow of the United States, which had never before been accomplished, and will produce an entire revolution in the manufacture of this kind of carpets.

A very important improvement has been made in England, by which the wool, which has heretofore been mainly buried in the fabric, is now brought to the surface, and a carpet equally durable is made, with half the quantity of wool, and at half the former cost.

AUSTRIA. A carpet was exhibited from Austria, made by Marie Louise, with the aid of several of her relations, and was interesting, as a specimen of the work of one who had borne an important part in the history of Europe, from her connection with the Emperor of France.

FRANCE. The government manufactory of France received a Council Medal for Gobelins Tapestry, which for originality and beauty of design, as well as the extraordinary excellence of execution of the articles exhibited, gave it a pre-eminence over all others. For more than two hundred years, has this manufacture been carried on under the direction and patronage of the French government, and the great perfection of the Gobelins Carpets and Tapestry, has been the result of the attention which has been devoted to this one object for this long period of time.

The exhibitors in this class were from England, France, Belgium, Holland, Austria, Algeria, Zollverein, Switzerland, Denmark, Portugal, Tunis, United States, East Indies. The Tunisian carpets were curiosities, being worked with figures of men and women, but without any special skill.

LACES.-There was a very rich display of laces and embroidery, of the very finest and most costly description, as well as of the cheaper and ordinary fabrics for common use. A Council Medal was awarded to an English firm, for a new velvet and simla lace, suitable for shawls, dresses, ornamental, and useful purposes, and of great commercial importance. The application of machinery to the manufacture of lace, even of some of the finest kinds, has produced a great revolution in the trade. The very finest Honiton lace in England, is yet, however, wrought by hand. The power of the production by machinery as compared with hand labor, is said in the case of the bobbinet machine to be nearly as 30,000 to 5, and the lace produced by it, has in plain articles entirely superseded that made by hand.

CLASS 20. Articles of Clothing, &c.-This class includes articles for personal or domestic use, and though differing much in the character of the articles from the preceding classes, yet it was an important one in its application to the supply of the wants of all. Hats, caps, clothing of various kinds, boots, shoes, &c., were the articles exhibited. In this class there was a great variety from most of the countries on exhibition; yet not of such special

interest in the character of the articles exhibited as to warrant an extended description. As a matter of curiosity, an exhibition in the English department was worthy of notice, a case containing the different varieties of shoes worn in England from the time of King John down to the present time, presented striking illustrations of the caprice of fashion.

The United States received Medals for miner's shoes, by Addington. Ladies boots and shoes, the workmen of W. H. Jeffers, NewYork, and an Honorable Mention to Mr. Jeffers. A Medal to Mrs. Haight, New-York, for a very superior worked shirt; and Honorable Mention to Breed & Co., for children's shoes; Milward & Sons New-York, for Pamela Bonnets of cotton braid. Mrs. Leask, of Albany, exhibited a case of very fine children's clothing and needle work, which was very much admired. Some clothing from NewYork was admirably made, and some of the hats from New-York were remarkably well finished.

CLASS 21. Cutlery and Edge Tools.—In this class, as might have been expected, the English exhibitors displayed a most extensive and perfect assortment of cutlery, for which they have long been celebrated. The extent of the exhibition made by some firms gave most striking evidence of the capacity which exists in the workshops of England to supply, at the shortest notice an assortment for any portion of the world. The excellence of the work was equal to its extent, and the awards gave assurance of the merit of the articles exhibited, 63 Medals, out of 89, having been assigned to England. Rodgers & Sons, Sheffield, whose cutlery is as well known in this country as in England, had a very superior collection, from the sportsman's knife, containing 80 blades and other instruments, the handle 12 inches long made of mother of pearl, to the miniature knife, containing 56 blades, equally finished, threefourths of an inch long; and another specimen of cutlery contain1851 blades and other instruments. Sheffield has from a very early period been celebrated for its cutlery, which has kept pace in its manufacture with the improvements of the age.

Austria, Zollverein, France, Wurten berg, Sweden and Norway, Russia, Prussia, Nova Scotia and Belgium, were the principal foreign exhibitors in this class and presented some very fine articles. Austria and Zollverein were much the largest foreign exhibitors, and some of their articles were very superior, as were those of France, Prussia and Belgium.

The United States exhibition of Scythes by the North Wayne Co., was decidedly superior to any other in the exhibition, and the Axes and other edged tools of Simmons & Co., of Cohoes, NewYork, were admitted to be without a rival. A very fine assortment of tools was also exhibited by a firm in Philadelphia. To each of these a medal was awarded. An Honorable Mention was given to A. B. Allen & Co., of New-York, who had some very superior Scythes and other tools on exhibition.

In the Sheffield department were to be seen goods of remarkable brightness, which had been exposed in the open weather upon the roof of a house for six days and nights, the bright parts having been preserved by a composition preventive of rust. It is a valuable preparation, and will afford great relief to families for iron and steel ware, when not in constant use, and to those who are shipping iron and steel goods. It was exhibited by Jones & Co., of Sheffield.

CLASS 22. General Hardware, Locks and Grates.-This was a very numerous class of articles-the number of exhibitors, in the English Department exceeding 800, and in the whole amounting, probably, to 1,500. A very great variety of articles came under the examination of the Jury, and their labors were unusually arduous. The number of medals awarded were three hundred and five, of which twelve were Council Medals. This class acquired unusual interest from the publicity given to the lock controversy, during the exhibition. Locks of two of the most celebrated lock makers in England, which had been considered proof against all attempts at picking, were opened by an American who had a lock on exhibition, Day & Newell's Parautoptic permutating Lock, of which we propose to take some notice hereafter.