officers, being displayed the more conspicuously
by contrast with the 'sombre civilian garb, which
has a distinction of its own, not only because it
is in the minority, but because it is still
associated with the highest positions and the largest
fortunes in the country. The ladies, who were
very liberally dispersed among the company,
were an exhibition in themselves, and gave
to French millinery an attraction beyond the
reach of martial accoutrements, the products
of Persian looms, the gold work of Delhi,
or the precious stones of the Dekhan. It
was the first public occasion at which the new
Viceroy was present, and that it should have
been one for the advancement of agriculture
he declared to be a source of great satisfaction
to him. For, as he went on to observe, in a
country like India, which is poor in comparison
with its vast extent, and in which the
commerce is small in relation to the numbers and
productive powers of the population, it is on
the progress and success of agricultural
operations that national prosperity must largely
depend. It was impossible, he said, that the
intercourse of various persons gathered
together from all quarters to witness the display
of the produce of many places and of machinery
calculated to improve and stimulate production,
could fail to cause manifold benefits to arise in
the future: especially when the experience thus
gained should be brought to bear upon future
exhibitions in every part of the empire.

The movement thus happily begun, is, indeed,
a fortunate one for India, where agriculture,
however well understood in its rude form, is
without any of the scientific and practical aids
it receives in this country; but where the same
implements are in use, and the same processes
are employed, as in the earliest of recorded
ages. That the experiment just made, has been
attended with complete success is beyond a
doubt; and the success is attributable, in the first
place, to the influence of government, as wisely
directed by Mr. Beadon, and in the second place
to the railway. Without the first, the Agricultural
Society, which co-operated in the object,
could have done very little; and without the
second, even the influence of government would
have been of far less avail. The Natives, who
want governing, and wait for the action of
authority, would have responded but feebly
to a private appeal, mistaking it, probably,
for some plan for the encouragement of the
"independent European" rather than
themselves; and without the railway, the want of
swift, certain, and inexpensive communication,
would have been an insuperable bar to success.
Not, however, that the exhibition is to be
considered in the light of an eleemosynary aid. The
government advanced the funds in the first
instance, but it was intended that the payments
made for admission should render the movement
self-supporting; and, in this respect, the object
has been nearly accomplished, there being but
a small balance of expenditure left for the
government to defray.

Of the material of the Exhibition we have at
present but a meagre account. Descriptive
reporting does not flourish in India, for the
simple reason that descriptive reporters are
not to be had, and the editors of the journals
have little time to devote to such special
work. We gather, however, that the machiners,
the most important and attractive feature, were
of a very satisfactory character. The steam
ploughs, the brick-making machine, saw-mill,
and locomotive, we are told, were all excellent of
their kind, and attracted much attention : as well
as smaller articles, such as centrifugal pumps,
and so forth. Among other novelties was an
eight-horse power engine and thrashing machine,
intended to bewilder the native mind by being
set to work in all its various departments—
separating the grain from the straw, blowing
away the chaff, and pouring out the clean
product. A seed-crushing and oil mill is also
noticed as a magnificent machine. The number
of models and tools is very great, and the show
of cattle is said to be exceedingly good. In every
department of the exhibition the Natives took an
eager interest, and nothing could have been more
pleasant than the entire proceedings, but for one
little mishap.

The Exhibition had been witnessed by all
classes of the community save one. While everybody
else disported among the wonders which
had been brought together, the Native ladies
still remained caged birds, pining among their
halls and bowers, solitary though surrounded by
crowds, ignorant though in the midst of
intelligence. Anybody who has tried to keep
even a reasonable British female at home when
a sight was to be seen out of doors, can form,
some idea of the difficulty of the task in the
case of these imperious Oriental beauties. But
how to accommodate them? That was the
question. They could not see without being seen, if
they appeared in the crowd; that was clear; and
to make them a part of the Exhibition was a thing
not to be thought of. It was at last decided to
give them a private view—by night. Fortunately
there was a full moon, which in the East makes
night nearly as bright as day for practical
purposes, and a great deal more romantic.
Accordingly, it was ordered on behalf of the
beebies, burra and chota—that is to say, the
ladies, greater or less, as the case may be that
the grounds should be kept open until midnight
on a particular evening, all male kind being
rigorously excluded after sunset, with the
exception of a few Coolies necessarily in
attendance, whom it was obligingly agreed to consider
non-existent for the occasion. A number of
influential Natives pledged themselves that their
establishments should duly attend, and it was
believed that the appeal would be generally
responded to. In order to make things as pleasant
as possible, the wives of some of the high European
officials volunteered to receive their Native
sisters, and act as hostesses. The night came,
and the Mussulman and Hindoo ladies came.
They were delighted with everything they saw,
and all passed off as pleasantly as possible.

Next morning all Calcutta—that is to say, the