The Express.
London, England, 1851-04-26 00:00:00

THE SWISS GOODS.

As the grand day for the world's peaceful battle
more nearly approaches, the interest becomes more intense,
and the strain upon the hundreds of workmen, cisil and
military, foreign and English, men in blouses and men in
moleskin, employed in the Crystal Palace, !mottles moo•
constant and apparent. Now energetic sappers urge trucks'
in every direction, regardless of corns. Porters, laden
with huge bales, unceremoniously jostle visitors; and
policemen, excited to a fever pitch of vigilant scrutiny, stop
every holder of a green ticket, and peruse it with as
much interest as if it were the last number of Punch.
Whilst seeking the modest compartment where Swiss in-
dustry is soberly m irshalling her soieries, her embroideries,
and her wood carvings for the show, it was impossible to
avoid pausing rn erode to gaze on the extraordinary scene.
Long vistas stretched one on every side, resonant with the
din of saw and hammer; mountains of packing cases lay
about in most admired disorder, while cranes swung to and
fro regardless of heads however sapient ; and foreign work-
men, with must sanguinary beards but peaceable deport-
ment, plied their hammers in dignified composure, and
putting their hands in their breeches pockets between almost
every stroke, as if pausing to wonder at their own super-
human exertions.

Instant amanita; pars dueree mums
Mulirlque steam, et mambas subvulvere saxa.
It seemed as if Messrs. Fox and Henderson had taken
the contract from the Genius of the Lamp to build a palace
in a night, and that an unearthly call of "Time" was ring-
ing in the ears of all these workmen, The as?ect of the
great trees, just now timidly putting forth their leafy ho-
nours antler the great transept, is picturesque, yet comical.
It is quite certain that their century of experience does not
afford them any reminiscence of a crisis like the present.
Even Mr. Paxton himself must acknowledge them to be the
largest plants ever seen " under glass," beating the Vic-
toria Regis, and the Kew paints, hollow. In fact, they look
as it' quite ashamed of the care with which they arc
wrapped up, something of the way in which an elephant
would enjoy a pinafore. Leaving these, however, we may
proeiml to the Swiss section, where we find the
denizens thereof busily setting out their wares
to the best advantage. The principal items claim-
ing attention arc silks, embroideries, mid carvings in
wood. The silks are of the more and useful aorta,
the manufacturers not venturing as yet to compete with the
costly and beautifully designed brocades of Lyons. But
the colours arc beautifully true and brilliant, and the
texture unexceptionable, so as to warrant them a fair share
of success in competing with similar fabrics from any part
of the world. Indeed, few things are more remarkable in
the textile annals of Europe, than the rapid progress made
by the Swiss silkwaavers sham the peace of ISO. The
specimens exhibited come principally from a small manu-
facturing village on the borders of the lake of Zurich,
where forty years ago there was only one silk factory,
while now there are fifteen, and new ones are
in progress. The manufacturers are sanguine of
obtaining a fair share of the world's market,
because, say they, we have labour cheap, water
pure and suited for dyeing, and are close to Italy, whence
we arc supplied with the raw material. In ribbons the
weavers of Basle have achieved success, not only in quality,
but also in beauty of design. Some of the Moral patterns
are good both in colouring and drawing, awl promise to gain
the admiration of the fair visitors next month. In silk and
muslin embroidery the Swiss peasant women have produced
most marvellous results. Among the apecimens is a hand-
kerchief in cambric, covered with designs in needlework,
not more remarkable fur their general beauty, than
for the elegance and correctness with which the minutest
lines arc traced out. . _ .

Similar commendation will apply to specimens of embroi-
dery on the finest silk, the must difficult of all substances
fur the needle. On these, so finely traced are the designs
as to be almost imperceptible until opposed to the light,
when they appear in all the neatness and finish of an en-
graving. As mere specimens of digital dexterity they are
wonderful, but much more to be admired fur their genuine
artistic character, seeing that they are all the work of poor
peasant girls. The secret we believe to be, that the designs
are furnished by accomplished artists, the needlewoman
being merely the patient and faithful copyist. In another
specimen the aids of colour and relief arc called in,
and the effect is surprising. On a piece of fine
white silk an open casement is represented in simi-
lar coloured needlework, the tracery being very de •
licate. In it stands a bracket raised high from the sur-
face, and upon this latter a vase of flowers so naturally
coloured that, but for their diminutive size, their artificial
character would be doubtful. A shell lies on the sill, from
I which u collector could hardly keep his fingers, and at the
top flutters a humming-bind in all his well-known brilliancy
of plumage. Of the perfection to which wood-carving is
brought in these mountain regions no conception can be
formed from the specimens which, up to this time,
have been seen iu our shop windows. Nor are
they less remarkable fur the circumstances under
which they are brought to perfection. When the
Alps have put on their white uniform for the
season, when the valleys are snowed up and the
mountains impassable, the Swiss peasant, finding he
can no longer exercise his lungs with his " nina des
niches," nor his legs in hunting the chamois, snugly
ensconces himself beside the stove in his chalet, and, pro-
vided with a few blocks of the soft hirehwood which nature
has kindly provided for his necessity, betakes himself to the
American remedy for ennui, a knife and a stick; but with
ditfimence. Where the Yankee " whittles " the Swiss
carves, and produces those elegant little toys, of which
several first-rate specimens have been sent to the exposition
We were shown a rose almost fragrant in its vitality, a
statuette of great freedom and finish, and some salad knives,
the handles beautifully carved in the form of snakes,
and others iu Heuer patterns. On the whole the Swiss
contributions are certainly well worthy of a place in the
world's fair. Many visitors will no doubt hose many
tastes. The utilitarian will luxuriate among locomotives
and steam ploughs, the philosopher will run to the electric
telegraph and the laboratories, the soldier will be arrested
bv the guns and pistols of every clime, from Dublin to
lielhi—but the man of taste will linger in this quiet corner
and ponder on the causes which have produced such a deve-
lopment of the artistic faculty in the untutored peasant of
the Swiss mountains.