The Sun.
London, England, 1862-06-21 00:00:00

THE IN7EBNATIONAL EXHIBITION.

It is evident that the Exhibition now floats on
the tide which leads on to fortune. There can
scarcely be a doubt of its financial success, for it is
certain that whatever may have been the numbers
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nearly doubled.
will be in the latter days of next month, and during
August and September, that the rush of country
visitors will come. By that time we shall see those
throngs of provincial mechanics and labourers who
contributed so much to the surplus which accrued
from the World's Fair of 1851. Already clubs in
the provinces are providing themselves with tickets
for admission a month hence. Yesterday 500
shilling tickets were sold to the representative of
a working-men's club at Hemel Hempstead—and
this is but an instalment from that place. Employers,
too, are daily purchasing tickets for their workmen.
The Gaslight and Coke Company and Messrs.
Welch and Sons yesterday bought tickets to the
value, respectively, of £3O and £l6; and a host of
others purchased packets of shilling and half-crown
tickets to the value of four, five, and six pounds.
The well-advised concession of the commissioners,
which we noticed yesterday, will bear speedy fruits,
and to day is expected to be a bumper. We are
informed that the announcement in yesterday's
article that Wednesday would be the five-shilling
day instead of Saturday is erroneous. The admis-
sion on Wednesday will continue to be a shilling;
and the five-shilling days.are altogether abandoned.
It is more than probable that in a few weeks en-
trance on Saturday will be a shilling, at least in
the afternoon ; and, perhaps, it is advisible that for
the present the admission should not be placed lower
than half-a-crown. But we have no doubt that it
will eventually come to a shilling, and we have
also little doubt that when it is lowered to that
sum the commissioners will be astonished at the
addition to their receipts.
The numbers yesterday were 26,849, of whom
5,721 entered by season tickets. Among the distin-
guished visitors were the Viceroy of Egypt, who
remained until an advanced hour of the afternoon,
Lord and Lady Foley, the Hon. Charles Murray,
and a party of Hungarians, who evidently enjoyed
the brilliant scene that expanded before them as
they entered. Another party of lunatics from
Dr. Armstrong's Peckham House Asylum were
yesterday enabled to see the Exhibition by the
kindness of the gentleman under whose charge they
are, and again. we have to notice with satisfaction
that the poor creatures bore themselves with the
utmost quietness of demeanour.
A week or two since we said that every sewing
machine in the Exhibition seemed to the uninitiated
twin brother to its neighbour. There is, however,
a vast difference between those of various makers.
when we come to examine their operation and
their work more closely. Of all that we have in-
spected—and the mere enumeration of them would
fill up all our available space—none seems so per-
fect as that shown in the Processes Court by Messrs.
Thomas and Co., of Newgate-street. These gentle-
men are well and favourably known to the public
as the original manufacturers and patentees of sew-
ing machines in this country. For 14 years have
some of these machines held their own against all
competitors, and even now there are no machines to
equal them, most certainly none to surpass them, in
every branch of sewing, be it the finest silk or cam-
' brie or on harness leather. They are very easily
managed ; in fact a lesson of half
thean leasthour'sexdpuerrat-
tion is quite sufficient to qualify
person ; and they have another decided advantage
—it is almost impossible that they should get out
of order. The stitch is regular and elastic, without
cord or ridge, is both aides alike, and cannot be
pulled out. The Royal visitors, as well as the
Japanese ambassadors, have honoured Messrs.
Thomas with an inspection of their machines,
and the latter especially have been pleased toexpress
their high appreciation of the ingenuity displayed
in their structure, and the perfection of the me-
chanism which they display. Messrs. Thomas have,
we may here note, presented to all their workmen
and their families tickets for admission to the Exhi-
bition, with a holiday in which to use them.

One of the most attractive stands in the Exhibi-
tion, holding some of the most attractive goods in
Class 21 is that of Messrs. M'Dougall and Co., the
eminent tartan manufacturers of Inverness, whose
London address during the Exhibition is 24, Brewer-
street, Regent-street. One of the most interesting
facts in connection with the tartans of this firm is
that they are made by Highlanders, out of native
wools. Messrs. M'Dougall have, in fact, done Scot-
land a service, by giving to the inhabitants of the
glens an opportunity of remunerative employment;
and really some of the goods thus produced are un-
equalled by any shown in the Exhibition, where are
collected the best samples of every manufacture.
Messrs. M'Dougall's stand cannot be missed. It is
situated right in front of the visitor as he ascends
the staircase leading from the eastern dome to the
south gallery, and will well repay a few moments
spent in its inspection ere he hastens on to the other
wonders of the building. Among the articles exhi-
bited, which include beautiful linsey woolseys,
tweeds, shawls, stockings, " plaidies" must be espe-
cially mentioned, the tartans of which excel in
beauty, texture, and harmony of colour any goods
of the sort which have ever come under our notice.
Some shawls made of Vicuna wool, imported from
South America will, we are certain, be extensively
patronised as soon as they are known. On one side
these shawls exhibit the natural colour of the wool;
and on the other they display the most beautiful of
the tartan patterns. But the most notable fact re-
mains ; these shawls can be drawn through an ordi-
nary finger ring ! Have we not said enough to send
our fair readers, and those of our male readers too ,