The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-01 00:00:00

delights our eye with a truly national landscape, as in
(326) ho charms us with a glicep,,,e of the ,:;yl7n.L. eolitudo
of " The Mid-wood Shade." A curious effect of watery
air is produced by Mr. Creswick in (302) "The Pass-
ing Cloud," one of the most notable works in this de-
partment of the exhibition. Another of Mr. Anthony's
microscopic delineations of foliage (420), " Nature's
Mirror," cannet by possibility be overlooked.
In portraits the Gallery is for the present season pe-
culiarly rich—in portraits, we mean, of superior excel-
lence. The most commendable among all which are un-
questionably two very noble paintings from the
master-hand of F. Grant, the academician (69)
" Mr. Macaulay," and (193) a full length of
" Lord John Russell." Both are wonderfully life-
like, and bit off exactly the character, or the intellectual
personality as it may be termed, of the two distinguished
statesmen. There are two other historical portraits, as
they may be called, which will be recognised by many
as having been already exhibited elsewhere in the galle-
ries of popular printsellers—(l4) " His Imperial Majesty
Napoleon III.," by J. G. Middleton—a surprisingly
good likeness ; and (247) " Nelson meditating in the
Cabin of the Victory, previously to the Battle of Tra-
falgar," a picture some months since mentioned by our•
selves in these columns eulogistically. Personages of
various note will be recognised in effigy in all parts of
the collection. Here (74) " Viscount Gough," by Grant,
in the dress worn by the noble veteran in his battles in
Hindostan. Here (133) the " Duchess of Argyll and the
Marquis of Lorn," by W. S. Herrick—neither mother
nor son, however, in this latter picture, painted very
pleasingly. There (206) " Lord Dufferin in his robes as
a Peer," ?a production of considerable merit by A. Schyfer,
although marred in some measure by the hardness of
Pre-Raphaelisin. There, again (372), the brave old
"Earl of Dundonald," by W. Ross. Yonder H. Wei-
gall's recollection (381) of the " Duke of Wellington,"
and, not far from it, T. N. Joy's well-known portraiture
of the gallant Sir Charles Napier, the Baltic Commander-
in-Chief. Several others might be particularised in de-
served terms of commendation. But among the many
meritorious portraits of private individuals scattered
through the collection, an especial word of praise is com-
, manded for itself by (321) the exceedingly clever "Portrait
of a Lady," by T. Brigstock, an artist of already advanced,
but still advancing, reputation. It may not be forgotten
' that it was to the brush of Mr. Brigstock the public
were indebted for that remarkable full-length painting
of Cardinal Wiseman, robed in his scarlet vesture, which
a season or two back arrested such general observation.
The present work from the same hand reveals in several
particulars an evident advance in the artist's already
recognised skill as a portrait painter. Without any know-
ledge whatever of the original, it is obvious at a glance
that the picture has the peculiar merit of a vraiseei-
blance. Another portrait revealing particular ability in
the artist is (198) that of the Rev. E. Hearn, by E.
Kaulbach—a work of art full of thoughtful expression
and intellectual individuality. There are numerous
other heads hardly less ingeniously pencilled, several of
them, as, for instance, the portraits of "Dr. Forbes Wins-
low" (128), of " Colonel Sabine" (182), and of the late
" Viscount Beresford" (125), depicting men of celebrity
in various departments or professions.
A cursory glance is all we have yet been enabled to
take at the numerous contributions to the collection of
sculpture arranged in the downstairs apartment. It is
difficult, however, to pass over without allusion in this
division of the exhibition, to the exquisite bronze relievi
by Matthew Noble— (1398 and 1400)—illustrative of the
"Bridge of Sighs" and of the "Dream of Eugene
Aram," portions of the now famous monument on the
eve of being erected over the grave of Thomas Hood
in Kensal-green Cemetery. The former of these emi-
nently beautiful works of art is expressive in every
graceful line and swell of the metal of the pathos of
the poor poet's stanza :

"Take her up tenderly,
Lift her with care,
Fashioned so slenderly,
Young and so fair !"
The latter relievo is, on the other hand, delineative of
the picture conjured up in those pensive verses—now
blithe, now sorrowful :
" Like sportive deer they coursed about,
And shouted as they ran—
Turning to mirth all things of earth,
As only boyhood can ;
But the Usher sat remote from all,
A melancholy man."
Besides these touching tributes from the genius of the
artist to that of the departed poet, Mr. Noble, we ob-
serve, has contributed to the Academy this year, besides
another bust, a vigorous and life-like semblance (1489)
of George Stephenson, the Watt of Railroads and the
Newton of Engineering.
In the room devoted to drawings and miniatures it will
he seen that Sir Ree boo pi,,vod .0.. often
before, industrious. No less than eight of his graceful and
inimitable portraits are contributed to the collection by
Nit. Carrick—the artist famed long since for his popular
and well-known drawings of such celebrities as the noble
Lord the present Leader of the House of Commons, as
the great Italian Basso, or as the yet greater Irish
Liberator. Lance, of course, contributes another of his
gorgeous fruit-pieces (435) : and, though last, not least,
the distinguished President of the Royal Academy con-
fides this year to his one isolated picture of "Irene"
(129), the difficult but not overwhelming task of sustain-
ing his artistic reputation.

THE CANADA WORKS, BIRKENHEAD.

The Canada Works are a thing of magic, in the rapi

dity with which they have been constructed and brought
into active operation. Hero it is that Messrs. Brassey,
Jackson, Peto, and Betts, the contractors for the Grand
Trunk Railway of Canada, are constructing their plant
and materials for carrying on that great undertaking.

The premises are very extensive and as complete as pros
Bible. The main building is 900 feet in length by 3G feet
in width, and there are also other erections. The yard
encloses a long water basin, where coals and other neces-
sary stores are landed at thel very spot where they are
wanted. Besides this, the line of railway is carried from
the docks to all parts of the yard. The establishment is
divided into two distinct compartments ; one for the
manufacture of locomotives, waggons, carriages, and
plant, and the other for the construction of bridges ; for
all the large bridges on the Canada Railway are to be
tubular ; and one of them, over the St. Lawrence, will
be a mile and three-quarters in length, throwing into
the shade all previous attempts at tubing, the famous
Britannia Bridge included. The general management
of the Canada Works is in the hands of Mr. Harrison, a
gentleman of great experience in such matters ; and the
" bridge department" is superintended by Mr. Evans, who
brings equal ability to the performance of his duties.
The main building is, of course, divided into separate
compartments, the principal of which is the fitting, turn-
ing, and erecting shop, a noble room, 300 feet long.
There is, also, the boilermakers' shop, the smithy (with
22 furnaces), the brass-moulders' and copper-smiths'
shop, the pattern-makers' shop, the cast-iron foundry,
the warehouse, the store, and other smaller "shops. '
The bridge department includes two "shops"—the
smithy and the plating-room. Spacious offices, and a
suitable house for the " foreman s " residence, stand
detached from the other buildings. There is, also, sta-
bling for a number of horses employed in " out-door "
work. The premises include an eating-room and a read-
ing-room, for the use of the artisans employed.
machines, steam
re
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often
The locomotives and their tenders are entirely con-
structed at these works, as also all the castings, mould-
ings, and forging—in fact, all the iron-work—for the
carriages and waggons of the Grand Trunk Railway ;
but the wood-work and fitting-up of the latter are, for
very obvious reasons, effected in Canada, principally
at Montreal. Two large stationary high pressure
engines, of 30-horse power each, supply the motive
power to the numerous slotting, planeing, punch-
ingchanical contrivances for assisting
eetarxer expected
eaenare
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ito:eotonitowards
"ana other handicraftsmen.
rtsedfitaosvunetcpcompletion—five
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traffic.
Whitworth and Naysmith, of Manchester, Shank, of
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feetbe
Canadianendof gauge
May.
It in-
terestingv to many to state that the Grand Trunk Rail-
way of Canada is on neither the " broad" nor the " nar-
row gauge" principle. The
inches. The contractors have bought a large vessel to
be employed solely in conveying the locomotive and car-
riage work across the Atlantic, and her 'tween docks are
being opened up and fitted so as to give great stowage
for such heavy freight. She can lay alongside the yard,
where there it a powerful crane that will hoist her car-
goes on board as they are completed.
Of the ultimate extent of the operations carried on at
the Canada Works, it may be somewhat premature to
speak just now, but the number of men employed now
is upwards of 300, and every week additional hands are
being taken on until the maximum of 600 is reached.
The wages of the mechanics range from 28s to 34s per
week, the average being 31s. Gd. The monthly expendi-
ture in wages alone is now upwards of 5,000/. ; and,
when the works are in full operation, it will be more
than double that amount, or at the rate of 120,000/. per
annum—all, or nearly all, of which will be spent amongst
the shopkeepers of Birkenhead. It is calculated that
the works are capable of turning out 40 locomotives, with
their tenders, in the course of a year, which, at the mo-
derate estimate of 2,5001. for each locomotive (they are
very large and powerful ones), gives 100,000/, per annum
for the work of that department alone. The carriage,
bridge, and miscellaneous plant work will probably reach
double that amount, and thus we have 300,000/. worth
of work turned out yearly from the Canada Works alone.
The people of Canada have thus the assurance that their
great railway will be completed as speedily as possible,
for all hands are working over-time, and the machinery
is kept going night and day.—Liverpool i 07074141.