The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1878-10-18

es and conferences meet; there are two
sales de conference capable of accommo-
dating 500 persons each, and here meet
lngs OF s1rants, economists and others
are held daily. The last that attended
was on geology; thecou now progress
ing includes weights, measures and
money, industrial and artistic property
and rights. Some of these congresses
are free, others require membership
with subscriptions of 10 francs to 25
francs. But these rooms are not con
fined to the purposes of conferences;
they contain large and most interest
ing collection, from various sources, of
national portraits, many of them of
great excellence, and many others most
curious. / cannot here describe the
contents of these and the other galleries
on this side, but 1 may mention that
amongst the portraits will be found
those of a large number of the most
famous men and women of the two last
centuries, by the most eminent artists of
the time; none, perhaps, are more full
of interest than two effigies Of Paquelin
dit Moliere, by two eminent hands,alike
in features but as unlike in expression
as possible, but both in perfect condition
and two of Boileau.
The retrospective collections which
form of themselves superb exhibition
occupy the entire length of the two i'm
mense wings already referred to, each
composed of sixteen sales, or sections,
and will be described separately. 1t is
sufficient here to say that almost every
country in Europe and Asia has con-
tributed to them, and that the arts of
barbarism, semi-barbarism, and civiliza-
ton, from the flint age to the last GEN.
tury, are admirably, if not completely,
represented. Such is the extent of
this marvellous collection of works ofall
ages, in metal, wood, ivory stone, marble,
clay, wool, silk, &c, that these thirty or
more sales are filled, aud large collec-
ton of Oriental objects had to be placed
in gallery on the floor above.
From the terraces of the Palais des
Fstes bold flights of steps descend into
the grounds. In the midst of the beau
tiful garden on the left hand, a mass of
rock, partly overhung and overrun with
trees and shrubs, ferns, flowers and
moses, marks the place of the fresh
water aquarium to which there is
access by flights of steps. On one side
of the great basin into which the water
of the cascade falls, is a Spanish and
opposite to it French restaurant still
further down, on the right hand, is the
group of interesting annexes belonging
to various Oriental nations-Persia,
Egypt, Morocco and Tunis, China, Japan,
and Siam, with these pretty timber con-
structions belonging to Sweden and
Norway; and in the corresponding por-
tions of the grounds, on the other hand
is the handsome Algerian palace, and its
surrounding kiosks. A considerable
portion Of this corner is occupied by
building constructed by order of the
board that has the care of the woods and
forests of France, and admirably is the
subject illustrated, with its fine timber
and its picturesque cottages. In con
nection with this is an exhibition of
insects, useful and ipjlros to man and
to agriculture, from the bee to the phyl
lezsra Hc-e also arc small building
containing the scientific apparatus, &c,
employed in the recently founded met
geological observatory in the park of
Mentsouris; and glasshouse, in which
is most interesting collection of the
telescope and other extraordinary fish,
and reptiles of India, China and Japan,
shown by one of the best known of
practical naturalists, NJ Charbonnier, of
the Quai du Louvre; the perfect condi-
ton of these strange creatures show how
thoroughly M Charbonnier has studied
them. Lastly the Arab tent, in one
corner of which swarthy natives are
making and selling Eastern shoes, slip
pers, and Fee caps and where in another
part the native officers of the Algerian
guard of honor rest their picturesque
figures, attracts all eyes, whilst some
noses and mouths are atickled" by the
Oriental sherbets, sweetmeats, and per-
fumes close at hand. LOUIS.