desire of the people to see good works of art, that no parts of the International Exhibitions were so well attended as the Art Galleries, and that although the pictures shown there were for the most part quite third not to say fourth-rate.  The press is very energetic in fostering taste, but I don’t think it is natural to the people.  They like pictures somewhat as the savage does, because they appeal readily to the imagination, and tell a story which can be read with very little trouble.  It is significant of this, that there is hardly a hut in the bush where you will not see woodcuts from the Illustrated and Graphic pasted up, and that the pictures most admired at the exhibitions were those which were most dramatic—­such as a horse in a stable on fire, and a showman’s van broken down in the snow through the death of the donkey which drew it.  Next to dramatic pictures, those in which horses, cows, or sheep appeared were most admired, for here the colonist felt himself a competent critic, and was delighted to discover any error on the part of the artist.  Scenery came next in the order of appreciation, especially pieces with water in them, or verdure.  Genre and figure-painting were quite out of their line.

Of Music I have written in my letter on ‘Amusements’.  As a creative art it cannot yet be said to have an existence, although Mr. Wallace composed ‘Maritana’ in Australia, and plenty of dance-music is manufactured every day.

THE END.