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A handsomely bound copy of " Buller's Birds of New Zealand," exhibited by tbe Commissioners, was (at the suggestion of Professor yon Hochstetter) presented by me, in the name of the Colony, to the Crown Prince of Austria, to whom I was informed it would be an acceptable gift. I have now given as full a report as seems necessary of my proceedings in connection with this undertaking, in the joint capacity of Agent-General and Commissioner; and I trust that they will meet with approval, and that, although it has been necessary to exceed the vote of the Assembly, the Government will recognize that throughout the whole business I have endeavoured to use the utmost economy consistent with the effectual carrying out of my instructions, and the proper representation of the Colony on so important an occasion. Looking at results, I can only say that I feel amply rewarded for the trouble and anxiety which the work has necessarily involved, and that I cannot but feel proud of the position taken by the Colony, not merely as compared with the adjoining Australian Courts, but indeed as viewed generally in relation to the whole Exhibition. I may h,ere mention that the Royal Commissioners are desirous of preserving a record of the Colonial Courts, by publishing, in an official form, a short descriptive account of the Colonies and their products, and have intrusted its compilation to Mr. W. Robinson, of the Colonial Office, who acted as Special Commissioner for the Crown Colonies at the Vienna Exhibition. The manuscript of the portion relating to New Zealand was recently submitted to me by Mr. Robinson for revision, and he appears to have executed his task in a very creditable manner. I cannot close this report without again bearing testimony to the invaluable assistance rendered to me throughout this undertaking by Mr. Walter Buller, without whose aid, as I have in a previous despatch informed the Government, it would have been quite impossible to carry it through successfully. It will be satisfactory to the Government to learn, that, since the close of the Exhibition, His Majesty the Emperor of Austria has been pleased to confer upon me, as the representative of the Colony, the Commander's Cross of the Imperial Order of Francis Joseph. I have, &c., I. E. Featherston, Agent-General, apd one of the Commissioners for The Hon. the Colonial Secretary. New Zealand at the Vienna Exhibition. P.S. —Since writing the above report I have received, through Major-General Latour, a handsome expression of thanks from His Highness the Crown Prince Rudolf, and I beg to forward herewith (Enclosure 4) a copy thereof for the information of the Government. I. E. F.

Enclosure 1 in No. 4. Mr. Bevan to the Agent-General. Sir, — London, 3rd December, 1873. I beg to lay before you the following brief report on the New Zealand section of the Colonial Gallery at the Vienna Universal Exhibition. At the end of March I proceeded to Vienna, in accordance with your instructions, and as soon as I received the various New Zealand exhibits, I arranged them in the most instructive and attractive form, bearing in mind that I had comparatively little space in which to place all the articles. I am happy to inform you that, in common with the other Australian Colonies, the New Zealand Court was visited by a vast number of people—l should roughly estimate by at least two and a half to three millions. Many days, indeed, they were so crowded that locomotion was rendered difficult, and the interest manifested by all classes of visitors was exceedingly warm. A large number of scientific men of the highest reputation, from Austria, Germany, France, Norway, Russia, Italy, and other countries, were visitors here, and expressed their admiration at the very excellent and typical show of industrial resources exhibited by New Zealand and her fellow-colonies of Victoria, Queensland, and South Australia. Copious notes were taken by many literary and scientific reporters, and the number of questions daily asked and answered proved that the interest attached to the exhibits was not merely that of the passing lounger. Amongst other visitors I would specially mention His Majesty the Emperor of Austria, His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince, His Majesty the late Emperor, their Royal Highnesses the Archdukes Raimer, Charles, Louis, and Albrecht, "their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales, His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, their Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Teck, Her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess of Baden, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Germany, His Majesty the King of the Belgians, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Bavaria, His Majesty the King of Saxony, the Crown Prince of Hanover, &c. It will be seen that the juries of the Exhibition were enabled to bestow great praises on the exhibits, and that the Colony carried off two medals for progress, twelve medals for merit, and twenty-five honorable mentions, —in all, thirty-nine distinctions. In the month of July I gave a banquet to the jurors for food and wines, and other officials connected with the Exhibition, to which about fifty sat down. All the viands were, with one or two exceptions, of Australian and New Zealand produce, and met with unqualified approbation.

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