The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 5

THE MANCHESTER GUARDIAN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 1S97. Mr- IH-Et DIAMOND JUBILEE. skins presented a variety of colour almost aa startling as their uniforms. Cypriotes and Chinamen, Cingalese and herculean negroes from the Gold Coast, Maoris and Dyaks, filed in order behind the sunburnt Anglo-Saxons who are at present upholding the banners of Canada and Australasia, and South Africa "in this country. Tho procession was headed by a detachment of tho Royal Horso Guards, followed by Field Marshal Lord Roberts, who was greeted with almost frantic enthusiasm at different parts of the State carriages conveyed the Colonial Premiers amid the ranks ot their different military escorts.

They had a popular reception, which was none the less enthusiastic because it had to come perforce late in the day. The men of South Africa seemed for some reason, to be hold in highest favour. When-over the Rhodesian Horse, with tho Hon. Maurice at their head, wero perceived, the cheers which they were greeted rose to a pitch might have thrilled the nerves of a hardened warrior. The jwoplo probably did not recognise in Mr.

G. Hord the brother of another hero who won the Victoria Crass for valour nearly i 111 4 i lit Ira it SllMfll I without number all advancing at a gentle walk, and rejoicing, as it seemed, in their own strength, and in the beauty of their shining armour, their plumes, and their innumerable pennants. Riding behind the last battery of the Royal Horse Artillery came the Aides-de-Camp of "the Queen and the Commander-in-Chief, closely followed by the headquarters staff and other officers, including the Duke of Westminster, in his uniform as Lord Lieutenant of London. They formed an imposing group. Scarlet and gold "was their apparel, and plumes of feather, snowy white and delicately pink, adorned the hats of many.

But they paled their ineffectual fires before tlie polychromatic glories of the naval and military attaches of the foreign potentates. Those personages created a justifiable sensation wherever they were seen. Unfortunately, thev were out of sight before tho vision had recovered strength to examine them more closely. Thev left "an im pression behind them as of a flash of lightning, tinted with the hues tho rainbow. They were in blue and in yellow, in gold, in green, in purple.

1 in scarlet, and in white. "and their faces reflected the sun in its course from ea-t to west. A do- tachment of the lit Guard Drasoons. ot whicn the Queen i honorary colonel, attracted much attention by its splendour of dress, and the fine proportions both of men and horses, set off as these were by the curiou-dy self-assertive carriage of the riders. The officers of the Imperial Service troops rode in their places, not far ahead of the Quoen.

amid a continued roar of applause, but, like warriors east iu bronze. they turned their heads neither to tho rijiht nor "to the left. Their exceptionally honourable place in the procession was not without its meaiiinc. Tliev no less, than which "was raised for the defence of tho Kitr iro bv the native princes to commemorato Her Majesty's in 1S57. All these soldiers.

1 ought to add, are snl.jucts of the rulers who maintain them, and they can tako tho fluid at twenty-four hours' notice. And now came the only part of tho procession in t)u; clash of arms was hushed. Ladies, tired of admiring military nieu, returned to this frrsh development of tho spectacle with a renewed ami peculiar interest. In place of soldiers and the scintillation of steel' we had for a few moments a vision of fair and bih-born women arrayed, as the old-fashioned beaux used to have it, in the more fatal panoply of their beauty. Keen oyes noted the fashions favoured by minor royalties as the carriages slowly passed along', for itwas not till the dress landaus ami pairs had made way for tho road landaus ami fours that attention was riveted on the personality of tho occupants.

TheDuehessof Teck, seated in tho first of tho latter series of equipages, with tho Princess Charles of Denmark, tho Princess Froderica of Hanover, and the Princess of Bulgaria was promptly re-cognised and rigorously cheered alon-x the route. The marked resemblances which cliaiacterised tho younger generation of princesses of Her Majesty's lino made it difficult for the crowd to distinguish between tho Duchess of York and some of her Royal comuanions. On tho other hand, Princess Henry of Bat teulierg, better known as Princess Beatrice, was readily singled out in a quartet composed of herself, the Duchess ot Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. the Duchess of Connaught, and tho Duchess of Albany, and was affectionately greeted by name. A yet more illustrious widow, tho Kmpress Frederick, had tho place of honour in the last of the carriages in this procession of princesses.

Accompanied by tho Crown Prince of Naples, the Princess Louiso, and the Duko of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the Empress's quietly, almost sombrely, dressed figure would perhaps have escaped notice in a "carriage which was otherwise made brilliant by tho splendid apparel anil decorations of her companions but for the unmistalcabio resemblance that sho boars to her mother tho Queen. Tho likeness caught all eyes. Moro oven than tho Duke Alfred, formerly of Kdinburch. sho i gained the applause of tho people. After the Princesses camo the Princes amounted company I of forty or fifty men, scions of as many princely jo.

Imperial houses. Their costumes wero of kaleidoscopic variety, representing as they did tho military fashions of every part or tho world. For this foreign delegation, taken together with tho envoys, had been brought from tho remotest as well as the most neigh bouring countries. It represented territories, as one might have read in tho faces as well as the dresses and knightly orders of tho distinguished visitors, stretching from China and in the ii i. i 't i liiiLuei liiBt to arm iviexico anct Para guay tho West.

Even tho islands of the Pacific were not omitted, for Hawaii, notwith standing its recent constitutional distractions, had sent a Minister of State to take his place in tho illustrious throng. As the Princes and En voys camo into view, eager, perhaps ominous, in quiries passed from lip to lip for tho representatives of Greece and Turkey. Neither one nor tho other could bo distinguished, i heir places in the procession, if they wore present, were not stated in mo ouiciiii (Jiugi amine. I am under tile nn- presiion that the distinguished horseman in the red fez who came in for so many hostile glances was not Munir Pasha -at all, but his Highness Princo Amir Khan of Sardiare-Moazzam. Close upon the heels of the Princes came Her Majesty's Indian escort, a stalwart body of officers, whose dignified and martial mien sent a murmur of involuntary admiration along tho lines of tho people.

Brightly coloured silks and ornamentation of gold wore conspicuous features in their striking costumes. Thoy camo from Bengal, from Bombay, and from Madras, and in the ranks they comprised a number of Pathans from Afghanistan, several Sikhs, and many Mahometans. Some of them had fought at the relief of Lucknow and at Delhi and Chabasia. Medals for distinguished service shone on the breasts of many of them. It was indeed for the express reason that to tho Indian army alone belongs the.

distinction of having fought side by side with the British forces for more than a century that those stately officers had obtained the honour of acting as tho personal escort of the Queen. Her Majesty carriage was immediately preceded by Field Marshal Viscount Wolseley, who was of course one of the most distinguished, as he proved to be one of the most popular, personalities of the day. The Commander-in-Chief carried his baton and wore his decorations and orders. They flashed on his breast in eloquent testimony of many successful though hard-fought fields. Curiously enough, as I have already indicated, the Prince of Wales, for whom many had been eagerly looking, passed almost unnoticed when he did appear, riding with the Duke of Connaught on the right of the Queen's carriage, while the Duke of Cambridge rode on the other side.

All eyes were instinctively fixed on Her Majesty to the exclusion even of Her Majesty's Heir. The Queen's equipage, although gorgeous enough, was not so overpowering in its magnificence as some of the descriptions had led one to believe. The carriage at least, although unmistakably a State vehicle, was almost severely simple in its decorations. But if the carriage was simple, the horses and the grooms made amends by the richness respectively of their trappings and livery. At the head of each of the eight cream-coloured horses walked a servant, his hand constantly on the rein, although Her Majesty's outriders were on the saddlehorces.

The servants were a study in tho precious metals. They wore clothed as it might have seemed in gold and silver. Yet had their garments been woven of silk they could not have carried them more lightly. On the front seat, with their backs to the horses sat the Princess of Wales and the Princess Christian, the former in a beautiful dress cf which the colour ought probably to be described as pale heliotrope. Princess Christian was in cream silk.

Her Majesty sat alone on the opposite seat, an indescribably venerable figure, with queenly dignity and womanly tenderness expressed in every line of her brow a brow that "is now encircled with a crown of silvery white hair. As on most occasions of rejoic-ing, the Queen had made some modification, although a slight one, in the customary sombre-ness of her attire. Her cape of black silk was relieved with silver trimmings, and in her bonnet, also black, there was a cluster of osprey feathers. Her Majesty looked remarkably well in health, although towards the close of the procession she appeared to be suffering slightly from fatigue. It is needless to dilate here upon the character of her reception by an idolising people.

There was a long interval between the last brilliant group of horsemen in the Queen's escort and the first ranks of the eagerly awaited Colonial troops. At some points of the route, indeed, the latter formed an independent procession. Even from the spectacular point of viow they were not less interesting than the earfiaggageant. Their GREAT STATE PAGEANT IN LONDON. HIE QUEEN AT ST.

PAUL'S. BRILLIANT SCENES, ILLUMINATIONS AT NIGHT. MESSAGE FROM THE QUEEN TO HER PEOPLE. (from our special coeeesi'ondents.) London, Tuesday Night. The appearance of London early this morning reminded oue of the city described in the Revelations, of which it is said there is no night there," lor pcoplo had been out for many hours.

At any rat" those who remained out late were in the facte until the early ones started on the day's This continued incessantly, even in tho nuit liclgravian streets. As soon as it was respectable crowds were well on their way to intended positions along tho line of route, nn-i those who did not sally forth until eight o'clock were considered rather laggard. Then, of there was tho prospect of rain, judging ruin the excessively dark sky and tho westerly wind. Battling with those forebodings, however, was the popular belief that tho Queen would, as u-uai, be favoured with fine weather, and this siijxTstitiori found support and final confirmation in the rising barometer and a brilliant sky. "What Ft-ruck one- most of all in connection with the Queen's procession all questions of direct lovalty to tho Sovereign naturally apart was tho enthusiasm shown for the colonial troopers and Premiers, which could only bo inmpared with tho manifest favour shown wards our English sailors.

This outburst of aiiiniration for the soldiers and statesmen of the colonics was perfectly genuine and unaffected, an'i pervaded tho entire population. Next, as a hero, Lord Roberts reaped moro voluntary and spontaneous honours than anybody else tho procession, -although it is only fair to row irk that, as tho Commander-in-Chief was rwmg just in front of tho Queen, nobody would have thought of cheering him. this, Lord Roberts undoubtedly had by far she greatest reception. Ho was mounted on his l-eautiful little grey Arab charger, which camo in fur a large measure of applause. Although not unliko a cliild's pony, it i3 now twonty-fivo years and was wearing two medals of its own, i t-toiied to its bridle, in recognition of tho actions y.i uliich it had been engaged with its gallant master.

Thi' crowd struck ono as not being greater than the last Jubilee Even at that which was p'ftsibly the most crowded point Hyde Park there was room to walk almost tin' whole timo- In Piccadilly tho effect tile procession was much spoiled by a half-''ur's halt, during which the Lancers For a moment a feeling of alarm ran through the crowd lest something had happened. Ilw explanation in tho end was that tho troops i.ul been going too fast, and had outstr'mnod thn V'leen. Her true to her traditions left tho Paiaco punctually on the stroke of hour appointed a quarter-past eleven. 1 I 'no noticeable feature of the day's proceedings was that the so-called official programmes differed fc greatly from each other that there was general uuvriainty as to the personages approaching, niil this was increased by the fact, stated elsewhere, that in tho press of starting tho proces-'u at Buckingham Paiaco certain carriages 'i out of tho appointed order. Among those "ho were clearly identified was tho Duchess of 'Itvk, who has always been a great favourite, is moro especially so now, perhaps, after her r.eiivery from her recent severe illness.

Although I'l irtunaU'ly sitting in tho twelfth carriage, lior back to tho horses, sho met with a hearty reception. Much interest was ivnked by tho behaviour of tho littlo Princo Alexander of Battcnberg and tho Duko of Albany, both of whom had evidently been trained for this auspicious occasion, for '-v saluted prettily and incessantly and with p-at gravity. When tho Queen drew near ono of course, no eyes for anybody but Her Majesty. Comparatively few peop'lo noticed Kmpress Frederick, who really looks now much of tho same ago as tho Queen, and 'n was dressed even moro widowliko than her Many of thoso who recognised and her felt that the event of the" hour must '-nv been fraught for her with painful for her husband was tho great figure the. Jubileo of ten years ago most kingly knightly, seated, in his whito German uni- ou a grey charger.

Of him Mr. Gladstone has always said that ho was tho noblest per-naco with whom he had ever had to do. As thirds tho Queen herself, it may bo said, not unkindly, that sho looked no older than in 1SS7, she has passed through much sorrow then, and that she looked" very much her-She looked very grave, as sho always i.vv. not flippantly grave, but grave and There were points of the route, indeed, winch she was visibly affected, and Particularly at; the service, at St. Paul's, where showed unequivocal signs of emotion.

But por.orally she bore herself with great dignity and gravity, and sat. up well in her carriage." It would have been difficult to estimate the favour in which the nation holds tho Prince ana Princess of Wales, because, being so near the V-(vn. they were swallowed up anil lost in the iainionso enthusiasm and excitement manifested towards Her Majesty. If a critic should ever fay that there is not much cheering along the f-ute of a Royal procession in England, a answer would be that the people aro so in-tonth- occupied in looking at their Queen, who so rarely visible, that "they have no time to cne-T. They cannot do two things at once.

Ais'on the Orientals in the "procession Sir nab Mngh attracted most attention, on account nis truly splendid physique and horsemanship, utaer personages specially noted with favour were general Sir Dighton Probyn, a striking military cure who rode like a Crusader knight; Lord Wsnsyss. better known in former years as Lord tjcho whom Ruskin has somewhere described as Handsomest among my fellow-undergraduates who. although now TS years of ase, looks surprisingly fresh and young; and "Sir Donald Stewart, field-marshal, a conspicuous figure and i wonderful tyo of an old soldier, who has served all his time in tho East. One of the humours of tho situation was the unaccustomed appearance of an admiral on horseback, in the person of Lord Charles Beresford, naval aide-de-camp. The uniform most admired, especially by the ladies, was that of the 1st Life Guards a Eoid-ctnbroidered uniform of dark purple claret-eoloured velvet and black velvet hunting-caps.

Tho crowd was extremelv orrWW nA tampered. When once it broke up near Hvde journey of the Queen. The heat here be --nio intolerable, but the procession showed to naa no cumcuitv in waimng through j-elgravia, Pimlico, and 'Westminster to the blouse of Commons stand, there to await the i'i. i a quarter of a century ago, but thev saw that hh right sleeve was empty, and that his breast boro more than one war medal, besides other decora tions. A curious incident in this part of tho procession was the appearance of a detachment of tho Royal Irish Constabulary.

They were a source of some bewilderment to the public, who rradily enough distinguished tho London Scottish by their kilt, or tho soldiers of any regular regiment by the uniform they wore. But the stalwart constables of tho Irish force found themselves strangers in a strange land, and in tho course of their progress the- wero ascribed by the populace to more than ono colony fax beyond the sea which engirdles Ireland. CONSTITUTION HILL AND PICCADILLY The starting-point of tho great procession was undoubtedly the most naturally beautiful of the whole route. Buckingham Paiaco is moro massive than picturesque, for tho grand avenue of trees wliich line its gardens on the way to Picca dilly and the Green Park on the other side of tho road form a scene of sylvan beauty almost unequalled in London. Under tho trees on Constitution Hill stands had been erected for tho Civil Service, which were early filled with a gay and' well-dressed crowd, whilst in tho park tho humbler thousands in their sombro working clothes thronged against tho railings or ma merry family groups and picnic parties in tho grass.

Tho contrast between the social conditions of the different sets of sightseers which was noticeable at many points cf the route was nowhere more prominent than here. Hyde Park Corner and the front of St. George's Hospital wero fully occupied, and in tho distance tbo palaces of Piccadilly shono gloriously, a mass of sumptuous decoration. Tho roadways were thronged from an early hour, and when the timn drew near for the procession to start itwas found, that tho great open space in front of Burton's famous arch was occupied by a solid mass of people, who wero not removed without snruo mishaps. For several hours before the procession started the spectators here had much to occupy thi ir attention.

Troops wero being marched and counter-marched, separate items of tho pners-sion wero being got into position, and as they passed to and fro the heartiest enf'misiasm evoked. Tho Guards, tho Highlanders, thaNaial Brigade, and above all tho Colonials, setting out in their early march, each in turn wens tho object of a special demonstration. Gradually tho various units of tho procession wero got into clam orde and passed towards the town. At last, promptly to the minute, the Queen's cream-coloured horsoa were seen, "God save tho Queen" was borne upon the air, the cannons boomed in tho Park, and tho pageant, now fully formed, was at last set in motion down the length of Piccadilly, and the Royal progress began. Til SOEN EIn" CLUBLAND.

A correspondent who was at tho Reform Club writes Never in its history has the Club world looked from its windows on such scenes as have been presented to its astonished gaze during the last few days. All the day, far into tho night, Pall Mall and St. James's-street havo been packed with every imaginable form of vehicle, containing loads of sightseers from tho Greater London that lies east ami west and north and south of the fashionable districts. Rotund porters have stareu in bewilderment from out the sanctity of club entranco halls at Bacchanalian trippers publicly drinking bottled beer in thoso streets which smart men about town regard as peculiarly their own. Elderly gentlemen have arrived at their clubs breathless and perspiring, after exhausting struggles with the vast crowds, only to find, to their disgust, that their most comfortable chair has been removed by the carpenters who havo been erecting tho stands.

The silence of thoso solemn havens of rest such as the Carlton and the Reform has been rudely disturbed with tho hammerings and sawings of a timber yard. Tho younger members of these and similar institutions havo discovered that tho situation was not without its humour. Tho voc.ex pojuti overho from the balconies have raised many a laugh'. "Why, Jim," said ono good woman to her husband, after fingering tho artificial flowers of ono of the wreaths that' havo transformed St. James's-street into a fairyland, "they bo nought but paper arter till." And she departed with a sniff of contempt.

Funnier still was a conversation overheard in Pall Mall- Is that a pictcr of 'Er Majesty," asked a countryman of his friend, pointing at an allegorical medallion descriptive of peace and prosperity. No, Tom," came tho answer it's the Royal harms." Of tho club decorations which the Queen viewed to-day many columns might bo written. That they were magnificent there is no doubt; that they far exceeded tho beauty of those erected in 1887 is also certain, and, with but few exceptions, that they exhibit good taste is generally admitted. In Piccadilly the Naval and Military prepared a magnificent electric illumination on a background of yellow and red drapery. Tho Cavalry Club was also in yellow and red, and the Bachelors' looked extremely well.

In St. James's-street the Devonshire was perhaps the most striking, in crimson and whito drapery, while the Royal Society's was most artistically decorated with tiers of moss and buttercups. Pall Mall wore its customary look of solid respectability, even in ita gala dress. The Reform and Carlton wero indeed a blaze of colour, which was, if anything, rather too striking. The high hoardings of tho former club were painted in Prussian blue, the old Liberal colour.

Tho Army and Navy and the Junior Carlton relied chiefly on flowers, which are after all the most tasteful of decorations. Tne Athenaeum was hardly recognisable in brilliant 9carlet, which must have startled some of its serious-minded inhabitants. The Travellers', sandwiched between that club and the Reform, looked very quiet in more sober colours. Of course all clubs had thrown open tneir doors to members of the sex that is usually so sternly barred from entering. Elaborate lunches were provided, and in many cases bands played in the central halls.

One of the surprises of the day was the case with which members and their fair friends got to their seats. The elaborate police regulations frightened the majority of people into rising at five and six, to escape the crush that was expected. But there was no crush. As late as nine o'clock only two or-three rows of spectators stood on the pavements, and thoso who were delayed up to within fifteen minutes of the Colonial procession were able to reach the clubhouse doors with comparative ease. When the seats filled the clubs certainly presented a brilliant spectacle.

The varied dress of the ladios, seated tier upon tier, gave additional animation to the scene, while in the distance their closa ranks might have been huge fields of flowers, of every hue known lo man. During cue long wait the passing columns of troops, horse and foot, afforded plenty of amusement 1o the "spectators. After the streets wero lined with thin red' lines tho crowds that had by this time thickened on tho pavements gave vent to their customary humour, cheering with the utmost enthusiasm those unfortunate gentlemen who, unable, to pas-, the soldiers, had to walk down the centre of the street before finding an exit. Two band, stationed at either end of Pall Mall, played oce-- THE EOYAL PKOCESSION PASSING THE CLOCK TOWER that ho saw the Prince of Wales or the Duke of Cambridge in the procession. Thay rode two brilliant figures on either side of Her Majesty's carriage, but paid the penalty of their proximity by passing almost For the rest, tho procession, speaking of it again in its pictorial aspect, must have given an impression of barbaric splendour.

Our Eastern visitors wore colours that are rarely seen to such vivid perfection in this hemisphere, least of all in the grey atmosphere of these islands. Precious stones sparkled in headdresses which in one case might be of an emerald hue, or in another of a golden yellow. Streaming through the streets of London, themselves a chaos of colour, the procession looked at times like a long tongue of fire; again, like a river of molten gold; and, yet again, like the gathered treasures of some gaudy Oriental garden. The tallest officer in the British army rode at the head of the procession. It was a dramatic beginning.

Captain Ames, who has the appearance of one of Ouida's colossal soldier-heroes, bore hit honours with statuesque majesty. Mounted on a magnificent black charger, he "kept himself well in front of the first rank, advancing in solitary state, and presenting to the rays of the sun a front of glittering gold. Four troopers, sons of Anak too, and chosen, like their captain, from tho 2nd Life Guards, followed at a distance of some paces. Their burnished armour was only less splendid than that of the officer. Immediately behind this notable group, and thus occupying the place of honour among tho defenders of the Empire, came a gun detachment of the senior service, the Royal Navy, represented by a hundred men and six guns.

The guns were drawn by bluejackets, whose reception everywhere must have done something to strengthen their limbs for the task. Then came tho bands of tin Guards a feast alike for eye and ear Tho bandsmen of the 1st Life Guards wear a uniform which is obviously a relic of some more picturesque era Their coats are embroidered in gold but so heavy is the embroidery that the whole garment might be described as cloth gold. Black velvet hunting caps further diV-tinguish them from every other body of men the army. Their comrades in the bands of the 1st and 2nd Dragoon Guards, who followed in the procession, were prosaic figures in comparison although aa a matter of fact their uniforms are' among the most lustrous in our sumptuous military wardrobe. A battery of the Royal Horse Artillery preceded some squadrons of the 1st Life Guards, of which the Prince of Wales is colonel-in-chief, and the 1st and 2nd Dragoon Guards, and these were followed by the Royal Dragoons, the Scots Grey3, and the imiskilling Dragoons the regiments which formed the union brigade at Balaclava.

Then there were the Lancers, Hussars, more horse artillery, recurring squadrons of dragoons, cavalry, bands eloquent music might best bo read in an outstretched map of the world. Brilliant in itself, it kindled in the imagination visions of those greater realities of which, after all, it was but the pale reflection. The exultant expression of a power the greatest in the world's history, it was at the same time an admonition and a visible revelation of the nation's responsibilities. What should they know of England," demands the poet, Who only England know In the procession of to-day the England of three continents or is it four was pictured as in living panorama. Australasia, America, Africa, Asia each sent its tribute of gallant men to swell the triumph of tho Queen, and to teach tho people cf England the width of their Empire.

This was the note of the procession. It was the feature which chiefly, distinguished it from the memorable pageant of ten years ago. A glittering array of foreign potentates bore testimony by their presence to tho great traditions and high authority of England in Europe, but it was to our kith and kin who are building up new Englands over the seas that the heart of the people instinctively turned as the stirring procession of all the nations marched through the streets of the capital. It was almost exclusively a military pageant. As a pageant, it was all the better for that.

Although it took nearly two hours to pass, there was not a tlu'l moment in the whole spectacle. On the contrary, it offered a constant succession of picturesque surprises. But before I attempt to analyse the composition of the picture, let me in a few words give some idea of the -general expression which was probably produced on the minds of most spectators by its inexhaustible variety, not only of colour but of personal interest. I think the "first impression must have been that we have the finest soldiers in the world. The flowers of the British army had been gathered together to grace the day.

and if ever the panoply of war looked beautiful it did so this morning in the brilliant accoutrements, flowing uniforms, and flashing steel of horse, foot, and artillery. And the final impression, I think, must have been that we have the finest sailors afloat on any sea. How the bluejackets were cheered Leaving out of the question the homage rendered to one illustrious personage, they shared with tht, colonial troops the chief honours of the day. Hut the deepest impression of all was that mads upon the mind bv the venerable aspect of the Queen. Her Majesty's features were scanned by all eyes with alrost reverential interest.

It was the object of everv man, woman, and child to carry away in the memory an image of the illustrious Sovereign, no matter at what loss of other sights. I question, indeed, whether one in twenty caaM chief of the staff, and to the Duke of Connaught, on whom the supreme command of all the forces had been conferred for this occasion. Two hours before Her Majesty was expected to leave Buckingham Palace the colonial troops, separately marshalled on the Thames Embankment by Field Marshal Lord Roberts, had started on their way. Then tho naval contingent and military detachments of the mother country wero sent forward, following closely the colonials, but not too closely, for as it was the glittering procession, in which all or nearly all our most famous cavalry regiments were represented, had only just time to get clear of the Mall before it was wanted to give opportunity for the escort of Indian princes, the colonial troopers, and the Queen's ivides-de-campe to form up. Even then a tem-trary change had to be made in the order of procession, several carriages containing foreign princes and princesses going out of their proper sequence.

Equerries in attendance on these Royal personages and their 6uites had to be got into column of route somehow, and this va.s arranged while the cavalry ascort remained drawn up in a line on Constitutional Hill, so that the other calvacade might go be. Then they fell in ahead of the stately procession of princes, whose gorgeous uniforms, many decorations, and insignia of Royal or knightly orders made this the most striking personal group of the whole procession. When they had gone by the opening bars of the National Anthem, followed by clear words of command for the line of sentries to present arms, told that the Queen was coming. As her carriage, driven by eight cream-coloured horses, 1 caparisoned in rich trappings, emerged from the Palace archway, cannon in the distance began to boom out deep notes of a Royal salute of 60 guns. The assembled thousands began to cheer.

This was taken up at once by the masses on each side of the Mall and along Constitution Hill for some distance, so that Her Majesty came at onee into the midst of general acclamations, an impressive overture to the continuous demonstration that was to mark the whole of her progress through tho streets of the capital. Just as the Queen was leaving the Palace she sent the following, message over the private wire from the Palace to tho Central Telegraph Office, whence it was despatched to every part of the Empire: "From my heart I thank my beloved people. May God bless them. T.R. and THE PROCESSION.

The procession was like a majestic symphony, in which the songs of many nations were wrought into harmony on one theme that theme the world-wide Empire of Britain. Its silent vet much greater advantage than it did in the high places of Piccadilly. There was no awkward pause, as in that tuoroughfare, and the troops formed a continuous stream from the Lambeth side of tho Westminster Bridge to the comer of Parliament-street a stream varied in colours and coming along at a good steady pace without halt or break. It was therefore the moro impressive, and ended better than it began. The order of the procession on leaving St.

Pauls had been varied so that the Queen went forward half way along its lines, preceding the colonial troops. Her Majesty therefore made her appearance at Westminster sooner than had been expected. Notwithstanding this, so great was the pSpularity of tho colonials and of the Premiers, that everybody held his ground and awaited their arrival, to renew the scenes of affectionate enthusiasm enacted elsewhere, lo sum up, the demonstration was characterised by great cheerfulness and cordiality. Judging from to-dav's scenes, there has been no kind of falling off in loyalty in the past ten years. On tho contrary, the expansion of England and her colonies has evidently taken greater hold on the popular mind, for in to-day's crowds there was no lack of the artisan element in any direction.

LEAVING BUCKINGHAM PALACE. A moro brilliant spectacle than that which was observed near the gateway of Buckingham Palace before the troops began their march has probably never before been seen in London. In the earlier hours no sunlight shone on lanco point or sabre, helmet or cuirass, for grey clouds veiled the sky. But there seemed no need of the adventitious sparkle to heighten the effect of this marvellously picturesque scene. The gorgeous trappings of Life Guards, tho scarlet tunics of dragoons, their plumed helmets contrasting strongly with the frowning bearskins of the Scots Greys, the braided iacketsof Royal Horse Artillery, the varied colours of hussar busby bags," the scarlet facing of the 12th Lancers, tho white plastrons of the "Death or Glory Boys," and the flutter of lance pennons above "them made a striking colour scheme as background for the colonial troops, amontr whom the greater number wore uniforms of sober drab.

And this lustrous picture, to which not even a Meissonier could have done justice, was fringed by many ranks of spectators, and framed in the delicate green of summer foliage. The mere massing of so many troops there, each squadron and company in its proper place, was a task of no little difficulty, and for its successful accomplishment all credit must bo given to General Lord Methuen, who acted as.