Travels in the East
Before he came to the Throne the Prince of Wales had long been the most
travelled man in Europe. He had visited every Court and capital and
centre upon that Continent; he had toured the North American Continent
from the capital of Canada to the capital of the United States and from
the historic heights of Quebec to the great western centre at Chicago;
he had visited the most noted lands of the distant East.
FROM EUROPE TO AFRICA
In 1862, his first visit to Egypt and the Holy Land had taken place, and
now, six years later, he was to make a more imposing and important tour
of those and other countries in the company of his wife. On November
17th, 1868, the Prince and Princess of Wales, accompanied by their three
eldest children and by Lady Carmarthen, General Sir W. Knollys,
Lieut.-Col. Keppel and Dr. Minter, left for the Continent and reached
Compiegne on the morning of the 20th inst., in order to pay a visit to
the Emperor and Empress of the French. An incident of the hunt which
took place that afternoon was the rush of a stag at the Prince who, with
his horse, was completely knocked over. Amongst the shooting party were
Marshal Bazaine, the Baron Von Moltke, the Marquess of Lansdowne and
other well-known men of the day. After a stay of a few days here and at
Paris the Royal party proceeded on their journey and reached Copenhagen
on November 29th. The birthday of the Princess was celebrated two days
later in her old home.
Stockholm was reached on December 16th, and a visit of some days'
duration paid to the King of Sweden. On December 28th the Prince and
Princess were back again with the Royal family of Denmark and attended a
State Ball at the Christianborg Palace. In the middle of January they
embarked in the yacht _Freya_, and at Hamburg the Royal children were
sent home in charge of Lady Carmarthen, Sir William Knollys and Colonel
Keppel. At Berlin, on January 17th, they were welcomed by the Crown
Prince and Princess of Prussia--the Princess Royal of England--and by
Lord Augustus Loftus, the British Ambassador. On the following day His
Royal Highness was invested with the famous order of the Black Eagle by
the King of Prussia. Amongst the limited number of Knights Grand Cross
who were present at the Chapter were the Baron Von Moltke, General Von
Roon, Count Von Waldersee, and Count Von Wrangel. From Berlin, where the
Prince and Princess were joined by those who were to accompany them on
their further journey and including Colonel Teesdale, V.C., Captain
Ellis, Lord Carington, Mr. Oliver Montague, Dr. Minter and the Hon. Mrs.
William Grey, the Royal party went to Vienna which was reached on
January 21st. At the station they were received by the Emperor Francis
Joseph and various members of the Austrian Royal family together with
Prince Von Hohenlohe and Lord Bloomfield, the British Ambassador. State
visits, dinners, the theatre, skating and a private visit to the King
and Queen of Hanover in their retirement at Hietsing, constituted the
programme of the next few days. Vienna was left on January 27th, and
from Trieste, on the following day, sail was made on board H.M.S.
_Ariadne_ and Alexandria reached on February 3rd.
TRIP UP THE NILE
After their formal reception at Alexandria by Mehemet Tewfik Pasha,
Shereef Pasha, Mourad Pasha, Sir Samuel Baker and others, the Prince
and Princess proceeded to Cairo where they were warmly welcomed by the
Khedive, and met by the Duke of Sutherland and his son, Lord Stafford,
Professor Owen, Colonel Marshall and the special correspondent, Dr. W.
H. Russell. The latter gentlemen joined the Royal party and were to
proceed with them on the journey up the Nile together with Prince Louis
of Battenberg and Lord Albert Gower. Before starting on this voyage,
however, the Prince and Princess were privileged in witnessing the
curious Procession of the Holy Carpet and the departure of a portion of
the annual stream of pilgrims for Mecca. The Princess and Mrs. Grey were
also invited, on February 5th, to dine at the Harem with the Khedive's
mother and the ceremonies, as described by Mrs. Grey in her _Diary_ of
the tour, were exceedingly interesting. A multitude of smartly dressed
female slaves in coloured satin and gold; services of silver and gold;
dishes of the most peculiar and varied composition and taste; music by
bands of girls and dances by other bands of women--some of whose motions
were described by Mrs. Grey as graceful and others as "simply
frightful;" drinks of curious character and pipes and cigarettes with
holders ornamented by masses of precious gems; costumes which partook of
both the Eastern and Western character; jewels and gold in every
direction and upon every possible kind of object--such were some of the
things seen during the visit. In the evening of the same day the Royal
couple and suite went to the theatre, and afterwards the Prince had
supper with the Khedive at the Palace of Gizerek, accompanied with
elaborate ceremonies and a succession of dancing spectacles.
Meanwhile, every care had been exercised by the Khedive in preparing
comforts for the Royal guests up the Nile. The chief barge was occupied
by the Prince and Princess and the Hon. Mrs. Grey, who was in attendance
upon the latter; a second was occupied by the Suite; a third by the Duke
of Sutherland's party; a fourth was used as a store-boat and contained
3,000 bottles of champagne, 20,000 bottles of soda-water, 4,000 bottles
of claret and plenty of ale, liquors and light wines. Sir Samuel Baker,
who was at this time Governor of the Soudan region, accompanied the
Prince and had with him an abundance of guns and nets for capturing
crocodiles, etc. During the slow progress up the river there was plenty
of sport, and His Royal Highness won fine specimens of spoonbills,
flamingoes, herons, cranes, cormorants, doves, etc.
THEY VISIT SITES OF ANCIENT CITIES
During the early part of the trip there was not much that was
interesting; apart from the shooting expeditions which were undertaken
from time to time. The sight of frightened children, timid women,
labouring slaves, mosques and villages of huts and occasional ruins of
more or less interest were all that was visible along the low banks of
the river as they passed. The caves, or grottoes, of Beni Hassan were
visited on February 10, and the life of ancient peoples seen in a
panorama of carved monuments. Then came a more beautiful, cultivated and
populous part of the region watered by the Nile. Thebes, Luxor, Karnak,
however, were names and places which made up for much. For two days,
ending February 19th, the heir to a thousand years of English
sovereignty wandered amidst these tombs and monuments of the rulers of
an African empire which had wielded vast power and created works of
wonderful skill and genius three, and five thousand years before. The
great hall and collonades and pillars of Karnac, the obelisk of Luxor,
the famous tombs of the Kings, the Temples of Rameses, the colossal
statues of Egyptian rulers, were visited by daylight, and, in some
cases, the wondrous effect of Oriental moonlight upon these massive
shapes and memorials of a mighty past was also witnessed.
Philae with its interesting ruins, Assouan with its modern history,
Korosko, Dere, the early capital of Nubia, the great Temple at Aboo
Simbel, were seen, and, finally, after the Prince had killed his first
crocodile, on February 28th, and the party had made an uncomfortable
trip across a hot waste of desert, Wady Halfah was reached on March 2nd,
and the journey back was commenced. On their return a special trip was
made by the Prince and Princess to the Pyramids of Ghizeh, accompanied
by Mehemet Tewfik, the Khedive's son, with an escort from Cairo. The
Prince ascended the biggest of the Pyramids and the party was royally
entertained afterwards in a pavilion specially erected for the purpose.
INTERESTING RUINS ARE VISITED
The Prince and Princess also visited the Royal chambers in the great
Pyramid. A delightful drive to Cairo followed, and the party soon found
themselves comfortably installed in the Esbekiah Palace. On the
following day a visit was paid to the great Mosque where lie the revered
bones of Mehemet Ali, under an embroidered velvet catafalque. One of the
graceful minarets was ascended and a splendid panorama of the city seen.
On March 18 the Tombs of the Caliphs, with their picturesque but ruined
mosques, were visited, and in the evening the theatre was attended, in
company with His Highness, the Khedive. A visit to the Baulak Museum
followed and was rendered thoroughly interesting by the presence of the
learned Orientalist, Marriette Bey, who showed the Prince and Princess a
bust of the Pharaoh "who would not let the children of Israel go," and
one of the other Pharaohs, who was a friend of Moses. Sir W. H. Russell
is authority for the statement that the slightly incredulous smile of
the Princess brought out a most concise, learned and convincing
explanation of history and hieroglyphics in this connection.
On the evening of March 19th the Khedive gave a State Dinner in honour
of his Royal guests at the Garden Kiosk of the new Palace of Gizeh. The
grounds were brilliantly illuminated, those present included all that
was eminent in the life of Egypt, the viands were served upon the
richest plate, the native fireworks sent up afterwards were most
attractive. The Hon. Mrs. Grey, in her _Diary_, says that "standing in
the outer marble court, with its beautiful Moorish arches and its
pillars of rich brown colour, their bases and capitals profusely and
brilliantly decorated, and looking on every side at the tastefully
illuminated gardens, the effect produced was indeed most splendid and
carried one at once back in imagination to one of the scenes you read of
in the _Arabian Nights_. It is quite impossible to describe it, but I
shall never forget this beautiful sight." The writer then goes on to
describe the splendid architecture and tasteful furniture of the
building and rooms. Most of the latter were decorated in white and gold,
with myriads of mirrors, rich silk curtains and furniture with all the
soft and brilliant colourings of the old Arabesque style. There were
fountains everywhere, and the floors were inlaid marble, porphery and
alabaster.
Following this function came a visit to the British Mission School,
where the Princess greatly charmed the children; a state visit to the
races in a carriage drawn by six horses, and with coachmen and
postilions wearing most gorgeous liveries of scarlet and gold. The Suite
were also splendidly equipped in regard to carriages and outriders, and
the streets were lined with troops. The races were well conducted and
the general ceremonies of the occasion worthy of Ismail, the Khedive.
This was to have been the last function prior to departure for the Suez
Canal, but it was now decided to accept the pressing invitation of His
Highness and stay three days longer. Following upon this decision came a
series of visits paid by the Princess of Wales to the wives, or harems,
of certain distinguished Egyptian gentlemen, and, finally, to the harem
of the Khedive.
Amongst the places visited were the homes of Murad Pasha, Abd-el-Kader
Bey and Achmet Bey. On March 23d the Princess, with a couple of
attendant ladies, visited the Khedive's mother--the real ruler of his
harem. It was a sort of Eastern drawing-room function, with slaves in
brightly-coloured dresses everywhere about, and a number of Princesses,
or daughters and relations of the Khedive, present, together with many
other ladies of Egyptian rank and position. Mrs. Grey described them as
mostly pretty--which was not, in her experience, the case as a rule--and
as looking cheerful and happy. In the evening the Princess attended a
State Dinner given by the four wives of the Khedive at the Palace of
Gizerek. The presence of innumerable slaves, coffee and pipes, music and
cherry jam served on a large gold tray with a gold service inlaid with
diamonds and rubies, were the initial features of the entertainment. At
dinner the guests sat on chairs instead of on the floor, as at a
previous affair of the kind, but still had to pull the meat from the
turkey with their fingers, while the odour of garlic and onions in many
of the dishes was very unpleasant. There was some singing during the
meal, with music and Oriental dancing after it. Meanwhile the bazars had
been visited privately by the Princess; the people having no idea who
the inquiring and interested European lady was.
THE PRINCE ATTENDS THE KHEDIVE'S RECEPTION
On the same day the Prince of Wales attended in state at a formal
reception held by the Khedive, and thus conferred a somewhat marked
compliment upon one who was not actually an independent Sovereign. He
was accompanied by the Marquess of Huntly and the Earl of Gosford, who
had just arrived from India on their way home, and proceeded through
the streets in all the pomp of scarlet and gold outriders, troops in
brilliant uniforms and a general environment of state which compelled
unusual respect from the impassive Oriental onlookers. Royal honours
were given to the Prince on his arrival, and he was met by some 5,000
troops and the strains of the British national anthem, while the Court
itself was brilliant in blue and gold uniforms and rich in the
luxuriance of gold and gems upon every possible article of service or
personal use. In the evening the Prince dined with his Vice-regal host
on a yacht in the river, and the Minister of Finance gave a brilliant
banquet, at which were present the great officers of state, such as
Shereef Pasha, Zulfikar Pasha, Abdallah Pasha and others, together with
British visitors or members of the Royal suite, such as Lord Carington,
Lord Huntly, Lord Gosford, Prince Louis of Battenberg, Sir Samuel Baker
and Colonel Teesdale, V.C.
This event closed the visit to Cairo and, after formal farewells on the
following morning, the train was taken for Suez, where the Royal
visitors were received by the Governor and M. de Lesseps. In the morning
they left for Ismaila amidst all possible honours, and accompanied by
the great canal promoter. There a triumphal arch had been erected and a
crowd of people and troops were found lining the route through the city.
They were driven out to the Khedive's chalet on Lake Timsah, where
dinner was served and the night spent, and thence back to Ismaila, and,
in a steamer, down the Suez Canal to Port Said. The great enterprise was
not then completed, and, in fact, the opening of the canal did not take
place for many months, but the Royal tourists were fortunate in seeing
the pioneer activities of creation in full operation and of being able
to understand something of the immense initial difficulties which had
been overcome by the genius and energy of De Lesseps.
Alexandria was reached on March 27th, and visits were paid to
Ras-el-Teen, the old palace of Mehemet Ali, to Cleopatra's Needle and
Pompey's Pillar. Then the _Ariadne_ was boarded once more and a farewell
dinner given to Mourad Pasha, the representative of the Egyptian
Government, who had done so much for the comfort of the Royal guests;
the health of the Khedive was drunk and the last word said to the
ancient land of the Nile and the Pyramids. The impressions left by this
visit to Egypt were pleasant to the Prince of Wales and useful to his
country. Ismail, the Khedive, was at this time a most enterprising ruler
but the predominant influence in the country was French and there can be
no doubt that the stately reception given the Heir to the British Crown
proved a substantial service to the present and future residents of his
nationality in that part of the world. The Prince, himself, must have
benefited greatly by the insight into Oriental methods of government
which he obtained and by the curious efforts at an adaptation of western
ideas which were going on all around him; while the picture left upon
his mind of ancient traditions and the history of a mighty past could
not but have been impressive and interesting.
On boarding the _Ariadne_, off Alexandria, and starting for
Constantinople the Royal party lost Sir Samuel Baker, Lord Gosford, Sir
Henry Pelly and Lord Huntly, who were leaving for other points of
destination. During the next few days the vessel passed through the
"Isles of Greece" and by various famous or historic spots. Patmos and
Chios were seen for a time in the distance and, on March 31st, the
Dardanelles were reached and salutes fired from shore to shore--from
Europe to Asia--as the Royal yacht steamed between the Turkish forts.
Upon anchoring, the British Ambassador, the Hon. Henry Elliot, came on
board, together with Raouf Pasha, who attended to offer the earliest
compliments of his Imperial master the Sultan. At the next landing, off
Chanak, the Prince was formally welcomed by Eyoub Pasha, Military
Governor of the Dardanelles, and his staff and guard of honour. Salutes
from the Forts followed and the Prince returned to his vessel which
steamed up to Gallipoli, where another stop was made and a visit paid to
the French and British cemeteries of the Crimean War. Early on the
morning of April 1st the towers and minarets of Constantinople were
sighted and various tugs and boats containing British residents and
others surrounded the Royal vessel and joined in singing "God Save the
Queen" as the Prince and Princess appeared on deck. Their stepping into
a barge to row ashore was the signal for a general salute from the
Turkish iron-clads and, amidst flying colours, fully-manned yards and
swarming caiques and steam-boats the journey to the shore was made--with
some private speculation as to what would happen to the Life Guardsmen
of the Prince's suite if they should be upset in the water with all
their cumbrous "toggery" on.
When abreast of the Palace of Saleh Bazar the Royal barge was met by the
state caique of the Sultan, followed by other gorgeously decorated and
equipped vessels, containing the Grand Vizier, Aali Pasha, and other
officials dressed in blue and gold and wearing numerous ribands, stars
and crosses of knightly orders. Amidst cheers from crowded tugs and
boats and ships the Royal visitors were transferred to the caique and
thence to the landing place of the Palace where a guard of honour, a
crowd of officers and a gorgeous staff surrounded the Sultan who, like
the Prince of Wales, was in full uniform. His Majesty, after various
gracious greetings, which were translated by the Grand Vizier, led his
guests up the staircase of the Palace and then retired. Shortly
afterwards the Prince and his suite were driven to the Dolmabakshi
Palace where they were received by the Sultan with much state and, after
a brief visit, returned to Saleh Bazar. Luncheon followed and the Prince
and Princess called at the British Embassy. On their way back in the
Sultan's carriages the streets were lined with impassive people who
saluted in silent respect. At the Palace an admirable dinner was served
on gold and silver plate. During the entire stay of the Royal visitors
here they were supplied with every luxury and requirement--guards of
honour, carriages, saddle-horses, caiques, a band of eighty-four
splendid musicians and an immense staff always on duty and clad in
gorgeous uniforms of green and gold.
Every morning there were presents from the Sultan of most exquisite
flowers and the finest fruit. Mr. W. H. Russell thus described the
surroundings in one of his letters to the London _Times_: "The
_valetaille_, in liveries of green and gold, with white cuffs and
collars, throng the passages and corridors, and black-coated
Chibouquejees are ready at a clap of the hands to bring in pipes with
amber mouth-pieces of fabulous value, crested with hundreds of diamonds
and rubies, and coffee in tiny cups which fit into stands blazing with
similar jewels. The _cuisine_ cannot be surpassed and the wines are of
the most celebrated vintage. All the persons attached to the Palace
speak French or English. There are Turkish baths inside ready at a
moment's notice. Equerries, aides-de-camp, officers of the Body-Guard,
radiant in gold lace and scarlet, in blue and in silver lace, flit about
the saloons and corridors. Human nature can scarce sustain the load of
obligations imposed on it by such attention. If the Prince is seen on
the water guards are turned out along all the batteries and the strains
of music are borne on every breeze that blows. Yards are manned and
crews turned out on the slightest provocation. The least wish is an
order."
On April 2nd the Sultan went in state to the Mosque in honour of his
Royal guests. The streets were lined with five thousand troops and the
Prince and Princess, with their suite, were driven to the Palace of
Beshik Jool, from a beautiful room in which they could see the Imperial
procession pass by. The sloping ground on the opposite side of the road
was filled by groups of women clad in varied colours and looking from a
distance like animated flowers. The Sultan came, presently, preceded by
brilliantly garbed Circassian troops, announced by the blast of a
trumpet and the acclaim of the Turkish populace and riding a magnificent
horse, which an English spectator described as a "marvel of beauty." He
wore a splendid military uniform and his jewelled orders and sabre-hilt
shone brightly in the rays of the sun, while immediately before and
behind him were the officers of state. After the pageant had passed,
little Prince Izzedin--the eldest son of the Sultan and a delicate,
intelligent-looking child--came over to visit the Prince and Princess.
The troops then filed past the Palace windows. Later in the day a
deputation of British residents was received by the Prince and in the
evening a special performance at the Theatre was attended and witnessed
from the Sultan's box.
Early in the morning of April 3rd, the various foreign Ambassadors and
Ministers called on the Prince of Wales and were presented by Mr.
Elliot. Amongst them was General Ignatieff, of Russia. A visit to
Seraglio Point followed, and from its heights was seen that most
exquisite view which embraces the Sweet Waters, the Bosphorus, the Sea
of Marmora and its islands, the shores of Scutari, the minarets of the
city and a general mingling of sea and shore, of light and shade, of
softness and Eastern charm which is hardly equalled in the world. The
great mosque of St. Sophia was then visited. In the evening a state
dinner was given by the Sultan at Dolmabakshi Palace--the first ever
given by His Ottoman Majesty to Christian guests. The Prince and
Princess were received in the grand drawing-room by the Sultan and all
his Ministers. The Princess was taken in by His Majesty and Madame
Ignatieff by the Prince. The dinner-room was already renowned for its
exquisite candelabra and lustres in rock-crystal; and its other
decorations, combined with plate and flowers of the most beautiful kind,
made up a scene well worth remembering. Aside from this, however, it was
not very interesting, as none of the Sultan's Ministers--except the
Grand Vizier--had ever sat in his presence before and were apparently
too much astonished and afraid to speak a word to each other or to any
of the twenty-four guests who made up the banquet. After dinner the
Princess and Mrs. Grey visited the Harem, or rather the Sultan's wife
and mother. Mrs. Grey, in her _Diary_, declares the dullness and
stiffness of the occasion to have been indescribable. There were
innumerable slaves, but they were all "hideous," though loaded down with
jewels, while other incidents and surroundings were not very unlike a
similar reception at a European Court. The whole affair broke up at
10.30.
A VARIETY OF INCIDENTS
On the following day the Royal party attended service in the church of
the British Embassy, driving through silent and crowded streets. In the
afternoon they inspected the Cemetary at Scutari. On the following day
the Prince and Princess, attended by Mrs. Grey, and all garbed in the
humblest English clothes they could find, visited the Bazaar. "Mr. and
Mrs. Williams" seemed to enjoy themselves greatly, the former smoking a
long pipe; the latter buying quantities of curios and, as the merchants
soon found out, driving an occasional bargain with earnestness. They
took in all the entertainments, sipped sherbets and the various
unnamable drinks which are sold in such places, and revelled in a few
hours of freedom. Later in the day the Prince paid some formal visits
and in the evening they again attended the theatre. Meanwhile Sir Andrew
Buchanan, British Ambassador at St. Petersburg, had arrived with his
wife, on their way home to England, and were welcomed at the Palace. The
following day a visit was paid to Belyar Beg, some distance up the
Bosphorus, which has been described as "the most beautiful place in the
most beautiful situation in the world." Guards of honour were seen in
all directions as the Royal party passed in caiques up the river. The
luxury and elegance of the furniture at the Palace and the beauty of
both buildings and surroundings evoked expressions of admiration from
the Prince and Princess and, perhaps, they even regretted their refusal
to stay here in preference for the other and more accessible residence.
Tchamlidja, not far away, the summer residence of Mustapha Fazil Pasha,
brother of the Viceroy of Egypt, was then visited and a "luncheon"
served which proved to be almost wanton in its luxury--the choicest
fruits that Paris could produce and the finest wines of the east or the
west being served in profusion. Afterwards, the Princess and Mrs. Grey
visited the Harem, while the men smoked exquisite cigars and drank the
finest obtainable coffee.
The following day included a trip across the Bosphorus in the Sultan's
yacht and a state ball at the British Embassy in the evening, which was,
for a short time, attended by the Padishah himself. The Royal party did
not retire from the gathering until daylight. During the next three days
one function continued to follow another. A visit to the British
Memorial Church; attendance with the Sultan at a great special
performance in the Theatre through densely-crowded streets; a visit to a
cricket match in the suburbs; attendance at a state banquet given by the
British Ambassador; inspection by the Prince of a Turkish
ironclad--Hobart Pasha's flagship; a dinner at the country home of the
Grand Vizier. The day of departure fixed upon was April 10th, and, after
a stately breakfast with the Sultan at Dolmabakshi, and farewells
exchanged amidst all possible pomp and Oriental pageantry, the _Ariadne_
was boarded and slowly steamed away from the Moslem capital to the sound
of cheers and thundering guns from fleet and fort. They were soon in
the gloomy waters of the Black Sea on the way to the Czar's dominions.
Arrangements had been under discussion for some time in connection with
this visit to the Crimea and Sir Andrew Buchanan's opportune arrival
had, no doubt, a good deal to do with the matter. On April 12th
Sebastopol was sighted, crowned with its ruined bastions and replete to
the Royal tourists with memories of the Redan, the Malakoff, and the
Mamelon. Neither flags nor men were visible, however, upon the ramparts
as the yacht came to its moorings although elsewhere Russian soldiers
could be occasionally seen. Presently, General de Kotzebue, Governor of
New Russia and Bessarabia, came on board with his suite--a decorated and
energetic survivor of the great siege at which he had been Chief of
Staff to Prince Gortschakoff. After the four days programme for the
Crimea had been settled the Prince and Princess landed and went first to
inspect the Memorial Chapel and then to visit the great cemetery. A
drive to some of the scenes of battle during the Crimean conflict
followed, with an escort of Tartars and with carriage horses which at
times seemed to fly over the ground. General de Kotzebue knew every foot
of the soil and was, of course, a splendid host on such an occasion. On
this first day the field of the desperate Alma fight was gone over
carefully and on the succeeding morning the ruined ramparts and redoubts
of the once great Fortress of Sebastopol--not as yet restored--were
visited and studied. The Cemetery of Cathcart's Hill was visited and
here there were few in the party who did not find the names of friends
or relatives in this city of silent streets while the Princess found
very many around which associations of some kind were twined. In a small
farmhouse, close to the windmill which was almost a centre of battle on
the day of Inkerman, the Royal party took lunch.
Afterwards the Prince and some of the gentlemen rode over the ridge
around which the famous fight occurred and General de Kotzebue
explained the technical character of the struggle. The Malakoff was next
seen as well as the colossal statue of Lazareff--the father of the Black
Sea fleet and of that conception of Russian power which was shattered
for a time by the success of the Allies. On the 14th the French Cemetery
was visited and thence they went across country to the famous British
Headquarters--the home for so long of Lord Raglan, General Simpson and
Sir W. Codrington. The house was in perfect order and the Prince was
shown with care one of the rooms on the wall of which was a tablet with
the simple words: "Lord Raglan died." Balaclava was next visited and the
scene of the famous charge carefully studied by the Prince. A drive
followed through a country of varied and striking beauty to the Imperial
Palace of Livadia where the Czar's Master of Ceremonies, Count Jules
Stenbock, was waiting to receive the Royal visitors. A ceremonious
entertainment was given here in the highest style of refinement and with
the somewhat unexpected accompaniments of chamberlains in green and gold
and a mass of servants from St. Petersburg, together with every sort of
luxury. Here the Czar Nicholas had stayed in 1855 when he went to
reconnoitre the position of the Allies. A visit followed to Alupka, the
palace of Prince Woronzow and thence, after an exchange of telegrams
with the Czar, they went on board the _Ariadne_ once more.
April the 16th saw the Royal party once more in the Bosphorus with blue
lights burning along the shores and bands playing a courteous welcome.
On the following day the Prince, attended by Colonel Teesdale and
Captain Ellis, paid a last formal visit to the Sultan and this was
promptly returned by His Majesty amidst much ceremony. Meanwhile, the
Princess had taken a last fond "incognito" look at the Bazaars attended
by Mrs. Grey and Mr. Moore of the Embassy. The Ambassador came to the
yacht to luncheon and soon afterwards Sir Andrew and Lady Buchanan bade
farewell. Then, in the evening, came the second departure from
Constantinople, the _Ariadne_ passing through the lately increased
Turkish fleet, under Hobart Pasha, amidst a brilliant display of
rockets, coloured lanterns and blue lights.
A VISIT TO HISTORIC ATHENS
The Port of Athens was reached on April the 20th and here Sir A.
Buchanan once more rejoined the party, followed very soon by various
Russian, French and Italian officers and diplomatists. Next came the
King of Greece--George I., brother of the Princess of Wales--accompanied
by a suite and with sounds of distant cheering and the roar of guns
echoing around the vessel. After luncheon Athens was visited and found
to be gaily decorated and thence the Royal party passed by train to the
King's Palace in the country, a beautiful place surrounded by beautiful
scenery. In the distance were to be seen the green fields and olive
forests of the Attic plain, the Piraeus and the Bay of Salamis, the
groves of Academus, the ancient Acropolis and Ilissus, and the modern
City of Athens. On the following day the Acropolis was visited and the
glories of that scene of historic greatness revived in the memories of
the Royal travellers. A state banquet followed in the evening and on the
next day a number of memorable sights and scenes were visited while the
evening was the occasion for a coloured and very striking illumination
of the mighty ruins of the Acropolis. Athens was left behind on the 23rd
of April and the Royal party, including the King and Queen of Greece,
proceeded to Corfu, which was reached on the following day and a more
kindly greeting accorded to the visitors. The stay here was a very quiet
one enlivened, so far as the Prince of Wales was concerned, by a hunting
party on the somewhat wild coast of Albania. May 1st saw a formal
leave-taking from the King and Queen of the Hellenes and a departure
from this pleasant old-world Island.
On the following day Brindisi was reached, and Turin on the 3rd.
Accompanied by Sir Augustus Paget, the Minister at Rome, the Royal party
crossed the mountains by the Mont Cenis Railway and reached Paris two
days afterwards. Here, until May the 11th, they remained in a succession
of visits, dinners, reviews and entertainments provided by the Emperor
and Empress, and on the following day arrived at Marlborough House after
a six months' absence from England. It had been a round of arduous duty
mixed with every form of honour and compliment, and including much of
genuine pleasure and useful experience, together with the acquisition of
practical and valuable knowledge. To the Heir Apparent it was one more
step in the training and education necessary for any Prince who is
destined to reign over the destinies of an infinitely varied and
scattered people.