The Prince of Wales in India
To make a Royal tour of the vast British possessions in Hindostan was an
inspiring idea. To constitute the Crown a tangible evidence of Imperial
power and a living object and centre of Eastern loyalty and respect was
a policy worthy of Mr. Disraeli and of the statecraft in which he had
once declared imagination to be an essential ingredient. To precede this
action by the purchase of the Suez Canal shares in order to safe-guard
the pathway to the Indian Empire and to succeed it with such an
impressive appeal to Oriental individualism and personal loyalty as the
proclamation of Queen Victoria as Empress of India were strokes of
statesmanship such as no other Englishman of that time was capable of
initiating.
INCEPTION OF THE PROJECT
In Bombay, when the project was finally in full fruition, the Prince of
Wales told a distinguished audience that "it had long been the dream of
his life to visit India," and there seems no room to doubt that it was a
part of the original plan mapped out by the keen perceptions of the
Prince Consort for the education of his eldest son. It was
unquestionably suggested to the former by Lord Canning, when
Governor-General of India in the wild days of the Mutiny, but the idea
necessarily slumbered until the young Prince was old enough to undertake
the heavy duties involved.
By that time his father had passed away; the old-time rule of the East
India Company was gone; a new and greater India had expanded in
territory and population; while the loyalty of its native Princes had
become a constant marvel to other peoples. Yet there were causes of
discontent and grounds for trouble. The myriad masses of Hindostan did
not yet fully understand who was ruling over them, nor had they ever
fully comprehended how the rule of the Company passed away. The word
"Queen" had to them an Eastern significance which did not exactly compel
respect, and that personal side of Government which means so much to the
Oriental mind had never been brought home to them. The assassination of
Lord Mayo proved the possibilities of greater trouble, and there was
always the danger of Russian aggression and the existence of border
warfare. In the winter of 1874, therefore, the question of a Royal tour
was seriously considered, and some correspondence passed between the
authorities concerned. To send the Heir to the Throne on such a visit
was a unique project, and there were various difficulties to overcome.
India was accustomed to visitors of the type of Alexander the Great, of
Timour, Baber, Mahmoud of Ghuznee and Nadir Shah; but a peaceful
progress of the foreign Heir to its Throne was another matter. Brief and
hasty visits to some of its Princes had been made in recent times by
Prince Adalbert of Prussia, the King of the Belgians and the Duke of
Edinburgh, but there had never been a state tour of the country with all
its accompaniments of splendour and costliness, the danger from fanatics
and the trying changes of climatic conditions.
ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE TOUR
It was not an easy matter to arrange, and the probabilities are, that if
the Prince of Wales had not himself insisted that it was his duty to go,
the project might ultimately have been abandoned. He had by this time
come to fill so important a place in the public eye and in the external
functions of Sovereignty that his absence for six months, or more was a
serious consideration. The preliminary obstacles, however, were
overcome, and on the 16th of March, 1875, the Marquess of Salisbury,
Secretary of State for India, announced that the visit would take place,
and a little later the _Times_ stated that Sir Bartle Frere would
accompany His Royal Highness. The former was widely known in India
through administrative duties admirably performed in Bombay and the
North-West Provinces. The Duke of Sutherland, a much respected nobleman,
was selected as one of the suite, together with Lord Suffield, head of
the Prince's Household; Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Ellis, Equerry to the
Prince, and who had served in India; Major-General (Sir) D. M. Probyn,
V.C., who arranged the details regarding horses, transport and sporting;
Mr. Knollys, who has since been so well known as Sir Francis Knollys,
the Prince's Private Secretary; Lord Alfred Paget, an old man and most
attached friend to the Prince; the Rev. Canon Duckworth, who went as
Chaplain; and Dr. Fayrer, who attended in the capacity of guardian to
the Prince's health, and afterwards became a well known physician and
Sir Joseph Fayrer, Bart., F.R.S., etc.
The Earl of Aylesford, Lord Carington and Colonel Owen Williams were
invited, as personal friends of the Prince of Wales, to join the party,
while Lieutenant the Lord Charles Beresford, M.P., who had accompanied
the Duke of Edinburgh on his preceding hasty visit, also lent his
experience and unflagging gayety to the suite, and was aided by
Lieutenant Augustus Fitz-George of the Rifle Brigade. Mr. Sydney Hall
was the official artist of the tour; Mr. Albert Grey (afterwards Earl
Grey) was Private Secretary to Sir Bartle Frere; and the present Sir
William Howard Russell was a special correspondent with the nominal
duties of Honorary Private Secretary to the Prince. When Parliament met
various questions were asked as to whether the expenses of the tour were
to be charged to the British or Indian Governments; whether the Prince
would represent the Queen; whether he would supersede the
Governor-General for the time being, etc. On July 8th Mr. Disraeli made
a full statement for the first time in connection with the subject. He
alluded to the previous travels of the Prince of Wales and expressed the
opinion that they were the best form of education for a Royal personage.
But the rules and regulations and etiquette which sufficed for the
Prince in Canada and other countries would not do in India. One
important difference was the probably costly character of the ceremonial
presents which would have to be exchanged between the visitor and his
hosts amongst the native Princes. Money would have to be granted for
this, and the sum of L30,000 had been casually estimated for the
purpose. The estimate of the Admiralty for the expenses of the voyage
and corresponding movements of the fleet was L52,000. He would ask for a
vote of L60,000. The Prince would go as the Heir Apparent to the Crown
and be the formal guest of the Viceroy from the time of setting foot
upon Indian soil. The expenses of the tour were to be charged to the
Indian Budget. This statement created some criticism, while the very
small amount proposed for expenditure caused still more comment. As a
matter of fact, the Prince did not exceed, in the end, the comparatively
small amount voted.
THE JOURNEY COMMENCED
On Sunday, October 10th, a farewell sermon was preached at Westminster
Abbey by Dean Stanley, who expressed the hope that the visit might leave
behind it "on one side the remembrance of graceful acts, kind words,
English nobleness, Christian principles, and on the other awaken in all
concerned the sense of graver duties, wider sympathies, loftier
purposes." On the following day the Prince left London amid marked
popular demonstrations of respect and regard, and with every evidence of
a deep public interest shown by the press of the country. At Dover
thousands of people cheered the Prince farewell. He took the boat for
Calais, accompanied by the Princess, who, however, did not land, but
returned home next morning. At Paris he was accidentally met by
President MacMahon, who was leaving on the train for another place, and
welcomed to France; officially he was received by Lord Lyons, the
British Ambassador. On the following day His Royal Highness lunched with
Marshal MacMahon at the Elysee. This visit and the ensuing journey
through Turin, Bologna and Ancona to Brindisi was carried out in a
private and non-official capacity. Nevertheless, at every station there
were officials, guards of honour and crowds of people to see the special
go through and to do honour to the traveller. The bulk of the Royal
suite followed the Prince a little later, and on October 16th the whole
party met at Brindisi and the voyage proper commenced.
WELCOMED BY THE KING OF THE GREEKS
Later in the same day H. M. S. _Serapis_, under the command of Captain
the Hon. H. Carr-Glyn, accompanied by the Royal yacht _Osborne_, left
Brindisi, and two days later the Prince was being welcomed in Athens by
the King of the Hellenes--Otto I--and by a picturesque Court clad in the
attractive costumes of the nation. Visits to the Acropolis and to the
country house of the King were followed by a State banquet at the
Palace, which gathered together all that was eminent in modern Grecian
life, glittering with laces, orders and decorations, and including some
young men who have since become famous--Tricoupi, Delyannis,
Commoundourus and Zaimes. Illuminations of the city ensued, and in the
morning, after a Royal reception, the Prince left Athens through crowds
of people, who seemed a little more demonstrative than had been the case
at first. On October 20th the Piraeus was left behind after a farewell
visit from the King and at dawn the next day Crete was in sight. The
ship steered steadily ahead and three days later was welcomed at Port
Said by Egyptian frigates on sea and Egyptian infantry on shore.
There was no cheering from the people but much curiosity. A formal
welcome was offered for the Khedive by Princes Tewfik, Hussein and
Hassan, who were accompanied on their visit to the _Serapis_ by the
well-known statesman Nubar Pasha, and other officers of the Court. The
Prince then transferred himself to a smaller vessel--the _Osborne_--and
with a Royal Standard floating over the ship for the first time since
the Empress Eugenie had opened the Suez Canal, he traversed that famous
waterway. At Ismaila, the Prince and his suite landed and took a special
train to Cairo, where His Royal Highness was welcomed by the Khedive in
person, with the towering form of the Grand Duke Alexis of Russia
standing behind, and a brilliantly uniformed Court around him. To the
Prince of Wales the Gezireh Palace was given as his temporary residence.
The succeeding day was occupied with ceremonials of various kinds, a
banquet being given by the Khedive at the Abdeen Palace in the evening,
when the Prince passed to and fro in a lane of light made by myriad
many-coloured lamps.
On October 25th, the Prince of Wales invested Prince Tewfik--afterwards
Khedive of Egypt--with the Order of the Star of India amidst all
possible state. In a letter he told His Highness that the honour was
conferred to mark British appreciation of the Khedive's friendship to
England, and his good work in promoting the safety of British
communication with India. The next day saw the Royal departure from
Cairo after a formal visit from the Khedive, the Princes his sons, and
his Ministers, who were again at the station to see him off a little
later. Suez was reached in the evening and, amid elaborate preparations
from the Pasha of that place, crowds of people and illuminated
men-of-war in the roadstead, the Prince and his party boarded the
_Serapis_ and, accompanied by the _Osborne_, proceeded on the voyage to
Aden. Perim, which has been described as "a gigantic blistered clinker,"
was reached and passed on October 31st, and from the ship the Prince got
his first view of Her Majesty's Indian troops. It is to be hoped that
the cheering Bombay Infantry drawn up on that vitrified surface, got a
fair view of the Prince in return. On the following day the
volcanic-like Island of Aden was reached, and its fortifications gazed
upon with interest. As the flag flew from the mast-head of the _Serapis_
to announce its arrival the ships and crags rang with the roar of
cannon. The Prince landed, clad in uniform of a somewhat mixed
character, with Field Marshal's insignia, and accompanied by his suite.
Upon, or around, the platform and triumphal arch erected at the
landing-place, was every variety of picturesque oriental costume with a
background of mountain and blistered rock and white, painted houses.
Chiefs from the mainland in gorgeous array, the King's Own Borderer's
Regiment, all the ladies of the island in European or Asiatic costume,
fierce-looking Arabs, meek-looking Hindoos, sleek Parsees, people from
all the regions between the Persian Gulf, Zanzibar and Arabia, were
there to welcome him.
THE PRINCE RECEIVES AN ADDRESS
A formal address was presented to His Royal Highness by the Resident--a
Parsee--and then followed a drive through decorated streets with
numerous arches and curious mottoes to the Residency. A Levee was held
here and later in the day the ship was again boarded and steamed away
from the Indian Gibraltar as it lay bathed in lines of light along all
its town and batteries.
Bombay was reached on November 8th, after a voyage which was upon the
whole pleasant--certainly as far as surroundings and comforts could
make it. For a few hours official visitors streamed on board, and then
in the afternoon Lord Northbrook, Viceroy of India, appeared on the
scene and was received with the honours due to his station. There had
been some idea abroad that difficulties might arise as to the respective
positions of the Heir Apparent and the Viceroy in State ceremonial, but
from the day of this first formal meeting there does not seem to have
been the slightest trouble upon the point. Each knew perfectly what
pertained to the position and rank of the other. Then came the Governor
of Bombay, Sir Philip Wodehouse, and with him the Commander-in-Chief of
the Presidency, Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Staveley, and the members
of the Council. Meanwhile the harbour was filled with ships and boats of
all kinds, flags were streaming everywhere, in the distance was a vast
triumphal arch spanning the waterway between two piers, and, as the
Royal and Vice-regal party stepped into the barge and started for the
landing-place, the cannon roared, bands played, guards saluted and crews
cheered.
As the Prince of Wales landed the scene was one of the most splendid
conceivable. Long lines of seats draped in scarlet cloth stood out under
the sides of the gigantic archway and upon them stood a multitude of
native notabilities--Chiefs, Sirdars and gentlemen, Parsees, Hindoos,
Mahrattas and Mohammedans--a crowd glittering in gems and bright in all
the brilliant hues of Oriental garb. Amongst them also were the officers
of the Government and Municipality, leading citizens and dignitaries,
and all the ladies who could be found within a radius of a hundred
miles. Flowers and shrubs and banners and flags were everywhere. An
address expressive of loyalty and pride in the British Throne was
presented from the Municipality and duly answered, and then the Prince,
with Lord Northbrook at his side, walked along a carpeted avenue,
speaking to various Princes and Chiefs as they were presented--the
first being Sir Salar Jung, the Prime Minister and representative and
famous statesman of Hyderabad. At the end of the avenue, where carriages
were taken for the procession of seven miles through the teeming streets
of the city, a band of Parsee girls in white were waiting to strew
garlands and flowers in the Prince's carriage and on the roadway.
There was no music in this wonderful night procession and its
surroundings are difficult to describe. Mr. W. H. Russell, the diarist
of the Royal tour, speaks of the spectacle as being absolutely baffling
to the eye. "There was something almost supernatural in these long
vistas winding down banks of variegated light, crowded with gigantic
creatures waving their arms aloft and indulging in extravagant gesture,
which the eye--baffled by rivers of fire, blinded with the glare of
lamps and blazing magnesium wire and pots of burning matter--sought in
vain to penetrate." The piled-up masses of human beings along these
miles of streets; the Parsee women in brilliant costumes, which vied
with the colours of the surrounding fires and lights; crowds of
Mohammedans; Hindoo temples with roofs covered by Brahmins and their
votaries; a Jew bazaar, an American store, a European warehouse, or a
Japan temple in close proximity to each other and all bearing a burden
of people in varied dress; flashed a picturesque and never-ending
variety of sight and colour and character to the gaze of the quiet,
dignified man who drove through it all as the central figure of a
spectacle whose like may never be seen again. A banquet followed in the
great hall of Government House, and a state reception closed the varied
proceedings of this first busy day in historic Hindostan.
Meanwhile, camp-fires blazed for miles around the city, the fiery
furnace of the streets settled into as much of silence as an Oriental
centre under such conditions could attain and all over India, in every
mart and village and town where a gun could be found, volleys had
announced the arrival of the heir to its Imperial throne. In the
morning a Royal reception was held at Government House and, amid
splendid surroundings and every form of dignity and severe etiquette
necessary to impress the visiting Princes and Chiefs and Rajahs of the
great Presidency of Bombay, His Royal Highness stood or sat for hours in
the intense heat, clad in a stiff uniform, laden with lace and buttoned
up to the throat. With him were the Duke of Sutherland, Major-General
Lord Alfred Paget, Sir Bartle Frere, Lord Suffield, Lord Charles
Beresford and the rest of his suite. The Oriental dignitaries, each in
great state, came with attendants and ceremonies and gifts in accordance
with his rank. Each Prince was treated along graded lines of cordiality,
courtesy or civility, as was supposed to become his position. The little
Rajah of Kolapore; the Maharajah of Mysore; the Maharana of Oodeypore;
the Rao of Cutch--who left a sick bed and returned home to die; the
little Gaekwar of Baroda, who was described as looking like a
crystallized rainbow and was accompanied by the famous statesman, Sir
Madhava Rao; Sir Salar Jung of Hyderabad; and the Maharajah of Edur;
were received one after the other and then a succession of less
important rulers with tremendous names, fierce-looking guards and more
or less gorgeous costumes.
At the end of what was a Durbar in all but name the Prince was only
beginning his functions for the day. The Viceroy had to be received and
many matters discussed; a visit was paid to the _Serapis_ where the men
were celebrating the Prince's birthday, as were many millions throughout
India; telegrams were exchanged with the Princess at Sandringham; every
step was marked by pomp and splendour; a state banquet was held in the
evening and another, but less formal, reception afterwards. Meantime,
the city, the shipping and the harbour were a blaze of light and general
illumination--the great bay looking as if it were filled with rows of
fiery pyramids and the streets as if all India were trying to pass
through them. On November the 10th the Viceroy bade farewell to the
Prince, who did not see him again until near the end of his tour. He
went on a journey himself to parts of India which His Royal Highness was
unable to visit. Another formal reception of lesser Rajahs and Nawabs
took place in the morning. In the afternoon the Prince drove into
Bombay, accompanied by Sir Philip Wodehouse and held a Levee in the
Government Buildings. Then followed a visit to the harbour where, in an
open space, seven thousand children of all castes, classes, colours and
creeds, dressed in brilliant hues and laden with flowers, sang patriotic
songs. They almost smothered the Royal guest in flowers as he ascended
to his place. State visits were then made to a number of the native
Princes who had been already received and, in the evening, a grand
European ball, given by the Byculla Club, was attended. Other Chiefs
were visited next day by the Prince--those who had not residences or
were not of sufficient importance being assigned reception rooms at the
Secretariat, or Government Buildings.
THE PRINCE'S POPULARITY AT BOMBAY
After this wearisome and almost unbearably hot business was over the
Prince attended a dinner given by the people of Bombay to the sailors of
the fleet and the vigorous cheering of these two thousand seamen as His
Royal Highness entered the hall must have been a relief after the heavy
and sustained etiquette of the past few days. Following this was the
laying of the foundation stone of the Elphinstone Docks with Masonic
ritual and ceremonies. Then came a visit to the Hyderabad Prime Minister
and deputation and to others and a busy day closed with the usual state
dinner and reception. On the evening of November 12th the famous Caves
of Elephanta were visited and a banquet received by the Prince of Wales
amongst these wonderful and massive efforts of distant ages to embody
what seemed to them the divine attributes. Returning to the city the
Royal barge passed between two rows of ships, discharging volleys, while
the hulls and riggings were brightly illuminated, coloured fires were
everywhere and earth and sky seemed merged in a tremendous display of
fireworks and rockets. A visit to Poonah followed and this included an
inspection of the Temple of Parbuttee, from one of the windows of which
the last of the Peishwas had seen his forces routed on the plains of
Kirkee below; a review of native troops; a reception in the city
characterized by the usual fireworks, triumphal arches, crowded streets
and revel of colour.
On the 16th, His Royal Highness was back at Bombay considering plans
which had been disarranged by the prevalence of cholera in Southern
India. Finally, it was decided to visit Baroda, the capital of a State
where the Gaekwar had recently been deposed for his crimes. It was felt
that danger might exist, as even the most evil of Eastern rulers has
fanatical followers, but the former Resident, Sir R. Meade, expressed
the belief that it could be done safely and would be of great service
and the authorities and Prince, after much discussion, approved the
change of programme. This last day in Bombay saw the presentation of
colours to a battalion of Native Infantry amidst an immense concourse of
people, and a ball given by the citizens at which natives, Chiefs and
gentlemen could see Europeans dancing and amusing themselves. The
presents received during this part of the tour numbered over four
hundred and included specimens of every variety of Indian
workmanship--tissues, brocade, cloths, arms, jewellery, gold, silver and
metal. The Rajah of Kolapore, in addition to the gift of an ancient
jewelled sword and dagger, had assigned L20,000, or $100,000, to the
founding of a Hospital to be called after the Royal visitor.
The journey to Baroda was commenced on November 18th and finished early
on the following morning. At the station the Prince of Wales was
received by the Gaekwar, Sir Madhava Rao, the British agent and other
officers, and outside were triumphal arches and a rolling sea of dark,
silent faces, topped by turbans of every colour in the rainbow. Outside
also was an enormous elephant, with a golden howdah on his back, and
into this the Prince and the Gaekwar presently entered. Everything was
cloth of gold and velvet. The procession started after a time with a
long line of gorgeously-caparisoned elephants following, a way was
cleared for them by an advance guard of the 3rd Hussars, while in the
rear were some of the Gaekwar's artillery and cavalry and a great crowd
of Sirdars and lesser chiefs. The three miles to the Residency was lined
by cavalry, and the spectacle must have been a superb one to see for the
first time. The whole of the route was bordered by a light trellis work
of bamboos, hung with lamps and festooned with flowers, while at certain
points were special arches and clusters of flags. On his arrival the
Prince held a sort of Durbar, paid a return visit to the Gaekwar and
went to the Agga, or arena for wild-beast combats, where he saw Eastern
wrestlers, an elephant fight, a buffalo fight, a struggle of fighting
rams, and a show of wild or curious animals. The night was brilliant
with illuminations, and the Prince accepted an invitation to dine with
the 9th Native Infantry--an honour of which they were very proud.
The next day was devoted to sport, and in the evening dinner was taken
with another Native regiment. On the evening of the 21st the Prince
visited the Gaekwar at the ancient Palace of the Mohtee Bagh, and on the
way crossed a bridge spanned by triumphal arches, with men holding
blazing torches placed along the parapets. Lamps and lights were
everywhere. A great banquet was held, in the course of which Sir Madhava
Rao expressed the thanks of the Gaekwar, and said that "it was now
their felicity to see that Prince who was heir to a sceptre whose
beneficent power and influence were felt in every quarter of the globe;
which dispelled darkness, diffused light, paralyzed the tyrant's hand,
shivered the manacles of the slave, extended the bounds of freedom,
accelerated the happiness and elevated the dignity of the human race. He
had come to inspect an Empire founded by the heroism and sustained by
the statesmanship of England; to witness the spectacle of indigenous
principalities relying more securely on British justice than could
mighty nations on their embattled hosts."
THE PRINCE TAKES PART IN A HUNTING EXPEDITION
After dinner, various Eastern performances in dancing and juggling were
given, and then they departed for the shooting grounds farther south,
where "pig-sticking" and other sports were enjoyed. His Royal Highness
succeeded in killing one wild boar. On November the 24th the Royal
visitor arrived again at Bombay and went on board the _Serapis_. On the
following day he landed to take leave of the Governor, and suddenly, to
the dismay of the local authorities who had lined his announced route
with troops, intimated his intention to attend the wedding festivities
of the son of Sir Munguldass Nuthoobhoy, a great native merchant. The
visit proved well worth the trouble, and the undisguised delight of the
host and those present was a privilege to see. A farewell incident was
the knighting of the energetic Chief of Police, Sir F. H. Soutar. At 6
P.M. the _Serapis_ was on its way to Goa.
The visit to this ancient Portuguese dependency was not prolonged and
the incidents of importance were few. But much that was curious was seen
and many historical memories revived. On November 28th the little
foreign strip of territory was left behind and Beypore was sighted on
the following day. It was found, however, that cholera existed along all
the routes which the Prince proposed to take in this part of the
country and the medical men would not take the responsibility of
advising a continuance of the tour in this direction. The Prince bore
his disappointment philosophically, though he had expected much pleasure
from the splendid shooting places of the Mysore country. What can be
said, however, of the disappointed people and authorities? The Mysore
Government had spent thousands of pounds in preparation; Ootacamund,
Bangalore, Travancore and other places had laid out much money and the
population for hundreds of miles was stirred with expectancy. A visit
was paid to the shore and a brief glance taken at the old-time land of
Tippoo Sahib, and then the voyage was resumed to Ceylon.
On December 1st the lights of Colombo were sighted, and soon the
familiar spectacle of British men-of-war dressed to welcome royalty was
seen. The sight at the landing-place was a pretty one, and the long
avenue of gaily-decorated and flower-garlanded boats through which the
Royal barge first passed was equally so. The Prince was received in a
beautiful pavilion under a striking archway and everywhere in sight were
arches and flags and palm-leaves, and massed displays of fruits and
flowers, and tier on tier of spectators. All the dignitaries of Ceylon
were there and the usual addresses and replies were given. Thence the
Prince passed to the Government Buildings and took a drive round the
town, meeting everywhere an enthusiastic and sincerely generous
reception and a wealth of decoration in fruits and flowers and ferns.
His Royal Highness gave a state banquet on the _Serapis_ in the evening,
while Colombo was illuminated and the ships were a blaze of light. Never
were the Cinghelese more happy than on that day and night, and
spectators found it hard to describe the revel of light, fantastic,
Eastern pleasure. On the following day the railway train was taken for
Kandy amid genuine British cheers from throngs of men clad in
petticoats and wearing combs in front of their _chignons_.
At this splendidly situated town--the ancient stronghold of Chiefs and
the seat of more than one rebellion against earlier British rule--the
Prince was received by a great number of queerly-clad but distinguished
personages and Buddhist priests. The Governor, Mr. W. H. Gregory, who
accompanied the Royal traveller, was unusually popular and this,
perhaps, helped in the success of the reception. Addresses were received
and in the evening the Governor held a state dinner attended by all the
notabilities of Ceylon and accompanied outside by the beating of native
drums, the blowing of myriad horns, the clang of mighty gongs and sounds
of distant cheering. Afterwards the Prince witnessed a grotesque and
extraordinary procession of elephants, dancers and priests of the
Temple. On the following day he visited the Royal Botanical Gardens and
in the evening held an investiture of the Order of St. Michael and St.
George at which the Governor was knighted and some lesser honours given.
The Chiefs and their stately and dignified wives were then formally
presented. From the audience hall he afterwards passed to the Temple and
was shown the famous "Sacred Tooth of Gotama Buddha"--an object of
veneration to many millions of the human race and of visible fear to the
priests who stood around the Prince or took it from its precious and
numerous cases. On December the 4th the Prince went on a visit to the
interior of this wonderfully beautiful country and enjoyed the
excitement of an elephant hunt and of killing some of those colossal
creatures of the jungle. Colombo was reached again, three days later,
and another state banquet attended in the evening. On the following day
the new Breakwater was inaugurated by the Prince and in the evening a
farewell banquet received and the city left amid scenes of brilliant
illumination and fantastic Eastern beauty.
The Prince of Wales and his suite landed in Tuticorin on the coast of
India, again, on December 9th, and proceeded inland by train without any
particular or formal reception. The Tamils were found to be a handsome,
mild-natured, respectful people and the land cultivated and apparently
prosperous. At Mainachy, a deputation of six thousand native Christians
and one thousand boys and girls, headed by the Rev. Dr. Caldwell and the
Rev. Dr. Sargent, presented an address and a handsomely-bound Bible and
Prayer-book in the Tamil language, to His Royal Highness. A native
"lyric" was then sung by the children including words of which the
following is a translation: "Crossing seas and crossing mountains, thou
hast visited this southern-most region and granted to those who live
under the shadow of thy Royal umbrella a sight of thy benign
countenance." Madura was reached a few hours later and found to be
profusely decorated, one of the arches being made of native work in
perforated paper, covered with talc plates and silver plaques in front
of a screen of red. The name of the town signified "sweetness" and it
turned out to be a place of great charm, imposing buildings and unusual
cleanliness. The Rajah of Pudducottah was duly received and during his
visit he showed the Prince a book consisting of original letters,
dispatches etc., which had passed between Clive and his own ancestor
during the times of French and English struggle for supremacy in
Southern India. The Prince visited some of the ancient buildings of the
place, including the Temple of Minakshee, where Nautch girls scattered
flowers before him and garlands were placed over his shoulders, and the
Tank of the Golden Lotus and received a number of interesting presents
from the Rajah and from the Ranee of Shivagunga. He left on December
11th for Trichinoply, where he arrived in a few hours.
Here, His Royal Highness, after his progress through flowers, arches,
crowds, officials and decorations of unusual richness and taste, visited
the famous Temple of Seringham which has been described as "a vast
bewildering mass of gate, towers, enclosures, courts, terraces and
halls." In one of the last-named there were one thousand columns of
granite each consisting of one block and carved with elaborate images of
deities. The next place seen was the ancient Palace of the Nawabs of the
Carnatic and here presentation of the notabilities of the city took
place and an address was received by the future European Emperor of
India in the very home of the olden Eastern power. The scene from this
place in the evening was very striking--immense multitudes below, a
great tank full of boats and blazing with coloured fires and lights,
Clive's historic home on the opposite side and, above and over all, the
vast pyramidical pile, the Rock of Trichinoply, with its Temple of
Ganesa crowning the famous precipice and towering above the city.
PRINCE WELCOMED IN MADRAS
On December the 12th, the Royal visitor was again travelling and on the
following day reached Madras, where he was formally welcomed by
Lieutenant-Governor the Duke of Buckingham, the Rajah of Cochin, the
Maharajah of Travancore, the Prince of Arcot, the Rajah of Vizianagram
and others. The procession then passed from the station to Government
House through the narrow streets of the native town and the wide
thoroughfares of the European quarters. A golden umbrella was held over
the Prince's head and thus the massed populace--more fortunate than that
of Bombay--was able to be certain of his identity. At the Wallahjah
Bridge some thousands of students and boys and girls were ranged on both
sides, each school with its distinctive banners and badges. The
audiences given afterwards at Government House to Native Chiefs, and the
return visits, were conducted in the same manner and style as those at
Bombay. In the afternoon a crowded Levee was held and in the evening a
state banquet given to which the Governor invited all the chief
personages in the City and Presidency. A brief reception followed and
then His Royal Highness drove out to the Duke's country residence where
he spent the following day in seclusion as being the anniversary of his
father's death.
The events of the succeeding day included fashionable and interesting
races at Guindy Park which all the Madras world attended under the
patronage of the Prince; and in the afternoon a Royal reception of the
Chancellor and officers and Fellows of the University; of the Grand
Officers of the local Freemasonry; of Commissions or deputations from
Mysore and Coorg and Coimbatore. Each of the latter bore gifts and all
presented addresses. Formal calls were made upon the principal Chiefs
and a memorial foundation stone of the new Harbour works laid. The
latter was an impressive scene and on his way home the Prince, despite
pouring rain, visited the historic Fort of St. George with its many
reminders of past struggle and conquest. Another state banquet and
reception followed.
On the following day the Prince enjoyed a spectacle of Indian jugglery
and saw feats performed which in a western land would be deemed
miraculous. December the 17th saw His Royal Highness lunching at the
Madras Club where he tested Indian curries in their highest state of
development and in the afternoon he was welcomed at the Park by
thousands of children. A little later he reviewed a body of troops
accompanied by the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Paul Haines. With the latter
he dined in the evening and at ten o'clock drove to the Pier to see the
great event of the visit. This was an illumination of the sea. Mr. W. H.
Russell in his _Diary_ says: "Man will never see any spectacle more
strange--nay awful. Neither pen nor pencil can give any idea of it. It
was exciting, grand, wierd and beautiful." Fireworks from the ships
looked like volcanoes bursting from the deep, while multiplied
fireboats had an effect upon the stony ink-blackness of the surf, like
rolling flames pouring in upon the shores. At midnight the Prince passed
from this scene to a special Native entertainment in his honour. The
great railway station had been converted into a decorated theatre
crowded with many thousand natives. Upon the elevated platform the
Prince received an address and an exquisite gold casket and then watched
a programme of eastern dancing. At six in the morning the Prince was up
and away to attend a meet of the Madras pack and enjoy a few hours'
sport--and in the afternoon the _Serapis_ was again his home and Madras
was left behind.
After a pleasant voyage up the Bay of Bengal the Prince of Wales arrived
at Fort William, passed through a great fleet of vessels and prepared to
enter Calcutta, the capital of the great Eastern Empire. Meantime, many
eminent Indian officials and unofficial personages called to pay their
respects and finally, the Earl of Northbrook, Viceroy and
Governor-General. Amidst the thunder of artillery from fleet and forts
His Royal Highness then landed and was welcomed by a great multitude of
people, luxuriously seated in tiers of seats ranged beside two pavilions
draped in scarlet, the canopies of which were upheld by gold pillars
wreathed with flowers. Beyond was a massive arch of triumph and the
platform and landing stage was carpeted with red cloth. In the
surrounding crowd was the whole central machinery of government amongst
three hundred millions of people and Rajahs, Chiefs and authorities
innumerable. The procession through the "City of Palaces" was marked by
the same splendour, the same crowds, the same curious contrasts as had
impressed the observer at Bombay. But the absence of the night effect
and its wierd illumination and the presence of certain indefinable
elements made it more dignified; while the greater number of English
people gave a certain leaven of western enthusiasm which had been
wanting elsewhere. In the evening a magnificent banquet was given by
the Viceroy and the city was a blaze of light and the scene of general
festivity.
The day before Christmas saw a state reception more remarkable than any
yet held. The first native prince to be received was the Maharajah of
Puttiala--a melancholy-faced man who died soon afterwards. Then followed
the Maharajah Holkar of Indore who was said to have L5,000,000 in gold
stored away; the Maharajah of Jodhpore, who wore an indescribable
glittering mass of gems; the Maharajahs of Jeypore, Cashmere, Gwalior;
the Sultana Jehan, Begum of Bhopal, of whom little more than a shawl and
a silk hood could be seen; and the Maharajah of Rewah, a dignified
personage who was said by some writers to be suffering from leprosy. A
Levee was then held and the Prince, for two hours, with the Duke of
Sutherland on one side of him and Lieutenant-Governor Sir Richard Temple
on the other, stood in full uniform bowing to a steady stream of people.
Another state banquet in the evening, and then attendance at an
entertainment some miles out of town gotten up by Native gentlemen,
brought this Christmas Eve to a close. On the following day the Prince
attended service at the Cathedral accompanied by Lord Northbrook and
listened to a powerful sermon from Bishop Milman--who died of a fever
caught on his Episcopal tour a few weeks later. He then drove to the
harbour and went on board the _Serapis_, which was decked out in
imitation of winter, and here had a sort of Christmas dinner. The rest
of the day was spent at Barrackpoor, the Viceroy's country residence,
but better known as the place where the terrible first signs of the
Mutiny were detected. After church on the 26th (Sunday) the Prince made
an excursion to the little French territory of Chandernagore--one of the
remnants of historic empire.
On the following day His Royal Highness held another reception for
Chiefs attended by envoys from the King of Burmah, the Maharajah of
Punnah in person, an embassy from Nepaul, the noble-looking Rajah of
Jheend, the Maharajahs of Benares, Nahun, and Johore. This was the last
of the Chiefs, for the moment, and the Prince and his wearied suite
could rest from a succession of sights and ceremonies in which
dark-featured magnates with diamonds, emeralds, rubies and pearls and an
infinite variety of Sirdar escorts, must have come to be a mere
picturesque and confused medley. Many splendid presents were received
and on the two following days return visits were paid in state. On
December 21st the Prince witnessed a tent-pegging exhibition by the 10th
Bengal Cavalry, made a round of the hospitals and asylums, and wound up
with a garden party at Belvidere and a dinner and grand ball at
Government House.
On New Year's Day the Prince of Wales held a Chapter of the Order of the
Star of India in place of the Durbar which could only be held by the
direct representative of the Sovereign. Opposite the entrance to
Government House a canopied dais was erected, carpeted with cloth of
gold, covered with light-blue satin and supported upon silver pillars.
Two chairs with silver arms were placed upon the dais and around it were
the marines and sailors of the _Serapis_ while on the left were infantry
of the line. At nine o'clock came the processions, each presaged by a
flourish of trumpets. First came the Companions of the Order, Native and
European, presenting a stream of picturesque uniforms and costumes. Then
the Knights Grand Cross entered the Pavilion followed in the case of
each Indian dignitary by a small procession of Sirdars in rich and
varied dress--the Begum of Bhopal, Sir Salar Jung, the Maharajah of
Puttiala, Lord Napier of Magdala, the Maharajah of Travancore, Sir
Bartle Frere, the Maharajahs of Rewah, Jeypoor, Indore, Cashmere, and
Gwalior. Then came the Prince of Wales wearing a white helmet and plume,
and a Field Marshal's uniform almost concealed by his sky-blue mantle.
Following him was the Viceroy and the two took the chairs placed on the
dais. His Excellency, as Grand Master of the Order, then went through
the ceremonial of opening the Chapter and then, from out the tented
field of, literally, cloth of gold which surrounded the Royal pavilion,
came one by one the Knights to be. Each in turn left his tent with
stately accompaniments, approached, bowed and knelt at the footstool of
His Royal Highness who spoke certain prescribed words and placed the
Collar of the Order around his neck. As he rose the number of guns to
which he was entitled thundered forth their salute. The Maharajahs of
Jodhpoor and Jheend were thus invested with the Grand Cross and a number
of others were made Knights Commander or Companions of the Order. The
proceedings closed with a procession to Government House which lacked no
element of Oriental splendour and displayed untold wealth in jewels and
unique characteristics in costume.
In the afternoon the Prince unveiled an equestrian statue of the late
Lord Mayo and afterwards attended a polo match. In the evening he drove
to see the illumination of the fleet and then attended in state a
theatrical performance with Charles Matthews as the central figure. On
January 2nd, church was attended at Fort William and the arsenal
inspected; the Botanical Gardens and Bishop's College visited; and an
amateur concert of sacred music listened to at Government House in the
evening. The next day's programme included the spectacle of tent-pegging
and polo-playing between rival regiments; the reception of an LL. D.
degree from the University of Calcutta; a visit to a Hindoo Zenana under
arrangements made by Miss Baring, Lady Temple and others; and a farewell
reception at Government House.
The Royal special train arrived at Bankipoor station, near Patna, on the
morning of January 4th and the Prince was duly welcomed by Sir Richard
Temple, Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, his officers and a great
concourse of people. He was driven through an avenue of four hundred
elephants, all gaily caparisoned, to the Durbar tent, where, under a
canopy and in front of a sort of throne, His Royal Highness held a Levee
and marked in every way possible his approval of the splendid work
lately done by Sir R. Temple and his officials in stamping out famine.
Luncheon followed, and then the train was taken for Benares. Here he
arrived at dark and found the magnificent ghauts or terraces alive with
lights. The procession drove over the bridge of boats across the Ganges
and through crowded streets out to the camp of the Lieutenant-Governor,
Sir John Strachey, where a special and beautiful structure had been
prepared for the Prince. On the following day an address was presented
by the Municipality of Benares and answered, a Levee held, the
foundation-stone of a Hospital laid, the Rajah of Vizianagram visited,
the famous Temples inspected. At sunset the Prince embarked in a galley
and went four miles up the Ganges to the old Fort of Ramnagar, where he
was received at a carpeted and decorated landing-place by the Maharajah
of Benares and witnessed a beautiful spectacle of illuminated river and
battlements. Preceded by spearsmen and banners, carried in gold and
silver chairs, passing between lines of cavalry, accompanied by
elephants and the constant strains of wild music, the host and his Royal
guest then went to the Castle. From the roof was seen another charming
sight--the Ganges and its banks and terraces so lit up as to look like a
myriad of tiny stars passing between banks of flaming gold. More
presents were received and the drive back to the camp commenced.
THE PRINCE VISITS LUCKNOW
Next day, the journey was resumed to Lucknow, on the Oudh and Rohilcund
Railway. At that much-modernized city the Prince of Wales arrived on
January 6th and stayed at what was once Outram's head-quarters. Here,
next morning, he held two Levees--a Native and a European one--and then
drove to see the historic spots of the famous city. In the afternoon he
laid the foundation-stone of a Memorial to the Natives who fell in
defence of the Residency and the Empire during the Mutiny. Lord
Northbrook had succeeded in getting together many of the survivors from
all over India and they stood around His Royal Highness in their old
war-worn uniforms. A touching scene followed the Prince's impromptu
intimation that these veterans might be presented to him, and to each he
said a word of kindness. In the afternoon a Native entertainment was
given in his honour at the ancient Palace of the Kings of Oudh and a
crown set in jewels was presented with the formal address. A reception,
banquet, and fireworks, followed, and on the next day the Prince enjoyed
a little hard riding and "pig-sticking" sport, during which Lord
Carington had his collar-bone broken.
Sunday was spent quietly in visiting various interesting places, after
church, and on the succeeding day the Prince presented colours to a
Native regiment and watched a march-past of troops. In the afternoon
Cawnpore was visited, and then the train taken for Delhi, which was
reached on the morning of January 11th. The entry into the Imperial City
was surrounded with all possible pomp and circumstance. Lines of
soldiery kept the streets from the station to the Royal camp, where rows
of tents, avenues of shrubs and flowers, marquees and beautiful
enclosures, formed a temporary home for the visitor and his suite. The
first function was the reception of an address from the Municipality of
a city which for one thousand years had been the seat of dynasties and
native rule. A Levee followed and then dinner with Lord Napier of
Magdala in his own mess-tent. On the following day a grand review was
held and for an hour and a half a stream of horse, foot and guns flowed
past. Then came a great banquet given by the Prince to the generals and
officers and a ball at Selinghur in those "marble halls of dazzling
light" which have been so often described. During the next few days a
great sham fight was held; a visit paid to the Kootab, where the Prince
mounted the summit of the famous pillar and viewed the wide-spread scene
of ruin; the beautiful Mausoleum of Houmayoun was seen; and the
illumination of the ancient city witnessed.
A REMARKABLE SPECTACLE AT LAHORE
On January 17th the beautiful city of tents disappeared and the Prince
of Wales was on his way to Lahore. There, he was received with the usual
state and drove four miles to Government House under the shade of a
golden umbrella and in the gaze of a vast multitude of people. A
remarkable spectacle was presented on the way by the encampment of the
Rajahs of the Punjaub. In front of them stood a long line of elephants,
caparisoned in gold and silver and gems, with armed retainers and a
salute for the Royal visitor, which included all that the roll of drums,
blare of trumpets and clang and roar of many strange instruments could
produce. Amidst the elephants flashed lance and sword and cuirass and
other things reminiscent of the days of western chivalry. At Government
House an address was presented by the members of the City Council,
wearing turbans of gold tissue, brocaded robes and coils of gems around
their necks. A European Levee followed and then came the Native Chiefs.
Afterwards the Prince visited the citadel and watched the sun set over
the plains from a window once used by the Lion of Lahore in his days of
power.
The next day saw a return visit to the Chiefs in their picturesque,
costly and oriental encampments; the opening of a Soldiers' Industrial
Exhibition at Mean Meer; and a beautiful illumination of the exquisite
Shalimar Gardens in the evening. On January 20th the Prince left for
Jummoo to visit the Maharajah of Cashmere. Later in the day he was
welcomed by this ruler, some seven miles from his capital and, mounted
on an elephant preceeded and followed by a stately _cortege_, the Royal
visitor passed through two miles of winding streets, brilliantly lighted
and lined by Native troops, while piled-up masses of people showed many
types of the Cashmeres, Lamas, Sikhs, Afghans, etc. On the summit of a
great ridge was a specially constructed building created at enormous
cost for the visitor's accommodation. The usual reception followed
together with a great banquet. Sport was the occupation of the next day
and in the evening a procession took place through the illuminated city
to dine at the Palace with the Maharajah. A feature of the latter's
entertainment was an extraordinary sacred dancing drama by Lamas from
Thibet. The departure on the following morning occurred amid all the
state that Cashmere could present--and that was not little. At
Wazirabad, on the way back to Lahore, a brief visit was paid, a great
bridge inaugurated and a banquet accepted. Government House was reached
in the evening and, with Lieutenant-Governor Sir H. Davies, His Royal
Highness then attended a Native entertainment at the College and
witnessed fireworks lighting up all the forts and battlements and a sea
of heads in the distant darkness.
After a quiet Sunday at Lahore, the departure was made for Agra. On the
way Umritzur was visited and the route to the Fort was lined and arched
with artificial cypress-trees, gilded branches and garlands. An address
was presented from the Municipality in which Sikh, Mohammedan and Hindoo
united in expressions of fervent loyalty. Here the Golden Temple was
visited. At Rajpoorah a stop was made to accept a banquet from the
Maharajah of Puttiala in a beautiful palace of canvas. Early on January
25th Agra was reached and the usual Oriental reception and procession
followed. At the camp on the following day a Levee was held and a large
number of Native Chiefs presented. In the afternoon the troops of the
latter passed in review before the Prince--a mixture of thousands of men
and elephants, camels, horses and bullocks, and knights in armour.
The principal event of the ensuing day was a visit to the famous and
exquisite Taj Mahul--"too pure, too holy, to be the work of human
hands." During the next few days some time was spent in shooting with
the Maharajah of Bhurtpore; a grand ball was given at the Fort; a long
interview granted Sir Dinkur Rao, the Native statesman; local convents
and schools visited; the tomb of Akbar the Great--described as the
grandest in the world--seen at Sekundra; a visit paid to the loyal
Maharajah of Gwalior at Dholepoor. The next point visited was the famous
old fortress of Bhurtpore and then the beautiful city of Jeypoor. Here
the Prince went tiger shooting with the Rajpoot Chiefs and shot his
tiger and, in the evening of February 5th, saw illuminations in which
every Indian device appeared to have been exhausted. From the
hospitalities of the Maharajah the Prince, however, soon turned away
with his face towards the Himalayas and his heart in the prospective
period of sport and liberty. The land of Kumaoun was the scene and with
him was a camp which included twenty-five hundred persons without
counting a perambulating army of provision carriers. Bears, elephants,
tigers, wild boars and varied birds and game were amongst the trophies
of his gun during a period of splendid sport which lasted until March
6th.
On that day the Prince resumed his tour and his Royal state and
proceeded to Allahabad where he was met by Lord Northbrood and held a
reception and an investiture of the Star of India at which Major-General
Sir Samuel Browne, V.C., Major-General Sir D. M. Probyn and
Surgeon-General Sir J. Fayrer received the ensignias of knighthood. The
route was then continued to Indore and, on the way, the Prince stopped
long enough at Jubalpoor to see seven Thugs who had been in jail for
thirty-five years for having committed an immense number of murders--one
of them boasted sixty-five. At Indore, His Royal Highness was received
by the Maharajah Holkar with due state and went through the usual
programme of reception, visits and banquets--important in this case as
being the last. Bombay was reached on March 11th and two days later all
farewells were made and the future Emperor of India had left the shores
of that mysterious, tragic and historical land, after having travelled
in seventeen weeks seven thousand six hundred miles by land and two
thousand three hundred miles by sea; met more Chiefs and notabilities
than all the Indian Viceroys of the past put together; and seen more of
the country and its surface life and varied customs than any living man.
HE MEETS LORD LYTTON AT SUEZ
Before leaving the Prince addressed a letter to the Viceroy expressing
appreciation of the reception given to him and of the loyalty shown by
the people. On the way home news came that Lord Lytton, the first
representative of the Queen as Empress of India, was on the way out. As
a personal friend of the Prince of Wales it was fitting that they should
meet at Suez, where the new Viceroy came on board. At Cairo, the Prince
was welcomed by the Khedive and his suite and a new round of gaiety
commenced, including visits to the Pyramids and a little quiet shooting.
At Alexandria, on April 2nd the Prince entertained the Grand Duke Alexis
of Russia at dinner on the _Serapis_. The next point touched was Malta,
where the thunder of the saluting fleet and fortress made the heavens
ring. Here, seven addresses were presented and much enthusiasm shown by
the populace. A great banquet was given by Sir W. and Lady Straubenzee
and on April 7th new colours were presented by His Royal Highness to
the 98th Regiment. Other functions followed. On April 15th the Prince
was joined by his brother, the Duke of Connaught. The Island was _en
fete_, and one of the events of the visit was the reception of a
deputation from the Sultan of Morrocco. The festive proceedings of the
time were wound up with a great ball.
WELCOMED IN SPAIN
The Prince of Wales landed _incognito_ at Cadiz on April 20th and then
proceeded, with the Duke of Connaught quietly to visit Seville and
Cordova. At Madrid, which was reached on April 25th, the Royal party
were formally welcomed by King Alfonso XII. and attended a state
reception at the Palace. A military review was held by the King, and
then a train was taken for the Palace of the Escurial, where King
Alfonso acted as guide for his Royal guests amidst the bewildering
artistic and other treasures of that immense and historic pile. Various
functions of stately dignity followed the return of the Prince to
Madrid, and the departure of the Duke for London, and the incidents of
the period included attendance at a sitting of the Spanish Cortes, and
the spectacle of a bull-fight. On April 30th His Royal Highness departed
for Lisbon, where, on the following day, he was formally welcomed by
King Louis of Portugal, his Court, the Foreign Ministers and the British
Admirals of the fleet in the Tagus. There were no flags, or arches, or
decorations, or tokens of welcome in the streets of Lisbon, but there
was a vast mass of silent and respectful people. Many functions followed
during the next few days and on May 7th the _Serapis_ started once more
for England. Four days later the ship was met by a yacht bearing the
Princess of Wales and the Royal children and, in a few hours, the Heir
Apparent was again at home from his famous journey and receiving a
welcome at Portsmouth which was a fitting prelude to similar greetings
in London and elsewhere.
Such a tremendous experience as this tour had proved could not but have
a pronounced and important effect. The burden of a continuous succession
of events in which he was the central figure; the strain of a steady
succession of brilliant spectacles presenting a kaleidoscopic variety of
sight and sound and splendour and incident; the weight of a constant
burden of ceremonial and state observances in a land where the slightest
carelessness, or indifference, or cordiality--at the wrong moment--meant
mortal offense to some important dignitary, caste, or interest; the
physical trial of innumerable functions to a man clad in European
costumes in a tropical climate; the infinite variety of his duties, the
peculiar character of the hours maintained, the lack of sleep and the
continuous round of banquets; must have tried the mind and heart and
body about equally. In the end the experience must have broadened the
conceptions and ideas of the Prince; educated him in a better perception
of his immense responsibilities; trained him in an iron school of
etiquette and helped to teach him that inflexible routine of duty which
must ever face a British Sovereign.
To the people of India the tour brought home a clearer perception of the
personal power presiding over their destinies and a vivid picture of the
greatness of the authority before which all their greatest dignitaries
with the traditions of many thousand years, bowed in loyal obeisance. To
the imaginative Indian mind nothing more effective could have been
presented than the scenes of that brilliant and triumphal passage
through the stamping ground of ancient conquerors. To the people of
Great Britain it brought home a more realizable sense of the vastness of
their dominions and the equivalent greatness of their national duty and
responsibility. It helped to lay the foundation of that Imperial future
of which Disraeli then dreamed and for which others have since laboured
with a measure of success shown in the events preceding and following
the accession of Edward VII., King and Emperor.