CHAPTER XIX.

The Empire Tour of the New Heir to the Throne

If Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, had been enabled at different times

in his career to visit various portions of his future realms and to

create influences and receive impulses which have told for good in the

upbuilding of the British Empire, his son and heir was destined to make

a tour in 1901 which was still more impressive in character and

influential in import. The single visits of the Prince of Wales to India

and Canada were made in days when they partook of an almost pioneer

character, and they were chiefly important in moulding crude opinions

into a more matured and organized form. The tour of the Duke and Duchess

of Cornwall and York was, on the other hand, a result of clearly

developed conditions of Colonial power; an embodiment of existing

aspirations toward Empire unity; an expression of the loyalty existing

between Mother Country and the Colonies and toward the Crown and British

institutions.

ORIGIN OF THE TOUR

It was on September 17th, 1900, that the Colonial Office first announced

the assent of Her Majesty the Queen to the request presented by the

combined Australian Colonies that H. R. H. the Duke of York should open

their newly-established Parliament in the spring of 1901. It was stated

in this announcement that "Her Majesty at the same time wishes to

signify her sense of the loyalty and devotion which have prompted the

spontaneous aid so liberally offered by all the Colonies in the South

African war and of the splendid gallantry of her Colonial troops." After

the death of the Queen it was feared that the time might not be

considered opportune for so distant a journey by the Heir to the Throne,

but on February 14th, 1901, the King announced in his speech to

Parliament that the proposed Australian trip would not be abandoned, and

that it would be extended to the Dominion of Canada. "I still desire to

give effect to her late Majesty's wishes * * * as an evidence of her

interest, as well as my own, in all that concerns the welfare of my

subjects beyond the seas."

FROM PORTSMOUTH TO MELBOURNE

As finally constituted the Royal suite consisted of H. S. H. Prince

Alexander of Teck, brother of the Duchess; Lord Wenlock, a former

Governor of Madras; Lieutenant Colonel Sir Arthur Bigge, so well known

as the Private Secretary for many years of the late Queen Victoria; Sir

John Anderson, a prominent official of the Colonial Office; Sir Donald

Mackenzie Wallace, the eminent journalist and author; Captain, the

Viscount Crichton, and Lieutenant, the Duke of Roxburghe, who acted as

Military Aides; the Hon. Derek Keppel and Commander Sir Charles Cust,

R.N., who acted as Equerries; the Rev. Canon Dalton as Chaplain;

Commander Godfrey-Tansell, R.N., A.D.C., and Major J. H. Bor, A.D.C.;

Lady Mary Lygon, Lady Catharine Coke and Mrs. Derek Keppel as

Ladies-in-Waiting to the Duchess. Chevalier de Martino, a marine artist;

Mr. Sidney Hall and Dr. A. R. Manby were also attached to the staff. On

March 7th the Duke of York--who had now become also Duke of

Cornwall--left Portsmouth accompanied by his wife and his large suite to

make a nine-months' tour of the Empire; to cover a distance of 50,000

miles by sea and shore under the British flag; and to meet with varied

experiences and an enthusiasm of popular welcome which stamped the whole

journey as the most remarkable Royal progress on record.

Three days after leaving Portsmouth the _Ophir_, which was commanded by

Commander A. L. Winslow, most luxuriously fitted up and accompanied by

H. M. S. _Juno_ and the _St. George_, sighted the coast of Portugal,

sailed into sunny waters off the shores at Lisbon and reached Gibraltar

on March 13th, where the Royal visitors were welcomed by General Sir

George White, of Ladysmith fame, and who had been Governor for about a

year. From the Rock the _Ophir_ was escorted by two other ships of the

Royal Navy to Malta, where Admiral Sir John Fisher and the Mediterranean

fleet helped to render the welcome interesting and imposing, and from

thence to Port Said and through the Suez Canal to Aden. Here a

picturesque reception was given to the Duke and Duchess in a pavilion

festooned with lights and filled with Indian and Arab ladies in robes of

silks, officers in white uniforms, the Sultans of two tributary States

and their dusky retinues. Surrounded by a guard of honour from the West

Kent Regiment, with towering mountains of brown lava in the distance,

and with groups of Somalis, Arabs, Hindoos and Seedees gazing at "the

great lord of the seas," the Prince received an address of welcome. From

here, through sweltering days and heated nights, the Royal yacht

traversed the Indian Ocean until Ceylon--"the pearl set in sapphires and

crowned with emeralds"--was reached on April 12th.

At Colombo, amidst a revel of Oriental colour and a luxurious waste of

Eastern vegetation; with guards composed of planters in kharki, Bombay

Lancers in turbans, and Lascoreen troops in crimson and gold; surrounded

by dense crowds of dancing and shouting natives, His Royal Highness

received the official welcome of the Legislature and Municipal Councils

and the Chamber of Commerce. Thence the Royal party proceeded inland to

Kandy, winding their way upward through an exquisite mountain region

where the fantastic shapes and eternal green of the mountain sides and

the valleys and the gorges gleamed and radiated with colour from a

myriad tropical trees, gorgeous orchids, climbing lilies and enormous

ferns. The town itself was a bower of beauty, and here the visitors saw

the Temple of the Tooth, which is an object of adoration to hundreds of

millions in Burmah, China and India; the procession of the Elephants--a

weird portion of the Buddhist ritual; the devil dancers, who excel the

Dervishes of the Soudan in the fantastic nature of their antics. On the

succeeding day the Duke received an address from the planters of the

Island, enclosed in a beautiful coffer of ivory; presented colours to

the Ceylon Mounted Infantry, and medals to men who had returned from

South Africa; and in the evening held a Durbar, at which the native

Chiefs were presented.

A WILD SEA OF EASTERN COLOR

From Kandy back to Colombo went the Royal visitors, and at the capital

they found "the white streets and blood-red earth were rivers of light

and colour," as one picturesque correspondent described the scene. The

British flag was there, and British merchants and the British Governor

in the person of Sir J. West Ridgeway were there; but all else was a

wild sea of Eastern colour; a myriad-voiced tribute of the torrid and

brilliant tropics to the power of Western civilization. After a night on

board the _Ophir_, with the war-ships in the harbour a blaze of colour

and festooned with fire, the visitors left for Singapore on April 16th

and arrived there five days later. Through the Straits of Malacca an

experience was had of the most intense heat and keen tropical

discomfort. The Duke and Duchess were received at Singapore in a

pavilion hung with flags and flowers, by the Governor, Sir Frank

Swettenham, and by the Sultans of Pahang, Perak and Selangor. This

interesting trading centre, with its four hundred and fifty million

dollars' worth of commerce and its population of mingled Chinese, Dutch

and Germans, was ablaze with decorations and filled with holiday-makers.

A Royal reception was held in the Town-Hall on April 22nd attended by

Chinese, Arabs, Malays, Tamils and representatives of all the medley of

blood which makes up the East. There were a dozen deputations bringing

addresses and adding to the steadily accumulating caskets of gold and

silver and ivory and precious stones which the Duke was destined to

possess in a measure only excelled by his Royal father's collection in

the past.

The Malays contributed an elephant's tusk set in gold, the men of Penang

a great bamboo set in gold, and the Chinese of Malaya a fire-screen

worked with Oriental skill and beauty. After this ceremony, and

including dinner, the Duke and Duchess drove through the Chinese

quarters and in the evening witnessed the strange procession of figured

reptiles and demons, dragons and monsters of distorted fancy, which

marked Chinese pleasure and indicated the loyalty of the coolies as

their costly decorations and caskets and the presence at functions of

richly-dressed men and women had already illustrated the loyalty of the

merchant class. An incident of the afternoon was the singing by five

thousand school-children of mixed Eastern races and the presentation of

a bouquet to the Duchess. The effect of "God Save the King" in their

quaint, native accents was described as being strangely pathetic. On the

following morning the _Ophir_ steamed out of the harbour bound for

Australia and left eastern civilization behind for the forms and customs

of England transplanted upon Australian soil. The shores of Sumatra were

coasted, the Straits of Banka, the Sea of Java and the beautiful Straits

of Sunda were traversed; the Equator was crossed and His Royal Highness

willingly subjected to the quaint and immemorial usages of the occasion;

the Indian Ocean traversed and two thousand five hundred miles of this

part of the journey experienced before the shores of the

island-continent were sighted on May 1st.

The formal landing at Melbourne, for which all Australia was looking,

took place on May 6th and the splendour of the reception far exceeded

all expectations. For many weeks the people of the Commonwealth had been

legislating, planning decorating and preparing for the visit of the Heir

to the British Throne and his wife; the dormant loyalty of years,

aroused and developed by the events of the war and the despatch of

thousands of troops to the front, had grown to a white-heat of interest

and excitement; the completion of confederation and the union of the

Colonies in one great Commonwealth, which was now to be marked by the

opening of the first Federal Parliament and stamped through this visit

with Royal approval and British sympathy, enhanced the public interest.

There was a great and stately setting at Melbourne for the functions

which graced the occasion and, as the _Ophir_ rested in the waters of

the bay, surrounded by British and foreign warships, with roaring

salutes and a myriad of fluttering flags, there were excellent scenic

preliminaries to the impressive landing ceremonies. From the St. Kilda

Pier, through miles of beautiful, decorated streets, great arches and

hundreds of thousands of cheering people, the Royal couple passed to

Government House, welcomed also on the way by a gathering of thirty-five

thousand school children singing "God Save the King."

The whole spectacle was an extraordinary one. Mr. E. F. Knight,

correspondent of the London _Morning Post_ said that "it was a day of

splendid pageants, stirring and impressive, and the extraordinary

enthusiasm of the ovation given to the Duke and Duchess by the hundreds

of thousands of Australians who packed the streets along the entire

eight miles of route must ever stand out vivid in the memory of all who

witnessed it." Mr. W. Maxwell, the correspondent of the _Standard_,

declared that: "I have seen many Royal progresses but never have I seen

one more hearty and spontaneous than that of the multitude of

well-dressed men, women and children who thronged the streets daily for

nearly two weeks." The scheme of decorations was splendid, the triumphal

arches were authoritatively stated to be better and more numerous than

anything yet seen in London itself, the gathering of Australian troops

lining the streets was representative and effective, the spectators were

almost everywhere dressed in black or dark clothing as a tribute to the

late Queen, the evening illuminations were on a magnificent

scale--buildings and arches and decorations being a flashing, gleaming

mass of light and fire and varied brightness. A state dinner was given

at Government House by Lord Hopetoun in the evening and, on the

succeeding day, a great Levee was held and addresses received. All the

leaders of Australian life and society were presented and every form or

phase of loyalty was embodied in the addresses presented from public

institutions. Another state dinner followed at Government House and on

May 8th the University of Melbourne was visited and an honorary degree

conferred upon His Royal Highness. A great procession of various trade

and labour associations was then witnessed and the third day of the

visit concluded with a well-managed and stately Royal reception at

Government House.

OPENING OF THE COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENT

On May 9th the central ceremony of the tour was performed and a new

British Commonwealth started upon its national course. The streets

through which the Royal progress was made were packed with enthusiastic

masses of people; the great Exhibition Building in which the Parliament

of Australia was to be formally inaugurated was filled with twelve

thousand persons, representative of every form of Australian life and

character and achievement; the scheme of decoration--blue and golden

yellow and chocolate--was effective and bright, the black and white and

purple of the universal mourning was brightened here and there amongst

the people by scattering bits of uniform in blue and scarlet and gold.

At noon, the distant sound of cheers and the blare of trumpets announced

the approach of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York. Amidst the

strains of the National Anthem, and accompanied by the Governor-General

and Countess of Hopetoun, they took their places upon the dais. Around

the King's son and his wife were all the leaders of Australia; in front

of them, the Parliament, the classes and a substantial section of the

masses. The Earl of Hopetoun read some formal prayers and then gave

place to His Royal Highness who, in clear and distinct tones read his

speech to Parliament and the people. In it he spoke of himself as

fulfilling the wish of the late Queen Victoria and his father, the King,

and as representing their deep interest in Australia and warm

appreciation of Australian help in the war and loyalty to the Crown. Of

the future, His Majesty felt assured.

"The King is satisfied that the wisdom and patriotism which have

characterized the exercise of the wide powers of self-government

hitherto enjoyed by the Colonies will continue to be displayed in

the exercise of the still wider powers with which the United

Commonwealth has been endowed. His Majesty feels assured that the

enjoyment of these powers will, if possible, enhance that loyalty

and devotion to his Throne and Empire of which the people of

Australia have already given such signal proofs. It is His

Majesty's earnest prayer that this union, so happily achieved, may,

under God's blessing, prove an instrument for still further

promoting the welfare and advancement of his subjects in Australia,

and for the strengthening and consolidation of his Empire."

The Duke then declared the Parliament open in the name and on behalf of

his Majesty. He also read a cablegram just received from the King: "My

thoughts are with you on the day of the important ceremony. Most

fervently do I wish Australia prosperity and happiness." The members of

Parliament then took the oath of allegiance administered by Lord

Hopetoun. Meanwhile, as His Royal Highness declared the Houses of

Parliament open, and while the immense standing audience was making the

building echo with a mighty cheer, the Duchess touched an electric

button, and from every school-house in the Commonwealth there waved the

Union Jack as a sign that the great function was completed. Amidst

cheering multitudes the Royal couple then drove back to Government

House. In the evening a brilliant concert was given under the auspices

of the Commonwealth Government. On the following day fifteen thousand

Australian troops were reviewed in the presence of one hundred and forty

thousand people--infantry, mounted men, engineers, army service corps,

army medical corps, ambulance corps and cadets--representative of all

the States and of all branches of the system together with blue-jackets

and marines from the Royal Navy.

Then came a state dinner at Government House. On May 11th an afternoon

reception was given by the Victorian Government and Parliament at the

same place, and on Monday May 13th, His Royal Highness and the Duchess

visited the famous golden city of Ballarat, inspected one of its great

mines and laid the foundation-stone of a monument to Australian soldiers

who had fallen in South Africa. Tuesday saw an interesting

school-children's fete and a reception by the Mayor and Corporation of

Melbourne. On May 14th, Their Royal Highnesses presented prizes to the

scholars of the united Grammar Schools of Victoria, and the Prince spoke

to the boys of the stately and historical events of the past few days.

"Keep up your traditions and think with pride of those educated in your

schools who have become distinguished public servants of the state, or

who have fought, or are still fighting, for the Empire in South Africa."

To another great gathering of twenty thousand children the Duke was both

eloquent and impressive. "May your lives be happy and prosperous, but

do not forget that the youngest of us have responsibilities which

increase as time goes on. If I may offer you advice I should say: Be

thorough, do your level best in whatever work you may be called upon to

perform. Remember that we are all fellow-subjects of the British Crown.

Be loyal, yes, to your parents, your country, your King and your God."

After a rousing farewell from the people of Melbourne, a special train

was taken on May 18th by the Royal couple for the capital of Queensland.

AT BRISBANE AND SYDNEY

Every town, or settlement, or mining camp on the way contributed its

cheers and shouts from crowds of sturdy Australians, and on May 20th,

Brisbane was reached and an enthusiastic welcome received in the drive

through crowded and beautifully decorated streets. At Government House,

where the Royal guests were received by Lord Lamington,

Lieutenant-Governor of the State, twenty-two deputations attended to

present addresses--as compared with forty-eight at Melbourne. In the

evening, a brilliant illumination of the city marked the event. On the

following day a review of troops took place, and the Duke and Duchess

enjoyed the patriotic singing and happy sports of some five thousand

children. The evening saw an aboriginal Corrobberee performed for their

benefit, and on the 23rd of May, the foundation-stone of a new Anglican

Cathedral, which was being erected as a memorial to the late Queen

Victoria, was laid by His Royal Highness amid appropriate and dignified

ceremonial. In the afternoon the Agricultural Exhibition was visited and

a splendid demonstration of welcome received from over thirty thousand

people. The following and last day at Brisbane included a Levee, an

afternoon reception and a concert. Each evening had seen a formal state

banquet.

On May 24th the route was taken for Sydney, and a stop was made

near Combooya for a picnic in the bush, or "billy tea." Newcastle

gave the Royal couple a rousing reception, and at Haukesbury the

_Ophir_ was boarded and the trip up the splendid harbour of Sydney

commenced--escorted by warships and welcomed by the roar of cannon from

ships and shore. As the Duke and Duchess landed amid cheering sailors,

pealing bells and the shouts of a massed concourse of people stretching

far back from the landing-place, they were received at a sort of

graceful portal, decked with flags, flowers and semi-tropical foliage,

by the Governor-General, the Federal and State Governors and Premiers,

the Mayor and others. The procession then passed along a three-mile

route to Government House with bands at intervals playing the

ever-present National Anthem, with beautiful decorations and arches, and

with cheering crowds, fluttering handkerchiefs and waving flags in every

direction. In the evening there was the usual state dinner and more than

usually striking illuminations. Of this reception the Sydney _Morning

Herald_ said the next day: "The acquisition of territory is a triumph of

national achievement; but it is a small thing beside this re-creation of

a new Britain in another hemisphere. The demonstration in Sydney

yesterday embodied the message to this effect which our people desire to

transmit by favour of the Duke and Duchess to the centre of Empire."

The ensuing event was a Royal review of nine thousand troops with the

presence of one hundred and fifty thousand people as observers. Then

came a brilliant Reception at Government House, and on the morning of

May 29th a Levee attended by two thousand citizens and at which

twenty-four addresses were received--including the various

denominations, the Masons, and the Orangemen. That of the city was in a

beautiful gold and jewelled casket. To these His Royal Highness replied

in eloquent language, and then knighted the Mayor of Sydney, Dr. James

Graham, as he had already done the Mayor of Melbourne. A state dinner

followed with continued evening illuminations. The naval depot at Garden

Island was visited in the morning, and in the afternoon a naval review

witnessed. A second Reception followed at Government House, and on the

succeeding day the commemoration-stone of a Queen Victoria Memorial

addition to the Prince Alfred Hospital was laid by the Duke. In his

speech he expressed a doubt "whether anymore fitting memorial to that

great life could have been chosen, for sympathy with the suffering was

an all-pervading element in the noble and beautiful character of her who

was your first Patron and with whose name the Hospital will now be

associated for all time." At the University of Sydney the Royal visitor

was given an honorary degree amid the amusing chaff of a reception which

was as hearty and enthusiastic as it was hilarious. A Citizen's Concert

followed in the evening, and on the next day His Royal Highness

conferred fourteen hundred medals upon volunteers who had returned from

the war. In the afternoon there was a brilliant garden party at

Government House. On Sunday a sermon was listened to at St. Andrew's

Cathedral, preached by Archbishop Saumarez Smith, and Monday being the

Duke's birthday was observed as a public holiday. In the afternoon a

visit was paid to the Young People's Industrial Exhibition where five

thousand school children sang a special Ode for the occasion. In the

afternoon the Duke departed for a couple of days shooting, and the

Duchess visited the neighbouring Blue Mountains.

On June 6th, after a very cordial "send-off" from the people, the Royal

party boarded the _Ophir_ and started for Auckland, New Zealand. Five

days later they found that loyal city alive with enthusiasm, crowded

with people and decorated to the extreme limit. They were welcomed by

the Governor, Lord Ranfurly and the Premier, Mr. R. J. Seddon. The

latter presented an address in a superb casket made of New Zealand wood

and gold, silver, and enamel, in the shape of a Maori war canoe. The

ceremony of presentation and the reply occurred on board ship.

Immediately upon landing the Duchess touched the key of a telegraph

instrument, and flags waved and guns roared a welcome in every city and

town of New Zealand. The popular welcome in the streets was tumultuous

and the arches particularly impressive, while one of the incidents of

the Royal progress to Government House was a living Union Jack composed

of two thousand children dressed to fit the design. In the afternoon

eleven addresses were received, and during his reply the Duke said: "I

look forward to making known to His Majesty how strong I have found the

feeling of common brotherhood and readiness to share in the

responsibilities of the Empire, and earnestly trust that the results of

the journey maybe to stimulate the interest of the different countries

in each other, and so draw even closer the bonds which now unite them."

ROYAL WELCOME IN NEW ZEALAND

A state dinner followed this event and an evening Reception. The

succeeding day a Royal review of forty-three hundred troops occurred,

with twelve thousand spectators, and was followed by a luncheon to four

hundred veterans of the South African and Maori wars, at which the Duke

of Cornwall and York made one of the several _impromptu_ speeches

delivered during his tour. Speaking of the combination of old veterans

and young soldiers he said: "There is nothing like a chip of the old

block"--to which some one responded with "You're one yourself"--"when

one knows that the old block was hard, of good grain and sound to the

core, and if, in the future, whenever and wherever the Mother-hand is

stretched across the sea, it can reckon on a grasp such as New Zealand

has given in the present." This speech evoked tremendous cheering.

Later, the foundation-stone of the Queen Victoria School for Maori Girls

was laid, and in the evening, after a state dinner at Government House,

the Royal visitors attended a Reception given by the Mayor, and drove

through splendidly illuminated streets. The next few days were spent

amongst that most picturesque, gallant and chivalrous of native

peoples--the Maoris. Expressions of the most intense and unaffected

loyalty and contentment with British rule were universal. Most

interesting sights were witnessed and Maori customs studied--including

war and other dances, songs of welcome and of challenge to enemies, and

mimic battles fought with native skill and zest.

Wellington was reached on Waterloo Day (June 18th) and the route to

Government House was spanned by a dozen handsome arches--two of which

had been erected by the enthusiastic Maoris. After the conferring of

some knighthood honours the Royal visitors in the afternoon watched a

procession of Friendly Societies and laid the foundation-stone of a new

Town Hall. In the evening there were the usual state dinner, Reception

and illuminations. On the following day three hundred medals were

presented to South African veterans and seventeen deputations received.

A state Reception was attended at the Parliament Buildings in the

evening and the next day was devoted to visiting certain great

industries and charitable institutions. On June 20th the

foundation-stone of new Government Railway offices was laid amid

torrents of rain and then the departure was made for Christchurch which

was reached in a few hours amid the welcome of pealing bells, cheering

people and roaring guns. Here the foundation-stone of a statue of Queen

Victoria was laid in the presence of a great throng of people. The

Sunday sermon of next day was preached by the Bishop of Christchurch

and, on Monday, June 24th, a review of eleven thousand troops was held

(including three thousand cadets) in the presence of sixty thousand

spectators. A feature of the drive to the review ground was a welcome

sung by eight thousand school children. A luncheon to the war veterans

was also given here and militant New Zealand was well represented in the

speeches.

Dunedin was reached by train on the following evening and in the Royal

saloon the Hon. John Mackenzie--whose health had prevented him attending

the formal ceremony at Wellington--was knighted by the Duke and

personally invested with his Order. The city was found to be spanned

everywhere with arches. Several functions were combined here and His

Royal Highness received addresses in a special pavilion, presented

medals and inspected the veterans. The Corporation address was in a box

modelled after a Maori meeting-house and made of gold, silver and

bronze. Another military luncheon followed and in the afternoon a

children's demonstration was attended and the Pastoral and Horticultural

Shows visited. At Lyttleton, on the following day, another

foundation-stone of a Queen Victoria statue was laid and then the Royal

couple left for Tasmania after the Duke had issued a farewell address

speaking of the enthusiasm of his reception, the loyal and military

spirit of the people, the splendid qualities of the Maoris and the

exquisite beauty of New Zealand scenery.

The Hobart welcome was given on July 3rd and a most tasteful, loyal and

enthusiastic one it was. There were a dozen triumphal arches and the

civic address was presented in a beautiful pavilion specially erected.

The usual state dinner and Reception followed. In the morning a Levee

was held and thirty addresses received from the Churches and Friendly

Societies, the Freemasons and the Orangemen, the Half-castes and the

Chinese. During his reply the Duke referred to the Island's entry into

the Commonwealth and said: "I trust that the hopes and aspirations which

prompted her people to enter this great national union may be fully

realized in the future prosperity of the Commonwealth and in the

greatness, power and solidarity of the Empire." In the afternoon the

foundation-stone of a statue to Tasmanian soldiers who had fallen in the

war was laid by the Duke and an eloquent speech delivered in which

reference was made to the event as being a testimony to "that living

spirit of race, of pride in a common heritage and of a fixed resolve to

join in maintaining that heritage; which sentiment, irresistible in its

power, has inspired and united the peoples of this vast Empire." A

log-chopping contest was then witnessed followed by an _impromptu_ visit

to inspect an arch in a poor and squalid part of the city. Another

Reception was held in the evening accompanied by illuminations on sea

and land. The succeeding day saw a review of two thousand troops, the

presentation of war medals, a children's demonstration, a trades'

procession, a Reception by the Mayor in the City Hall with the singing

of a special Ode, and illuminations and a fire brigade procession in the

evening. Sunday was spent quietly and then the Royal yacht sailed for

Adelaide, the capital of South Australia.

IN SOUTH AND WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Here the Duke and Duchess were formally received on July 8th by the

Lieutenant-Governor, Lord Tennyson, and his Ministers, and

enthusiastically welcomed in crowded and tastefully decorated streets,

bathed in a bright and genial sunshine. There were four arches--though

L2000 of the grant had been expended on the poor instead of on temporary

decorations. At the Town-Hall an address was received and at the the

same time twelve hundred homing pigeons were liberated to carry news of

the Royal arrival to all parts of the State. A state banquet followed in

the evening and after the Levee on the next day a number of addresses

were received. Meanwhile the Duchess visited the two local hospitals.

Her Royal Highness also attended a football match in the afternoon and

received a brilliant assemblage of people in the evening--the Duke

being compelled to have a tooth extracted. On the succeeding day the Art

Gallery was visited and a bust of the late Lord Tennyson unveiled and an

honorary degree accepted from the Adelaide University by His Royal

Highness, who also laid the corner-stone of a new building in connection

with this institution. Later, a demonstration of six thousand children

was attended and a Reception held in the evening. The next day was

devoted to shooting and to seeing an exhibition of sheep-shearing,

bullock-riding and buck-jumping, with a military Tattoo in the evening

and the usual spectacle of brilliant illuminations. The last day, but

one, in South Australia included in its programme the laying of a

foundation-stone for a Maternity Home in memory of Queen Victoria, and

the review of four thousand troops with a state concert at night. On

Sunday, a recently-completed Nave in St. Peter's Cathedral was dedicated

by the Bishops of Adelaide and Newcastle and a tablet to South African

heroes unveiled by the Duke.

The voyage was then resumed for Freemantle and Perth, in Western

Australia, but stress of weather on July 2nd caused the _Ophir_ to put

in at Albany, instead, and there the surprised and delighted people gave

the Duke and Duchess a rousing welcome as they took the train for Perth.

The State capital was reached two days later and, amid perfect weather,

through great crowds and a dozen splendid arches, the Royal progress was

made to the Town Hall where the inevitable address was received. In the

evening there was the usual state dinner given by the Governor, Sir

Arthur Lawley, and ensuing Reception. On the following day the programme

included a Levee, the reception of addresses, the laying of the

foundation-stone of the State's monument to its sons lying on the South

African veldt, the presentation of war medals and a civic Reception and

state concert. The last two days of the visit were devoted to attendance

at a state service in St. John's Cathedral where the Duke unveiled a

brass tablet in memory of South African heroes, laying the

foundation-stone of a new building connected with the Museum, a visit to

the Mint, an enthusiastic welcome given by a children's demonstration

and a visit to the Zoological Gardens. Before sailing for South Africa

on July 26th, the new Heir Apparent addressed a formal farewell to the

people of Australia in the form of a letter to the Earl of Hopetoun.

Reference was made at some length to the twenty-five thousand troops

reviewed during the visit, to the educational systems of the States, to

the loyalty exhibited to the King and the generous personal reception

given by the people, to the hospitality of Governments and the good

management and kindness of officials. Finally he said:

"We leave with many regrets, mitigated, however, by the hope that

while we have gained new friendships and good will, something may

also have been achieved towards strengthening and welding together

the Empire, through the sympathy and interest which have been

displayed in our journey both at home and in the Colonies. The

Commonwealth and its people will ever have a warm place in our

hearts. We shall always take the keenest interest in its welfare,

and our earnest prayer will be for its continued advancement not

only in material progress, but in all that tends to make life noble

and happy."

The response of the press to this Message was pronounced and may be

represented by the statement of the Melbourne _Argus_ on June 29th, that

from first to last "the Australasian visit was a success, in every way

worthy of its statesmanlike conception and purpose." The Royal couple

came from King and Empire, and their mission was personally performed

with unique success. "Everywhere they were received with demonstrations

of delighted loyalty. They were living symbols of British unity. From

all they will take back a reciprocal message to King and Empire. There

is not a single blemish upon the record of the visit. Not one imprudent

word was spoken, not one slight left a stinging recollection."

Mauritius was reached on August 4th, and the brightly-decorated streets

of the capital were crowded with Creoles, Mohammedans, Hindoos, and

Chinese, while the French language was everywhere, and the English

tongue seldom heard. Tropical flowers and foliage were brilliant and

plentiful in the plans of decoration, and the streets were lined with a

combination of Bengal Infantry, Royal Artillery and Engineers. At

Government House the first investiture of knighthood in the Island's

history was held and various addresses received. The foundation-stone of

a statue of Queen Victoria was then laid, a procession of Hindoo and

Chinese children witnessed and a drive taken through the town. The next

four days were spent in strict privacy at the residence of Sir Charles

Bruce, the Governor, with the exception of a state dinner and Reception

on the first evening.

ROYAL RECEPTION IN SOUTH AFRICA

War-tossed South Africa was sighted on August 13th and the landing took

place at Durban, where the welcome was enthusiastic. There were many

arches and excellent decorations, eleven thousand singing children,

crowded streets and shouting spectators who included Zulus, Kaffirs of

all kinds, Indian coolies and the whole white population. In a Royal

pavilion, specially constructed, addresses were presented and answered,

and the train was taken to Pietermaritzburg after luncheon with the

Mayor and a distinguished gathering. A deputation of ladies had,

meanwhile, presented the Duchess with a table-gong made of pompom shells

mounted on a rhinoceros horn. The railway to the capital of Natal was

patrolled by mounted troops, and the drive through the illuminated city

and densely-packed streets to Government House was done at night. On the

following day the place was found to be handsomely decorated with many

arches and the first function was the Royal inauguration of a new Town

Hall. The cheering of the people was intense and continuous in the

streets. Afterwards addresses were presented--that of the Corporation

in a singularly beautiful casket of ivory and gold. In his eloquent

speech the Duke referred to the events and sacrifices of the war. They

had not been in vain. "Never in our history did the pulse of Empire beat

more in unison; and the blood which has been shed on the veldt has

sealed for ever our unity, based upon a common loyalty and a

determination to share, each of us according to our strength, the common

burden." An address was also presented from Johannesburg and specially

replied to.

In the afternoon there was an extraordinary assemblage, composed of the

dignitaries of political and social life and the pick of the great

British army in South Africa--a quarter of a million fighting men. It

was a gathering of eleven holders of the V.C., and forty-three holders

of the honour next in degree for bravery in the field--the D.S.O. These

famous medals were conferred by the Duke of Cornwall and York, and then

a great deputation of Zulu Chiefs, clad in barbaric war paraphernalia,

presented loyal congratulations. A reception was held in the evening and

the city illuminated. The next day the voyage was resumed, and Simon's

Bay reached on August 19th. After landing, through a guard of one

thousand bluejackets, and receiving an address from the Mayor, the

special train was taken to Cape Town. There the formal reception was

given by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, the President of the

Legislative Council, the Archbishop, the Chief Justice, the Mayor, the

President of the Africander Bond and other officials or public men. The

reception in the streets was enthusiastic, and it has been said that

more Union Jacks were displayed than at any other point on the tour. A

Levee was held in the afternoon at the Parliament Buildings and two

thousand citizens were presented, while addresses were received from

many public bodies in Cape Colony, Orange River Colony, and Rhodesia.

A memorable event occurred on the succeeding day, when in the

Government House grounds, His Royal Highness and the Duchess received

over one hundred native chiefs who had come from all parts of South

Africa, laden with unique and peculiar gifts, clad in extraordinary

costumes and led by Lerothodi of the Basutos and Khama, the famous Chief

of Bechuanaland. Short speeches were interchanged, and then the Duke and

Duchess drove to Grootschur, to visit Mr. Cecil Rhodes. On the following

day the Duke accepted an honorary degree from the University of Cape

Town--of which he was already Chancellor--and in the afternoon received

some six thousand school children, Colonial and Dutch, who sang an Ode

of welcome and presented a gift of Basuto ponies for the Royal children

in far-away London. There was also an evening reception and the same

splendid illuminations which had graced the previous night. The last day

of the visit included the laying of the foundation-stone of a Nurse's

Home in memory of the late Queen, and of the corner-stone of the new St.

George's Cathedral. Despatches were interchanged with Lord Kitchener,

and a letter written by His Royal Highness to the Governor, Sir Walter

Hely-Hutchinson, expressive of the deep gratitude of his wife and

himself for their reception and the earnest hope that peace would soon

be restored. An investiture of knighthood was also held, and on August

23rd the Royal couple were once more on the _Ophir_ heading for distant

Canada.

ARRIVAL AT HISTORIC QUEBEC

After a voyage in which every kind of ocean weather was experienced, or

suffered, the mighty St. Lawrence was reached, and finally the City of

Quebec, on the 15th of September. The arrival was the commencement of a

continental tour which proved a fitting crown to the whole splendid

Empire progress and a more than appropriate continuation of the King's

visit of forty years before--in which he had touched only the smaller

central Provinces of the great railway-girdled Dominion which now

welcomed his son and his son's Consort. On Monday, September 17th, the

Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York, accompanied by the Earl of Minto,

Governor-General, and Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the Prime Minister--who had

gone down the river to meet them--set their feet upon Canadian soil. The

Dominion Ministers were present to join in the welcome, and the

procession then passed through the city, many thousands of people lining

the streets, and three thousand French children at the St. Louis Gate

singing "O Canada, Land of Our Ancestors." At the Parliament Buildings,

the Hon. S. N. Parent, Mayor of Quebec and Premier of the Province, read

a lengthy address which referred to this visit as a proud privilege,

expressed the renewed devotion of the citizens to the Crown and person

of their Sovereign, and spoke of French-Canadians as "a free, united and

happy people, faithful and loyal, attached to their King and country,

and rejoicing in their connection with the British Empire and those

noble self-governing institutions which are the palladium of their

liberties." In his reply the Duke referred to the success of the

Canadian troops at Paardeberg, and spoke with sorrow of the death of

President McKinley. "It is my proud mission to come amongst you as a

token of that feeling of admiration and pride which the King and the

Empire feel in the exploits of the Canadians who rushed to the defence

of the Empire."

A Royal procession to the Citadel followed and in the afternoon the Duke

and Duchess visited Laval University, where they were received by

Archbishop Begin, the Rector, and five hundred clergymen of the

Arch-diocese. In the address which was read by the Archbishop reference

was made to the late Queen, to the accession of the present Sovereign,

to the triumphal welcome on the banks of the mighty St. Lawrence which

was being prepared for the nation's guests, and to the pleasure of the

Church in sharing that welcome. "To the history of our Catholic Church

belongs the honour of having forged between the English Throne and a

French Canadian people solid bonds which neither adversity nor bribery

can sever." Faith in the Church and loyalty to the Crown were the

lessons they desired to inculcate. The University address was then read

by the Rev. O. E. Mathieu, the Rector. His Royal Highness in replying

and accepting the honorary degree of LL. D., paid a high tribute to

Roman Catholicism in Canada. "I am glad to acknowledge the noble part

which the Catholic Church in Canada has played throughout its history;

the hallowed memories of its martyred missionaries are a priceless

heritage; and in the great and beneficial work of education and in

implanting and fostering a spirit of patriotism and loyalty, it has

rendered signal service in Canada and the the Empire." In the evening, a

state dinner was held at the Citadel.

During the ensuing morning the Royal review took place on the Plains of

Abraham. It rained during the greater part of the proceedings and this,

together with the cancellation of the proposed Reception, for which

fifteen hundred invitations had been issued, threw a measure of gloom

over the City. But neither the rain nor the sad death of the President

of the United States could be helped and certainly the Duke never

flinched from the discomforts of the former. There were some five

thousand troops on the ground under command of Major-General

O'Grady-Haly assisted by Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon. M. Aylmer as

Adjutant-General. After the parade was over, His Royal Highness

distributed the South African medals to the men and presented

Lieut.-Colonel R. E. W. Turner, of the Queen's Own Canadian Hussars,

with his V.C. and D.S.O. and a sword of honour from the City of Quebec.

In the evening, as on the previous one, the city was brilliantly

illuminated and the ships and river showed sudden blazes of light amid

the blackness of surrounding night and through the flash of fireworks

and gleam of electricity. The Royal couple gave a farewell dinner on the

_Ophir_ to a select number and in the morning started for Montreal. The

journey was made in the splendid train built by the Canadian Pacific

Railway Company for the special purposes of this tour and destined to

carry the Royal visitors all over the Dominion. Their immediate train of

cars was preceded, as elsewhere throughout the country, by one bearing

the Governor-General and Lady Minto.

RECEPTION AT MONTREAL AND OTTAWA

Very few stops took place on the way to Montreal, where some change in

the programme was to be made owing to the President's funeral. At Port

Neuf, Three River's and Lanoraie, however, a few minutes' pause had been

arranged. At the Montreal station the Royal couple were received by Mr.

Raymond Prefontaine, M.P., Mayor of the city, in gorgeous official

robes. With him were Archbishop Bruchesi, Vicar-General Racicot,

Archbishop Bond, Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal, Mr. T. G. Shaughnessy,

Senator Drummond, Rev. Dr. Barclay, Principal Peterson, Sir William

Hingston, Sir W. C. Van Horne and Sir Wilfrid Laurier. The Civic address

was read in French and the Duke replied in English. Other addresses were

presented from the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society, the Daughters of

the Empire and the Baron de Hirsch Institute. There was an immense crowd

present and the proceedings concluded with the introduction of a number

of Indian chiefs to His Royal Highness and the presentation of medals to

the South African veterans.

The procession through the streets to Lord Strathcona's house, where the

Royal visitors were to stay, was a rather swift drive and the throngs of

people were not given very much time to see the Duke and Duchess.

Elsewhere in Canada the rate was slower. Several beautiful arches

decorated the route. The cheers of the Laval students and the enthusiasm

of five thousand school children on Peel Street were the most marked

incidents of this parade through gaily decorated streets. In the evening

Lord Strathcona entertained at dinner in honour of his Royal guests and

the whole city was a blaze of light from electric illuminations and the

fireworks on Mount Royal. The Reception in the evening was cancelled

owing to the President's funeral. A visit was paid to the mountain in

the morning and then followed the formal functions of a busy day. At

McGill University an address was read by its Chancellor, Lord

Strathcona, and an honorary degree received. Then followed an address

from the Medical Faculty, read by Dr. Craik, and including the

presentation of a casket of Labradorite--a native Canadian product. The

Duke also formally opened the new Medical building.

At Laval University the decorations were most elaborate and there was a

great assemblage of local clergy. Archbishop Bruchesi extended a verbal,

instead of written, welcome and informed the Duke that the clergy and

Professors devoted themselves to training the youth of the University

"in science and in arts, in loyalty to the throne, as well as in love of

religion and country." An honorary degree was also given and accepted.

Another place visited was the Royal Victoria Hospital which, like McGill

University and its Medical Faculty, owed much to Lord Strathcona. At the

Diocesan Institute an address was presented from the assembled

Provincial Synod of Canada by the Lord Bishop of Toronto. In the

afternoon the Duke and Duchess drove out to the Ville Marie Convent

where they were received by the Archbishop of Montreal, the Lady

Superior and Sir Wilfrid Laurier. An address was presented and, as at

Laval, the Duke replied informally though here, for the first time, he

said a few words in French. A torchlight procession of the people,

general illumination of the city and more fire-works, followed in the

evening. At nine o'clock on the succeeding morning the Royal couple

started for Ottawa.

They remained in Ottawa from September 20th until September 24th. On the

way to the capital a brief stop was made at Alexandria and an address

received. The arrival at Ottawa and the Royal progress through the city

was marked by brilliant decorations, cheering crowds and finer weather

than had been the case either at Quebec or Montreal. The Civic address

was read by Major W. D. Morris in a pavilion erected on the Parliament

grounds and eighteen other addresses were received. The reply of His

Royal Highness was sympathetic and eloquent in language. It was, he

said, impossible for him not to think of the difference between forty

years ago and the present time. "Ottawa was then but the capital of two

Provinces, yoked together in uneasy union. To-day it is a capital of a

great and prosperous Dominion, stretching from the Atlantic to the

Pacific Ocean, the centre of the political life and administration of a

contented and united people. The Federation of Canada stands permanent

among the political events of the century just closed for its fruitful

and beneficent results on the life of the people concerned." He hoped

that mutual toleration and sympathy would continue and be extended to

the Empire as a whole and that, more than ever, the people would remain

"determined to hold fast and maintain the proud privileges of British

citizenship."

On leaving for Government House the Duke and Duchess were greeted with

"The Maple Leaf," sung by thousands of school children and were given a

great cheer by the students of Ottawa College. In the afternoon a visit

was paid to the Lacrosse match between the Cornwalls and Ottawas and at

night a state dinner was held at Government House. The city was

illuminated on this and subsequent evenings in a way to rival the

famous effects of the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo. On the

following morning an investiture of knighthood was held at Government

House followed by a drive through Hull. At noon the statue of Queen

Victoria on the Parliament grounds was unveiled amid the usual

surroundings of state and soldiers and crowds. South African medals were

presented by the Duke and to Lieutenant E. J. Holland was given his V.C.

as well as medal. His Royal Highness was then lunched by a number of

prominent gentlemen at the Rideau Club and in the afternoon a garden

party was held at Government House. In the evening there was a quiet

dinner and drive through the city to see the illuminations.

On the following day, Sunday was quietly observed and Christ Church

Cathedral attended in the morning by the Royal couple and the

Governor-General and Lady Minto. Bishop Hamilton officiated and the

sermon was preached by the Rev. Mr. Kittson. The morning of September 23

was notable for the entertainment given by the lumbermen of Ottawa. The

Duke and Duchess travelled on a special electric car to their

destination, went in canoes with _voyageurs_ through the rapids,

descended the famous lumberslides of the Chaudiere, witnessed a race of

war canoes, saw tree cutting and logging, watched the strange dances of

the woodsmen, ate a lumbermen's lunch in a shanty, heard the jolly songs

of the _voyageurs_, and listened to a speech from a _habitant_ foreman

which made them and all Canada laugh heartily. In the evening a

brilliant Reception was held in the Senate Chamber.

At noon on the following morning the Royal couple left for Winnipeg

through crowded streets and cheering people. Before her departure the

Duchess of Cornwall was given a handsome cape by the women of Ottawa.

The presentation was made by Lady Laurier, on behalf of the

contributors, at Government House. In Montreal a beautiful gift had also

been made to her in the shape of a corsage ornament composed of a spray

of maple leaves made of enamel and decorated with 366 diamonds and one

large pearl. It was presented by Lady Strathcona and Mrs. George A.

Drummond. The Royal journey across the continent commenced with the

departure from Ottawa and, between the capital of the Dominion and the

metropolis of the West, a number of places were passed at a few of which

the Royal visitors paused for a brief time. At Carleton Place there was

a cheering crowd and gaily decorated station and singing school

children; at Almonte the town was _en fete_ and cheering could be heard

from even the roofs of the distant cotton mills; at Arnprior the whole

population turned out and the decorations were extensive; at Renfrew and

Pembroke the same thing occurred; at Petawawa and Chalk River crowds of

country people had gathered; at Mattawa and North Bay the stations were

gaily decorated and bands played their welcome.

Everywhere in the wilds of Algoma and along the rocky shores of Lake

Superior little groups of settlers might be seen at the lonely stations

watching for a sight of the Duke and Duchess. At Missanabie, a stop was

made to see a Hudson's Bay post and stockade and at White River, the

coldest place in Canada east of the Yukon, a picturesque party of

Indians was seen. A stop was made at Schrieber, and the whole population

turned out to see an address presented to the Duke and a bouquet to the

Duchess. Late in the evening of the 25th Fort William was reached and

the school children of the town sang "The Maple Leaf" from an

illuminated stand at the station. At Port Arthur the Duke accepted a

case of mineral specimens. Winnipeg was reached at noon of the next day

after a quick journey through the "Lake of the Woods" district and a

splendid welcome was accorded the Royal visitors. Flags flew everywhere

and decorations abounded throughout the city. At the station about a

hundred of Manitoba's leading men were gathered. The Governor-General

and Lady Minto and Sir Wilfrid Laurier were also present to assist in

the welcome, as their trains had preceded the Royal party to Winnipeg.

The same order was observed in this connection throughout the Canadian

tour.

IN WINNIPEG AND THE WEST

The Royal procession then passed along the wide main street of the city,

through splendid arches of wheat, to the City Hall, where Mayor

Arbuthnot presented the address to the Duke. Archbishop Machray then

presented an address from the Church of England in Rupert's Land,

expressive of welcome and attachment to the Throne and Empire.

Archbishop Langevin, on behalf of the Catholics of Manitoba and the

West, in his address dwelt upon the French pioneer labours in the

Northwest, and declared the pride felt by the people of his Church in

having defended England's noble standard, even at the expense of their

blood. "We thank God for the amount of religious liberty we enjoy under

the British flag." In his reply, the Duke of Cornwall and York spoke of

the marvellous progress made by Winnipeg--"the busy centre of what has

become the great granary of the Empire, the political centre of an

active and enterprising population in the full enjoyment of the

privileges and institutions of British citizenship." Then followed the

presentation of South African medals and a luncheon at Government House

attended by many leading citizens. In the afternoon the University of

Manitoba was visited and an address read by Archbishop Machray,

Chancellor of the University. A state dinner was given in the evening at

Government House and about ten o'clock the Royal visitors passed through

the crowded and illuminated streets of the city to the train, followed

by a torchlight procession and the sound of many cheers.

At Regina, on September 27th, a loyal welcome was received. The

procession to Government House was followed by the reception of twelve

addresses from Territorial centres and the distribution of South African

decorations. A luncheon was given by Lieutenant-Governor Forget, and at

3 P.M., the Royal visitors departed for Calgary. There, on the following

morning, they witnessed a thoroughly typical Western scene and received

a Western welcome. The streets were gaily decorated and many cheers

followed the Duke and Duchess as they proceeded to Victoria Park, where

a review of 240 Mounted Police was held, medals presented to the South

African veterans and Major Belcher decorated with his C.M.G. At another

point near the city the Duke then met a large party of Indians and

received from them an address which recited their past privations and

present progress and expressed the hope that when His Royal Highness

should accede to the Throne it would be "to long reign over us, our

children, and the other many peoples of the British Empire in peaceful

security and abundant happiness."

Speeches were made by a number of the Chiefs and the Duke replied in

most picturesque terms. "The Indian is a live man, his words are true

words and he never breaks faith. And he knows that it is the same with

the Great King, my father, and with those whom he sends to carry out his

wishes. His promises last as long as the sun shall shine and the waters

flow. And care will ever be taken that nothing shall come between the

Great King and you, his faithful children." Indian children then sang

the National Anthem, and, after witnessing an extraordinary spectacle of

broncho busting and cow-boy riding, the journey was resumed to the

Rockies towering up on the horizon. Sunday was spent in traversing the

marvellous panorama of nature which spreads out through the Rockies and

Selkirks, the mighty glaciers, rushing rivers, lightning changes of

colour and varied splendours of scene. A stop was made at Banff and at

Laggan and Field, the stations were tastefully decorated with evergreens

and flags. Revelstoke was passed, the lower levels of the mountains

traversed, the plains reached, and on the morning of September 30th the

Royal train drew into Vancouver.

Mounted Police and blue-jackets from the fleet were there and as the

procession left for the Court House, where addresses were to be

received, the deep-mouthed guns of the fleet in the harbour, the ringing

bells of the city churches and the cheers of the people sounded a

combined welcome. Through several arches and gay decorations--the

Japanese and Chinese arches being noteworthy--the parade proceeded, with

the Premier of Canada in a carriage at its head. At the pavilion, in

front of the Court House, the Royal visitors were received by Mayor

Townley, an address was presented and a bouquet given to the Duchess as

well as a handsome portfolio of British Columbia views from the Local

Council of women. The Duke was very brief in his reply. The next thing

on the programme was the opening of the new Drill-Hall and the

presentation of South African medals. The Boy's Brigade was also

inspected. After luncheon a visit was paid to the Hastings Saw-Mill, and

a drive taken through the splendid trees and vistas of Stanley Park. At

Brockton Point a drill of school children was held in sight of some

seven thousand persons and a grand stand full of children looking on.

Here the Duke presented a silken banner to the school which had won the

prize for drilling and was given an enthusiastic reception. As the C. P.

R. steamer, _Empress of India_, with the Royal party on board, passed in

the evening across the Bay of Victoria the waters were illuminated with

multitudes of lighted craft and the city was a vision of golden light

with a background of surrounding blackness.

Accompanied by five warships, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall arrived

at Victoria on the morning of October 1st and were greeted by

Lieut.-Governor Sir Henri Joly de Lotbiniere as they landed. The drive

through the decorated streets to the Parliament Buildings was the scene

of much cheering and at the destination Their Royal Highnesses were

received by the officials of the Province and an immense surrounding

crowd. Mayor Hayward presented the Civic address and various deputations

followed him. In his reply the Duke made no allusion to the

international relations mentioned in one of the addresses but declared

that Canadian sacrifices in South Africa had "forged another link in the

golden chain which binds together the brotherhood of the Empire." Medals

were distributed and the school children inspected. A drive followed

through the gay streets of the city out to Esquimalt, where a barge was

taken to the Admiral's flagship and luncheon served, with Real-Admiral

Bickford as the host.

In the afternoon the Agricultural Exhibition at Victoria was opened and

in the evening the city and Parliament Buildings were brilliantly

lighted up by electricity and fireworks. After a state dinner at the

Lieutenant-Governor's residence a Reception was held at the Parliament

Buildings. The following day was a very quiet one. Her Royal Highness

called on Mrs. Dunsmuir, wife of the Prime Minister, to express sympathy

over a terrible disaster which had occurred at the Extension Mines and,

after luncheon, the Duke and Duchess visited the Royal Jubilee Hospital.

During the day the latter was presented by the miners of Atlin with a

bracelet of gold nuggets. Late in the afternoon farewells were made and

the voyage back to Vancouver commenced. From Vancouver they departed in

the morning, the Duchess going to Banff where she stayed for a couple of

days and the Duke going on to Poplar Point, Manitoba, forty miles from

Winnipeg, where he enjoyed a couple of days' shooting with Senator

Kirchhoffer. Winnipeg was reached on October 8th. They were cordially

welcomed again and a visit was paid to Oglivie's Mill--said to be the

largest in the Empire--and the direct journey for Toronto was then

commenced. From North Bay, through the Muskoka region and on to the

capital of Ontario, there were cheering crowds at every station.

Huntsville, Bracebridge, and Gravenhurst were marked in this respect. At

Orillia, Barrie and Newmarket short stops were made and, amidst gay

decorations, singing children and cheering throngs, the Duke and Duchess

appeared on the platform, received a few presentations and in the case

of Her Royal Highness accepted bouquets of flowers.

MEMORABLE RECEPTION AT TORONTO

The occurrences at Toronto during the Royal visit were of a character to

make history. The morning of October 10th, when the Duke and Duchess

arrived was gloomy and later on the rain poured with steady and

depressive persistence. But it did not seem to affect the patience of

the waiting crowds or dampen the enthusiasm of the reception. A special

and beautiful station had been erected at the head of St. George Street

and here, amid the patriotic songs of 6000 children, the Royal visitors

were received by the Hon. G. W. Ross, Premier of Ontario and a number of

his Ministers. The Vice-regal party and Sir Wilfrid Laurier had, as

usual, arrived first. The procession followed through miles of decorated

streets and throngs of cheering people until the City Hall was reached

and a scene of colour and serried masses of people witnessed such as

Toronto had never known. The streets were lined with ten thousand troops

stretching from the station to the Hall and the Alexandra Gate, erected

by the Daughters of the Empire, and the Foresters' Arch, erected by the

Independent Order of Foresters, were notable features of the welcome. At

the City Hall the Royal couple were received by Mayor O. A. Howland and

welcomed by the singing of a large trained chorus of voices. An immense

crowd was present and addresses were handed in by eleven deputations and

replied to at some length.

During the afternoon a presentation was made to the Duchess by Miss

Mowat, daughter of the Lieutenant-Governor, on behalf of the women of

Toronto. It consisted of a writing set made of Klondike gold and

Canadian amethysts and chrystal. The case was made of Canadian maple. A

state dinner was given at Government House in the evening by Sir Oliver

Mowat and the Royal couple afterwards attended a Concert at Massey Hall

where Madame Calve and others sang. The streets were filled with

enthusiastic crowds far into the night and the illuminations were

something unequalled in the history of the city and unexcelled by any

others during the Royal tour in Canada. Powerful search-lights from the

top of the City Hall tower were an unique feature of the demonstration.

On the following morning--October 12th--the Royal review took place on

the Exhibition grounds. It was unquestionably the most brilliant and

effective military spectacle ever seen in Canada. Nearly eleven thousand

men were mustered under command of Major-General O'Grady-Haly. Before

the review commenced His Royal Highness presented the South African

medals to a number of the soldiers and the V.C. to Major H. C. Z.

Cockburn. To the latter also was given a sword of honour on behalf of

the City Council. Colours were presented to the Royal Canadian Regiment

of Infantry and the Royal Canadian Dragoons in the name of the King and

as a mark of appreciation for their services in the war. The march past

then took place. There were said to be twenty-five thousand people on

the grounds and the streets and approaches were lined with many other

thousands. In the afternoon the Duke and Duchess visited the Bishop

Strachan School and the Duke planted a tree in Queen's Park and reviewed

the Fire Brigade. Then came the state visit to Toronto University, the

presentation of an address by the Chancellor, Sir William Meredith, and

the bestowal of the honorary degree of LL. D.

In the evening a Reception was held in the Parliament Buildings when

two thousand people shook hands, amid brilliant surroundings, with the

Heir to the Throne and his wife. Prior to this a very large state dinner

had been held in the halls of the same building with His Excellency the

Governor-General as host. The city was again most brilliantly

illuminated and filled with waiting throngs anxious to see and cheer the

Royal visitors. Early in the following morning they left Toronto for a

rapid trip through Western Ontario. As the Royal train rushed through

the populous centres, or quiet villages of this rich section of the

country, every railway station was crowded with cheering people anxious

for a sight of their future Sovereign and his Consort. At Brampton a

short stop was made, and a mass of beautiful roses, carried by eight

children, was presented to the Duchess from the well-known rosaries of

the town. At Guelph a platform had been erected near the station, and

here two thousand school children sang patriotic songs. At Berlin there

was another chorus and another exquisite bouquet of flowers for the

Duchess. There was a great crowd of people at this point, and the

children carried branches of maple leaves, as well as flags, which they

waved while the singing was going on and the presentations were being

made by Mayor Bowlby. The City of Stratford had a gaily decorated

station, eight thousand cheering citizens and children singing "The

Maple Leaf." An arch had been erected festooned with evergreens and

flowers. The visit to London was a matter of more formality and length.

The city was packed with people from outlying points, and the reception

to the Royal couple as they drove through decorated streets to the

Victoria Park was most enthusiastic. There an address was proffered by

Mayor Rumball. After the Duke's reply colours were presented to the 7th

Regiment and the departure took place through the same kind of cheering

throngs which had previously lined the streets.

From London the route was taken up to Niagara. Every station was

crowded with people, and in the vineyard and fruit region a brief stop

was made at Grimsby. Finally, the Royal train ran into the historic

village of Niagara-on-the-Lake, and there, at the Queen's Royal Hotel,

the visitors found elaborate preparations for their comfort during the

ensuing day of rest. Masses of flowers and fruit were displayed as

further proof of the diverse productions of the Dominion. Sunday was,

however, a busy day in some respects. In the morning the steamer was

taken to Queenston, and from thence a special electric car conveyed the

Royal couple along the banks of the mighty Niagara, past Brock's

monument and the scene of the historic conflict upon Queenston Heights,

and on to the famous whirlpool where half an hour of sight-seeing was

spent. In Queen Victoria's Park there were crowds of people waiting to

see the Duke and Duchess, but only a few minutes' glance at the Falls

was taken. A visit to Loretto Convent followed with songs from the

pupils and luncheon afterwards. Archbishop O'Connor of Toronto assisted

in the reception. The rest of the day was spent in viewing and admiring

the ever-changing glories of Niagara Falls, and the return took place in

the evening. On the 14th of October Hamilton was visited and three hours

spent in receiving one of the most enthusiastic welcomes of the whole

tour. Thousands had gathered in the spacious grounds surrounding the

station and in the streets, and the cheering was hearty and continuous.

The usual address was presented by Mayor J. S. Hendrie at the City Hall.

The Royal visitors then lunched at "Holmstead," the residence of Mr.

William Hendrie, and afterwards the Duke presented new colours to the

13th Regiment. The departure took place amidst the cheers of thousands.

At St. Catharines there was a short stop and the whole city turned out,

business was suspended and the colleges and schools attended in a body.

There was a guard of honour at the station, cheers from eight thousand

throats, a beautiful bouquet presented to the Duchess and a few citizens

introduced by Mayor McIntyre. Brantford had its station handsomely

decorated, and three thousand children massed on the platform to sing

patriotic songs as the train rolled in. Another bouquet for the Duchess

was presented and also a casket containing a silver long-distance

telephone from Professor Bell, the father of its inventor, who was born

in Brantford. Their Royal Highnesses here signed the Bible which was

given in 1712 by Queen Anne to the Mohawk Church of the Six Nations and

which already contained the autographs of the King and the Duke of

Connaught. A very brief stop was made at Paris, where the school

children were gathered and a large crowd cheered the Royal couple. At

Woodstock the whole population turned out and the train entered the

station amid the cheers of ten thousand people. Mayor Mearns presented

some of the citizens and his little daughter handed a beautiful bouquet

of roses to the Duchess. A thousand school children waved flags and sang

the National Anthem.

FROM WESTERN TO EASTERN ONTARIO

From the West to the East travelled the Royal train during the night,

and on the morning of October 15th reached Belleville, where some eight

thousand people had assembled to welcome the Duke and Duchess.

Presentations by Mayor Graham, a guard of honour, cheers and a bouquet

for the Duchess, with singing school children, were the familiar

features of the reception. An address from 250 deaf and dumb children

was, however, an interesting exception. At Kingston the Royal couple

drove through the crowded and decorated streets to a pavilion in front

of the City Hall, where three thousand children sang, cheered and waved

flags, while flowers were given to the Duchess and several addresses

presented to the Duke. Following this ceremony the Royal procession

passed on through the historic city to Queen's University where his

Royal Highness was given an honorary LL.D. and presented with an address

by the Chancellor, Sir Sandford Fleming. In replying to the latter the

Duke expressed the regret of himself and the Duchess at the absence

through illness of the Very Rev. Principal Grant. He then laid the

corner-stone of a new building donated to the University by the citizens

of Kingston. There was tremendous cheering from the students and gay

decorations along the route which was then taken to the Royal Military

College.

At the College the Royal visitors witnessed a march past and gymnastic

display from the Cadets. A spontaneous and unexpected incident occurred

in the private visit of Their Royal Highnesses to Principal Grant at the

General Hospital. They talked with him a few minutes and then the Duke

personally conferred upon him the C.M.G. which had been recently granted

by the King. About one o'clock the Royal party reached the wharf where

they embarked on the steamer _Kingston_, which had been most elaborately

decorated and fitted up for the occasion, and started for a trip through

the Thousand Islands of the St. Lawrence. At six o'clock the steamer

arrived at Brockville, and the Duke and Duchess were greeted with a

brilliant display of fireworks from the shore. At the landing-place they

were met by Mayor Buell, Senator Fulford and other prominent citizens. A

bouquet was given the Duchess and the procession from the wharf to the

station passed through cheering people and the departure was made in a

blaze of fireworks. At Cornwall, which was reached on the morning of

October 16th, there were some four thousand people at the station, and

Mayor Campbell presented the Duke and Duchess with a complete set of

lacrosse sticks for the Royal children. They were enclosed in a

gold-mounted case. The next stoppage was at Cardinal, where thousands

had assembled from the same surrounding country and the school children

sang national songs.

On the way from Ontario to the Provinces by the Atlantic a pause was

made at Montreal on October 16th to visit the Victoria Jubilee Bridge--a

reconstruction of the one into which His Majesty the King had driven the

last rivet when visiting Canada in 1860. The Duke of Cornwall and York

was now presented with a gold rivet by Mr. George B. Reeve, General

Manager of the Grand Trunk Railway system, as a souvenir of that event

and of his present visit. The Bridge, which was called one of the

wonders of the world at the time of its construction, now had a double

track and double roadway. During the afternoon half-an-hour was spent at

Sherbrooke, where the station was gaily decorated. Mayor Worthington

presented the address and during his reply the Royal speaker declared

that "among the many pleasant experiences of our delightful visit to

Canada one will remain most deeply graven in our memories--the solemn

declaration of personal attachment to my dear father, the King, and of

loyalty to the throne of our glorious Empire." A beautiful bear-skin was

then presented to the Duchess by Mrs. Worthington on behalf of the

ladies of Sherbrooke. Some South African veterans were decorated with

the medal and a delegation from the Caughnawaga Indians received.

From Sherbrooke the Royal party then travelled straight through to St.

John, New Brunswick, which they reached in the afternoon of October

17th. After they had arrived and the echoes of the roaring guns had died

away the Royal procession was formed and passed through the usually

crowded and decorated streets to the Exhibition Buildings where Mayor

Daniel, in his official robes, welcomed the Duke and Duchess and

presented an address from the City as did Mayor Crocket from Fredricton.

Some nine other local addresses were also presented and replied to. His

Royal Highness then presented colours to British Veterans from

Massachusetts. There was to have been a review of troops in the

afternoon but, owing to some mistake in the arrangements, a Royal

presentation of South African medals, of colours to the 62nd Battalion,

and of a sword of honour to Captain F. Caverhill Jones, comprised the

proceedings. The return from the Exhibition grounds to Caverhill Hall,

which had been specially fitted up by the Provincial Government for the

visitors, was through crowds of more or less enthusiastic people. In the

evening there were fireworks and electrical displays and a Reception at

the Exhibition Building attended by a large representation of New

Brunswick society. Late in the afternoon a deputation of ladies waited

upon Her Royal Highness and presented her with a beautiful mink and

ermine muff on behalf of the women of St. John. At noon on the following

day the Duke and Duchess left the city amid much cheering and the

farewells of a representative gathering at the station. On the way to

Halifax the City of Moncton, N. B., celebrated the arrival of the Royal

tourists with a half holiday, a decorated station and a mass of cheering

people. Mayor Atkinson presented a number of prominent people and the

Duchess received a couple of handsome bouquets. At Dorchester, as the

train arrived it passed through a gaily decorated station, cheering

crowds and local officials ranged along the platform. At Amherst, N. S.,

a short stop was made.

FROM NEW BRUNSWICK INTO NOVA SCOTIA

When Halifax was reached, on the morning of October 19th, the reception

was beautiful and impressive as well as loyal. Thousands of soldiers

with glittering bayonets lined the streets, together with hundreds of

sailors armed with cutlasses and rifles, and many thousands of crowding

and cheering citizens. As the Royal visitors arrived at the station they

were welcomed with a roar of guns from the magnificent citadel heights

and defences of Halifax and from the vessels of the most formidable

fleet of war-ships which, it was said, had ever graced a Canadian port.

They were received by the Vice-regal party, Vice-Admiral Sir Frederick

Bedford and his staff, Colonel Biscoe and his staff, Lieutenant-Governor

the Hon. A. G. Jones, of Nova Scotia, Lieutenant-Governor P. E. McIntyre

of Prince Edward Island, the Hon. G. H. Murray and the members of his

Government, Mayor Hamilton of Halifax, the Mayor of Charlottetown and

various other officials and representative men. At the platform in front

of the station various addresses were presented amid cheers from an

immense gathering. The Duke, in replying, did so separately to the

Prince Edward Island welcome and to that from Nova Scotia. To the former

he expressed the "true regret" which they felt at not being able to

visit that well-remembered Province, and to the latter he made a really

eloquent response. "It is perhaps fitting that we should take leave of

Canada in the Province that was the first over which the British flag

waved, a Province so full of moving, checquered, historic memories, and

that, embarking from your capital which stands unrivalled amongst the

naval ports of the world, we should pass through waters that are

celebrated in the annals of our glorious Navy." He also spoke of the

"affectionate sympathy" with which they had been received throughout the

Dominion.

Following this function the Royal couple passed through streets lined

with troops and sailors and cheering crowds and at times presenting the

appearance of a net-work of colour, a canopy of bunting. In the grounds

of the Provincial Building His Royal Highness laid the foundation-stone

of a monument erected by the Government and people of Nova Scotia in

honour of the Provincial heroes who had fallen in South Africa. The

procession then passed on to a handsome arch, guarded by a detachment of

Royal Engineers, where the Duke inspected the members of the British

Veterans' Society who were drawn up on parade. Conspicuous amongst them

was a negro holder of the V.C. Thence the parade continued to the

Dockyard where the Royal couple went on board the _Ophir_, which had

come up from Quebec during the long inland tour. In the afternoon a

great review and massing of many thousands of soldiers and sailors,

infantry, cavalry and artillery, was held on the Halifax Common in the

presence of a crowd of spectators--probably twenty-five thousand in

number. The troops were under the supreme command of Colonel Biscoe, and

the Royal Naval Brigade included four thousand sailors from twelve of

Britain's most modern cruisers. It was a sight such as had never been

witnessed in Canada before and the review eclipsed in effect the

previous military spectacle at Toronto; while the environment of great

fortifications and a harbour full of war-ships enhanced the character of

the scene. Near the Royal pavilion was a stand containing six thousand

school children who sang patriotic songs.

After the review the Duke presented colours to the 66th Princess Louise

Fusiliers and was informed by the Lieutenant-Governor that H.R.H. the

Duke of Kent had conferred a similar honour upon the Regiment in the

early part of the preceeding century. His Royal Highness then handed the

war medals to the South African veterans and presented a sword of honour

to Major H. B. Stairs. In the evening a state dinner was given by the

Lieut.-Governor at Government House when occasion was taken by the Duke

to present the Hon. Dr. Borden with the medal won by the gallant son who

had lost his life in South Africa. A Reception was held afterwards in

the Provincial Buildings amid scenes of striking beauty and brightness.

The city and fleet were brilliantly illuminated and the spectacle one of

the most beautiful of the whole Canadian tour. The next day was Sunday

and was spent very quietly on board the _Ophir_. At night the Duke dined

with Vice-Admiral Bedford on board his flag-ship. On the following

morning the Royal visitors left the shores of Canada in their yacht,

accompanied by the fleet of battleships and with the cheers of many

thousands of people, the roar of guns and the sound of bands playing on

sea and shores, echoing out over the waters of the harbour.

THE ROYAL FAREWELL TO CANADA

Before leaving Halifax, and under date of October 19th, the Duke of

Cornwall and York sent a communication to the Earl of Minto expressive

of the regret felt by the Duchess and himself at bidding farewell to "a

people who by their warm-heartedness and cordiality have made us feel at

home amongst them from the first moment of our arrival on their shores."

He referred to the loyal demeanour of the crowds, the general

manifestations of rejoicing and the trouble and ingenuity displayed in

the illuminations and street decorations. They were specially touched by

the great efforts made in small and remote places to manifest feelings

of kindness toward them. "I recognize all this as a proof of the strong

personal loyalty to the throne as well as the deep-seated devotion of

the people of Canada to that unity of the Empire of which the Crown is

the symbol." Thanks were tendered to the Dominion Government, the

Provincial authorities and municipal bodies and to various individuals

for the care and trouble bestowed upon the varied arrangements. Of the

Militia His Royal Highness spoke in high terms. The reviews at Quebec,

Toronto and Halifax had enabled him to judge of the military capacity of

the Dominion and of the "splendid material" at its disposal. Their

hearts, he added, were full at leaving Canada and their regrets extreme

at having to decline so many kind invitations from different centres.

"But we have seen enough to carry away imperishable memories of

affectionate and loyal hearts, frank and independent natures, prosperous

and progressive communities, boundless productive territories, glorious

scenery, stupendous works of nature, a people and a country proud of

its membership in the Empire and in which the Empire finds one of its

brightest offspring."

On the way home Newfoundland was visited and an enthusiastic reception

given by the people of St. John's and the Government of the Island. The

usual addresses, decorations and functions followed and then the _Ophir_

steamed away over the last stretch of ocean in this long, strenuous and

memorable Royal progress of over fifty thousand miles on sea and land.

When in sight of English shores again the King and Queen and the Royal

children, accompanied by the Channel squadron of thirteen warships, met

the travellers and escorted them to Portsmouth. After eight months of

separation the Royal family of three generations were again together.

The popular welcome at Portsmouth was brilliant and enthusiastic as well

it might be. As the _Times_ put it on November 1st--the day of the

arrival home--"The Duke and Duchess have made the greatest tour in

history; they have accomplished an act of high statesmanship without

statecraft but by simple arts which are better than any statecraft; they

have been under many skies and seen many strange, lovely and impressive

sights; they have been greeted and acclaimed by many peoples, races and

languages." In his speech to the Civic deputation waiting upon him on

the following day His Royal Highness stated that their journey had

covered thirty-three thousand miles by sea and twelve thousand five

hundred by land. "Everywhere we have been profoundly impressed by the

kindness, affection and enthusiasm extended to us and the universal

declarations of loyalty to the Throne; and by the conscious pride in

membership of our great Empire which has constantly displayed itself."

A dinner was given by the King and Queen on board the yacht _Victoria

and Albert_ in honour of the Royal travellers' return and, in the course

of a speech of welcome, His Majesty referred to the cordiality and

loyal enthusiasm of their reception everywhere. "The accounts of their

receptions, regularly transmitted to me by telegrams and letters and

amply confirmed in my conversations to-day, have touched me deeply and I

trust that the practical result will be to draw closer the strong ties

of mutual affection which bind together the old Motherland with her

numerous and thriving offspring". The special train was then taken to

London and from Victoria station to Marlborough House the Royal couple

drove through numerous crowds of cheering people and gaily decorated

streets, with little Prince Edward beside them--for the first time

making a public appearance and accepting the acclamations of the public

with becoming gravity. It was a triumphal ending to a triumphant

progress. A sort of climax to this termination was afforded, however, in

the great banquet given by the Lord Mayor of London at the Guild Hall on

December 5th, to him who had been created Prince of Wales on the 9th of

November preceding by his father the King. There were only four

toasts--the King, proposed by Sir Joseph Dimsdale, the Lord Mayor and

chairman; Queen Alexandra and the Royal family, responded to by the new

Prince of Wales; the Colonies, proposed by the Earl of Rosebery and

responded to by Mr. Chamberlain; the Lord Mayor and Corporation proposed

by the Marquess of Salisbury.

Besides the speakers and the members of the Royal suite during this

famous tour there were present the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, Mrs.

Chamberlain, Lord James of Hereford, Mr. John Morley, Lord Knutsford,

Lord and Lady Tweedmouth, Lord and Lady Lamington, Lord Brassey, Lord

Avebury, Sir Frederick Young and many other interesting or important

personages. The speech delivered by the Prince of Wales was one which

startled England from its directness of statement and its eloquence of

style and delivery. It was not merely a clear, or good description of

the tour; it was the utterance of one who was both statesman and

orator. His Royal Highness referred to the historic title which he now

bore, to the voyage, unique in character and rich in experience, to the

loyalty, affection and enthusiasm of the greetings everywhere, to the

special characteristics of the visit in each country. He analysed

Colonial loyalty as being accompanied by "unmistakable evidences of the

consciousness of strength; of a true and living membership in the

Empire; and of power and readiness to share the burden and

responsibility of that membership". He spoke of the influence of Queen

Victoria's life and memory, of the qualities of the sixty thousand

troops whom he had reviewed, of the openings for better commercial

interchange. "I venture to allude to the impressions which seemed

generally to prevail among our brethren across the seas that the Old

Country must wake up if she intends to maintain her old position of

pre-eminence in her Colonial trade against foreign competitors". The

need of more population in the Colonies was referred to and an urgent

appeal made to encourage the sending out of suitable emigrants. "By this

means we may still further strengthen, or at all events, pass on

unimpaired, that pride of race, that unity of sentiment and purpose,

that feeling of common loyalty and obligation which knit together and

alone can maintain the integrity of our Empire".