THE PRINCE’S TOUR

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 155, 27 March 1922, Page 5

THE PRINCE’S TOUR

WONDERFUL JOURNEY IN CEYLON GREAT DEMONSTRATIONS OF LOYALTY ' BY TELEGBAFH—PBESS ASSOCIATION. -OOPYBIGHT. Delhi, March 23. The Prince of Wales had a wonderful journey from Colombo to Kandy this morning. The entire population of a district for fifteen miles each side of the railway gathered at the way stations to see his special train pass. It was like popular demonstrations in Australia and Canada. There were solid masses of people in deep row at every station platform, and ,on i"io banks, rocks, and trees between them. They went to extraordinary pains to decorate the sevonty-mile route from the coast. Even single mud huts displayed the Union Jack, and every tiny village under the palms showed its loyalty by means of bamboo arches or garlands strung between trees. For three and a half hours the Prince passed through what appeared to be an almost continuous crowd, beginning at Colombo and continuing along the rice fields of the plain, then clinging in thin lines to the steep sides of the hills where the special began to climb into the cooler air; and swelling again in numbers as the train approached the pleasant little city of Kandy. The absolute spontaneity of the reception was unmistakable. The people cheered like Europeans or .saluted tho Prince with precise volleys of handclapping. Some stations contributed groups of industrious drummers banging tomtoms. The Prince was received at the station by the Kandy chiefs, in picturesque full dress, with balloon-like skirts of heavy silk, with jewelled hats—Aus.-N.Z. Cable A§sn.