THE CORONATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVIII, Issue 12933, 29 September 1902, Page 5

THE CORONATION.

HOW NEW ZEALANDERS FARED. [From Our Corresfoildext.] LONDON, August 15. Experiences of New Zealanders on Coronation Day were varied. As the two extremes, we had “King Dick,” New Zealand’s Prime Minister, and his consort! “gleaming in purple and gold” in the choir stalls of the Abbey, and Mr Arthur?, Adams, New Zealand’s poet in homespun* with his finger on the pulse (not purse* , please, Mr Printer) of the people in the Mall. Personally, I claim to be the high-est-placed New Zealander at the Corona.- " tion. At least, I have not yet beard of any. colonial who occupied a more elevated the triforium of the Abbey. > It is almost impossible to give an absolutely correct list of the New Zealander# who were actually in the Abbey, bub I believe the foHowing to be as nearly correct as mortal man can ascertain:—Mr and Mrs Seddon in the choir stalls, Kir ani Mrs Cathcart Wason in the M.P. gallery x in the north transept above the peeresses* the Hon A. J. Cadman, Miss Douglas, Ms and Mrs F. Dyer, Dr and Kirs- Findlay* Major and Kirs Nelson George, Kir H. von 1 ' Haast, Lieutenant Morris, Mr and Klnr Louis Nathan, the Hon R. and Mro Oliver* - Captain Pringle, the Hon__W. P. Beeves* Mr C. Rous Marten, Miss Seddon, Miss ■ ' May Seddon, Lieutenant-Colonel and King Sommcrville, Mr and Mrs Seymour Thorne-. George, and Mrs T. C. Williams.

1 S&ddon wore-a very handsome dies* of deep purple The skirt vas quite plain, but the bodice, which was pointed,-, - was trimmed! with some lovely and jet. Lace and jet were also on the sleeves,' She also wore an elaborate velvet mantle trimmed with jet and forming a hood'. This dress was made by Madame Frederic*- . of 14 and 15, Lower Grosvenor Place, S.W, In Mrs Seddon’s hair were the three diamond stars given her by the Anglo-New Zealanders. Her other jewels were a circlet- of diamonds on a velvet band and a. diamond brooch. ■, The Misses Seddon, with the majority of : the distinguished New Zealand guests* were in the lowest gallery in the north aisle of the nave, whsnee they goi. a goodl’ view of the processions, but could see noth- ~ ing of the rest of the ceremony. Ti-ey wore -• their white crepe de chine gowns, (made for them in June by Vernon, which I described: ■ at/the time, diamond stars and greenstone 'jk pendants. * After the King and Queen and N the rest of the Royalties had passed out cd the Abbey, the two enterprising New Zea-,;;i;| land girls made a hold attempt to get the “theatre” and see at least the scene ofi the Coronation and enthronisation. "At first they were foiled by a firm steward, but presently a high official came up and escorted them to the seats of the mighty. The peers and peeresses were still in their places, so that a very, fair view of the setting of the , y scene was obtained. “ Can’t we be queens just for -a moment?” pleaded in irresistible tones the Premier’s two daughters, and forthwith “Queen Mary” and “Queer? May” seated themselves in turn for a moment only in the Queen’s throne. They had to- wait in the Abbey until the Premier’s carriage had taken -him and Mrs Beddon to the Hotel Cecil, and returned to the Abbey, so it was 4 p.m. before they reach- ' ed their temporary home again. ,■ The Agent-General, in his dark diplomatic uniform, had literally to take a liacld seat. He was placed right at the back of the second gallery in the, south aisle"-pf thd nave, behind the ; group of provincial! mayors.- He-could sec nothing, and op on windows at- tic back of a- man who is onlyjust convalescent from a. chill, and whose legs are cased only in silk stockings are not conducive to health, so alter a very shortl experience hs left the Abbey, and l -watched the King’s, procession -arriving outside. Eventually, however, someone pointed, outi - to him a scat which was remaining vacant,; and the Agent-General seized the opportunits- and the empty place, and in the long ran —thanks in.no way to the Colonial Office! —obtained a very fair view of the ceremony., , - Mrs Reeves and Miss Lascelles did not cbm« ’ ■ over from Geneva for the Coronation. “ The last shall bo first,” and perhaps the best view of the ceremony was obtained by Captain Pringle and Lieutenant MonuS|i -, newly arrived from Soutii Africa* ixr tb*& JVlo- , ;l hawk. Owing to the final refusal by the Irish members to bt> present at the Abbey*. and to the inability of several Other invited guests to attend, a> large number of tickets were placed! at tho disposal of the War Office for distribution among colonial officers. Tw o tickets were left late on Friday night* , ; and Captain Pringle and Lieutenant Moms, , ; patrolling between the Agent-General s ana tho War Office, captured them. These two officers went comfortably in their kiiarkl uniforms, sat among the M.P.’e, and saw splendidly. Lieutenant-Colonel and Jura Summerville 1 , I believe’, obtained tickets in much the same fashion. , Mrs Findlay, who wore a white s ilk brocade, the corsage trimmed with fine Irish point lace and diamonds, had a strange adventure. She and Dr Findlay had walked a considerable distance away from the Abbey in search of their carriage, when suddenly she discovered her diamond and sappliire bracelet was gone. Walking hack the wav she had come, she put into practice the advice of the song, “Ask a Policeman. Going up to the first policeman sae mat, she asked him) “ Have you seen a diamond and sapphire bracelet?” He produced it from his pocket! It had evidently Decu trodden on, and five of the smaller diamonds ' were missing. The man in blue was courtesy itself, and a coronation medal, in gold, induced-further investigation by bin on the pavement, with the result Hat the two largest diamonds of tho missing quintette : were picked up ini the street. It is marvellous, consider- , ing the millions of pounds value of jewels the peeresses carried" about them, and the . free and! easy way in which many; ;of them ■walked through, the streets, that big theft I *, were, at least, not attempted; hut, even among the masses of the hoi po loi, the cases of pocket-picking were exceptionally* . rare. . . , Mr A. J. Cadman shivered jn fits Court; .. dress for down below the Abbey seems to bave’been chilly. It was warm enough in

' the triforium. Mr Seymour Thome George came boldly in frock-coat, and was not "turned away because he had no “Coronation garment,” Mrs Thorne George’s gown was of cream brocade trimmed with silver ■applique, white chiffon and old lace, her ' ornaments were a diamond and pearl necklace and brooches, and she wore white os- ?■ plumes and lace lappets in her coiffure. All the New Zealand ladies, in fact, ■ were in white. Colonel Porter and Mrs Howie received T their invitations to the Abbey at 5 p.m. on Friday night, hut some blundering War ‘ Office official enclosed with the tickets an intimation that levee dress must he worn. > _^ s Colonel Porter had only his war-stained iharki uniform, he and Mrs Howie refrained from going to the Abbey, and witnessed the procession from one of the ftands outside. ■ Aoout 150 New Zealanders were on the - co lonial stand at the corner of Parliament Street, and obtained an excellent view of isihe procession. Tims and space do not permit of their enumeration, but among • them were Mr and Mrs John Batger, Mr : and Mrs Arthur Brett, Miss M. A. Cargill, ’ Mr and Mrs J, H. Ccok, Lieutenant G. R. Cotterill. Mr and Mrs D. Grewe, Mr W. A. Ellis, Misses Grigg, Dr and Mrs J. Guthrie, Dr and Mrs Haines, Mr and Mrs A. ,P. Harper, the blisses Henry, Mr John Holmes, Messrs Horton, Mr and bliss Haydon, blrs W. H. Levin, Dr Hope Lewis, his ■ wife and daughter, Dr M’Nab, Miss H. E.

■ Moorhouse, Mr and Mrs W. ! C. Robison, Lieutenant Saunders, Nina Countess of Seas; field and her two daughters, Mr and blrs ' J. F. Studholme, Mr and Mrs D. Theomin, Lady Vogel, Mr H. B. Vogel, Mr Julius Vogel, Miss Vogel. An accident that occurred just after the Royal carriages had passed on their return , from the Abbey, and just as the colonials were about to leave the stand, somewhat • marred the pleasure of their day. The 'horses in the carriage of two ladies return'ving from the Abbey bolted, and ran into the crowd just under the colonial stand, knocking down seven or eight of the Indian soldiers lining the route, a policeman and a woman; It was a sad end to a happy day

to se® several apparently lifeless forms car- ■ lied away on stretchers. Two of the Indians lie in the hospital in a critical con* "dition, with fractured skulls, and the Case ■' of the woman is also serious, but the re- , mainder have not sustained very severe injuries.