THE QUEEN'S REVIEW.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9186, 25 July 1902, Page 1

THE QUEEN'S REVIEW.

iTHRTY THOUSAND TROOPS SALUTE HER MAJESTY. LONDON, June 17. The Queen? s Review yesterday was a splendid spectacle. Ou the further side of the far-stretching miles of grass land were massed the infantry batalions in solid blocks of scarlet,' dark green, and grey. On the right of the line, under the bright gleam of many lance points, the cavalary were drawn up; to the left dark olumps of men and horses showed where the field artillery batteries were ranged in close order. In.the background stretched the dripping'firs', with wooded heights beyond breaking the misty skyline. Opposite to the troops, in the centre of carriages and spectators, stood a little royal tent, decked with flowers. To the light of it were a number of the Indian Princes and their suites crowding the boxes of drags and wagonettes. As the sun shone out—for it did shine for a good two hours, dodging the approaching storm clouds—they formed a striking pageant ii* their quaint costumes of pink and scarlet gold and rose embroider.. They sat very" silent, gazing over the plain at the'troops with dark, melancholy faces. Besides them on Army wagons were a. little group of notables; Mr Seddou, bluff and hearty, "called greetings to his old freinds, and Mr Borden, Canada's Minister of Defence, sat near him. The latter was the guest of Colonel Biggar, a Canadian who saw much service in> South Africa. --■■ PRESENTATION OF COLORS. As the time drevr on and eleven o'clock

approached, people looked anxiously around wondering if the King would come. Andvas they cast about some scarletcoated troopers of-the Scots Greys came jogging from the west, and behind them rode Lord Roberts and the splendidly ap}rointed officers of the Headquarters Stun". Then cum© the Prince of Wales, (lie Duke of Connaught by his side, ;ind at their backs their staffs and a little host of military attaches in uniforms of nianj' hues. Just as the Prince came riding from the west, the Queen came driving from the east. In the carriage on her Majesty's left hand was the Princess of Wales and opposite Princess Victoria. A second carriage bore tb« Duchess of Connaught and Princess Margaret. As the two royal parties gained the saluting base-and met, the bands across the plain struck up^jtfud Save the King." In the distance .(^Htireiily thousand rifles Leaped to' the salute, aud-the brightness of the. pipe-clayed rirk-sliiigs tupied in, an instant the long strip of red. into a long strip of white. The Prince, a"gallant.figure | in his scarlet coat a& Colonel of tho Royal Welsh Fusiliers, tok the salute, and then the Queen's carriage moved 'down and stayed beside the King's and : regimental colws of .the Highland In- i fantry that were crossed upon the pile of drums. The sky was now brighter, and the rain had ceased to fall. First, while the shrill bagpipes wailed for "Auld Lang Syne," the flags of the old color were displayed before the. troops and afterwards the simple service for 1-he new color s consecration was begun. When the voices of the men chanting "Brightly Gleams our Banner" were silent, the Oueen took the colors and placed them in | the color-sergeant's hands while he rested i on his bended knee. i Her Majesty, in presenting (he colors, addressed the battalion as follows : — "In the King's name I confide these colors' to you. May God bless them and your excellent regiment." i Meantime the troops across the plain had been moving westward like some drifting crimson cloud, ;iud now the Queen, who took tho Kiug's place at Ihe saluting base, being seated iv her carriage beneath the Royal Standard, the great inarch past began. The, firit to lower his sword and take tho Queen's bow was" the Prince of Wales, who as* colonel of the- Royad Marine Artillery led that corps, in the van. THREE MILES OF INFANTRY. Behind the red1 and blue Marines came the five, infantry divisions, three miles of troop?; Militia for the most part, sweeping past in wave on wave of scar-

let till the head grew dizzy with the blaze of color and the endless movement of the tramping men. And every^ time the colors of those almost countless regiments passed her by the Queen, bowed her head. Only now and again the passing of well-known figures broke the long monotony of all that splendor. That was when for the second time the Prince came down the line, upon this occasion heading his own Welsh Fusiliers, and the Duke of Coraiaught, a. splendid figure in his Highland 'costume, led past his Scotsmen. The wiry figure of Lord Roberts rode on a giant charger before the men of Derby.

And after the long array of men on foot that took more than an hour to pass came j the batteries, both Horse and Field, the j drivers sitting stiff as statues; and the | wheels of all the hundred guns dressed iin beautiful precision. And after them a cloud of hosemeni, the 21st Lancers, with pale blue plastrons they won in Egypt, in the van. And after them Dragoons, in, gleaming helmets and Hussars in braid. The King's Colonials followed with Lord Chesham at their head, and after them a strong brigade of Yeomanry, looking very soldierly and fit. Last' of all the Army Service Corps, with, horses, and with wagons, the trimmest and the handiest troops of all tliail marching host. CAVALRY MARCH PAST. The weary eyes had scarcely time to glance across the fresh green of the empty plain, from whose far bonders the infantry were marching home, when the 4000 horsemen wheeled about to pass a second time before the Queen. They did not gallop, as: it had bten designed they should, for the passing of 30,000 men had left the wet turf dangerous, and the Queen had ordered they should trot. So they came trotting, the bulk of the gleaming, 'swaying horsemen • half hidden behind the forest of the. Luncers' fluttering pennons as they came on. They passed, and the review was over, and to the playing of the National Anthem by the four cavalry brigades' mussed bunds Queen and Prince drove and rode through cheers back to the Royal Pavilion.

Cardiff intends competing as a cold storage depot for Australian frozen meat. Huge cold storage sheds are being constructed there. At the Bute Dock one of the cargo sheds has three floors, and each floor has an area of two acres. It is reported that rabbit trappers in the Gundagai district, N.S.W., are mak- | ing from £4 to £5 per week. A Gundagai squatter says that he has been seriously considering whether it would not be more profitable now to breed rabbits than sheep. The New Zealand Trade Review, after giving the figures of the Post Office Savings Bank, says:—"While it is gratifying to see this evidence of saving-power and thrift in the community, there seems to be an element of danger in the liability of the Government for such an amount as £6,350,000 payable on demand. Let us hope the danger is more apparent than real." 'lik' Stratford Settler reports:— The pre»:vu! factory at Toko is the property of the CVcwji Dairy Company, and under agreement the settlers have arranged to ■purchase this factory and amalgamate with the Stratford Dairy Company, to enable which the share capital of the latter company will be extended by £10,000. The result of this arrangement will be that the dairy produce from the extensive Toko district will be concentrated in the Stratford factory, the output of which will be considerably increased. I must tell you of an incident in the Bothasberg fight, described to me by an eye-witness, says the Post's correspondent with the Tenth Contingent. Colonel Bauchop, when the firing began, turned out in a pair of boots and overcoat, and nothing else. As he stumbled up the ridge a Boer fired at him from his hip, so close that the fire stung in his face. The Colonel dropped, and the Boer pounced on him, and ripped open his coat, then seeing him in the state in which he entered this world, and concluding that he had already been stripped, he let him go-" Shakespeare, says Table Talk, does really spell ruin in Melbourne, for the Janet Waldorf Company lias been forced into the Insolvency Court. The responsible head of the company—Ada Montgomery Currier—lias filed her schedule, which shows £1080 debts, and assets £50. Mr Norval McGregor, the leading man of the Janet Waldorf Company, is the only secured creditor, holding an assignment over the wardrobe and scenery. The Janet Waldorf Company's seasons in Sydney and Melbourne were run on the sharing principle with Mr J. C. Williamson.