A Grand Spectacle.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 206, 21 October 1873, Page 7

A Grand Spectacle.

Such a magnificent scene as the one briefly described in the following paragraph, but few persons have the chance to witness, and the actors might well be loth to bring it to an end. On July G, the Shah and suite entered the train which was to convey them to Portsnumill. The Shah was accompanied on board the Rapide by the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Arthur, and after their Royal Highnesses had taken leave his Majesty left England about two o’clock. The ironclads Agincourt, Sultan, Hercules, and Northumberland escorted the Rapide and her consort into the Channel. After five o’clock the French convoy was sighted. It consisted of L’Ocean, the flagship of Admiral Reynaud, Le Suffren, La Rcinc Blanche, La Thetis, L’Armide, with the little Renard in close attendance, and in a shoi’t time the nine ironclads were arranged on either side of the Rapide, as an escort, in separate lines. Then j followed a striking scone “ After one of j the most tremendous salutes over fired by j five ships, the French squadron hoisted the j Union Jack to every masthead, and almost I simultaneously with this mark of honour to the English squadron, and before the smoke, which for some minutes after, these terrific broadsides had raised thick clouds over miles of sea, had cleared away, the French had yards manned on every ship ; cheers were heard, breaking forth through the volumes of smoke ; and when the two squadrons could see each other distinctly again, the French sailors on every yard, having paid the regulation tribute to the Shah, were giving round after round of cheering for their English allies. The English tars responded from the decks, and there was a moment’s silence, and then sounds of music—from every English ship ‘The Marseillaise,’ and from every French ship ‘God save the Queen !’- were wafted over the sea. Both squadrons seemed j reluctant to put an end to such a scene.”