PRINCE OF WALES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1132, 20 May 1911, Page 10

PRINCE OF WALES.

O >• l', PERFORMS HIS. FIRST RUBUC ". CEREMONY. v MAIDEN SPEECH. 'In the old Guildhall of the ancieut and loyal borough ot uartmouin, where tno pictures or .Devon's aumiruis, Kaieign and jjraiio and iiawiiins, iook down uojii tiie timuered walls, tno sailor Pnnco ot Wales, who is sixteen years old, ou. March 2!), performed his urst pumie and oiiicial ceremony and mado his maioeu public speech. As Lord Duke of the Duchy of Cornwall he eamo at tho eud ot his naval course of instruction to present to tho town tho silver oar which is tho outward sign'of the power vested in the town as tho bailiff and guardian of tho. Dartmouth waters. The Princo ot Wales, with his brother Prince Albert, made tuo short river trip from tho Naval Collego to the harbour quavsido by launch. Hero tho Mayor and" tho Town Council received him. Straight and firm, tho Princo of Wales and Prince Albert stood to the salute as a baud struck up "God bless the Princo of Wales." The Prince was nervous and flushed obviously—what boy would not,, with tho bauds playing, the crowds raising cheer "on cheer, aud tho church bells setting their steeples rocking all for him? But he boro himself well . and j manfullv, inspecting with a keen eye the guard of honour of Territorials and j cadets, noting their equipment, and passing a. word of congratulation to the officer commanding. A long procession was formed to march to the Guildhall. Tho Princo' of Wales and Prince- Albert rode in a pair-horsed landau. Ahead of them were coastguards, Territorials, tho firo brigade, Boy Scouts, cadets, banner hearers, and bands; behind; borne by a square-shouldered naval petty officer, was the famous silver oar, about a vard in length and weighing 740z„ which 'had been brought from tho, Duchy ol Cornwall offices in London. Following came the Mayor and all the civic dignitaries, even to the local school manCrowds massed solid and black on cither side of the Half-mile Way to the Guildhall. Small Hags were raised, handkerchiefs were fluttered, and more than one woman threw flowers from, an upper window as tho Prince passed by. He was pleased without doubt at all this enthusiasm, for a shy, half-smile stole over his face now and then, but only to be quickly repressed into a look of boyish dignity. His right hand he kept ot the saluto with scarcely auv intermission. On arriving .at tho Guildhall, the Prince was greeted by, schoolchildren singing "God Bless the ' Princo of Wales." The Prince first signed a roll, which read:— ' - . To the' Mayor,' Aldermen, and Burgesses of the Borough of Dartmouth: It is our will and pleasure, with the - approval of our most dear Lord and : Father the King, to commit into yoiir I custody and chan;o this silver oar, formerly the symbol of the office of water bailiff or water bailiwick and conservancy of the waters of Dartmouth, to tho intent that the same may bo held by ' you on our behalf during our pleasure. With a little bow the Prince handed the. oar to tho Mayor. Then he stood straight up, cleared his throat, and said, spe-aking clearly and well: Mr. Mayor, it gives me.areat pleasure to present to you this silver oar, and I. thank you and all your inhabitants for vour kind welcome to me at Dartmouth, where I have spent two such happy years. Loud applause greeted this little speech. Again the procession was formed, back to the quay this time, and (be Prince went aboard bis launch amid a burst of cheering, led by tho Mayor, who enthusiastically waved his three-cornered hat. The little Irat. thrust ils way into the stream, and these who watched carefully saw tho Prince's shoulders rise in a sigh of relief.as lie turned to his brother, Princo Albert, as if lo say, "I am glad my. first public speech is over." Before leaving Dartmouth, tho Prince of Wales sent for Mr. A. W. Simpson, who has been at the Dartmouth and Osborne Colleges respectively during tho four years the Prince lias been a naval cadet," and presented him with a handsome gold j)\n mounted with the Prince of Wales plumes. The Prince also presented a number of oulograiih photographs of himself to tho officers and masters of the college.