THE GREAT DURBAR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1342, 20 January 1912, Page 10

THE GREAT DURBAR.

— c SPLENDOUR AND POWER OF EMPIRE. THE ROYAL PROCESSION. MAGNIFICENT CEREMONIES AT DELHI. Delhi, December 7. To-day will long bo remembered as tho first occasion .on which a British Monarch entered the ancient capital of India. It has indeed been a great day, replete with splendour and interest. Long befora sunriso I was awakened by the cries of tho populace, the rhythmic tramp of passing troops, the blare of trumpets, and the rolling of drums. Hours before tho King's arrival the streets were thronged by tens of thousands of expectant people. Windows, roofs, temporary stands, the branches of trees, broken walls, inequalities of ground, all were taken advantage of. It was evident that tho populaco had worked itself into a high state of excitement, in which, no doubt, not a little curiosity.was mingled to see tho man who ruled over their destinies, • and who to them was the embodiment of the splendour, arid power of Empire. The decorations'seen in the streets wore poor as compared with thoso to be seen on great occasions of State in Europe, but thoy were at least bright and plentiful, consisting mainly of multitudes of small llags, and red cotton cloths bearing loyal sentiments. . At the Selimgarh Station where the Royal train was to. arrive, were assembled troops representing all the regiments at present in Delhi. On the ramparts behind mustered tine veterans, white-bearded and white-haired old men in the uniform of a bygone age. Englishmen and Indians, who had held Lucknow against the hordes of rebols, and stormed tho very city which to-day was rejoicing to receive her King. Later on arrived the high officials, headed by Lord Hardinge, the Governor-General. Promptly at 10 a.m. the long white train which had been built for the occasion of the lioyal visit drew up at the platform; the door opened; the guns thundered out a Royal saluto; and there stepped forth Britain's King, tho Emperor of India. A second later the. Queen-Empress followed. They were received by Lord and Lady Hardinge; Lord Hardingo's son presented a shower bouquet to the Queen, and then his Excellency introduced, one by one, tho members of the Indian suite. These presentations over, the King descended the steps amidst a second Royal salute, and insp'Mted the guard of honour, from which he passed on to speak to some of the veterans. The procession was then formed, and conducted tho King and Queen to tho Shamiaua insidb the fort, where was ranged the chivalrv of India clad, in marvellously rich attire, and adorned with priceless jewels. The heralds sound a flourish on their silver trumpets; their Majesties seat themselves upon their gilt aud crimsju thrones, beforo which the princes, headed by tho Nizam, pass and make their reverence. Then another nourish of trumpets sounds, and tho Ion" luarcli .to tlie Ridge begins. ° At the Pavilion. I was fortunate in having Sin excellent seat at tho pavilion, where a brilliant assemblage awaited the' Royal procession. Hero was tho Viceroy's Council, joined later on by tho Viceroy himself. With these were the great officers of the army, with rows ot medals upon their breasts; judges in their wigs and fccarlet gowns; native chiefs and officials with many-coloured-pugareos ;and robes of embroidered eilk; distinguished members of the Civil Services; notable visitors; and last, but not least, a crowd of ladies in glorious attire. Beyond thoso wore the invited guests, amongst whom your correspondent had a place, while outside the pavilion a military band beguiled tho timo of waiting with popular airs. It is impossible without tlio aid of coloured illustrations to convey any adequate idea of the brilliant effect produced by the splendid uniforms of tho military laden with gold embroidery and 1 with waving plumes, and the lovely costumes of their fair companions as they paraded round tlw decorated enclosure awaiting tho King's arrival. My own compan'on, the ex-Lord Mayor of Liverpool, who wore full Court dress with knee brccchos, silk stockings, silver buckles, lace frills, and a glittering order upon his breast, attracted a good deal of attention, aud I told him that there was no doubt but that lie was taken'for the Lord Mayor of London and I for his chaplain. At length the first salute of 101 grins was heard, and the exhilarating rattle, of a' feu de joie rising and falling■ along the lino of troops that stretched far awav for miles from the Delhi Gate to the "Ridge. Three times did this roar of rifle fire carry its message through the crowds along th« route. Finally tho King's procession appeared, headed by tlie GovernoreajidLieut.-Governors of tho States and provinces, with thoir escorts; other high officials followed; then a troop of Dragoon Guards on grey horses and a battery of the Royal Horse Artillery in bluo and gold uniforms. These were succeeded by 20 trumpeters, who, with loud blasts, announced the King. The heralds were followed by the lioyal bodvgnard and tho Governor-General's staff. Then the King-Emperor himself, upon a noble charger, wearing the uniform of a field-marshal—a scarlet tunic, covered by the light bine ribbon of tho Star of India, and a white-plumed helmet upon his head. Ho looked very well after his voyage, and pleased with the hearty cheering that greeted his arrival. Immediately following the King's bodyguard was tho carriago of tho Queen. Her Majesty wore a gown of soft white satin, embroidered with pink roses and blue bows, with the ribbon and badge of tho Garter, and was accompanied by the Mistress of the Robes and tho Lord High Steward. The carriage was brought to a standstill, whilst the King rode up to tho side facing the councillors, with whom were the Governor-General, the Secretary of State, and tho Commander-in-Chief, etc. Tho address that followed has, no doubt, been cabled to Australasia, so I need not further refer to it. Where I was seated we heard tho King's reply quite plainly, and I remarked the excellent quality of his voice and his distinct enunciation. The cheering which followed was very hearty, and lasted uutil tho King, saluting repeatedly, rode on his way amidst another flourish of trumpets. The Indian Princes. Neit to the King and Qneen, tho Indiaji princes and ruling chiefs were undoubtedly the most attractive feature of tho procession. How gay and rich they looked as they drove in state bohind their Emperor! Each had his own ietinue, and frequently his own bodyguard of native troops. It" would be useless to attempt to describo for, Australasian readers tho various princes and rulers that made up this part of the procession. Their names would for the most part bo unfamiliar, not to say unpronounceable, and tho description tedious and uninteresting. Some rode in English carriages similar to tho Queen's; others—a glittcriug sight—in chariots covered with plates of solid silver and gold. Before cacn chief rode standard-bearers and horse-drummers, tho standards of every conceivable hue. There were horses completely covered with silver anil gold plates or coins, which glittered and jingled as tho animals walked. Behind the Maharajah of Jeypore, whom I liopo shortly to visit, eamo his famous mqiled horsemen, clad from head to foot in chain armour, ami looking as though thoy had just returned from the Crusades. The only native Princess that appeared was the Begum of Bhopal, w ho was greeted with a tremendous outburst of applause. I liavo seen her several times, and been quite near her. She is a little woman, with her faco completely veiled, leaving two liny slits only for the eyes, she is said to bo very elever, an' excellent ruler, and has travelled in Europe. Behind her carriage was borno the splendid banner presented to her by tho lato Queen Victoria. Sometimes a stiver or a golden litter would appear, or. a troop of camels, tho huge beasts completely dwarfing their equine neighbours. Ranjitsinhji, the Jam of Nawanagar, of course, met with a great reception, but who could have recognised tho famous cricketer in this gorgeous figure, clad in pale silk and red turban, rolling past in a stately carriage covered with precious metal. I have a suspicion, too, that ho is growing rather stout. But ho is a good fellow, and may be relied on to "play tho gamo" wherever he is. A friond of mine lives in his neighbourhood,

' and lias given mo several instances of his goodness of heart. Assamese and Bunncso inese cliiultains, 100, weru there, and represcntativcs ol' the bravo but wild hill tribes that give us so much trouble. Nor must 1 forget the dancing horses with bolls round their fetlocks that made music as thpy danced past. The procession took 21 hours, and for vividness, variety, and Fpiencloiir has surely never been surpassed. Hut one item was missing—the proenssion of elephants, wliicli is always one of tho most conspicuous and popular. Why it was omitted this tiiuc is a mystery. Some say it is because the Queen dislikes them; others that tho authorities feared to place the King in so conspicuous and exposed a position as an elephant's howdah. Whatever the reason, it is a pity this unit should have to bo omitted, though even without it the procession was superb. I have not attempted to describe (ho dress of tho chiefs, but the reader may be sure that they were magnificently attired in silks and satins, and gold and silver broideries, and jewelled turbans and ropes of pearls. At last, long as it was, the procession ended, and we hurried to our various homes dazzled and delighted—but very hungry and tired—not as tired, however, as some of the troops that had been on duty since 5 o'clock. I noticed kineinatogrl'ph machines at work, so hoik) those who read this imperfect description of a magnificent spectacle will eee for themselves in picturoland how little I have exaggerated, and how far short of the reality any merely verbal description must necessarily be. If I might venture on a little criticism, I should say that the effect would have been heightened had the prooession been shortened. Fifty thousand troops in addition to all the other sections was too much, and tended to weariness. It would have been more impressive, too, I think, if the King liimsolf liaxl been made a little more conspicuous. Riding along amidst a number of other equally gorgeous horsemen, tho natives had been haj-dlv able to distinguish lilm. It is said by some that the authorities feared for his safety. However that may be, there is no doubt that thousands were disappointed. The Queen was quite conspicuous, and seeing lier only bowing graciously to right ana left many of the spectators thought tho National Anthem was for hor, and gave hearty cheers. lam told on good authority that the Queen rallied hor husband on this, exclaiming, "George, you must admit that I scored on you this time; the choers were nearly all for me." I think, too, that there should have been music in the procession—a strange omission surely Nevertheless, it was a glorious spectacle, and one can hardly expect to look upon its like again.