The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, MAY 6, 1901. THE ROYAL VISIT.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 99, 6 May 1901, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, MAY 6, 1901. THE ROYAL VISIT.

There will be gay festivities in Melbourne to-day in honor of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall. The enthusiasm that characterises the proceedings is remarkable. If the King and Queen came out to the colonies a better reception could hardly be provided than is to be given to the Duke and Duchess. The following interesting information is from a contemporary. Before the reign of Queen Vicoria, colonial visits from the Royal Family were scarcely dreamt of, and her own excursions when a girl were confined to the places of historical and commercial importance within England itself. Tho first of the Royal progresses through the outlying parts of the Empire was made in 1860. In that year, at almost the same time of year, the present King was opening Victoria Bridge over the St. Lawrence at Montreal, while in another quarter of the world his brother, Prince Alfred, the late Duke of Coburg, was laying the foundation of harbor works at Table Bay. The Prince of Wales was a boy of eighteen when he landed off the Hero at St. John’s in Newfoundland, where he created almost as much of a furore as Bonnie Prince Charlie at Edinburgh, The fisherfolk and their wives were charmed with his condescension at the ball given in this almost unknown island, and throughout Canada he was received with--such enthusiasm that the Prince Consort •wrote with a paternal sense of humor, “ Bertie was generally pronounced to be the most perfect production of naturo.” At every stopping place people came from far and near to get a glimpse of him, and they heaped his carriage with flowers. In the back country he visited the Red Indians in their wigwams, and was received by a deputation of chiefs, arrayed in all their savage pomp of paint, eagles’ feathers, and squirrels’ tails. When in reply to their oration he assured them he would never forget his red brethren he was greeted with yells of delight. At Montreal local color was given to his approach by a procession of 120 canoes on the river, rowed by lumbermen dressed in red shirts, while after entering the city he passed under the Lumberers’ Arch, 63 feet high, 82 feet long, and containing 180,000 feet of timber, fixed without nails and without spoiling one plank. Montreal still preserves a relic of his visit in the emblematic t-rowel with which he laid the last stone of the great bridge over the' St. Lawrence. The handle of this trowel' is formed of a silver beaver climbing up a maple stem, while maple leaves border the blade, at the top of which are the rose, shamrock, and thistle, and at the foot the Prince of Wales’s QY/n crest. An interesting coincidence between this visit to Canada and that - of the Duke of York is that the former was partly an acknowledgment of the services of the Canadian regiment in the Crimea, just as the latter visit is of the colonial contingents in South Africa. While the Prince of Wales was in Canada, Prince Alfred had sailed in the Euryalus for South Africa, where Sir George Grey escorted him through the towns and ports and the wilds of Cape Colony, Natal, and the Orange Colony. Across the veldt and karoo he rode, dressed like an Afrikander sportsman, with high riding boots and big slouched hat. Both on this occasion, and on his return, seven years later, he camped out, and went hunting for big game, one famous hunt being after elephants at Buffer s Nek. At night he slept in a hammock swung in the waggon. One day, while riding down a steep descent, a surprise party cf 400 Kaffir warriors, in feathers and tails, sprang out of the mountains to meet him. “ W r e have heard,” said the chief, “ that the great Queen beyond the water cares for the blackskins in Natal, and now we know that she does, because she has sent her heart to us.” The visit of the same Prince Alfred to Australia was recentlyrecalled to public memory by his death. : TTjK landing place was at Glenelg, near the spot where the first Governor took possession of Australia in the name of William IV. One of the most interesting episodes in his welcome was the presence of the Adelaide levee of seventy oolonial patriarchs, who had heard Australia first ;

proclaimed a Crown colony. The Duke returned to England with a whole menagerie of Australian animals. He was par excellence the traveller of his family, and after his Australian tour also visited India and China. Hongkong he entered like an Eastern potentate, in a yellow velvet cedar chair, with a silk canopy over liis head, and he was welcomed, not only by the English colonists, but by the Chinese quarter, which was illuminated with innumerable lanterns in his honor. Much more important politically was the Prince of Wales’ visit to India, where he held a Chapter of the Order of the Star of India, and, seated on a silver throne, received a gorgeous assembly of Rajahs. Two incidents of his visit have the romantic odour of the East about them—one was the company of young Hindoo ladies from the Alexandra School, who met the Royal party at the Bombay dockyard _ gate, dressed in loose flowing robes of pink or blue or yellow satin, and' strewed lovely flowers in his path; the other was the appearance in a demonstration of native school children of a lovely Parses girl, who, attended by a band of Hindoo girls, singing songs of welcome, came forward and threw round his neck a garland of jessamine. As Sydney people in particular will remember, the Duke of York .himself has visited Australia before in company with the late Duke of Clarence. On account of their youth there was no State ceremonial about their visit, and they enjoyed themselves like other boys out travelling, playing cricket, hunting kangaroos, and descending the Ballarat ruiues. One point about all these visits is that the royal fancy was evidently pleased most of all by episodes vividly suggestive of the countries they visited.

Mr S. Seragg, of Patutahi advertises that he has pumpkins in any quantity for sale.

The mail steamer Ventura is due in Auckland to-morrow, but may possibly arrive to-day. Messrs Peckover and Co., land and estate agents, have a change of advertisement in this issue.

Persons found trespassing with dog or gun on Messrs Holden Bros.’ Rimuroa run will be prosecuted. The monthly meeting of the hospital trustees will be held at the hospital on Wednesday next, the Bth instant, at 7.80 p.m.

Messrs Clayton Bros, liavo received a large shipment of Newcastle coal by the barque Empreza. The same will bo sold at specially reduced rates as discharged from the vessel’s side -

By advertisement in' another, column Mr E. E. Sartin returns thanks to those gentlemen who endeavoured to save his belongings from the fire on Friday morning last, and also to his many friends for their sympathy. A meeting of the To Arai Road Board was held on Saturday morning, there being present: Messrs Clark, Jex-Blako, and Cyril White. Mr Cyril AVhite was elected Chairman for the ensuing year, and Mr Billiam was re-elected secretary.'

The Whataupoko Road Board election takes place to-morrow. There will bo two polling booth, one at the Board’s offieo in town, and the other at the residence of Mr H. T. Jones, on the Whataupoko. There are twelve candidates for the five seats.

The scow Ururoa, which arrived from Newcastle yesterday, brings over three hundred tons of coal for Messrs Kennedy and Evans. This firm notify by advertisement in another column that the coal can bo obtained from tho vessel’s side at reduced rates.

The declaration announcing the election of Messrs Caesar, Miller, Graham, King, and Benson, members of the Ormond Road Board, has been revoked, the nomination of Mr R. M. Shanks having been overlooked by the returning officer. An election for the return of five of the candidates will take place to-morrow, the 7th inst.

The death is announced in Dunedin of Mrs C. H. Kettle, relict of the late Charles Honry Kettle, who was appointed first principal surveyor of Otago by the New Zealand Company. The late Mrs Kettle was the eldest white resident of Dunedin. District Judge Kettle is a son of the deceased lady.

The Waihi twice put back to tho wharf last evening to receive lato-comors on board, and the unfortunate individuals were the subject of much amusement to thoso on the wharf. The Union Company are deserving of great praise for the prompt manner in which the Waihi is despatched, the advertised time of departure being strictly adhered to, aud their example might well bo followed by many of our local bodies. Eosidents who intend leaving by the steamer should bear in mind that the time of departure when fixed at five o’clock does not mean a quarter or half-past five. In reply to an enquiry about the ohild alleged to have passed Stand. 11. at tho Makauri school, and to have been degraded to Standard I. at Matawhero, the Chairman of the Makauri School Committee has received the following from Mr -Mashall :—“ The girl was placed here in Standard I. for arithmetic only, and there is nothing abnormal about that, as it is possible to pass Standard 11., or any other standard with the arithmetic of a previous standard. In all other subjects she works with Standard 11., and is up to a good average Standard 11. pupil. Much misunderstanding arisos, I can see, from ignorance of the new standard regulations.”

The report and balance-sheet to be presented to the tenth annual meeting of Messrs Wiliams and Kettlo (Limited) show the net profits for the year, after providing for all necessary depreciations and bad debts, amount to £8346 3s 7d, to which is to be added undivided balance from last year, £282 I9s 7d, giving for distribution £8629 3s 2d. The directors recommend that this shall be appropriated as follows : —ln payment of a dividend at the rate of 7 per cent, per annum on capital ; a bonus of 2 per cent, on goods purchased by shareholders ; 20 per cent, on commissions contributed by' shareholders ; £IOOO placed to the reserve fund, and the balance carried forward. The result is a fine tribute to the management, to whom the shareholders’ hearty congratulations are tendered.

The residents of Haiti are determined not to be behind their town neighbors in the matter of a public hall in which to hold social evenings, dances, etc. A largely attended meeting was hold at one resident's house for the purpose of arranging formalities, at . which considerable enthusiasm prevailed. One gentleman offered a site of.land free of cost-, together with £j aud house blocks, another a grant of land for the hall, free, whilst four others present promised to build the hall gratuitously. Substantial subscriptions were forthcoming from those attending, so much so that- it was only left to a later meeting to arrange- the necessary preliminaries before proceeding with the erection of the ball. It speaks volumes for the generosity of the residents that the matter should have been taken up so heartily, and ’ we wish them success with their venture.

Of the New Zealand bowlers the Melbourne Leader of April 20 says :—On Monday about 20 members of the first Australasian bowling team arrived from New Zealand and Sydney by the steamship Omrah, on their way to London. They were entertained by the M.C.C. in their rinks during the afternoon, and a friendly game was played. A good number of onlookers were in attendance, and around the rinks the play of the New Zealanders was much admired. On the M.C.C. green Messrs Paul and Ballinger, the two New Zealand captains, gave a capital exhibition of driving, as well as all-round play. It is quite' evident that Victoria and New Zealand are sending forward the strongest players. The two rinks opposed to New Zealand on the M.C.C. rinks could not hold a candle to the Maorilanders. Ballinger quite nonplussed Boyle. On one occasion, when the latter was laying two shots, Ballinger drove them both out .very cleanly, and eventually scored seven in the end, following it up with a five. Boyle was all at sea when opposed to Ballinger. Paul met a good player in Hayward, but the latter got poor support from his men, and Paul’s team, playing together like clock-work, gave Hayward a busy time. He made a etubborn fight, but Paul woa easily, seorisg 25 to 12,