Our Paris Letter.

Manawatu Herald, 28 December 1893, Page 3

Our Paris Letter.

(from oub own correspondent ) Pabis, 28th October. The Franco-Russian fetes which havS'kejjft the capital in a state of constant excitement for a week have now come to an end. They were in a measure interrupted for two days by tne moasning over and the solemn interment of Marshal MacMahon; Mtjmore subsequently coritiriued with undiminished enthu--Biaßin. ur: "- ! ° '■' M -' ° •■' " : The^brillianfr programme has been handibnl^ly carried out to the letter, an£:&r&fa& fMeefa great; credit, npon-thpser who conceived it. The enthusiasm ot the population was at fe?er- heathen the Russian Admiral Avellan, accompanied by fifty of the officerirtrf -hii fleet, and escorted by the members of the State Municipal and .Press Committees, arrived from Tulon, at the Gare de Lyon and were driven in twenty-four carriages to the Cercle Militaire, where the guests were quartered during their * sojoura in our midst. After a hearty welcome at the Cerole, the Russian officers were driven w gala, to the Russian Church, where a Te Beum was celebrated. On their return at 2.8Q p.m. lunch was served. At & o'SbbV they repaired to the ElyseS, wlwtft they were presented to Preau L dent Carnot by Baron Mohrentain the Russian Ambassador. From the Elyaei.they were< driven to the Russian Eav>as3y> then called upon the Minister of Marine and two other members r.bf . the Cabinet going last in" seas*6n to dress ior the grand dinner at the Elysee at 7 o'clock, wfei6hwaß followed at 10 o'clock by a ball, that was kept up till 2 o'clock in'thrmorning; The following day the city and the nations guests paid a number of official visits, partook of a Mjettner at the Russian Embassy, followed by a reception, and in the evening attended a grand reception and ball' &t the Ministry of Marine. ' Aside from the grand dinner at .the

Hotel de Ville and the torchlight procession, the great feature among the daily festivities was the grand promenade through Paris. Next they had a lunch at the Cerclo Militaire, a Military carrousel in the Machinery Gallery ion tho Champ de Mars, a regatta at Autenil, a grand popular banquet given by the Press in the Central Dome, and a most magnificent display of fireworks at night at the Trocadevo and on the Champ de Mars, which the Russian guests witnessed from the Eiffel Tower, itself brilliantly lighkd up with varicoloured Bengal lights. A number of the officers weut the following . day to Versailles, while Admiral Avellan received numerous deputations at the Cercle Militaire. A farewell luncheon was given to them by President Garnot at the Elysee, and a brilliant entertainment and' dinner at six o'clock at the Cercle de l'Union Artistique. Then came the opening piece of the public festivities ' in their honour— the. gala performance at the Grand Opera, than which no finer or more magnificent had been seen here for years. It was got up by the Press whose committee deserves the highest credit for the arrangement. .- President and Mme. Carnot attended the dazzlingly beautiful display, and the house, filled with the creme of Parisian society, offered a coup d' oeii which is difficult to describe. The programme was excellent, and every number was received with deafening applause. The final singing of the Russian National Hymn and of the " Marseillaise," called for by Admiral Avellan, produced an overwhelming effect. On a gesture from the Admiral the house suddenly became silent, and, himself overcome with feeling, he could only say: Mire la France." From this fairy scene the visitors, amid the acclamations of the crowd outside, wended their way to the Circle Militiate, and at 1,30 a.m. took the train for Toulon, where President Carnot bade them on the 27th inst a last good bye.