Our Paris Letter.

Manawatu Herald, 8 May 1894, Page 3

Our Paris Letter.

(fbom our own correspondent.) 14th March, 1894. Mid Lent was decidedly one of the finest nii-careme days the capital has enjoyed for many years. Ifc formed a happy contrast to its predecessor, and was accordingly feted wifch all the entrain fche fefce-loving Parisians are capable of putting into a merry holiday-making. The historical cavalcade, in which the students of fche Latin Quarter joined, was finely gotten up, more particularly the car, thafc bore the chosen reine des reines. The Queen of Queens, wearing fche wreath which the washerwomen have bestowed upon her, is graciously dressed in robes of style Louis XIV. Her throne stands within an immense golden crown on wheels and she is surrounded by her maids of honour and sixteen other ladies of her court. A " car of beauty " followed in the shape of a bower of sunflowers and 20 pretty women reposed amongst fche petals. Trumpeters, Cavaliers ofthe King and Musketeers of fche Queen were in attendance in scores, the whole forming a highly

—-—_— i - - — —-"^ai-a-aB-i . '■ picturesque group. Rarely was there such a crowd — and a good natured one too— as filled the boulevards the whole of the afternoon and evening, and the quantities of confetti and serpentins thrown were enormous. Restaurants made a rich harvesting every part of the cifcy, and this year's festival will long be remembered as one of the most joyous known in the gay capital. From the Carnival Queen, to the King of Dahomey, fche difference is enormous, but it was only one day later that the passengers of the " Stamboul " which arrived at Oran, witnessed the Embarkation of Behanzin on the war vessel " Segond." The ex-King of Dahomey had expected to be able to fcake thirty of his wives with him to cheer his exile, but only four with four children were allowed to accompany him. The leave taking gave rise to a most painful scene. While Behanzin gravely gave his blessing to his abandoned spouses the latter uttered piercing cries and tore their hair and fiesh. When fche boats put oti for the ship they rushed infco fche wafcer after them afc the risk of being devoured by the sharks which abound in these waters, and remained with the sea up to their necks until the vessel was lost to sight below the horizon. As to the exiled King, the following story is told by an officer about him and which shows the barbarian in his true light : — " Behanzin abandoned by all his partisans, and realising that the game was up, sent for his aged mother and said to her : • lam going to surrender to the King of the French, but my father Glegle must know. You must therefore go and tell him. This said, Behanzin had his mother's head cut off, and stood calmly by smoking his calumet, while the operation was being performed."