EUROPEAN EXTRACTS.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 318, 6 November 1860, Page 4

EUROPEAN EXTRACTS.

REVIEW OF SCOTTISH VOLUNTEERS. The great review by the Queen of the Scottish volunteers in Holyrood-park on the 7th of August passed off with the utmost success. The weather was dull in the morning and showery about noon, but after two the day was fine, with warm sunshine and a light breeze from the west, and, excepting immense clouds of dust that swept over the review ground, there was nothing to mar the comfort of those engaged.

It was half-past three before the entire line was formed, nearly three-fourths of the volunteers having had to make the journey from home that morning, and, owing to the immense pressure on the railways, several of the arrivals were very late. It is beJieved that the volunteers under arms considerably exceeded the returns previously made and numbered from 21,000 to 22,000 men, besides from 2000 to 3000 that were present as spectators, the latter including numerous men of the London Scottish.

Her Majesty leit Holyrood at half-past three o'clock, attended by a most brilliant retinue. The Duchess of Kent, at present residing at Cramond-house, occupied the carriage with her Majesty, along with the Princess Alice and Prince Arthur. The Prince Consort and the Duke of Buccleuch rode on either side of the carriage. In attendance on her Majesty were Generals Scarlett, Airey, and C. Grey, the Marquis of Tweeddale, and other military officers of high rank; and in the suite were observed Mr. Sydney Herbert, the Earl of Wemyss, the Marquis of Stafford, M.P., Lord Polworth, Lord Belhaven, and Lord Provost of Edinburgh, &c. The Marquis of Breadelbane, the Earl of Rosslyn, and other noblemen were in the ranks of the volunteers, and Lord Elcho, in the uniform of the London Scottish, was also upon the field. Behind the saluting flag was a splendidlydecorated gallery, containing about 4000 spectators; but it was upon the hills opposite that the great concourse took place. The vast and varied gathering could not be estimated at less than 200,000 persons. The volunteer army was commanded in chief by General Sir George Wetherall, and (he two divisions respectively by Lord Rokeby and General Cameron. There were about 150 different corps on the ground, marshalled into 34 battalions—one of Mounted Rifles, six of Artillery, one of Engineers, and 27 of Rifles. There was the utmost variety of uniform, from dark grey —which a large portion of the earliest formed corps, including the Edinburgh battalions, had adopted—to the light grey approved by Government, and in which many of the more recently formed corps were clothed. The marching past of this large body of volunteers occupied exactly an hour and 20 minutes, having commenced at four o'clock. Towards the close and throughout the passing of the second division the clouds of*dust continued to increase, and to a considerable extent nterred the beauty of the display. \ .

The marching past being concluded, a lengthened pause took place, during which the whole line was put in order to advance. At length General Wetherall gave the command, which was repeated by the commanders throughout the line, and communicated by the sound of the bugle. The whole army then simultaneously moved forward until the bugle called a halt. The officers then saluted with their swords and the whole line presented arms; The final command given was three cheers for the Queen, and instantaneously was the command responded to and echoed from one end of the line to the other. The cheer, which was : caught up with still louder acclamation by , the spectators on the hill-side, was tremendous and overpowering, and continued almost without intermission for several minutes. At a quarter before six her Majesty left the ground followed by the renewed acclamations of the entire mnltitude. , i

The following " general order " has been issued from the Horse Guards : " The Ad-jutant-General has received the Queen's commands to convey her thanks to the several corps of artillery and rifle volunteers assembled at Edinburgh on the 7th inst., and to assure them of the satisfaction and gratification with which her Majesty beheld the magnificent spectacle there presented to her. Her Majesty could not see without admiration the soldier-like bearing of the different corps as they passed before her, and she finds in the high state of efficiency to which they have attained in an incredibly short space of time another proof that she may at all times surely rely on the loyalty and patriotism of her people for the defence in the hour of need, of the freedom and integrity of the empire.—By order, J. Yorke Scarlett, A.G."