The Life of King Edward VII Part 18
Everywhere in the wilds of Algoma and along the rocky sh.o.r.es of Lake Superior little groups of settlers might be seen at the lonely stations watching for a sight of the Duke and d.u.c.h.ess. At Missanabie, a stop was made to see a Hudson's Bay post and stockade and at White River, the coldest place in Canada east of the Yukon, a picturesque party of Indians was seen. A stop was made at Schrieber, and the whole population turned out to see an address presented to the Duke and a bouquet to the d.u.c.h.ess. Late in the evening of the 25th Fort William was reached and the school children of the town sang "The Maple Leaf" from an illuminated stand at the station. At Port Arthur the Duke accepted a case of mineral specimens. Winnipeg was reached at noon of the next day after a quick journey through the "Lake of the Woods" district and a splendid welcome was accorded the Royal visitors. Flags flew everywhere and decorations abounded throughout the city. At the station about a hundred of Manitoba's leading men were gathered. The Governor-General and Lady Minto and Sir Wilfrid Laurier were also present to a.s.sist in the welcome, as their trains had preceded the Royal party to Winnipeg.
The same order was observed in this connection throughout the Canadian tour.
IN WINNIPEG AND THE WEST
The Royal procession then pa.s.sed along the wide main street of the city, through splendid arches of wheat, to the City Hall, where Mayor Arbuthnot presented the address to the Duke. Archbishop Machray then presented an address from the Church of England in Rupert's Land, expressive of welcome and attachment to the Throne and Empire.
Archbishop Langevin, on behalf of the Catholics of Manitoba and the West, in his address dwelt upon the French pioneer labours in the Northwest, and declared the pride felt by the people of his Church in having defended England's n.o.ble standard, even at the expense of their blood. "We thank G.o.d for the amount of religious liberty we enjoy under the British flag." In his reply, the Duke of Cornwall and York spoke of the marvellous progress made by Winnipeg--"the busy centre of what has become the great granary of the Empire, the political centre of an active and enterprising population in the full enjoyment of the privileges and inst.i.tutions of British citizenship." Then followed the presentation of South African medals and a luncheon at Government House attended by many leading citizens. In the afternoon the University of Manitoba was visited and an address read by Archbishop Machray, Chancellor of the University. A state dinner was given in the evening at Government House and about ten o'clock the Royal visitors pa.s.sed through the crowded and illuminated streets of the city to the train, followed by a torchlight procession and the sound of many cheers.
At Regina, on September 27th, a loyal welcome was received. The procession to Government House was followed by the reception of twelve addresses from Territorial centres and the distribution of South African decorations. A luncheon was given by Lieutenant-Governor Forget, and at 3 P.M., the Royal visitors departed for Calgary. There, on the following morning, they witnessed a thoroughly typical Western scene and received a Western welcome. The streets were gaily decorated and many cheers followed the Duke and d.u.c.h.ess as they proceeded to Victoria Park, where a review of 240 Mounted Police was held, medals presented to the South African veterans and Major Belcher decorated with his C.M.G. At another point near the city the Duke then met a large party of Indians and received from them an address which recited their past privations and present progress and expressed the hope that when His Royal Highness should accede to the Throne it would be "to long reign over us, our children, and the other many peoples of the British Empire in peaceful security and abundant happiness."
Speeches were made by a number of the Chiefs and the Duke replied in most picturesque terms. "The Indian is a live man, his words are true words and he never breaks faith. And he knows that it is the same with the Great King, my father, and with those whom he sends to carry out his wishes. His promises last as long as the sun shall shine and the waters flow. And care will ever be taken that nothing shall come between the Great King and you, his faithful children." Indian children then sang the National Anthem, and, after witnessing an extraordinary spectacle of broncho busting and cow-boy riding, the journey was resumed to the Rockies towering up on the horizon. Sunday was spent in traversing the marvellous panorama of nature which spreads out through the Rockies and Selkirks, the mighty glaciers, rushing rivers, lightning changes of colour and varied splendours of scene. A stop was made at Banff and at Laggan and Field, the stations were tastefully decorated with evergreens and flags. Revelstoke was pa.s.sed, the lower levels of the mountains traversed, the plains reached, and on the morning of September 30th the Royal train drew into Vancouver.
Mounted Police and blue-jackets from the fleet were there and as the procession left for the Court House, where addresses were to be received, the deep-mouthed guns of the fleet in the harbour, the ringing bells of the city churches and the cheers of the people sounded a combined welcome. Through several arches and gay decorations--the j.a.panese and Chinese arches being noteworthy--the parade proceeded, with the Premier of Canada in a carriage at its head. At the pavilion, in front of the Court House, the Royal visitors were received by Mayor Townley, an address was presented and a bouquet given to the d.u.c.h.ess as well as a handsome portfolio of British Columbia views from the Local Council of women. The Duke was very brief in his reply. The next thing on the programme was the opening of the new Drill-Hall and the presentation of South African medals. The Boy's Brigade was also inspected. After luncheon a visit was paid to the Hastings Saw-Mill, and a drive taken through the splendid trees and vistas of Stanley Park. At Brockton Point a drill of school children was held in sight of some seven thousand persons and a grand stand full of children looking on.
Here the Duke presented a silken banner to the school which had won the prize for drilling and was given an enthusiastic reception. As the C. P.
R. steamer, _Empress of India_, with the Royal party on board, pa.s.sed in the evening across the Bay of Victoria the waters were illuminated with mult.i.tudes of lighted craft and the city was a vision of golden light with a background of surrounding blackness.
Accompanied by five warships, the Duke and d.u.c.h.ess of Cornwall arrived at Victoria on the morning of October 1st and were greeted by Lieut.-Governor Sir Henri Joly de Lotbiniere as they landed. The drive through the decorated streets to the Parliament Buildings was the scene of much cheering and at the destination Their Royal Highnesses were received by the officials of the Province and an immense surrounding crowd. Mayor Hayward presented the Civic address and various deputations followed him. In his reply the Duke made no allusion to the international relations mentioned in one of the addresses but declared that Canadian sacrifices in South Africa had "forged another link in the golden chain which binds together the brotherhood of the Empire." Medals were distributed and the school children inspected. A drive followed through the gay streets of the city out to Esquimalt, where a barge was taken to the Admiral's flagship and luncheon served, with Real-Admiral Bickford as the host.
In the afternoon the Agricultural Exhibition at Victoria was opened and in the evening the city and Parliament Buildings were brilliantly lighted up by electricity and fireworks. After a state dinner at the Lieutenant-Governor's residence a Reception was held at the Parliament Buildings. The following day was a very quiet one. Her Royal Highness called on Mrs. Dunsmuir, wife of the Prime Minister, to express sympathy over a terrible disaster which had occurred at the Extension Mines and, after luncheon, the Duke and d.u.c.h.ess visited the Royal Jubilee Hospital.
During the day the latter was presented by the miners of Atlin with a bracelet of gold nuggets. Late in the afternoon farewells were made and the voyage back to Vancouver commenced. From Vancouver they departed in the morning, the d.u.c.h.ess going to Banff where she stayed for a couple of days and the Duke going on to Poplar Point, Manitoba, forty miles from Winnipeg, where he enjoyed a couple of days' shooting with Senator Kirchhoffer. Winnipeg was reached on October 8th. They were cordially welcomed again and a visit was paid to Oglivie's Mill--said to be the largest in the Empire--and the direct journey for Toronto was then commenced. From North Bay, through the Muskoka region and on to the capital of Ontario, there were cheering crowds at every station.
Huntsville, Bracebridge, and Gravenhurst were marked in this respect. At Orillia, Barrie and Newmarket short stops were made and, amidst gay decorations, singing children and cheering throngs, the Duke and d.u.c.h.ess appeared on the platform, received a few presentations and in the case of Her Royal Highness accepted bouquets of flowers.
MEMORABLE RECEPTION AT TORONTO
The occurrences at Toronto during the Royal visit were of a character to make history. The morning of October 10th, when the Duke and d.u.c.h.ess arrived was gloomy and later on the rain poured with steady and depressive persistence. But it did not seem to affect the patience of the waiting crowds or dampen the enthusiasm of the reception. A special and beautiful station had been erected at the head of St. George Street and here, amid the patriotic songs of 6000 children, the Royal visitors were received by the Hon. G. W. Ross, Premier of Ontario and a number of his Ministers. The Vice-regal party and Sir Wilfrid Laurier had, as usual, arrived first. The procession followed through miles of decorated streets and throngs of cheering people until the City Hall was reached and a scene of colour and serried ma.s.ses of people witnessed such as Toronto had never known. The streets were lined with ten thousand troops stretching from the station to the Hall and the Alexandra Gate, erected by the Daughters of the Empire, and the Foresters' Arch, erected by the Independent Order of Foresters, were notable features of the welcome. At the City Hall the Royal couple were received by Mayor O. A. Howland and welcomed by the singing of a large trained chorus of voices. An immense crowd was present and addresses were handed in by eleven deputations and replied to at some length.
During the afternoon a presentation was made to the d.u.c.h.ess by Miss Mowat, daughter of the Lieutenant-Governor, on behalf of the women of Toronto. It consisted of a writing set made of Klondike gold and Canadian amethysts and chrystal. The case was made of Canadian maple. A state dinner was given at Government House in the evening by Sir Oliver Mowat and the Royal couple afterwards attended a Concert at Ma.s.sey Hall where Madame Calve and others sang. The streets were filled with enthusiastic crowds far into the night and the illuminations were something unequalled in the history of the city and unexcelled by any others during the Royal tour in Canada. Powerful search-lights from the top of the City Hall tower were an unique feature of the demonstration.
On the following morning--October 12th--the Royal review took place on the Exhibition grounds. It was unquestionably the most brilliant and effective military spectacle ever seen in Canada. Nearly eleven thousand men were mustered under command of Major-General O'Grady-Haly. Before the review commenced His Royal Highness presented the South African medals to a number of the soldiers and the V.C. to Major H. C. Z.
c.o.c.kburn. To the latter also was given a sword of honour on behalf of the City Council. Colours were presented to the Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry and the Royal Canadian Dragoons in the name of the King and as a mark of appreciation for their services in the war. The march past then took place. There were said to be twenty-five thousand people on the grounds and the streets and approaches were lined with many other thousands. In the afternoon the Duke and d.u.c.h.ess visited the Bishop Strachan School and the Duke planted a tree in Queen's Park and reviewed the Fire Brigade. Then came the state visit to Toronto University, the presentation of an address by the Chancellor, Sir William Meredith, and the bestowal of the honorary degree of LL. D.
In the evening a Reception was held in the Parliament Buildings when two thousand people shook hands, amid brilliant surroundings, with the Heir to the Throne and his wife. Prior to this a very large state dinner had been held in the halls of the same building with His Excellency the Governor-General as host. The city was again most brilliantly illuminated and filled with waiting throngs anxious to see and cheer the Royal visitors. Early in the following morning they left Toronto for a rapid trip through Western Ontario. As the Royal train rushed through the populous centres, or quiet villages of this rich section of the country, every railway station was crowded with cheering people anxious for a sight of their future Sovereign and his Consort. At Brampton a short stop was made, and a ma.s.s of beautiful roses, carried by eight children, was presented to the d.u.c.h.ess from the well-known rosaries of the town. At Guelph a platform had been erected near the station, and here two thousand school children sang patriotic songs. At Berlin there was another chorus and another exquisite bouquet of flowers for the d.u.c.h.ess. There was a great crowd of people at this point, and the children carried branches of maple leaves, as well as flags, which they waved while the singing was going on and the presentations were being made by Mayor Bowlby. The City of Stratford had a gaily decorated station, eight thousand cheering citizens and children singing "The Maple Leaf." An arch had been erected festooned with evergreens and flowers. The visit to London was a matter of more formality and length.
The city was packed with people from outlying points, and the reception to the Royal couple as they drove through decorated streets to the Victoria Park was most enthusiastic. There an address was proffered by Mayor Rumball. After the Duke's reply colours were presented to the 7th Regiment and the departure took place through the same kind of cheering throngs which had previously lined the streets.
From London the route was taken up to Niagara. Every station was crowded with people, and in the vineyard and fruit region a brief stop was made at Grimsby. Finally, the Royal train ran into the historic village of Niagara-on-the-Lake, and there, at the Queen's Royal Hotel, the visitors found elaborate preparations for their comfort during the ensuing day of rest. Ma.s.ses of flowers and fruit were displayed as further proof of the diverse productions of the Dominion. Sunday was, however, a busy day in some respects. In the morning the steamer was taken to Queenston, and from thence a special electric car conveyed the Royal couple along the banks of the mighty Niagara, past Brock's monument and the scene of the historic conflict upon Queenston Heights, and on to the famous whirlpool where half an hour of sight-seeing was spent. In Queen Victoria's Park there were crowds of people waiting to see the Duke and d.u.c.h.ess, but only a few minutes' glance at the Falls was taken. A visit to Loretto Convent followed with songs from the pupils and luncheon afterwards. Archbishop O'Connor of Toronto a.s.sisted in the reception. The rest of the day was spent in viewing and admiring the ever-changing glories of Niagara Falls, and the return took place in the evening. On the 14th of October Hamilton was visited and three hours spent in receiving one of the most enthusiastic welcomes of the whole tour. Thousands had gathered in the s.p.a.cious grounds surrounding the station and in the streets, and the cheering was hearty and continuous.
The usual address was presented by Mayor J. S. Hendrie at the City Hall.
The Royal visitors then lunched at "Holmstead," the residence of Mr.
William Hendrie, and afterwards the Duke presented new colours to the 13th Regiment. The departure took place amidst the cheers of thousands.
At St. Catharines there was a short stop and the whole city turned out, business was suspended and the colleges and schools attended in a body.
There was a guard of honour at the station, cheers from eight thousand throats, a beautiful bouquet presented to the d.u.c.h.ess and a few citizens introduced by Mayor McIntyre. Brantford had its station handsomely decorated, and three thousand children ma.s.sed on the platform to sing patriotic songs as the train rolled in. Another bouquet for the d.u.c.h.ess was presented and also a casket containing a silver long-distance telephone from Professor Bell, the father of its inventor, who was born in Brantford. Their Royal Highnesses here signed the Bible which was given in 1712 by Queen Anne to the Mohawk Church of the Six Nations and which already contained the autographs of the King and the Duke of Connaught. A very brief stop was made at Paris, where the school children were gathered and a large crowd cheered the Royal couple. At Woodstock the whole population turned out and the train entered the station amid the cheers of ten thousand people. Mayor Mearns presented some of the citizens and his little daughter handed a beautiful bouquet of roses to the d.u.c.h.ess. A thousand school children waved flags and sang the National Anthem.
FROM WESTERN TO EASTERN ONTARIO
From the West to the East travelled the Royal train during the night, and on the morning of October 15th reached Belleville, where some eight thousand people had a.s.sembled to welcome the Duke and d.u.c.h.ess.
Presentations by Mayor Graham, a guard of honour, cheers and a bouquet for the d.u.c.h.ess, with singing school children, were the familiar features of the reception. An address from 250 deaf and dumb children was, however, an interesting exception. At Kingston the Royal couple drove through the crowded and decorated streets to a pavilion in front of the City Hall, where three thousand children sang, cheered and waved flags, while flowers were given to the d.u.c.h.ess and several addresses presented to the Duke. Following this ceremony the Royal procession pa.s.sed on through the historic city to Queen's University where his Royal Highness was given an honorary LL.D. and presented with an address by the Chancellor, Sir Sandford Fleming. In replying to the latter the Duke expressed the regret of himself and the d.u.c.h.ess at the absence through illness of the Very Rev. Princ.i.p.al Grant. He then laid the corner-stone of a new building donated to the University by the citizens of Kingston. There was tremendous cheering from the students and gay decorations along the route which was then taken to the Royal Military College.
At the College the Royal visitors witnessed a march past and gymnastic display from the Cadets. A spontaneous and unexpected incident occurred in the private visit of Their Royal Highnesses to Princ.i.p.al Grant at the General Hospital. They talked with him a few minutes and then the Duke personally conferred upon him the C.M.G. which had been recently granted by the King. About one o'clock the Royal party reached the wharf where they embarked on the steamer _Kingston_, which had been most elaborately decorated and fitted up for the occasion, and started for a trip through the Thousand Islands of the St. Lawrence. At six o'clock the steamer arrived at Brockville, and the Duke and d.u.c.h.ess were greeted with a brilliant display of fireworks from the sh.o.r.e. At the landing-place they were met by Mayor Buell, Senator Fulford and other prominent citizens. A bouquet was given the d.u.c.h.ess and the procession from the wharf to the station pa.s.sed through cheering people and the departure was made in a blaze of fireworks. At Cornwall, which was reached on the morning of October 16th, there were some four thousand people at the station, and Mayor Campbell presented the Duke and d.u.c.h.ess with a complete set of lacrosse sticks for the Royal children. They were enclosed in a gold-mounted case. The next stoppage was at Cardinal, where thousands had a.s.sembled from the same surrounding country and the school children sang national songs.
On the way from Ontario to the Provinces by the Atlantic a pause was made at Montreal on October 16th to visit the Victoria Jubilee Bridge--a reconstruction of the one into which His Majesty the King had driven the last rivet when visiting Canada in 1860. The Duke of Cornwall and York was now presented with a gold rivet by Mr. George B. Reeve, General Manager of the Grand Trunk Railway system, as a souvenir of that event and of his present visit. The Bridge, which was called one of the wonders of the world at the time of its construction, now had a double track and double roadway. During the afternoon half-an-hour was spent at Sherbrooke, where the station was gaily decorated. Mayor Worthington presented the address and during his reply the Royal speaker declared that "among the many pleasant experiences of our delightful visit to Canada one will remain most deeply graven in our memories--the solemn declaration of personal attachment to my dear father, the King, and of loyalty to the throne of our glorious Empire." A beautiful bear-skin was then presented to the d.u.c.h.ess by Mrs. Worthington on behalf of the ladies of Sherbrooke. Some South African veterans were decorated with the medal and a delegation from the Caughnawaga Indians received.
From Sherbrooke the Royal party then travelled straight through to St.
John, New Brunswick, which they reached in the afternoon of October 17th. After they had arrived and the echoes of the roaring guns had died away the Royal procession was formed and pa.s.sed through the usually crowded and decorated streets to the Exhibition Buildings where Mayor Daniel, in his official robes, welcomed the Duke and d.u.c.h.ess and presented an address from the City as did Mayor Crocket from Fredricton.
Some nine other local addresses were also presented and replied to. His Royal Highness then presented colours to British Veterans from Ma.s.sachusetts. There was to have been a review of troops in the afternoon but, owing to some mistake in the arrangements, a Royal presentation of South African medals, of colours to the 62nd Battalion, and of a sword of honour to Captain F. Caverhill Jones, comprised the proceedings. The return from the Exhibition grounds to Caverhill Hall, which had been specially fitted up by the Provincial Government for the visitors, was through crowds of more or less enthusiastic people. In the evening there were fireworks and electrical displays and a Reception at the Exhibition Building attended by a large representation of New Brunswick society. Late in the afternoon a deputation of ladies waited upon Her Royal Highness and presented her with a beautiful mink and ermine m.u.f.f on behalf of the women of St. John. At noon on the following day the Duke and d.u.c.h.ess left the city amid much cheering and the farewells of a representative gathering at the station. On the way to Halifax the City of Moncton, N. B., celebrated the arrival of the Royal tourists with a half holiday, a decorated station and a ma.s.s of cheering people. Mayor Atkinson presented a number of prominent people and the d.u.c.h.ess received a couple of handsome bouquets. At Dorchester, as the train arrived it pa.s.sed through a gaily decorated station, cheering crowds and local officials ranged along the platform. At Amherst, N. S., a short stop was made.
FROM NEW BRUNSWICK INTO NOVA SCOTIA
When Halifax was reached, on the morning of October 19th, the reception was beautiful and impressive as well as loyal. Thousands of soldiers with glittering bayonets lined the streets, together with hundreds of sailors armed with cutla.s.ses and rifles, and many thousands of crowding and cheering citizens. As the Royal visitors arrived at the station they were welcomed with a roar of guns from the magnificent citadel heights and defences of Halifax and from the vessels of the most formidable fleet of war-ships which, it was said, had ever graced a Canadian port.
They were received by the Vice-regal party, Vice-Admiral Sir Frederick Bedford and his staff, Colonel Biscoe and his staff, Lieutenant-Governor the Hon. A. G. Jones, of Nova Scotia, Lieutenant-Governor P. E. McIntyre of Prince Edward Island, the Hon. G. H. Murray and the members of his Government, Mayor Hamilton of Halifax, the Mayor of Charlottetown and various other officials and representative men. At the platform in front of the station various addresses were presented amid cheers from an immense gathering. The Duke, in replying, did so separately to the Prince Edward Island welcome and to that from Nova Scotia. To the former he expressed the "true regret" which they felt at not being able to visit that well-remembered Province, and to the latter he made a really eloquent response. "It is perhaps fitting that we should take leave of Canada in the Province that was the first over which the British flag waved, a Province so full of moving, checquered, historic memories, and that, embarking from your capital which stands unrivalled amongst the naval ports of the world, we should pa.s.s through waters that are celebrated in the annals of our glorious Navy." He also spoke of the "affectionate sympathy" with which they had been received throughout the Dominion.
Following this function the Royal couple pa.s.sed through streets lined with troops and sailors and cheering crowds and at times presenting the appearance of a net-work of colour, a canopy of bunting. In the grounds of the Provincial Building His Royal Highness laid the foundation-stone of a monument erected by the Government and people of Nova Scotia in honour of the Provincial heroes who had fallen in South Africa. The procession then pa.s.sed on to a handsome arch, guarded by a detachment of Royal Engineers, where the Duke inspected the members of the British Veterans' Society who were drawn up on parade. Conspicuous amongst them was a negro holder of the V.C. Thence the parade continued to the Dockyard where the Royal couple went on board the _Ophir_, which had come up from Quebec during the long inland tour. In the afternoon a great review and ma.s.sing of many thousands of soldiers and sailors, infantry, cavalry and artillery, was held on the Halifax Common in the presence of a crowd of spectators--probably twenty-five thousand in number. The troops were under the supreme command of Colonel Biscoe, and the Royal Naval Brigade included four thousand sailors from twelve of Britain's most modern cruisers. It was a sight such as had never been witnessed in Canada before and the review eclipsed in effect the previous military spectacle at Toronto; while the environment of great fortifications and a harbour full of war-ships enhanced the character of the scene. Near the Royal pavilion was a stand containing six thousand school children who sang patriotic songs.
After the review the Duke presented colours to the 66th Princess Louise Fusiliers and was informed by the Lieutenant-Governor that H.R.H. the Duke of Kent had conferred a similar honour upon the Regiment in the early part of the preceeding century. His Royal Highness then handed the war medals to the South African veterans and presented a sword of honour to Major H. B. Stairs. In the evening a state dinner was given by the Lieut.-Governor at Government House when occasion was taken by the Duke to present the Hon. Dr. Borden with the medal won by the gallant son who had lost his life in South Africa. A Reception was held afterwards in the Provincial Buildings amid scenes of striking beauty and brightness.
The city and fleet were brilliantly illuminated and the spectacle one of the most beautiful of the whole Canadian tour. The next day was Sunday and was spent very quietly on board the _Ophir_. At night the Duke dined with Vice-Admiral Bedford on board his flag-ship. On the following morning the Royal visitors left the sh.o.r.es of Canada in their yacht, accompanied by the fleet of battleships and with the cheers of many thousands of people, the roar of guns and the sound of bands playing on sea and sh.o.r.es, echoing out over the waters of the harbour.
THE ROYAL FAREWELL TO CANADA
Before leaving Halifax, and under date of October 19th, the Duke of Cornwall and York sent a communication to the Earl of Minto expressive of the regret felt by the d.u.c.h.ess and himself at bidding farewell to "a people who by their warm-heartedness and cordiality have made us feel at home amongst them from the first moment of our arrival on their sh.o.r.es."
He referred to the loyal demeanour of the crowds, the general manifestations of rejoicing and the trouble and ingenuity displayed in the illuminations and street decorations. They were specially touched by the great efforts made in small and remote places to manifest feelings of kindness toward them. "I recognize all this as a proof of the strong personal loyalty to the throne as well as the deep-seated devotion of the people of Canada to that unity of the Empire of which the Crown is the symbol." Thanks were tendered to the Dominion Government, the Provincial authorities and munic.i.p.al bodies and to various individuals for the care and trouble bestowed upon the varied arrangements. Of the Militia His Royal Highness spoke in high terms. The reviews at Quebec, Toronto and Halifax had enabled him to judge of the military capacity of the Dominion and of the "splendid material" at its disposal. Their hearts, he added, were full at leaving Canada and their regrets extreme at having to decline so many kind invitations from different centres.
"But we have seen enough to carry away imperishable memories of affectionate and loyal hearts, frank and independent natures, prosperous and progressive communities, boundless productive territories, glorious scenery, stupendous works of nature, a people and a country proud of its membership in the Empire and in which the Empire finds one of its brightest offspring."
On the way home Newfoundland was visited and an enthusiastic reception given by the people of St. John's and the Government of the Island. The usual addresses, decorations and functions followed and then the _Ophir_ steamed away over the last stretch of ocean in this long, strenuous and memorable Royal progress of over fifty thousand miles on sea and land.
When in sight of English sh.o.r.es again the King and Queen and the Royal children, accompanied by the Channel squadron of thirteen warships, met the travellers and escorted them to Portsmouth. After eight months of separation the Royal family of three generations were again together.
The popular welcome at Portsmouth was brilliant and enthusiastic as well it might be. As the _Times_ put it on November 1st--the day of the arrival home--"The Duke and d.u.c.h.ess have made the greatest tour in history; they have accomplished an act of high statesmanship without statecraft but by simple arts which are better than any statecraft; they have been under many skies and seen many strange, lovely and impressive sights; they have been greeted and acclaimed by many peoples, races and languages." In his speech to the Civic deputation waiting upon him on the following day His Royal Highness stated that their journey had covered thirty-three thousand miles by sea and twelve thousand five hundred by land. "Everywhere we have been profoundly impressed by the kindness, affection and enthusiasm extended to us and the universal declarations of loyalty to the Throne; and by the conscious pride in membership of our great Empire which has constantly displayed itself."
A dinner was given by the King and Queen on board the yacht _Victoria and Albert_ in honour of the Royal travellers' return and, in the course of a speech of welcome, His Majesty referred to the cordiality and loyal enthusiasm of their reception everywhere. "The accounts of their receptions, regularly transmitted to me by telegrams and letters and amply confirmed in my conversations to-day, have touched me deeply and I trust that the practical result will be to draw closer the strong ties of mutual affection which bind together the old Motherland with her numerous and thriving offspring". The special train was then taken to London and from Victoria station to Marlborough House the Royal couple drove through numerous crowds of cheering people and gaily decorated streets, with little Prince Edward beside them--for the first time making a public appearance and accepting the acclamations of the public with becoming gravity. It was a triumphal ending to a triumphant progress. A sort of climax to this termination was afforded, however, in the great banquet given by the Lord Mayor of London at the Guild Hall on December 5th, to him who had been created Prince of Wales on the 9th of November preceding by his father the King. There were only four toasts--the King, proposed by Sir Joseph Dimsdale, the Lord Mayor and chairman; Queen Alexandra and the Royal family, responded to by the new Prince of Wales; the Colonies, proposed by the Earl of Rosebery and responded to by Mr. Chamberlain; the Lord Mayor and Corporation proposed by the Marquess of Salisbury.
Besides the speakers and the members of the Royal suite during this famous tour there were present the Duke and d.u.c.h.ess of Devonshire, Mrs.
Chamberlain, Lord James of Hereford, Mr. John Morley, Lord Knutsford, Lord and Lady Tweedmouth, Lord and Lady Lamington, Lord Bra.s.sey, Lord Avebury, Sir Frederick Young and many other interesting or important personages. The speech delivered by the Prince of Wales was one which startled England from its directness of statement and its eloquence of style and delivery. It was not merely a clear, or good description of the tour; it was the utterance of one who was both statesman and orator. His Royal Highness referred to the historic t.i.tle which he now bore, to the voyage, unique in character and rich in experience, to the loyalty, affection and enthusiasm of the greetings everywhere, to the special characteristics of the visit in each country. He a.n.a.lysed Colonial loyalty as being accompanied by "unmistakable evidences of the consciousness of strength; of a true and living membership in the Empire; and of power and readiness to share the burden and responsibility of that membership". He spoke of the influence of Queen Victoria's life and memory, of the qualities of the sixty thousand troops whom he had reviewed, of the openings for better commercial interchange. "I venture to allude to the impressions which seemed generally to prevail among our brethren across the seas that the Old Country must wake up if she intends to maintain her old position of pre-eminence in her Colonial trade against foreign compet.i.tors". The need of more population in the Colonies was referred to and an urgent appeal made to encourage the sending out of suitable emigrants. "By this means we may still further strengthen, or at all events, pa.s.s on unimpaired, that pride of race, that unity of sentiment and purpose, that feeling of common loyalty and obligation which knit together and alone can maintain the integrity of our Empire".
CHAPTER XX.
The King and the South African War
No event in many years has created such keen interest amongst, and been so closely followed by, the Royal family of Great Britain as the war in South Africa. Apart from Queen Victoria's natural and life-long dislike of the horrors of war, there was the earnest sympathy which she felt in the last two years of her reign with thousands of her subjects who had suffered in the loss of husband, or brother, or father, or friend; and the womanly sorrow which she herself felt for the many promising young officers whom she had personally known or liked, or whose relations and friends had been upon terms of intimacy with members of the Royal circle. The matter was still more brought home to her, in a personal sense, by the death of her grandson, Prince Christian Victor, who, after months of hard campaigning and with the reputation of an able, modest and hard-working officer, succ.u.mbed in the autumn of 1900 to enteric fever, and was buried, at his own request, upon the South African veldt.
But these personal considerations had never been so potent with the Queen as had her broader sympathies for her people, and there can be no doubt the gloomy days of Colenso and Spion Kop told severely upon the sensibilities of a Sovereign who was as proud of the nation's position and as keen to feel national humiliation, or sorrow, as was the humblest and most loyal of her subjects. And the fact that her duty to the people and the Empire lay in supporting her Ministers and pressing, if necessary, for a still more vigorous prosecution of the struggle, could not but have its effect upon the const.i.tution of a Queen who felt her responsibilities very keenly and who was an aged woman as well as a great ruler.
Where she could help in keeping behind her Ministers a united people Queen Victoria did her utmost. Early in March, 1900, the Royal recognition of Irish valour in South Africa, shown in the order to the soldiers of the Empire to wear the Shamrock on St. Patrick's day, was as tactful and wise a step as statesmanship ever initiated. The ensuing postponement of Her Majesty's spring visit to sunny Italy and her prolonged stay in Dublin during the month of April were p.r.o.nounced appeals to Irish loyalty. Her Christmas present of chocolate to the troops in the field, her ever-thoughtful telegrams, and occasional letters and speeches upon public occasions, were also of great value to the cause of national unity and action in differing degrees. Meantime, the Duke of Connaught had volunteered early in the period of trouble which eventually developed into war, but the Queen did not wish him to go to the front and, though he had offered to waive his rank and seniority in order to do so, his mother's wishes, of course, prevailed.
DUTIES OF THE HEIR APPARENT