Such was the colonial parade, a marvellous display from the "far-thrown"
British realm. It was followed by the home military parade, which
formed a carnival of gorgeous costume and color; scarlet and blue, gold,
white and yellow; shining cuirasses and polished helmets, waving plumes
and glittering tassels; splendid trappings for horses and more splendid
ones for men; horse and foot and batteries of artillery; death-dealing
weapons of every kind; all marching to the stirring music of richly
accoutred bands and under treasured banners for which the men in the
ranks were ready to die.
Led by Captain Ames, the tallest man in the British army, followed by
four of the tallest troopers of the Life Guards,--a regiment of very
tall men--the soldierly procession, as it wound onward under the
propitious sun, seemed like nothing so much as some bright stream of
burnished gold flowing between dark banks of human beings.
The colonial and military parade having passed, there followed that part
of the display to which all this was preliminary, the royal procession,
in which her Majesty the Queen was once more to show her venerable form
to her assembled people. Preceding the gorgeous chariot of the queen,
with its famous eight cream-colored Hanoverian horses, appeared its
military escort, a glittering cavalcade of splendidly uniformed
officers, its chief figures being Lord Wolseley, Commander-in-chief of
the Army, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge, the Duke of
Connaught, the Duke of Westminster, and the Lord Lieutenant of London.
Pages:
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401