They began with a short inspection and a good breakfast on the emplacement east of the Yale Church. After breakfast, the members of the cortège, with their swords at their sides, got on their horses opposite the said Court of St. Michael, where the greffier of the said Court said the customary prayer, and the seneschal read the proclamation, and then they started in the following order:-- The Sheriff of the Vale and his pion. The Sheriff of the King and his two pions. The Sheriff of the Grand Moûtier and his pion. The Sheriff of the Petit Moûtier and his pion. The Sheriff of Rozel and his pion. The King’s Sergeant and his two pions. The King’s Greffier and his two pions. The King’s Comptroller and his two pions. The King’s Procureur and his two pions. The King’s Receiver and his two pions. The Lance-Bearer and his two pions. The Greffier of the Court St. Michel and his two pions. The Seneschal of the Court St. Michel and his two pions. The eleven vavassors of the Court St. Michel, and one pion each. Whilst they are on their march, the five sheriffs carry by turns a white wand in the following order:-- The Sheriff of the Vale, from the Vale Church to the end of Grand Pont. The King’s Sheriff, from the end of Grand Pont, as far as the Forest. The Sheriff of Grand Moûtier, from the Forest to the King’s Mills. The Sheriff of Petit Moûtier, from the King’s Mills to the Douit des Landes in the Market Place, and the Sheriff of Rozel from the last mentioned place to the Vale. During the procession the lance bearer carried a wand of eleven and a quarter feet long, and any obstacle this wand encountered, stones of walls, branches of trees, etc., had to be cleared away, and the proprietor of the obstacle was fined thirty sous, which went towards the expenses of the dinner. From time immemorial the privilege of the pions,--who were chosen for their good looks--was that of kissing every woman they met, whether gentle or simple, their only restriction being that only one pion was allowed to kiss the same lady, she had not to run the gauntlet of the gang. This privilege of course was invariably exercised! At the entry of the Braye du Valle the seneschal freed the pions from their attendance on the bridle reins, and gave them authority to embrace any woman they might encounter, recommending good behaviour and the rejoining of their cavaliers at the Hougue-à-la-Perre. [Illustration: Parish Church of St. Peter Port. Showing houses demolished to make room for present New Market.]