Historic Tales: The Romance of Reality. Vol. 04 (of 15), EnglishMorris, Charles
History
Historic Tales: The Romance of Reality. Vol. 04 (of 15), English
Morris, Charles
Great Britain -- History
When the new day dawned and the auspicious sunlight brightened the
scene, the streets devoted to the procession, more than six miles in
length, appeared one vast blaze of color and display of decorations, the
jubilee colors, red, white and blue, being everywhere seen, while the
medley of wreaths, festoons, banners, colored globes and balloons,
pennons, shields, fir and laurel evergreens, and other emblems of
festivity, were innumerable and bewildering in their variety.
The march began at 9.45, and came as a welcome relief to the vast throng
that for hours had been wearily waiting. Its first contingent was the
colonial military procession, in which representatives of the whole
world seemed present in distinctive attire. It was a moving picture of
soldiers from every continent and many of the great isles of the sea,
massed in a complex and extraordinary display.
Chief in command, following a squadron of the Royal Horse Guards, rode
Lord Roberts, the famed and popular general, who was hailed with an
uproar of shouts of "Hurrah for Bobs!" Close behind him came a troop of
the Canadian Hussars and the Northwest mounted police, escorting Sir
Wilfred Laurier, the premier of Canada. Premier Reid, of New South
Wales, followed, escorted by the New South Wales Lancers and the Mounted
Rifles, with their gray sombreros and black cocks' plumes.
In rapid succession, escorting the premiers of the several colonies,
came other contingents of troops, each wearing some distinctive uniform,
including those of Victoria, New Zealand, Queensland, Cape Colony, South
Australia, Newfoundland, Tasmania, Natal and West Australia. Then came
mounted troops from many other localities of the British empire,
reaching from Hong Kong in the East to Jamaica in the West, and fairly
girdling the globe in their wide variety.
Among the oddities of this complex multitude we may name the Zaptiehs
from Cyprus, wearing the Turkish fez and bonnet; the olive-faced Borneo
Dyaks; the Chinese police from Hong Kong, with saucepan-like hats
shading their yellow faces; the Royal Niger Hausses, with their shaved
heads and shining black skins; and other picturesquely attired examples
of the men of varied climes.
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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