History of the Union Jack and Flags of the EmpireCumberland, Barlow
History
History of the Union Jack and Flags of the Empire
Cumberland, Barlow
Emblems -- Great Britain; Flags -- Great Britain
The service commenced on Sunday afternoon, 20th June, in _Levuka_, Fiji
Islands. Dr. Garner Jones, headmaster of the Levuka Public Schools,
writes: "Owing to geographical position--viz., 178° 51' e. long.--the
inhabitants of Levuka, Fiji Islands, enjoyed the unique honour of
initiating 'The Wave of Song' that hailed the Diamond Jubilee of Her
Majesty's Ascension. The service was an open air one, being held in
the Government school grounds, Rev. W. Floyd, of the English Church,
officiating. The attendance was large and included representatives
of various races who claim Her Majesty as their Sovereign. English,
Scotch, Irish, Australian and New Zealand Colonials, Chinese, Germans,
Swedes, and among them the characteristic bushy hair of the Fijian
and other South Sea Islanders was prominent, there found themselves
shoulder to shoulder in the antipodes of the British Empire earnestly
rolling forth our grand old National Anthem, thus giving the keynote of
thanksgiving to the entire world. The Masons and Oddfellows appeared
in regalia and the Levuka brass band was in attendance. Surrounding
the main body of the assembly were the Levuka school boys, drawn up
with their wooden rifles. Punctually at five minutes to 4 o'clock
the procession of choristers left their temporary vestry and slowly
approached their stand. At 4 o'clock precisely, meridian time, the
British Ensign was hoisted, which was the prearranged signal, the band
immediately struck up, and every throat commenced 'God Save the Queen,'
while the public school guard stood at the 'Present.' Undoubtedly the
occasion was unique, and Levuka never forgot for a moment that her
geographical position was unique also, in so far as she enjoyed the
proud distinction of being allowed to start the wave of song which in
its course would pass over in rotation all the British possessions on
the face of the globe."
At this same moment at which it was _4 p.m. Sunday_ in the Fiji
Islands, and _4 a.m. Sunday_ at Windsor Castle, where Her Majesty was
in residence, the Executive of the Sons of England met at Shaftesbury
Hall, Toronto, it being then precisely _10.55 p.m. on Saturday, June
19th_, and sang the National Anthem, commenced that same minute in
Levuka on Sunday afternoon, and which for the next seventeen and a
quarter hours was to be coming steadily nearer with the sun as it
passed in succession over each of the loyal gatherings in other lands
until it was over Toronto at 4 o'clock (4.18 Standard time) on Sunday
afternoon, when the Sons of England and Britons in Toronto again joined
in the loyal strain as it passed by them onward toward the West.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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