The Public Life of Queen VictoriaMcGilchrist, John
History
The Public Life of Queen Victoria
McGilchrist, John
Victoria, Queen of Great Britain, 1819-1901
assembled thousands welcomed the impact of the bullet within a quarter of
an inch of the bull's eye, and one of many Swiss gentlemen, who were
present as competitors, felicitously remarked that Queen Victoria was now
_la premiere carabiniere de l'Angleterre_.
[Sidenote: THE HYDE PARK REVIEW.]
The 23rd of June in this year was a still greater day for the volunteer
army, and for the country, for it proved how earnestly the riflemen had
devoted themselves to training and to discipline. Her Majesty having
expressed her desire to review the young force on that day, arrangements
were made by the War Office, whereby every corps that had attained a
certain excellence might be represented by its efficient members. The
numbers and strength of the corps that presented themselves for inspection
caused great surprise. Not only London and Westminster, and the densely
populated metropolitan counties, sent ample contingents, but the energies
of the railway companies were taxed to the utmost to bring up bodies of
men from the west of England, the Midlands, Lancashire, Yorkshire, and
East Anglia--even from distant Northumbria. The authorities ultimately
found that they would have to make arrangements for placing 20,000 men in
review order. The review became a national spectacle, a general holiday
was arranged, and an immense assemblage, provincial as well as
metropolitan, was assembled in Hyde Park. The Queen's stand was placed in
the centre of a long line of galleries erected for the accommodation of
about 17,000 privileged spectators, its situation being indicated by the
Royal Standard planted before it. At different hours of the morning, the
provincial corps, some of which must have travelled all night, were landed
at the railway termini--the Durham Artillery, which had travelled
farthest, being the first to reach King's Cross. The river steam-boats
landed their freights at convenient piers: the suburban bodies mustered at
their appointed stations. The whole operation of marching the respective
battalions and brigades, amalgamated as agreed on, was performed with
unerring precision and perfect ease, thanks to the intelligent zeal of the
men and the clear heads of their officers. By two o'clock, 21,000, formed
in one long line, extended completely across the park. The space of time
which intervened between the successive arrivals of the corps and the
commencement of the review, offered one of the most picturesque spectacles
witnessed in our days.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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