The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1878-07-16 00:00:00

YUIIT 01 tilt PRIMO. Or WALLS.

The reception which the city of Bristol and the
many thousands of visitors who have flocked in from
the neighbouring counties have given to the Prince of
Wales is one which his Royal Highness is not likely
to forget, for the enthusiasm wee evidently not made
to command. but was the spontaneous outburst of a
loyal and warm.hearied people. The Price of Wales
14t Paddington by a special train at ten o'clock, and
reached Bristol soon after half-oaat twelve, where the
Colonel Kingsoote, LP., President of the Royal Agri-
cultural Society, Mr. S. Morley, the senior member
for the city, Sir John Kennaway, * P., Mr. Wills.
High Sheriff of Bristol, and the members of the
Corporation, met him. His Royal Highness, who
wee accompanied by Lord Bkelmendale, having
shaken hands with the Mayor and the High Sheriff,
who were introduced to him by Colonel ltingsoote.
coessated to bear the address in which the Corporation
of Bristol welcomed him to their city and which was
accordingly read by the town clerk.
At the concludon of the address, which was read
by the Town Clerk, the Prince read • reply in a clear
and distinct manses :
_ .

hanTligt;e7sl;ith Diocese satisfaction to the address
gs'
to me by the mayor, aldermen, and burgesses of
E7:icient loyal city of Bri-tol on this my first visit to it
I assure you that it la with heartfelt regret, owing to the
numeroua and pressing claims on my tide, that I feel
myself compelled to devote 10 short a period to the inspeo.
tion of the numerous and various subl..cta of interest for
which the city of Bristol in so generally and deservedly
renowned. I have seen quite enough to convince me of
the loyalty of the city, and I thank you heartily for the
kind inceptlos of myself, and for your expressions of
regard for the Princess of Wales and the Queen lam
deeply impressed with the permount importance of the
claims of the Royal Agricultural Seime and of agricul-
tural science. I have watched the proceedings of the
Royal Agricultural Society with unfeigned interest, and
no efforts on my ;sit shall be wanting to promote its
prosperity. I am well aware of the splendour of the
public buildings in your noble town, and of the kindly
disposition of Its inhabitants of which my late father, the
Prince Consort, had a high appreciation. It will be my
privilege to report to the Queen the loyal terms need with
regard to her 'Wed,. and I thank you for your kind
words of welcome towards myself and towards the
Prince= and our family.
Colonel Kingectote and the Mayor then led the way
to the open carriage-and-tour which was waiting out-
side, and in which the Prince of Wales, Lord
Skelmersdale Colonel Kingso,te, and the Mayor
started for die show-yard. -The escort was furnished
by a troop of the 17th Lancers, which are on their
way from the north of England to Aldershot. The
line of route was thronged all the way, from the
station to the show-yard, a dietetic* of nearly three
miles; and the cheering was loud and well sustained
from start to finish. The retiring room of his Royal
Highness was of simple and unpretenious taste, the
lounges and chain being upholstered in pale grey
cretonne, and the articles of furniture being of solid
black walnut wood, inlaid in gold.
Luncheon was served here to the Prince of Wales
and the gentlemen who aooompanied him. Rain.
which had been threatening for some little time, began
to fall while the Royal party was at luncheon, but it
did not do more than drizzle, and that only at brief
intervals. After luncheon the Prince of Wales paid •
visit to the large horse ring, and so determined were
the crowds which thronged the yard to get • sight of
his Royal Highness that it was with the greatest
difficulty the police could clear the passage fur him,
and about four o'clock, after a flying visit of less than
three hours, he left the yard. In4cad of descending
into Bristol, His Royal Highness was driven acrwe
the downs and the Suspension Bridge to the Clifton'
bridge Station, where the special train wax wai ing to
talc. hint on to the main line for London without
going into the general station. 'I his canned consider-
able disappointment, no doubt, to the many people
who were expecting to see the procession return by
the way it came; but the limited time at the P ices
disposaldid not admit of his coming back through
Bristol. In one sense it mar be said that this is the
first visit which His Royal Highnees has paid to he
capital of the west, for although be spent • few days
with Lord Fitzhardinge at Berkeley Castle three years
ago, and came over to the atesefechases, he dici not
enter the precincts of the city. It warn very evident
that the visit of the Prince was the great attraction of
the day, for at one o'clock, previon. to his arrival, the
number of admissions woe wily 10,796, or nearly 3,000
fewer than at Liverpool, whereas between the 13 Airs
of one and three the total was brought t 19.700, or
within 50 of the Liverpool figures. In other words.
9,000 people poured into the yard during th se two
hours, at the ra e, that is to say, of 75 every minute.
This rate of arrival was not, of c ,twee, sustained after
three o'clock, but even as it was the admissions went
on increasing Do much, that before the time of doeing
22,248 half-crowns had been paid into the society'S
coffers, quite as much as could have bees expected by
the most sanguine, given the menacing aspect of the
weather and the fact that Bristol, though a large city
itself, is not the centre of thickly populated districts,
like Manchester, Liverpool, or Birmingham. The
crowds, though dense and resolute upon seeing ths
Prince of Wales, wore very orderly and goodhttmourecL