The Express.
London, England, 1860-09-24 00:00:00

EMBARKATION OF HER MAJESTY AT

GRAVESEND.

But for the pluvial iufluencen which have been
paremeast throughout almost the whole of lb* present
year, and which lost none of their power on Saturday, an'
event so important as a visit of her Majesty, though limited
to the brief period necessary for passing from the railway
to the river, awl embarking at the pier, would doubtkas
have crested a profound sensation at Gravesend. Not that
the ancient town of river pilots and semareabwater
shrimps is altogether a stranger to the presence of royalty,
fur without going back to iwinirewhetlier Queen Elisabeth,
after haranguing her troops at Tilbury, crossed the Thames
to refresh herself with beef and beer, which we are told in
those days did duty for shrimps and tee, we know very
well that within the last three years it has been
honoured by being selected as the port of ember-
katios—first, of the Princess Royal, when on her
marriage to the heir of the Crown Prince of Prussia she
left the country of her birth for that of her adoption—
secondly, by bar Majesty and the Prince Consort, when
some months afterwards they proceeded to Prussia on a visit
to their royal daughter and son.imiew ; and now again by
the same august personages when departing upon a similar
means of parental solicitude and love. As it was, every
preparation had been made for a demonstrative exhibition
of loyal feeling—sod although the torrents of rain which
fell during the whole of the afternoon alternated
with drizzling showery, if possible still more pene-
trating, as driven by the fitful gust; of wind
from the south-west, kept many hundreds at home
who would otherwise have availed themselves of the
'evasion to etijoy a holiday, and at the same time bid fled
speed to their sovereign—there was ample representative of
the public at the railway Mateo, at the Terrace Pier, at
the windows of the houses, and wherever a shelter could be
found all along the route from the one point to the other.
It had been notified to the corporate authorities that it was
her Majesty's desire that the visit should be as private as
possible—that it was the royal wish that there should be ais
formal reception—no Aimee, and no move preparations
than were requisite to facilitate the embarkation. But
privacy with the good people of Gravesend is a relative
term, sad capable of a liberal interpretation. From ooe
end of the route to the other the shops were shut, and
hominess was entirely suspend d, except that of the Inns
to which the great occurrence of the day, aided probably
by the rain, drove those who would othenries
have lined the streets. The treats of the bowies
were pity festooned with evergreens and Bowers, across the
streets hung flap and banners in almost unprecedeated
profusion, and here and there a triumphal arch of laurels
and roses was to le seen built upon the most approved
models of this kind of street decoration, and bearing ea in,
' seripiem appropriate to the feelings which bad premplid
its erection. Amongst the flags, after the royal seeedard,
the union jack, and others belonging to our own nation,
the national standard of Preside was conspicuous; as also the
stars and stripes of the United States, the tri-colours of
Frame sad of Belgium, the Batch, the Sardinian, the Bra-
alias, mil a variety of other foreign bunting.
The arrangements at the Terrace Pier had been entrusted
to a committee of embarkation, specially appointed from
amongst the members of the Common Council, who very
satidactorily fulfilled their function. As on previous ea-
micas, the pier was divided by two barrios late three
equidistant companions* each shoot 10 feet in width,
The !Mrs avenue thus keened was reserved for the passage
of the /0111 WV, the door being covered with einem
sled. Oa either side, divided from 'this centre avenue by
beniees emend with scarlet cloth, were the ants far the
epumpneen, raised can above another in gallery fens and
slisediad Mr whole *AIWA of the pier. Overhead, rue.
seeded from the iron Mops sad miters, were maim Jodie
and gay signal flags, artificially festooned, so as M OMB
with their inferior edges a graceful curve, agreeably raise
ins the monotonous pitch of the roof. The the
dying bridge or brow, which was rendised aeamary by the