The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-10 00:00:00

THE, FOREIGN LEGION.

Her Majesty the Queen, accompanied by his Royal
Highness Prince Albert, visited Shorncliffe camp yester-
day, and passed in review the Foreign Legion. Travel-
ling by special train along the South Coast and South-
Eastern lines, they arrived at Folkestone at twelve
o'clock, and proceeded at once by carriage to the site of
the encampment above Sandgate. Nothing can he finer
in its way than the situation of the camp, formed on the
cliff at the base of which the pretty village of Sandgate
nestles, and overlooking the restless Channel, with its
neeer-ending panorama of ships and steamers. Here
the Queen's arrival was not expected until 1 o'clock,
and the troops had hardly formed in line along the
north-east and west sides of the extensive quadrangle,
which, from the arrangement of the huts around it, the
Parade forms, before the Royal carriage drove up to
the flagstaff. Whether there had Leen a miscalculation
of time, or ignorance of the punctuality which charac-
terises all the movements of her Majesty, or merely a
desire to show how quickly the men could be in their
pieces, certain it is that the. line which it took our Mi-
litia recently a good hour by the clock to form at Alder-
eliott on a simi'ar occasion was here formed at once.
At the flagstaff, which was fixed on the south side of
the encampment, her Majesty was received by his
Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, Lord Har-
dinge, General Wetherell, Lord Panmure, and Mr.
aFre-
derick Peel. There was also collected round this spot
a number of carriages filled with
occupants
numberf from
ofm
the neighbouring watering places, but the
people from town was smaller than might have been ex-
pected ; and the only officer of distinction whom we ob-
served present from motives of curiosity was Sir Howard
Douglas. The fine area of the parade-ground was ad-
mirably kept throughout the day by the combined
efforts of the local constabulary, of the yet unmounted
cavalry soldiers belonging to the Legion, and of that
most übiquitous and useful body, the A division of the
metropolitan police. The Kent Mounted Rifles, besides
acting as an escort to the Royal carriage, assisted in this
duty ; and they looked well in their handsome grey
uniforms and polished black helmets. There is not much
to describe in the actual proceedings of the review, for
it was limited strictly to the usual programme observed
on such occasions,—namely a general salute, followed by
an inspection along the whole line, and the defile. It
must, however, be borne in mind that although, with a
number of men not exceeding in the aggregate 3,500,
there was wisely no attempt mad 3 at the pageantry of a
grand military spectacle, in other respects the occasion
possessed its own peculiar share of interest and attrac-
tion. The Queen came in a quiet, almost business-like
way, to look at the stamp of men whom the liberality
of Parliament has enabled her to collect from foreign
countries as a supplement to the strength of her own
army. She came with the Commander-in-Chief of her
Forces and her Minister for War to see whether the first
levies drawn from abroad to aid us in the great struggle
between freedom and absolutism are of the right sort of
stuff,—whether the German Fatherland and the brave
race of Swiss, and the hardy Dane, and the industrious
Belgian people have among them that hatred of the
Muscovite cause upon the strength of which the Legion
has been established. Her Majesty must have been en-
tirely satisfied with the result of her inspection.
To have survived obloquy springing from not -an-
natural prejudices here, and severe restrictions inter-
posed by the jealousy of particular Governments abroad,
constitutes in itself no small measure of success. To
have turned out at this early period since the sanction of
the Legislature was obtained 3,500 admirable soldiers,
fit in every way for entering to-morrow upon active
service, and destined, we believe, to do so, may be pro
nounced a triumph. The possibility of forming a powerful
and effective Foreign Legion is no longer doubtful ;
and, however mortifying it may be in some respects that
we have to seek external aid of this kind, every one
must be gratified to find the military spirit of the con-
tinent responding so readily to the invitation which we
have held out. There are not only Germans and Swiss,
and Belgian.; and Hoisteiners in the Legion, but many
and Italians. In the ranks are to he found fre-
quently men of gentle and, occ ,s4mally, men even of noble
birth ; nor, from the wind feeling hitherto displayed, and
the earnestness with which the training has been con•
ducted, is there any reason to doubt that the corps, as a
whole, will maintain its discipline and act together har-
moniously. Better materials for soldiering than were
exhibited yesterday in the presence of Royalty it would be
quite unreasonable to expect. The men are hardy-looking,
strong-built fellows, of a good height, and evidently well
up in their drill. Their officers have laboured to per-
fect their training with a zeal which cannot be too
highly praised, and we expect soon to hear that the
flattering promise held out yesterday by both has been
more than justified by action in the field.
After the general salute with which her Majesty was
received on arriving at the flagstaff, the Royal carriage,
escorted by the Staff in attendance, passed slowly along
the line. The regiment of German Light Infantry were
the first inspected, then the Rifles, composed principally
of the same nation ; then the Swiss, 1,000 strong, who
were brought by rail to the camp in the morning from
Dover ; and, lastly, 500 recruits who bad arrived from
Heligoland on Wednesday night. Returned to the
flagstaff. the Queen and Prince alighted, and the march
past immediately commenced. Toe Rifles, in their dark
green uniform, defiled first in open columns of cora-
panies ; then, in the same order, and in the new uniform
of our line, the German Light Infantry, the Recruits,
and the Swiss. The latter step out like our men, while
the Germans point the toe and tread with the heel more
formally. As they passed it was curious to see the
eyes of each company intently fixed upon the Queen, in-
stead of looking straight forward, as is rigidly required in
the English service. They marched with great steadi-
ness and with a certain practised air, which showed at
once that the bulk of them were old soldiers. The Mini 6
has been served out to them, and in all points of equip-
ment and pay they are placed on exactly the same footing
as our own troops. It is said that they are highly delighted
with the service and with the treatment which they re-
ceive. At the close of the defile Baron Stutterheim

Colonel Wolrige, and the other officers of brigades and
regiments on the field, had the honour of being presented
to her Majesty and his Royal Highness Prince Albert.
Her Majesty and the Prince then crossed the Parade•
ground on foot, and carefully inspected one of the huts
of the German Light Infantry Regiment. These huts
hold 24 men, like those at Aldershott, but are vastly
superior to them in every respect. They are better
lighted, better ventilated, more substantially built, bet-
ter supplied with conveniences of different kinds, and
less liable to destruction by fire. Their comfort, taken
in connexion with the fine site of the camp, and the ex-
kilarating sea breeze which blows in over it, will doubt-
less long make our foreign auxiliaries remember with
pleasure the time spent by them on the heights above
Saudgate. In the officers' messroom of the German Light
Infantry the royal visitors and their suite partook of
sumptuous luncheon, prepared for them in excellent
style by Mr. Breach, of the Pavilion Hotel, Folkestone;
This over, they took their departure, loudly che_er:gain
were they left the ground by the troops, who
drawn out in line on the north side of the c*p to r receive
e
them. The route bark to Folkestone and thence to
of
the
same
Portsmouth was marked by a relietitl:s in the morn-
loyal enthusiasm which had been disp
int h at 6.40 p.m.,
ing. The special train reached Portsnwaere
without delay
and thence the royal personages
conveyed to Osborne by the Fs

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