The Sun.
London, England, 1863-03-23 00:00:00

THE HIGHLAND SOCIETY OF LONDON.

O❑ Saturday a general court of this corporation
was held at the Freemasons' Tavern, it being the
anniversary of the battle of Alexandria. The Rigbt
Hon. the Earl of Airlie, K.T., filled the chair very
ably, and was supported right and left by Captain
Forbes, R.N., Captain Jay, R.N., Captain Mac-
kenzie, Captain Conway, Captain Forbes, 78th
Highlanders ; Captain St. George, ditto; Sir Alex-
ander M'Kenzie, ditto; Ensign Thorpe, ditto,
Ensign E. Maenzie, Messrs. D. M'Donald, J.
Moir, H. W. Holmans, J. Daniel, George Bain,
James M'Gregor, D. U. Chambers, F.S.A., presi-
dent of the Caledonian Society, J. M. Moir, &c.
The military uniforms of the officers of the gallant
78th added much to the splendour of the scene.
Mr. Kennedy, the eminent Scottish vocalist, accom-
panied by Mr. Land, sang " Scots wha hae," and
other songs, with very great effect ; and the band
of the Caledonian asylum boys played many airs
during the evening. The pipers of the society and
the piper of the Earl of Fife played very charm-
ingly.
The large hall of the tavern, in which the dinner
was given, was decorated with the banners of the
different Scottish clans, the Royal arms 3f Scotland
occupying a prominent position over the seat of the
president.
" The Health of her Majesty" having been drunk,
The noble Chairman, in proposing the next toast,
The Prince of Wales, Duke ofi Rothesay, Lord of
the Isles, and the Princess of Wales, and the rest
of the Royal Family, said they could not have failed
to remark the great enthusiasm which marked the
progress of the Prince and Princess through Lon-
don, but similar demonstrations of loyalty were
made throughout the country, and ho was happy to
say that the capital of Scotland had not been back-
ward. The castle and the city of Edinburgh had
been illuminated in honour of the marriage of the
Royal pair, and such a scene of brilliancy and re-
joicing bad scarcely ever been seen there before.
The toast was drunk with highland honours,
which adds much to the picturesque appearance of
the costumes, &c.
The CHAIRMAN then gave " The Army, Navy, and
Volunteers," which was drunk with enthusiasm.
Captain ST. GEORGE, who had distinguished
himself in India, briefly returned thanks on the part
of the army.
Captain FORBES, one of the survivors of the battle
of the Nile, in acknowledging the toast on behalf
of the navy, said he believed that when the services
of the navy were required again it would be found
fully equal to the renown it had hitherto acquired.
They were invited to celebrate the anniversary of
the battle of Alexandria, which occurred 62 years
ago, one of the greatest victories which graced the
annals of British warfare. When any one looked
at the hill which the English troops surmounted,
tipped as it was by bayonets, some little hesitation
on their parts might have been expected; but the
sight of these bayonets provoked the national spirit
and greased the heels of the men, and a glorious
victory was the result. (Cheers.) He believed that
no operation which had occurred since the landing
of Sir Ralph Abercrombie and his gallant compa-
nions in arms in Egypt in 1801, could surpass that
event in heroism, or in the success by which it was
attended. That gallant officer, Sir John Doyle,
had remarked that it was in the burning sands of
Egypt that the British army broke ice. (Cheers.)
He was twenty-one when the event to which he re-
ferred occurred, and was ready to lend a hand in
any work to which he was put, and even now, if
necessity required, he was prepared to shoulder his
crutch and do duty for the interest of his country.
He firmly believed that if we were again involved
in war, the navy would prove quite as brave as it
had hitherto done. (Cheers.)
Captain M'KENZIE, of the London Scottish, re-
turned thanks for the volunteers,
Mr. D. CHAMBERS proposed "The Health of the
President," which was drunk with great applause.
The CHAIRMAN briefly returned thanks.
The song," The Bonny House of Airlie," sung by
Mr. Kennedy, followed.
The CHAIRMAN then gave "The Officers of the
78th Highlanders." This was one of the most
distinguished regiments in the British army; and
though it had not an opportunity of serving in the
Crimea, it had rendered most valuable services in
the Crimea.

Captain FORBES, of the 78th, in returning thanks,
said there was nothing which a Highland soldier
more appreciated when away from the heather and
his " ain peat reek" than the expression of his
countrymen that they appreciated his services.
(Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN next proposed "The Memory of
Abercrombie, and the Heroes who fell with him in
Egypt." lie said that the British army had per-
formed many gallant exploits, but he knew of none
more remarkable than the landing of the brave
Abercrombie and his followers on the shores of
Egypt. There was no more difficult feat than the
landing of troops on a foleign shore, but when that
was done in the face of an enemy it became vastly
more so ; but Abercrombie succeeded not only in
doing that, but in leading on his troops to victory.
Great, however, as the spirit of the British army
was at that time, he believed that it had in no re-
spect diminished, but might be safely relied upon
again in the case of war breaking out. (Cheers.)
The toast having been drunk in silence, the pipes
of the society played " A Lament," which was very
skilfully executed, and listened to with the utmost
attention.
The CHAIRMAN proposed, in appropriate terms,
the " Survivors of the Battle of Alexandria," three
of whom were then present.
Captain SAY, R.N., expressed his deep sense of
the compliment paid to him and his brothers in
arms.

As is the custom on the occasion of this national