The Sun.
London, England, 1865-07-21 00:00:00

their arrival in the Sonndthey have been visited by
thousands of people, who are uniformly treated with
the utmost politeness and attention by both officers
and men. Accompanying them is a small gunboat
named the Ariel, which shoots about the Sound with
a rapidity worthy of her name. One thing in those
vessels almost everybody who has gone on board
them has remarked is the extreme cleanliness, not
only of their shining decks, but of every single com-
partment into which they are divided. The cabins
of the captains are fitted up with becoming elegance,
but nowhere is there any superfluous decoration to
be found. Weli-scrubbed wood and polished steel
take the place of all more luxurious but less service-
able articles. It is expected that the French ships
will leave the Sound in a day or two, the principal
object which led to their anchoring there, it is said,
being a desire on the part of their officers to be pre-
sent at the Agricultural show, and to witness the
arrival of the Prince and Princess of Wales. The
Austrian man of war will remain behind a little longer.
A banquet on a grand scale was given last night
to the Prince and Princess and a numerous com-
pany at Mount-Edgcumbe. There was afterwards
a reception, to which several of the local nobility
and gentry received invitations. The weather,
which throughout the day had been bright and
warm, became suddenly overcast towards evening,
and some heavy showers fell. This, however, did
not prevent the inhabitants of Plymouth from
flocking in great numbers to the Hoe to witness
a not very brilliant display of fireworks. It was
thought that the vessels in the Sound would be
illuminated about 10 o'clock ; but if anything of the
kind was in contemplation the idea was given up,
probably because the night at times looked dark and
threatening, and the wind blew somewhat stiffly,
more than slightly curling the surface of the waters.
To-day the Prince and Princess will, for the most
part, spend at Mount-Edgcumbe, where a large
party have bee'n invited to meet them in the orangery
at luncheon. They may in the afternoon visit the
industrial exhibition, which attracts large numbers
in the vicinity of the Hoe ; but, as the weather just
now looks far from favourable, it is quite possible
they may not come into Plymouth at all. This
evening their Highnesses will honour Lord Temple-
town with their company at dinner, and it is hoped,
rather than confidently expected, that they will
both be present at the ball which is to take place at
the Royal William Victualling-yard to-night, and
for which not less than 1,000 invitations have been
issued. The Prince will certainly attend, but fears
are entertained that the Princess would find herself
scarcely equal to the fatigue of a crowded ballroom.
Should she not go great will be the disappointment
to the ball committee, who are doing all that men
can do to render the occasion worthy of her pre-
sence. Quite wonderful is the blending of colours
and the cunning flow of drapery, bymeans of which
they have succeeded in turning the bare walls of a
capacious storeroom into a brilliant saloon.
As to the future movements of the Royal party
considerable uncertainty prevails. It was the inten-
tion of the Prince and Princess, as has been already
stated, to pay a visit to Penzance ; but it is now
doubtful whether the weather will be such as to
admit of their starting to-morrow. The probability,
however, is that their original intention will be
carried out so far as paying a visit to Cornwall
within a few days is concerned. They will sleep at
Mount-Edgcumbe to-night, but to-morrow they
propose to dine and sleep on board the Osborne. It
is more than likely that they may set about ac-
complishing on the following morning the remain-
ing portion of their projected tour.