The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-24 00:00:00

Portsmout

The preparation for the entertainments to be given
by the naval, civil, and military authorities at Ports-

mouth to the officers of the French fleet progresses

very satisfactorily. The ballroom in course of con-
struction, under the supervision of the superintend-
ing civil engineer of the dockyard, in the quad-
rangle of the Royal Naval College, is already
partially floored and roofed in, and will be handed
over to the upholsterers and decorators on the 26th
inst.—that is, three days before the arrival of the
fleets at Spithead from Brest, so that ample time
,vill remain to complete all the details. The ap-

proaches to the Naval College are exceedingly good,
with a wide semicircular drive for the arrival and

departure of carriages. The entrance hall of the
College is very spacious, and will, when properly
decorated, form a most appropriate vestibule to the

ballroom.

The latter is being constructed, as we

have already stated, in the quadrangle of the Col-
lege, and is 107 ft. in length by 55ft. in breadth,
clear of all the upright timbers. Its height is 20ft.
to the plates of the roof and 36ft. to its
apex. Right and left of the ballroom from the
entrance the supper tables will be arranged in the
College rooms, access being gained to the latter from
the ballroom by a temporary broad flight of steps.

At the opposite end of the ballroom to the entrance
a temporary opening has been made into the College
gymnasium, which will be elegantly decorated and
fitted with refreshment buffets. The ballroom itself

will be made to represent a vast tent, whose roof
and walls are composed of the tricolour of France.

The apex of the roof of this tent, and the plate line,
will be marked with a gold cable four inches in dia-

meter, to relieve the somewhat monotonous outline

which would otherwise predominate.

Banks of

shrubs and flowering plants will be placed round the
base of the hall and its approaches, while rich tro-
phies of arms and flags will decorate the walls. Seven
devices in gas will also occupy positions on the walls,
and 40 candelabra of four wax lights each have also
been provided for the same purpose. From the roof
of the hall will hang massive chandeliers with wax
lights. The orchestra is set back from the ballroom,

and will not, therefore, detract from the space given

It will be a noble room ; but still, with even its un-
usual size, the question remains, is it sufficiently
large for the occasion? We ourselves doubt it, for
accommodation should have been provided for
thousands where it is now only being provided for
hundreds. There is every probability of the " crush"
at the Admiralty Ball at Portsmouth being greater
even than that recently experienced at the ball given
in honour of our flag at the Hotel de Ville, Cher-
bourg.

On board her Majesty's ships in Portsmouth har-
bour all are eager to do a something, no matter how
trifling, that may render any chance visit of their
French brethren one of mutual and hearty good
feeling. On board the Duke of Wellington there
are, as yet, none of those extraordinary arrangements
visible by which her decks will be transformed from
their grim sternness of the present to the dazzling
splendour they are intended to assume. Although
not visible on board, all necessary provisions are
made, and under the energetic direction of Capt. Sec-
combe, who bears a wonderful reputation for taste
and general management in such matters, the final
issue of the arrangments on board the Duke is cer-

taro to be successful. It has been suggested by some
fastidious people that a ship bearing some other name
than that of the military opponent of the Great Na-
poleon might have been selected by our Admiralty
for the occasion. This, however, is sheer nonsense.
Old rivalries in arms are now forgotten by both na-
tions, or only remembered as so many pages in his-
tory which two peoples, formerly endeavouring to
the uttermost to destroy each other, may now study
together and with mutual benefit. Besides, is not the
ship an old companion in arms of the imperial navy,
carrying as she did the flag of a British admiral in
company with one bearing the tricolour of an admi-
ral of France on the waters of theßaltic ? On board
no ship here or elsewhere will officers of the French
navy receive a heartier welcome than on board the
Duke of Wellington. Turning to the military por-
tion of the coming fetes, and which will necessarily
be restricted, owing to thenmited stay of the fleets at
Spithead, if for no other cause, every precaution is
being taken to render whatever manoeuvres may be
decided upon by the authorities as effective as pos-
sible. Amid all this note of preparation and bustle in
the naval and military camps, the civil element is
not silent. A working committee, with the mayor,
Mr. R. W. Ford, at its head, is energetically em-
ployed in making complete the preparations of the
citizens for the entertainment of ourhonoured guests.
Nearly £1,500 has already been sent in to the com-
mittee to meet the necessary expenses, but a total
of £2,000 is required for the purpose, which, how-
ever, will no doubt in good time be forthcoming. It
is a most gratifying proof of the good feeling enter-
tained by all classes to read in the subscription list
the names of many county families and others living
at a distance from Portsmouth. Their money has
been handed in no doubt from a feeling that the en-
tertainment of the officers of the French fleet at
Portsmouth is a national rather than a local ques-
tion, and that too great honour could not well be
done to the guests of the occasion.
The " Governor's Green" where the civic enter-
tainmentswillbe given, is, as its name implies, a large
and nearly square plot of green sward, and is admi-
rably situate for the purpose. It is in close contiguity
to the main street of the town, and has unusually
wide approiches for entrance and exit. On two sides
it is bounded by the sea face of the town ramparts,
and on the other by the garrison church, monastery
wall, railways, &c. The entrance to the Green from
the Grand Parade will be under a triumphal arch,
which, if only executed as designed, will produce
a striking effect and be a credit to all concerned.
Triumphal arches are, however, generally :speak-
ing, very ticklish matters to deal with. They
may turn out exceedingly well, or they may prove
to be excessively ridiculous, and it would there-
fore be unwise to venture on any prophecy rela-
tive to the one at Portsmouth. The triumphal
arch passed through, the Governor's Green is fairly
entered upon, and in the immediate front and on
the right of the visitor, under the elm trees, on the
fortifications, and by the line of railings alluded to,
will be lofty poles, with bannerets, connected with
festoons of evergreens and lit up by night wits gas
in opaque shades. On the left of the entrance are
the buildings and marquees in which the entertain-
ments, consisting of a dd./diner, promenade concert,
and ball, will take place. A decorated porch of en-
trance leads into the first hall or apartment, circular
in form, and 80ft. in diameter. From this an ante-
room leads to another apartment, 140 ft. in length by
40ft. in breidth. This latter is but a continuation
of the main apartment in which the dejeinzer
will be given, a permanent building 100 feet
in length by 50 feet in breadth, presenting
a broad vista of 240 feet in length. All will be
brilliantly illuminated with gas, and decorated with
choice flowering plants, evergreens, arms, and flag
trophies, &c. The committee have ample space to
work upon, even. for the display of all the art en-
thusiasm available in or around Portsmouth, and
there can be no doubt that all the ornamentation
will be effective, in good taste, and to the entire
satisfaction of both friends and guests.
The programme, so far as it has been settled at
present between Admirals Drummond and Eden at
the Admiralty—the two official lords on duty in
town—and Admiral Sir Michael Seymour at Ports-
mouth has been somewhat modified since Tuesday
last, and until the Duke of Somerset and the lords
now at Brest return to Portsmouth the programme
will remain subject to still further modifica-
tions. At present the intentions of the Admiralty,
so far as they can be ascertained, are to give a
dinner on board the Duke of Wellington on the
evening of the 29th, the night of the arrival of the
fleet. On the following day a dinner to about 100
will be given in the ball-room of the Royal Naval
College. On the next day, the 31st, a review of
the troops will take place on Southsea-common in
the morning, and in the afternoon and evening the
civic authorities and inhabitants will entertain the
French Ministers of Marine and officers of the
French fleet in the Governor's Green. On the Ist
of September Sir Michael Seymour gives a private
dinner at the Admiralty-house, and the ball and
supper take place afterwards at_the Naval College.