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

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PRICE 4d.
STAMPED sd.'

no building in the town was capable of accommo-
dating so large a party, and Mr. Lucas therefore had
to erect a spacious temporary banqueting-hall in
the grounds attached to the Royal Hotel at Lowes-
toft, to which the Lord Lieutenant and all the chief
gentry of the county were invited to meet the Vo-
lunteers. Unfortunately from this dinner both the
Messrs. Lucas were compelled to absent themselves,
in consequence of the sudden death of their father—
a domestic calamity which was regretted by all, and
which, in deference to the feelings of Mr. Lucas, oc-
casioned the absence of the Lord-Lieutenant and
many of the leading county gentry from the dinner.
On Wednesday Colonel Ibbetson, the Government
inspector, came down to Lowestoft to review the
Volunteers and inspect the camp. The occasion
was obServed with the strictness of a religious festi-
val at Lowestoft. All the shops were closed. All
the ships, streets, and houses were decorated with
festive bunting, with evergreens and garlands of
flowers surrounding inscriptions of welcome and en-
couragement to the Volunteers. The various corps
in camp got under arms at half-past one, and by that
time a large concourse of visitors had collected from
all parts, and the scene was one of real animation
and picturesque beauty. The hills and broad
green downs were thronged down to the sandy
margin of the sea, the only unoccupied space
being the camp itself, where the clean white groups
of tents were undergoing ,a rigid inspection from Col.
Ibbetson. When this had terminated in a most satis-
factory manner to the credit of the Volunteers the
review commenced. The public are by this time so
perfectly familiar with the routine of drill reviews
that it is needless on the present occasion to detail
the manoeuvres. Suffice to say that the various corps
went through all the intricacies of company and
battalion drill with most creditable accuracy and in
a style which, if not quite equal to that of our best
metropolitan regiments, was at least more than siiffi-
cient to show the care with which, considering their
few opportunities, most of the effectives of the great
county corpe.cultivate their exercise. In solidity of
marching all were as nearly perfect as possible.
The various evolutions gone through occupied a much
longer time than expected, and when the Volun-
teers left the groundamidthe cheers of the spectators
to march to Lowestoft it was nearly six o'clock,
five being the hour at which it had been arranged
they were to dine with Mr. Lucas. The march back
over the beautiful downs, and through the upper
town of Lowestoft was a perfect, ovation to all the
citizen soldiery of the county who took part in it.
From these and other causes it was nearly seven
o'clock before the various corps arrived in the pretty
enclosure near the Royal Hotel, where the tempo-
rary dining hall had been erected. This was a large
plain timber building, rough outside, but in its in-
terior decorated with flags, flowers, mottoes, and
evergreens. At the upper end was a raised dais for
the more distinguished of the guests, while along
the centre of the hall from end to end were ranged
nine tables, each laid for about 100 visitors. In
the unavoidable absence of Mr. T. Lucas, Capt. E.
Leathes, the captain commandant of Mr. Lucas's
Volunteer regiment, took the chair, and among
others who supported him at the chief table were
Col. Ibbetson, Col. Sir E. Lacon, Sir F. Crossley,
Sir E. Kerrison, Sir E. Gooch, the mayors of Nor-
wich, Bury, Ipswich, Beccies, and Southwold, and
the Sheriff of Norwich ; Lieut.-Col. Anstruther,
Mr. Goodson, chairman of the Great Eastern Rail-
way, Capt. Jervis, Mr. R. W. Kinnaird, Capt. Be-
dingfield, Gen. Wingfield, Gen. P. Taylor, Capt.
Calthorpe, Capt. Gurney, Mr. 11. S. Waddington,
Mr. J. E. Peto, Rev. Mr. Clissold, Lieut.-Colonel
Shrieber, Mr. Dalrymple, Mr. Murray, &c. When
all the large company were seated the scene Was
one of unusual animation, and would have been one
of some brilliancy also, but that in anticipation that
the Volunteers would arrive at an early hour no
preparations had been made for lighting the hall.
This natural omission, though it by no means
marred the festivity of the proceeding, yet, as a
matter of course, as the evening drew on, hastened
their close. The dinner, which was of the most
liberal kind, both as regards the viands and the
wines, was soon disposed of by the Volunteers,
hungry with their review and long march at the end
of it. The usual patriotic toasts were then given
rapidly and, though in the briefest manner,
yet with . point and spirit, by Captain
Leathes. The health of Mr. Thos. Lucas, coupled
with a deep expression of regret at the bereavement
he had sustained, was drunk by all with evident
marks of earnest sympathy. The proceeding's were
brought to a close just before dark by the singing
of the National Anthem, and the party separated,
amid cheers at the agreeable close of the pleasant
summer campaign of the volunteers. It is mere
justice to the Royal Hotel at Lowestoft to say that
its proprietor managed the details of this unusually
large dinner party with as much facility, good order,
and convenience to the guests as if it had been a
mere dinner for half a dozen. Yesterday the camp
at Lowestoft was formally broken up, though not
till the endurance of its occupants had been tried by
a severe thunderstorm and one of the heaviest floods
of rain that had visited that part of the country for
many years. It is stated that this entertainment of
Mr: Lucas's is only meant as an experiment preli-
minary to the great fete intended to be given next
year to all the volunteer corps of Suffolk and the
chief Norfolk regiments. We can wish no better
success than that it may pass off as pleasantly as
that which terminated yesterday at Lowestoft.