The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-21 00:00:00

THE MILITIA.

The South Durham Militia is at present assembled in I
Barnardcastle for drill. The regiment musters between
600 and 700 men, who are under the command of the
Duke of Cleveland. They are exercised daily on the
" Mains," and are making very creditable progress.
Their conduct in quarters is most satisfactory. It is
supposed that this regiment will be called out for perma-
nent duty. If that should be the case, the men will do
credit to the north country.
There was a grand field day yesterday afternoon in
Hyde-park of the Essex Rifles under Lord Jocelyn. The
regiment performed its manoeuvres with wonderful pre-
cision, and called forth the greatest encomiums from a
number of distinguished officers who were present.
There was a large assemblage of spectators, and the
park presented an animated scene ; the firing was
very regular and good. As the regiment passed Buck-
ingham Palace the Queen came forward to inspect them
from the balcoay.

THE WATER IN THE BALTIC.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIRES.

Sir,—ln your paper of Friday, the 16th inst, under
the head "The Baltic Fleet" (from a correspondent), the
following sentence struck me as implying a curious
phenomenon : —" The large ships with Grant's galley
distil water to fill up the other ships, so that the squad-
ron is not weakened by sending them away for water."
Surely something has happened to the Baltic Sea, for,
though the water was brackish only off Copenhagen
when I was there 20 years since, I found nothing but
sweet water off Helsingfors, Lovisa, and `Vyborg, in
the Gulf of Finland ; and while crossing the Gulf of
Bothnia, from Stockholm to Abo, I won a wager, just
midway, by guessing a bucket we let over the side for
the purpose would—bring up perfectly fresh water. So
it proved, and' deliciously clear and drinkable. I ob-
served at the beginning of -the expedition that the. Ad-
miralty made. a great fuss about tanks to hold an im-
mense supply of fresh water, and remembered that in
former years vast expense was incurred to' supply our
ships in the American freshwater lakes with the same
article—nobody having thought of throwing a bucket
over the ships' side. A continuance of westerly gales
would, of course, carry . the German Ocean salt some
way up the Baltic, but hardly so far as where our fleet
I now cruise ; and our , prizes, laden with salt chiefly,
! imply that they cannet manufacture the article nut of
i Baltic water, What is it, then, has made this large
[reservoir only at the beginning of summer, so im-
potable I—Your obedient servant, ,
JuuolB. - LNDINDBITA.

HL R MAJESTY'S STATE BALL.

Her Majesty and Prince Albert, accompanied by the
Princesses Helena and Louisa, took a drive in an open
landau and four yesterday afternoon. The Equerries in
Waiting attended on horseback.
The Duchess of Kent visited the Queen yesterday.
Prince Albert, the King of Portugal, and the Duke of
Oporto, wi th the Viscount de Carreira, Baron tie Sarmento,
Chevalier do Mello, Lord de Tabley, and Captain the Hon.
Dudley de RO3, left Buckingham Palace in two carriages
and four, soon after o'clock yesterday morning, for the
Crystal Palace at Sydenham. The royal party returned at
ten minutes before 2 o'clock.
The Princesses Helena and Louisa visited the Zoological
Gardens in the Regent's park in the forenoon.
A deputation from the bleachers, dyers, and finishers of
England and Scotland, consisting of Mr. Crook, M.P. for
Belton ; Messrs. Richard Partingtou and George Cham-
bers, from the Amalgamated Committee at Bolton • Messrs.
A. King and J. McCulloch, of Glasgow, with Mr. gturgeon,
barrister, had an interview with Viscount Palmerston yes-
terday for the Home-office.
Viscount Canning had an interview with the Earl of
Aberdeen yesterday, at his official residence in Downing-
street.
A deputation from the Visiting Committee of the Corn-
wall Nicholson
Kendall County Lunatic Asylum, consistingo-
Kendall and Mr. T. A. Robartes, the members of Parlia-
ment for East Cornwall, had yesterday an interview with
Viscount Palmerston.
A deputation consisting of Sir P. Egerton, M P., Mr.
Toliemache, M.P., Mr. C. Leigh, M.P., and Mr. Patton
Egerton, M.P., had an interview with Viscount Palmer-
ston at the Home-office, yesterday.
Despatches from the Governors of the North American
Provinces were received yesterday, at the Colonial-office.
The Queen gave a state ball last evening at Bdainghana
Pali& Th-e-gtiNtfiiitre unusually numerous, the int
tions exceeding-M*4.--Tho state rooms were b
illuminated and were decorated with a large quantity of
the most brilliant flowers. The space between the balus-
trade of the grand staircase and the wall (about 3 feet) was
rendered solid by being entirely filled in with the most
beautiful blossoms, from the midst of which rose massive
bronze candelabra, supporting globes of light springing
from a bed of crystal.

At each corner of the staircase were bronze caryatidx
the size of life, supporting a number of lamps rising from
a mass of crystal, and branches and leaves of crystal, in-
termixed with and twining about the globular lights.
Round the walls of the airease were hung whole length
portraits of William IV., Queen Adelaide, the Duke of
Sussex, the Duke and Duohees of Kent, George 111, and
Queen Charlotte, the King of the Belgians and the Princess
Charlotte, and the present King of Hanover, by Lowrance,
Wilkie, Gainsborough, Beechey, Hayter, Shee, and Dawe.
In the ante-room to the suite of state apartments were
Gibson's classical statues of the Queen and Prince Albert
in the costume of heroic art with a slight and delicate in-
troduction of colour in the draperies and adjuncts of the
figure.
The floral display was continued throughout the Green
Drawing Room, the Throne Room, the Picture Gallery, the
White Drawing Room, the Saloon, the Ball Room, and the
Supper Room. Each fire place was completely filled, the
flowers rising apparently from a bed of moss, and in cor-
ners, alcoves and vases, at every turn the eyes rested on the
most brilliant hues of the parterre. In the Picture Gallery,
from the cool and delicate neutral colour of the walls and
the pure white marble of its architecture, the effect was
particularly stiiking. In addition to the display, in the
other apartments, the projecting bay of white marble at
the end leading to the Queen's private apartments was
crowned AN ith a dome of flowers.

Flowers wero also introduced as a back ground to the
haut pas, on which the chairs of state were placed for the
Queen, the Prince, and the King of Portugal in the Throne
and Ball-rooms. The haat pas had canopies and draperies
en suite with the fuuiture of the apartments.
The orchestra in the Throne-room in front of the throne
was raised a few feet only above the ordinary level, so that
the superstructure of the throne itself was visible from be-
hind, and to make it in accordance with the general mag-
nificence of the room, the front of the orchestra was hung
with draperies of crimson velvet embroidered in gold.
The State Dinner-room, appropriated to supper, dis-
played the usual magnificence. A lofty buffet filled the
back ground of a deep square alcove at the end of the
apartment (opposite to the entrance) about 18 feet in
width, and starting at about five feet from the ground to
the height of 12 feet, it was one mass of the most beauti-
ful specimens of gold plate.
In the centre was a very large flacon-shaped urn, atrophy
taken from the flag-ship of the Spanish armada, and above
it a noble salver, about three feet in diameter, having the
rising sun (Apollo in his chariot) finely wrought in basso-
relieve in the middle.

There were a number of other salvers of nearly equal di-
mensions, and large oval trays the borders of which were beau-
tiful specimens of goldsmith's work. Among the tankards
and cups were specimens of every style, from the simplest
form with no ornamentation at all to the most elaborate spe-
cimens and the most exquisite designs of ancient and mo-
dern art. Some of the more elegant cups had medallions
of sculptured ivory introduced, and others the body en-
tirely of ivory set in gold.
There were numerous copies of the Warwick vase in
gold plate on the tables, containing flowers, and some
of the gold candelabra were executed from the designs of
Flaxmau and other distinguished artists.
The Yeomen of the Guard were on duty in the Grand
Hall and Staircase, under the command of the Exon in
Waiting.
A Guard of Honour of the Foot Guards was on duty
during the night, with the Band of the Regiment, in front
of the Palace.

The Duchess of Kent, attended by Lady Anna Maria
Dawson and Sir George Couper, arrived at half•past nine
o'clock.

The Duchess of Cambridge and the Princess Mary were
attended by Lady Augusta Cadogan and Major Home
Purves.

Their Royal Highnesses were received by the Maids of
Honour in Waiting, Sir Edward Bowater, and Colonel
Wylde, the Groom in Waiting to the Queen and the
Prince, and Major General Buckley and Captain the Hon.
Dudley de Ros, the Equerries in Waiting to her Majesty
and his Royal Highness.
The general company began to arrive soon after nine
o'clock, and assembled in the Picture Gallery.
At a quarter before ten o'clock her Majesty the Queen
and Prince Albert were conducted from the White Draw-
ing Room (where the royal guests had assembled) by the
Marquis of Breadalbane K.T., the Lord Chamberlain, and
Lord Ernest Bruce, the Vice-Chamberlain, through the
Saloon into the Ball-room.
Her Majesty and his Royal Highness were accompanied
by the King of Portugal, the Duke of Oporto, the Duchess
of Kent, the Duchess of Cambridge, and the Princess
Mary.
The Queen was attended by the Duchess of Sutherland,
Mistress of the Robes ; the Duchess of Atholl, Lady in
Waiting ; the Maids of Honour in Waiting ; Earl Spencer,
K.G., Lord Steward : the Earl of Mulgrave, Treasurer of
the Household ; Lord Waterpark, Lord in Waiting ; the
Groom in Waiting, and the Equerry in Waiting.
Prince Albert was attended by the Marquis oeAbercorn,
K.G., Groom of the Stole, the Lord iu Waiting, the Groom
in Waiting, and the Equerry in Waiting.
The King of Portugal was attended by the noblemen and
gentlemen of his suite.
The Queen wore a dress of green tulle over green silk,
trimmed with flounces of figured green gauze ribbon and
white blonde, and damask roses with green leaves, orna-
mented with diamonds.

Her Majesty's head-dress was formed of a wreath of
damask roses and green leaves ornamented with diamonds.
The Duchess of Kent wore a dress of white satin (of
British manufacture), trimmed with white tulle and white
and goldblonde, the stomacher ornamented with diamonds.
Her Royal Highness's head-dress was composed of white
and/gold blonde and feathets, with diamond ornaments.
The Duchess of Cambridge wore a dress of white point
lace over grey silk, trimmed with silver riband and mara-
bout feathers, the stomacher ornamented with pearls and
diamonds. Her Royal Highness wore ou her head a pearl
tiara and feathers.
The Princess Mary of Cambridge wore a dress of white
tulle, trimmed with satin riband garlands of pink roses,
and also ornamented with rows of pearls. The stomacher
was adorned with turquoise and diamonds. The princess
wore round her head a wreath of pink rosebuds, with
diamond stars.
The general company followed her Majesty and the royal
circle into the Ball Room. •
The Queen opened the ball with the King of Portugal,
in a quadrille, at ten minutes before 10 o'clock, the oppo-
site couple being Prince Albert and the Princess Mary of
Cambridge.
Quadrille Bands were stationed in the Ball Room and
the Throne Room, and the following music was played by
them during the evening :