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

THE WATER IN THE BALTIC.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
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 Wyborg, 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
lway up the Baltic, but hardly so far as where our fleet
now cruise ; and our prizes, laden with salt chiefly,
imply that they cannot manufacture the article out of
1 Baltic water. What is it, then, has made this large
reservoir only at the beginning of summer, so im-
potable I,Your obedient servant,
'ha 19. LarDionau.

The Princesses Helena and Lonica visited the Zoological
Gardens in the Regent's park in the forenoon.
A deputation from the bleachers, dyers, mid finishers of
England and Scotland, consisting of Mr. Crook, M.P. for
Bolton ; Messrs. Richard Partingtoo and George Cham-
bers, from the Amalgamated Committee at Bolton ; Messrs.
A. King and J. McCulloch, of Glasgow, with Mr. Sturgeon,
barrister, had an interview with Viscount Pahnerston 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 County Lunatic Asylum, consisting of Mr. Nicholson
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.
Tollemache, M.P., Mr. C. Leigh, M.P., and Mr. Tatton
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 Buckingham
Palace. The guests were unusually numerous, the invita-
tions exceeding 2,000. The state rooms were brillitmtly
illuminated and were decorated with a largo 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 caryatid
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 staircase were hung whole length
portraits of WilliamlV.,.Queell Adelaide, the Duke of

- _
Sussex, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, George 111, and Queen Charlotte, the King of the Belgians and the Princess
Charlotte, and the present King of Hanover, by Lawrance,
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 striking. In addition to the display in the
other apartments, the projecting bay of white marble at
the end leadirr, to the Queen's private apartments was
crowned with :dome of flowers.

Flowers were 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 haut pas had canopies and draperies
en suite with the funiture 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 averylarge flacon-shaped urn, a trophy
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-
relievo
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
Flaxman 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.
Th 9 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 of Abercorn,
K.G., Groom of the Stole, the Lord in 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 goldblondo, 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 on 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 :

QUADRILLES.

Le Bon Vivant
Partant Pour is Syrie
Les Filles de Marbro
La Dame aux Camelias
L'Etoile du Nord
Breadalbane
4 '
Glasgow

WALTZES.

▪ Linnotte.
Ln.urent.
• Bousquet.
• Riviero.
Musard.
Bosisio.
Wellington
I Guernsey.

Bruit du Soir
Lillo
Blooming of the Rose
Stars of the West ..........
Leonora ........................
Schneeehlochlen ...........
Georgette ...........
Solon Spriiehe .....
Villi kins ............

Strauss.
Strauss.
Labitzky.
Montague.
Laurent.
Strauss.
D'Albert.
Strauss.
Laurent.

POLKAS.

L'Etoile du Nord
Sultan
Fillo do Marbre
Foto Cocatte
L'Etoilo de Salons

Laurent.
D'Albert.
Schubert.
Wallerstein.
Bosisio.