The Sun.
London, England, 1849-09-28 00:00:00

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SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock.

HER MAJESTY'S DEPARTURE
FROM SCOTLAND.

(From a Second Edition of the Edinburgh Courant
of Thursday_)
Her Majesty, Prince Albert, and the members of
the Royal Family, left their Highland residence at
Balmoral at an early hour this morning, where they
have been in the enjoyment, for a period of about
six weeks, of the privacy and seclusion so much
in harmony with the exalted feelings and virtues
which adorn the character of our beloved Sovereign.
The retirement of the Court amidst the solitude
and grandeur of our Highland scenery has been
preserved with the utmost sanctity, and the con-
fidence reposed by the Queen in the loyalty and affec-
tion of her subjects has met with a response highly
creditable to the national character. The precise day
of her Majesty's departure for Osborne House, Isle of
Wight, was at first fixed for Wednesday (yesterday),
but the prevalence of cholera both in Perth and Stir-
ling—where it was at one time in contemplation that
the royal party should remain during the night—led
to an entire alteration in the arrangements, and it was
ultimately determined that her Majesty should proceed
at once from Balmoral to Howick Hall, the seat of
Earl Grey, a distance of about 230 miles.
The Royal party left Balmoral about eight o'clock
this morning, and proceeded by the Spittal of Glen-
shee, the Bridge of Cally, and Blairgowrie, to the
station of the Scottish Midland Junction Railway at
Cupar-Angus, where a special train was in readiness
for their use. The journey was accomplished by
posting, and her ISlajesty reached Cupar-Angus at
fifteen minutes past three o'clock. About ten
minutes were spent in affixing the carriages and lug-
gage trucks (seven in number), and the Royal party
then proceeded on their way, passing through Perth
and Stirling, and reaching the Greenhill station (the
point of junction between the Scottish Central and
Edinburgh and Glasgow lines) about fifteen minutes
past five o'clock.
The engine (which was finely decorated) was
driven from the Greenhill junction by Mr. Paton,
superintendent of the locomotive department of the
Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, and under the
superintendence of Mr.' Adie, the company's engi-
neer. Mr. Peter Blackburn and a party of the
directors accompanied the royal party,
.in a separate
carriage, to the Edinburgh station. Mr. Sheriff
Gordo❑ (Edinburghshire), and Mr. Sheriff Craufurd
(Perthshire), were also in the same train.
ARRIVAL OF HER MAJESTY IN EDINBURGH.
The expression of her Majesty's desire, through
some of the members of the royal household, to
avoid the formality of a public demonstration on the
occasion of her passage through Edinburgh by
railway, on her return to the Isle of 'Wight from her
residence in the Highlands, prevented any extensive
preparations fur the royal reception. The en-
thusiasm which the royal visit to the ancient
metropolis of Scotland in 1842 excited in the public
mind—equal, at least, to the warmth of her
Majesty's reception in the Irish capital—must yet be
fresh in her recollection ; and anxious as the inhabi-
tants Of our " romantic town" might be to embrace
the present occasion to renew their manifestations of
loyalty and attachment to her person and throne,
respect for her Majesty's wishes has formed the
pereedinet sentiment in every breast, and prevented
the adoption of measures which, in other circum-
stances, would have been a befitting reception to the
Queen of these realms.
The authorities, in their desire to respect the wishes
of her Majesty, accordingly dispensed with all formal
preparations, which were chiefly confined to measures
for the public safety and convenience ; and, beyond
their presence to render their homage and duty to
their Sovereign, no other demonstration was made.
The arrangements at the station were of the most
complete description, and reflect the utmost credit
on the directors. A spacious gallery, 150 feet in
length, by 9 feet in depth, capable of containing 600
people, was erected along the north boundary wall of
the elegant station, and was filled by a fashionable
and brilliant assemblage of ladies and gentlemen. The
platform in front was laid with crimson cloth, 40 feet
in length, an::: 12 feet in breadth ; and upon the roofs
of the various offices was a fine display of greenhouse
plants.

- A detachment of the 21st Royal North British
Fusiliers formed the guard of honour, and were
ranged along the platform. The excellent band of
the regiment was also present, and performed a variety
of music.
The 21st Fusiliers left the Castle about two
o'clock, with the Local Corps of Pensioners (who
had been called up for the occasion), and marched
to the railway terminus by the Lawnmarket, Bank-
street, and Earthen Mound. A detachment of the
Fusiliers was stationed in East Prince's-street Gar-
dena in front of the palisades erected there, and the
pensioners lined both sides of the railway in West
Prince's-street Gardens. A company of artillery
c,
arrived at the c,isti T •...“( ki V CIUCK
to ore the royal salute.
The Queen's Bays were stationed at both ends of
the North Bridge to prevent a pressure of people
upon the parapet wells ; and a similar precaution was
adopted at Waverley Bridge. Some of the Fusiliers
were elso placed at Amph;on-pla a (oveih inging the
Gas Work,), for the same purpose, and at other points
on the line of the North British Railway.
The East Prince's-street Gardens were thronged
from an early hour by dense crowds, to witness the
royal train as it swept into the station. The ele-
vated terrace at the base of the Scott Monument,
unique in grandeur and taste, afforded a command-
ing position of the ground below, now being laid
out in harmony with the natural beauty of that
romantic valley, separating the old from the
new town. The body of the gardens was also
thronged by an immense mass of spectators. The
prospect was of a striking and picturesque cha-
racter, the immense, mass swaying to and fro in the
excitement of the scene, and rending the air with their
acclamations ; while beyond was the dark and
irregular background of the 01,1 Town, grim with
the smoke of centuries, and teeming with the associa-
tions of a rich historic past.
The West Prince's-street Gardens were thronged
by a numerous assemblage of ladies and gentlemen.
From the windows of various houses in Prince's-
street and other streets, flags were displayed in
honour of the eccasion ; and the various locomotive
• engines belonging to the North British Railway
were tinAy decorated with evergreens and flowers.
The Lord Provost, Magistrat,s, and Council, began
to assemble in the Council Chambers about three
o'clock, Pm. At half-past three o'clock, having put
on their robes and insignia of office, they proceeded
to the railway station in nine carriages—the Lord
Provost's carriage, which was modest but handsome,
having two footmen with halberts behind. On arriv-
ing at the railway station they immediately proceeded
to occupy their places in the centre of the gallery, in
front of which the High Constables were ranged.
Among those present on the platform were the
Earl of Morton, Hon. Bouverie Piairese, Professor
Wilson, Major General Sir James Riddell, com-
manding the Forces, and Staff', M. Mocroix, com-
mending the Prevoyant, French frigate, &c. John
Learmouth, Esq , of Dean, Chairman of the North
British Company, was also present, with a large body
of the Directors.
The large assemblage awaited the arrival of her
Majesty without any display of impatience, and at
length, about twenty minutes past five o'clock, intel-
ligence was received by telegraph that the royal train
had passed Linlithgow. This information diffused
the liveliest satisfaction, as all apprehensions on the
subject of her Majesty's arrival were thus put at
an end.
The telegraph at the Haymarket station of the
Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway communicated the
approach of her Majesty about seven minutes to six
o'clock ; and the thundering of the guns from the
Castle in a minute afterwards confirmed the gratifying
intelligence.
At the Castle, two sentries had been stationed on
the roof the magazine, overlooking the mouth of the
railway tunnel between the Haymarket and West
Prince's-street Gardens. The moment the cloud of
steam was issuing from the jaws of the tunnel, the
watchmen waved their flags—the long train glided
under the Castle rock.
" Then all the loud artillery spoke
In lightning flash and thunder stroke"—
and amid the roar of the guns might be heard the
loud and long-renewed cheers of the multitude in the
valley far below.
Emerging from the long tunnel stretching from
the Haymarket station of the railway to St. Cuth-
bert's Church, the train swept into the station in the
centre of the city, by perhaps the noblest avenue
among the numerous fine approaches to the metro-
polis. The line of railway here skirts the base of
the lofty precipitous rock on which the Castle is
reared, whose vast ragged outline and overhanging
battlements form a scene of great magnificence,
worthy of the city whose romantic features divide
the attention of the stranger with its historical inte-
rest. The gardens themselves are in high cultivation,
and laid out with the finest taste, and we understand
excited the admiration of the royal party.
Priecisely at Eve minutes to six o'clock the royal
train entered the station at WTaverley Bridge, amidst
the enthusiastic cheering of the spectators, and was
stopped exactly in front of the Lord Provostßoyaland
Magistrates. Colonel Anson, Equerry to his
Ilighness Prince Albert, immediately afterwards
alighted from a carriage in the royal train, and intro-
, duee4 Provost to her Majesty and her
i~iusjQd: , when the Queen said to his Lord-
.
• glad to see you in the city of
Edinburg ,hich the Lord Provost replied,
that,,• in of the inhabitants, he had to offer
most hearty welcome to her city of

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