The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-30 00:00:00

THE

[The following appeared in our Third Edition of
last night :—]

THE QUEEN'S PROGRESS.

(From the Second Edition of the Edinburgh Evening
Courant of Thursday.)
HER MAJESTY'S ARRIVAL IN EDINBURGH.
From a regard to the wishes of her Majesty, the
preparations made by the authorities here for the re-
ception of the Sovereign, were limited to the neces-
sary arrangements for the preservation of order
among the multitudes expected to assemble in the
Queen's.park. List year was the first occasion on
which her Majesty had visited Holyrood Palace;
and the public entry had in consequence something
of the character of a state pageant. This year, how-
ever, the royal visit was understood to be strictly
private ; and a general desire was entertained to re-
spect, as far as possible, the privacy which it was the
wish of her Majesty to enjoy.
The royal landing-place, as last year, was at St.
Margaret's-station, Meadowbank. Amidst many dis-
advantages, it is in present circumstances perhaps the
best. Within a short distance of the Palace, it is
easily reached without the fatigue attending a public
progress through the crowded streets of the city. Still,
in many respects, it is capable of improvement. For
instance, it is within a few yards of a grim and smoky
tunnel, and is overlooked by the contiguous buildings.
The line at this point is curved and narrow, and the
gradient heavy ; while the difficulties of the landing,
arising from the sloping bank (which ought, at least,
to be planted with ornamental shrubbery), have to be
overcome by successive flights of steps. The grandeur
of the neighbouring hills, however, renders the embel-
lishments of art of less consequence ; and as an exten-
sive addition is shortly to be made to the royal
demense in that quarter, we may indulge the hope to
have one entrance to the Queen's Park worthy of the
Sovereign and of the natural magnificence of the
grounds.
Tne ornamental arcade erected last year at St.
Margaret's station for the royal landing having been
allowed to remain after the occasion had passed away,
it was restored to its former elegance without much
difficulty or expense. The style of the internal
decoration is arabesque; and the masses o► drapery
having been arranged with fine artistic effect, a
striking and graceful coup dad is produced.
The design is very tasteful, the different colours
of the drapery blending with good effect. The pil-
lars supporting the roof are fluted, pink, and white ;
and in the intervals between each were some splendid
exotic plants embedded in moss (from the garden of Mr.
Eagle Henderson, Vice-Chairman of the Company),
which added much to the beauty of the interior. The
transparent sides—formed of linen—admitted a sub-
clued light that was extremely effective, investing the
whole with the charms of a fairy scene. The deco-
rations of the exterior of the arcade towards the rail-
way were chiefly floral, a magnificent floral crown
being exhibited over the entrance. The gateway
opening upon the public road, opposite Parsonsgreen,
displayed a graceful arch adorned with dahlias
and bay leaves, surmounted with a splendid
floral crown. The steps and platform were
laid with crimson cloth, having in the
centre the Royal Stuart hunting tartan. The
extensive works of the company at St. Margaret's
were decorated with flags and shrubbery, and nearly
all the engines upon the line displayed some floral
emblems in honour of the day. The workmen, num-
bering several hundreds, had an entire holiday, and,
with their wives and families, were ranged in front of
the works.
There were no erections of any kind in the Queen's
Park, and no hustings were, permitted in St. Ann's
Yard, as last year.
Her Majesty was expected to arrive here about
half-past three or four o'clock. The directors of the
orth British Railway—including Mr. Eagle Hen-
derson, the Vice-Chairman, Sir Jas. Forrest, Bart.,
of Comiston, Mr. Charles Trotter, &c.—and the resi-
dent engineers of the company, left Edinburgh at ten
o clock in a special train for Berwick, to meet her
Majesty. The military, the city police, and the con-
stabulary arrived at their respective positions shortly
after two o'clock. The guard of honour at the
railway station consisted of one captain, two subal-
terns, and 50 men of the 33d Regiment, with the band
of the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons, and the Queen's
colour. The escort was composed of ens officer and
25 men of the 6th Dragoons. Both sides of the
road in the Queen's Park, from the Railway Station
to the Palace, were lined by the 6th Dragoons and
331 Regiment, one squadron of the former ex-
tending from the terminus towards the Palace, and
the other squadron from the Palace towards the drill
ground—the 33d occupying the space between the
two squadrons. The city police were also stationed
at intervals along the route.
The weather—according to the characteristic good
fortune of her Majesty—was delightful ; and, fresh
as the circumstances of her last visit to Holy rood are
in the recollection of the inhabitants, the general
anxiety to welcome the Sovereign on the present
occasion appeared to have sustained little diminution.
Early in the afternoon the city poured forth vast
masses of its population, overflowing all the avenues
to the Queen's Park. Several excursion trains from
different parts of the country helped, in no small
degree, to swell the throng. Many parts of
the town had quite a holiday aspect. The line of the
royal progress attracted an immense number of spec-
tators, as the elevated ground overlooking the road in
the Duke's-walk commanded the nearest and perhaps
the best view of the royal cortege. The crowds on
the opposite hills had a striking and romantic appear-
ance. Most of the rugged outlines of these pic-
turesque heights were occupied as a " coigne of
vantage" by eager parties, who viewed with philo-
sophic composure the restless mass below. Some
were even enthusiastic enough to climb to the lofty
site of the grey ruins of the chapel and hermitage of
St. Anthony, which presented a singular contrast to
the usually retired character of the spot. The
windows of the few houses at Meadowbank were filled
by brilliant parties of ladies ; and not a few of the
opposite sex, with characteristic daring, had
" climbed up to walls and battlements,
To towers and windows, yea to chimney tops,"
to command a better view; while a number of ladies
and, gentlemen, from the grounds of Parsonsgreen,
witnessed both the arrival and the departure of her
Majesty.
The vast assemblage—which, however, from the
extent of the ground, seemed less numerous and
imposing than might have been anticipated—awaited
without impatience the arrival of the Queen.
About two o'clock, the Duke of Buccleuch, Lord
Lieutenant of the county, arrived on the ground.
His Grace was not in uniform, but wore the blue
ribbon of the Order of the Garter, Mr. Sheriff
Gordon, and Mr. J. A. Campbell, sheriff-clerk of the
county of Edinburgh, were also in attendance about
the same time; and Major-General Riddell and staff
arrived shortly afterwards. The royal carriages
were drawn up in front of the station at half-past two
o'clock.
The approach of her Majesty towards Edinburgh
was intimated by telegraph as the royal train passed
each station. The special train with the directors of
the North British Railway Company arrived at St.
Margaret's station at half,past three o'clock precisely,
with tidiags that the royal train was at hand.
The eleeering of the workmen at St. Margaret's
station announced the near approach of her Majesty,
and iramediately afterwards the royal train arrived at
the platform. The engine (belonging to the North
B'.itish Railway Company) was decorated in a su-
Tnerb style. It had in front a splendid gilt crown ;
and displayed from an arch, in conspicuous charac-
ters, the popular aspiration—" God save the Queen 1"
Longitudinal arches decorated the sides of the en-
gine, bearing the mottoes—" Long live the Royal
Family," and " Success to the British Empire." The
tender was covered with a handsome green velvet
cloth, with gold tassels; and it also displayed a pro-
fusion of floral ornaments. The engine was driven by
Mr. Thornton, the superintendent of that department
of the company's establishment.
The royal train consisted of eight carriages. Three
of them were elegant saloons, for the use of her Ma-
jesty, the Royal Family, and the members of the
suite. They are constructed of teak wood, and have
been finished with exquisite taste and elegance. The
Queen's saloon carriage, made for the occasion, is
eighteen feet in length, and seven and a half broad.
The truck upon which it is fixed is strongly made of
the best British oak, firmly bolted together, fitted with
improved axles, patent buffers, very deep flanges to
the wheels, and the very best manufactured
springs. The lining of the interior is of the
richest description of India brocade silk,
with a pure white ground, superbly flowered.
The windows are of the most costly plate glass, and
the whole of the furniture, as well as the retiring-
room attached to the saloon, is of walnut-tree wood,
the chairs and ottomans being covered with the same
material as the lining of the carriage. The carriage
is lighted from a lantern, with a powerful reflector,
over the retiring-room, and on the opposite side of the
saloon is a magnificent mirror reflecting the light back
again, giving the apartment a most brilliant and elegant
appearance. The only exterior distinction is a broad
gold moulding round the carriage, with a gilt crown
and coat-of-arms over each doorway, and the panels
exquisitely painted with the orders of the Batb, the
Garter, and the other orders of knighthood. The
Prince of Wales' saloon and retiring• room is of equal
dimensions, and equally elegant, with the exception
that the lining is pure white brocaded silk, instead of
having any coloured flowers ; and the saloon for the
royal suite is very similar—the curtains are of green
silk, affixed to gilt rods, and the saloons are fitted with
wine coolers, chiffonniers, couches, &c., and all the
luxuries of an elegantly furnished apartment. In ad-
dition to the saloon carriages, three ordinary, but en-
tirely new first-class carriages formed part of the