The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-22 00:00:00

TIIE WIMBLEDON MEETING.

WIMBLEDON, Saturday Evening.
Once more the great annual gathering of Volun-
teers on Wimbladou-common has been brought to a
close, and the year will be looked back to—not, cer-
tainly, without some regrets, but generally with
satisfaction by those Volunteers who have on this
occasion taken an active part in the proceedings.
On the Bth of this mouth the competition com-
menced; the sky was then bright, the weather warm
and agreeable, and everything seemed to promise
the very large number in camp a pleasant fortnight
under canvas. For the first few days this state of
things continued ; the many-coloured flags drooped
heavily about the tops of the flag-staffs ; and there
was not a breath of wind to disturb the marksman
or to complicate his calculations as to where he
should aim with a view to being "on the target."
It was not at all surprising that under such favour-
able circumstances wonderfully good scores were
constantly being made, but at the close of the first
week all the happy hopes and prognostications that
had been indulged in of a continuance of fine
weather were disappointed. The wind rose, tent-
ropes had to be strengthened, the flags that were left
up were torn or fringed by the violence of the gale,
and I need not again tell of the drenching rain in
which the Prince of Wales gave the medals to the
Belgians on Saturday week, which reduced the
hitherto parched common in a few hours into a
wretched and miserable swamp, and of which there
has been a repetition on almost all the succeeding
days of the meeting. Although this is a matter
which will be remembered with regret, it is surpris-
ing that something better than average shooting
continued to be made, notwitstanding the bad
weather, and although the Queen's prize was won
by but a small score, in most of the other competi-
tions, the competitors were able to make such allow-
ances for windage and the effects of rain as to insure
a number of marks highly creditable to them. What
is almost as important, however, as fair weather to
these meetings, is order and regularity, and on this
head all must have been well pleased.
Coming, then, to the last day, when there was
promised a most interesting presentation of prizes,
and a grand review as a finishing stroke, the public
no less than the Volunteers, were, in the matter of
weather, again doomed to disappointment. The
early morning promised exceedingly well, and even
for a couple of hours after noon, although there
were many clouds in the sky, there was a prospect
of a tolerably fine evening, consequently all classes
thronged to the enclosure, and long before three
o'clock, the hour at which it was announced the
prizes would be distributed, the Grand Stand was
thronged, mainly by ladies, anxious to get a good
view of the presentation of the prizes, a duty which
her Royal Highness the Princess Mary Adelaide
very kindly undertook. For the purpose of this
ceremony a dais was erected in front of the centre
of the Grand Stand, which was occupied by the
Princess Mary Adelaide (who wore a lace dress over
a mauve slip and a black shawl with gold stripes),
Prince Teck, who wore the uniform of hon. colonel
of the Ist Surrey Artillery, Earl and Countess Spen-
cer and others. Extending to the right and left of
the dais were long stands on which were ranged the
several epergnes, vases, cups, &c., which formed the