The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-31 00:00:00

The extraordinary, •yet very natural, excitement
under which Cowes has laboured during the past
week, and in which, indeed, every town and ham-
let in the kingdom have in a certain lesser degree
participatA, reached its culminating point on Satur-
day, in the banquet given by the inhabitants of
Cowes to the officers and gentlemen amateurs of
the New York Club squadron now anchored in
Cowes roadstead,' and comprising the three beau-
tiful schooners Henrietta, Fleetwing, and Vesta—
names that are " household words" in every city of
the great republic by reason of their yachting
triumphs, and for the same reason equally familiar
to every English yachtsman. The banquet was
given in the dining hall of the Gloster Hotel, the
old quarters of the Royal Yacht squadron, which
was tastefully decorated for the occasion, floral
wreaths and festoons running round the cornice
over trophies of flags and emblematic devices, the
panels of the walls of the apartment being filled
with paintings and illuminated photographs on glass
illustrating episodes in the careers of the most cele-
brated of our English yachts. Among the most
noticeable of the mottoes on the walls were—" God
bless the Queen and President ;" " Separated, not
divided " N.Y.Y•C• and R.Y.S." In the imme-
diate vicinity of the chair was placed a large en-
graving representing the delivery of the Arctic ship
Resolute by the officers of the United States' Navy
to the British naval officers at Chatham, after the
arrival of that ship in England on her recovery
from the Arctic Seas by our American brethren.
Sir John Simeon, M.P., was in the chair, having
on his right Commodore Vickar, of the New York
Yacht Club, and on his left Major-General Sey-
mour, Equerry to the Queen ; the other guests in
the immediate vicinity of the chair comprising, Mr.
James G. Bennett, jun., of the New York Herald,
and owner of the Henrietta ; Colonel Taylor,
United States' Army ; Mr. L. Lorillard, of the
Vesta ; the United States' Consul at Southampton ;
the Mayor of Newport; Capt. Luard, her Majesty's
ship Hector; Capt. Brown, R.N., secretary, Royal
Yacht Squadron. The vice-chair was filled by Mr.
J. Binfield Bird, the chairman of the Banquet Com-
mittee, having on his right and left Capt. S. Samuels,
of the Henrietta ; Capt. Thomas, of the Fleetwing ;
Capt. Johnson, of the Vesta ; Capt. Kitt ; Mr. W.
Fiske, and other American gentlemen. Covers were
laid for 110. The cards of invitation issued were
beautifully got up in colours by Smith, of Cowes,
and each was headed with the flags of America and
England, held with clasped hands. The dinner and
the wines were most creditable to the Messrs. Jones,
of the Gloster and Fountain Hotels, the purveyors.
Grace was said by the Rev. Mr. Atkinson, the
vicar of Cowes.
The CILIIIIMAN, in rising to propose the first
toast, said, although the party assembled was a
numerous one, it would have been much more so
had not many gentlemen who were anxious to be
present been prevented from attending ; and his
first duty was to read the letters of apology which
he had received. He then read letters explaining
their cause of absence from the Prince Leiningen,
Sir John Cowell, Major-General Biddulph, Rear-
Admiral Sir J. Hammond, Rear-Admiral Ratsey,.
Mr. Tennyson, Poet Laureate ; Mr. J. Stephenson,
C.E. ; Commodore Balliston, Admirals Love, Cro-
zier, &c. He then said that the first toast always
drunk in every assembly of Englishmen was the
health of her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen.
(Cheers.) They were at all times ready to drink
that toast with expressions of loyal attachment to
their constitutional Sovereign, who so admirably
discharged her high and responsible duties ; but
sitting, as they now did, almost under the shadow
of the towers of Osborne, they might be excused if
a sentiment rather more personal and tender ani-
mated them on the present occasion. (Cheers.) He
begged to give " The Health of her M ,jesty the
Queen," with all respect, loyalty, and affection
which could be thrown into the toast. (Cheers.)