The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-13 00:00:00

Visit of the Volunteers to Belgium.

(From the Times Special Correspondent.)
BRUSSELS, Friday Morning.

There can be no question that the reception to be
given to the Volunteers attending the Tir National
of 1866 was expected to be something very cordial
and imposing. The programme issued by the au-
thorities many weeks ago of the fetes which were to
mark this year's anniversary of the independence of
Belgium, and of the entertainments to be given to
such foreign riflemen as accepted the invitation of
the Brussels Committee, led every one to believe
that the hospitality shown to the Belgian riflemen
who went over to Wimbledon in July would be more
than returned when our Volunteers came here ; but
no one out of this city could have imagined that there
awaited the visitors from Great Britain such a series
of ovations as commenced when the first body of
Volunteers landed at Ostend on Wednesday, and
came to a culmination in the magnificent welcome
given to them by the people of Brussels last night.
To say that the authorities and the people of Bel-
gium have been enthusiastic ou the occasion would
scarcely give the reader an idea of the manner in
which they have received the Volunteers ; to say
that as a spectacle the procession which they orga-
nised in their beautiful capital last night was of
extraordinary grandeur and brilliancy is only doing
0
it the merest justice.

A few of the Staff officers and some old Volun-
teers came over on Tuesday ; but it was on Wed-
nesday morning the first body set out. A special
train started for their accommodation from Charing-
cross station at half-past 6 o'clock. They were con-
veyed from Dover to Ostend in the Ruby and the
Emerald, 236 riflemen being on board. On their
arrival at Ostend, they were met by the Bourgmes-
tre, M. Van Iseghem, and the officers of the Garde
Civique. The band of this force played the English
National Anthem as the steamers came alongside
the pier, and the townspeople who were assembled
in large numbers at the place Df debarkation
gave several hearty rounds of cheering. The young
Due de Brabant, the King's eldest son, witnessed
the landing. The Bourgmestre having bid them wel-
come, invited them to the Hotel de Ville, where,
offering them le yin d'honneur, he gave the toast of
64 Queen Victoria." Itis hardly necessary to say that
this was heartily responded to by her Majesty's sub-
jects then present. In their cheering they were joined
by the Belgians. On their way from the Hotel de
Ville to the railway station the Volunteers were
surrounded by the townspeople, who tendered a
hundred civilities, and appeared to feel themselves
honoured when they were allowed to do any Volun-
teer a service. By the time this large detachment
had arrived at Brussels Lieut.-Col. Loyd Lindsay,
commanding officer of all the Volunteers visiting
Belgium, who had arrived here, accompanied by
Lord Bury and Sir Paul Hunter, had established his
head-quarters at the Hotel de Belle Vue. From
various points on all sides of this building the British
flag was displayed, and in the Brigade-Major's office
Mr. Bigmore, the quartermaster, assisted by other
gentlemen, was busy making out lists and attending
to applications for quarters. Yesterday morning
brought fresh and still more numerous arrivals, and
even before the main body reached last night there
was scarcely a street in Brussels in which all the
uniforms of cur Volunteer force were not repre-
sented. On Wednesday evening Colonel Lindsay
was visited by M. Pletiuckx, General of the Garde
Civique, and yesterday morning the gallant Colonel
returned the visit, and also called upon the Bourg-
mestre at the Hotel de Ville. By that time the whole
city was en fête. Flags hung from almost every
house in the principal streets ; the Garde Civique
were turning out to receive their foreign visitors,
and the shrill blasts of trumpets and the beating of
drums were heard in all quarters. The Garde
Civique of Brussels are 6,000 strong. They have
four legions of infantry, chasseurs, a battalion of
eclaireurs, an escadron of cavalry, and an escadron
of artillery. The infantry wear blue coats and dark
trousers ; the cavalry, green coats and scarlet
trousers ; the shakos and helmets of the men and
officers are handsome, and the costumes of the va-
rious branches of the force have a striking and agree-
able appearance. At 2 o'clock the officers of this
force, headed by the cavalry band, proceeded to the
terminus of the Chemin de Fer du Midi to receive
the French riflemen coming to the Tir. These were
Gardes Nationaux to the number of 125 men and
71 officers. There were on the station to receive
them, besides the officers of the Garde Civique, M.
Funck, Echevain of the city and member of the
chamber of Representatives ; M. Orts, member and
formerly President of the Legislative Chamber. The
streets leading to the station were much crowded,
and the station itself was completely surrounded
with a mass of people. The train containing the
French National Guards did not arrive till about
half-past 3 o'clock. When it came up to the plat-
form a loud cheer was raised by the Garde Civique,
and the band played " Partant pour la Syrie." On
the visitors stepping out of the carriages, their chef
de bataillon, Colonel Deherpe, was addressed by the
Echevain in the words of which the following are a
translation :

" Gentlemen,—Although the official reception of the
foreign corps which come to take part in our national fetes
does not take place till evening, we wished to bid you wel-
come immediately on your arrival. We fulfil this mission
with the more pleasure because you belong to a country
with which Bolgium has always held the most amicable
relations. The sympathetic reception which awaits you
among us will prove to you, gentlemen, that the entire
Belgian nation entertains affectionate sentiments towards
a people which has contributed so powerfully to the con-
solidation of our national independence."

Colonel Deherpe responded to this effeet:—

" I thank you for the kind words which you have just
spoken. They do not surprise us, for since we put our foot
on Belgian soil we have been the object of a reception the
most sympathetic. We have received continuous ovations.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and only regret
that 1 am unable to express as I would wish to do what I
feel. That is impossible. My emotion prevents me. I shall
be extremely happy to make known to my countrymen our
good and cordial reception, and the feelings to which it
gives rise in my breast. This reception will consolidate
the friendship between the two countries, and this visit
must, as you observe, but strengthen the sentiments of
fraternity which exist between the two nations."
M. Funck then informed the Colonel that the Garde
Civique and the foreign riflemen already arrived
would assemble at the Place des Nations at 7 in the
evening to receive the English Volunteers who were
expected to arrive about that time, after which the
official reception would take place at the Hotel de
Ville. In the meantime Lord Bury and Sir Paul
Hunter had left Brussels for Ostend to meet the
great body of the Volunteers and to represent the
commanding officers at the various towns en route,
where le yin d'honneur was to be offered. Three
steamers freighted with Volunteers arrived at
Ostend ; but owing to a fog in the Channel they
were two hours late in arrival, and this and delays
on the way up, as it will be seen, threw the recep-
tion at Brussels back till an unexpectedly late hour.
The whole town of Ostend turned out to accom-
panythe visitors to the Hotel de Ville and the rail-
way station. Speeches were made to them by the
burgomaster
and the commander of the Garde
Civique, «God
save the Queen" was played, and
they left in two t
amid loud acclamations. At
Bruges not only the
elirailway station and platform
were filled, but the
half was
.lined with spectators
for a distance of
up. 'where,
the point at
which the train pullecia
_there, again, there
were more cheers, more music, and more yin d'hon-
-72 eur. At Alost the Garde Civique
Presented to Lord
Bury, for the English Volunteers
whoi shoot at
Wimbledon, a large and exceedingrblayeiner,egaut silver
paidro to the
cup. While such honours were
ietathe
English Riflemen coming by the Ostel'id
quays at Antwerp were covered with the inhabitants
of that town, who assembled to receive the 360 Ili/it:
ltinteerA who had come over that way. The latter
reached here before evening ; but a telegram received
in the afternoon informed Col. Loyd Lindsay that
the main body coining up from Ostend would not
arrive till 8 o'clock, though they had been expected
at 7. The gallant officer had, however, issued orders
for a parade of all Volunteers then in the city for 6
o'clock, and at that hour he rode into the place ap-
pointed, the square in front of the Museum, accom-
panied by Lieut. Purley, 29th Kent, Brigade Major;
Lieut.-Col. M'Gregor, Ist Midlothian Artillery; and
Capt. Burgess, Adjutant. Several hundred of the
volunteer amembled and were formed into corn-