The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-20 00:00:00

Visit of the Volunteers to Belgium,

(From the Times Special Correspondent.)
BRUSSELS, Friday Morning.
'The difficulty of conveying to the reader in Eng-
land a correct idea of the proceedings here becomes

greater day by day. The use of superlatives is
always suspicious, because men are accustomed to
'discard judicious comparison under the excitement
of scenes which come under their observation sud-
denly and in a vivid form, and because there is i
nothing terrestrial which, however good in its ap-
pearance, may not be excelled. It would be difficult
to imagine anythingmore picturesque than the entry
of the Volunteers into Brusse's. The crowded
streets, the torch lights, the illuminated Hotel de
Ville, the battalions of the Garde Civique, the hun-
dreds of torches, the vivas, the music, the general
enthusiasm made up a spectacle inexpressibly grand.
Then the reviews, the gala night at the Opera-
house, the proceedings on the occasion of the King's
visit to the Tir, all wore such as to delight and asto-
nish the Volunteers and all other foreign visitors to
the Belgian capital; but the scene in Antwerp yester-
day proved that Belgian resources in this way were
not yet exhausted, and that even in a provincial
town of this kingdom something still new and mar-
vellous could be done in the distribution of interna-
tional hospitalities.
The people of Antwerp having invited the foreign
riflemen to spend a day in " the city of Rubens,"
preparations were made here for an' acceptance of
the invitation yesterday: The Belgian Tir and the
long range were well attended in the forenoon ; but
there was a general muster of the English, French,
and Dutch riflemen at their respective quarters by
half-past 1 o'clock, in order that they might march
to the Station du Nord by 2, and thence set out for
Antwerp. The Volunteers assembled for parade in
the Place du Musee, all the field officers being on
horseback and the men being drawn up in companies.
When they were ready to be put into marching
order Colonel Loyd Lindsay addressed them, stat-
ing that he felt much pleasure in communicating to
them his own approbation and that of the authori-
ties of Brussels as to the way in which they had con-
ducted themselves since their arrival in the capital.
lie thought it unnecessary to comment on the mag-
nificent manner in which they had been received and
entertained by the people ; but he felt much pleasure
in informing them that at a meeting of the Volunteer
officers held that morning the following resolutions
had been come to :--

"That a committee, consisting of representatives of every
corps actually present in Brussels, shall be appointed for the
purpose of carrying out a suitable reception of the Belgians
at Wimbledon in the year 1867, and also.for arrangements
connected with the visit of Volunteers to Belgium.
" That the committee shall consist of the senior officers
of every corps present this year at Rrussels, or such other
members of the corps as may be appointed. The commit-
tee to have power to add to their number.
" That the chairman be requested to inform the Belgian
authorities that such a committee is in the process of for-

" That Lieut. Gould be requested to bold the money
subscribed until the formation of a committee, when it be
handed over to them."
The resolutions were received with several rounds
of cheering, and at once received the ratification of
the whole of the Volunteers. Headed by the band
of the Ist Surrey, between 700 and 800 Volunteers
then proceeded to the railway station, crowds of the
citizens accompanying them on their way through
the Place Royale, the Rue Royale, and the Boule-
vard Botanique. They reached the Place des Na-
tions at 10 minutes past 2 o'clock. Some of the
GardeNationale of France and riflemen fromllolland
had left for Antwerp 10 minutes before. The others
and theVolunteets were placed in two trains and de-
spatched on their journey in five minutes after their
arrival at the station, every carriage in both trains
being a first-class. It was understood that they
were not to stop at Malines, but there a great num-
ber of people had assembled, and cheered the rifle-
men lustily as the trains ran past. It was a quarter
past 3 when the first of the trains carrying the Vo-
lunteers arrived at Antwerp. As it drew up by the
platform the demonstration on the part of the people
was something which the foreigners, even accustomed
as they had been to B2lgian feting, were not prepared
for. The Garde Civique were drawn up in double line
and carried arms ; a vast concourse of people sur-
rounded them. All the houses from which a view of
the station could be obtained were crowded at every
window, and even on the roof, and a cheer that re-
verberated again and again through the long glass
shed covering the platform was raised in honour of
the visitors. Before the riflemen had begun to de-
scend the fine band of the Garde Civique of Ant-
werp, one of the best in Belgium, struck up the
brabanc;oune. This the foreign linemen and the Vo-
lunteers received with hearty cheers; next came
"Partant pour la Syrie;" and then, just as the Vo-
lunteers had formed, " God Save the Queen." The
commandapt superieur of the Garde Civique wel-
comed the visitors in a spirited address, which was
replied to in French by M. Deherpe, Chef de Batail-
lon of the French National Guards, Col. Loyd
Lindsay, and the commanding officer of the Dutch
riflemen. While the speaking was going on the second
of the trains with Volunteers arrived, amid a flou-
rish of trumpets, the beating of drums, and a per-
formance of our National Anthem, which completely
drowned the voice.s of the speakers. When the Vo-
lunteers had been got into marching order, such
was the enthusiasm of the Garde Civique that the
officers pulled off their shakoes and held them up on
the points of their swords, the rank and file followed
suit by hoisting theirs upon their bayonets, and a
scene of deafening hurrahs resounded throughout
the station. A procession healed by the Garde
Civique then set out out, the Frenchmen took the
lead of the foreigners, the Dutchmen following, and
the Volunteers, who formed the great body of the
procession, coining last. The band of the Ist
Surrey played alternately with the band of the
Garde Civique. On emerging from the railway pre-

wises the scene before and around the troops was
as remarkable. as any that our Volunteers have seen
in Belgium, extraordinary as many of these scenes
have been. Not only was every foot of ground
covered with a dense mass of people, but every win-
dow and roof-top commanding a view of the rifle-
men was filled with spectators. On their way to the
Zoological Gardens, the first of the places in which
they were to be entertained, the rifle:ncn passed
along a suburban road, the trees on either sie.e of
which are yet in full leaf and formed a lovely green
arch over their heads. Admiring crowds stood on
the road, and cheered the marching men. The Zoo-
logical Garden of Antwerp is one of the finest in
Europe ; it is said to have the finest collection of
birds, and there are spacious pathways all round it.
Through these the riflemen were marched, and the
elite of the citizens were assembled there to see them.
Their reception was of the most flattering descrip-
tion, though here the first sounds of discontent were
uttered against the invasion of the foreigners. In
the principal avenue of the gardens 'a number of
parrots are placed on suspended perches. It was
evident that these birds disapproved the whole pro-
ceeding, for as the Volunteers walked by them they
gave utterance to
sounds not at all genial, and
looked stilt morek fierce. There is a spacious sward
gazelles, for the
,Inch form a portion of the collec-
tion in the gardens. The riflemen having surrounded
this, one of the gazelles became much frightened
and bounded about the
enclosed space with amazing
speed, every moment making springs the length of
which drew forth exprezz
tin: of wonder and admi-
leltncplorlident to draw
ration. At length it was t
off the riflemen from about thueg
made the eircait. of the gard,, whole fore'.
.ure. Having
were marche4,lhto the town:llBAnteern
always
..,niegul.ar com-
bination picturesque city. It presents as• is
bination of the characteristics of
of the INliddle Ages with those of a thrivingllll town
port
.of the 19th century. It has wide and modern_
looking streets and spacious stone mansions which
have been erected within -the memory of the
present generation ; but in many parts, particularly
those about itsglorions cathedral,it is so old -fashioned
and quaint that one could imagine it had stood still
for the last 500 years. Last evening the marching of
so many hundred men in uniform through all the
principal thoroughfares, with the windows full of
citizens who viewed them all the way, and the masses

of Flemingswho covered the pavement and gazed or
the procession with a pleasure largely intermingled
with astonishment, made the old city more interest-

ing looking than ever. It was a few minutes after 5
o'clock, and the sun was setting with glorious au-
tumnal tints, when the riflemen, marching round
by the square in which stands the statue of Rubens,
came full upon the grand cathedral. Involuntarily
they stopped, and looking up at its glorious spire
gave utterance to their admiration in a subdued
buzz. Just then its bells chimed forth the vesper
hymn, and all the other bells in the city tolled in
melodious chorus. The effect on riflemen and spec-
tators was marvellous. The voices of thousands were
raised in one wild hurrah, and amid the music of
church bells and cheering of men, women, and chil-
dren, the Volunteers arrived at the steps of the mag-
nificent Hotel de Ville. The Pompiers of the city,
with their brass helmets, made still more fierce-look-
ing by crests of black horsehair, formed a guard of
honour at the entrance. Passing up a noble stair-
case, the• riflemen entered a very an:...ient-look-
ing apartment, with chimney-piece of colossal pro-
portions and fine pictures covering the walls. Here,
under an antique wooden ceiling and a'iid the mel-
low light of numerous oil lamps, stood the I3ourg-
mestre and the municipal council waiting to receive
their visitors. Amid shouts which awakened the
echoes of the ancient building from the base to
the summit the chief magistrate, in speeches deli-
vered in the French, the English, and the Flemish
languages, bid welcome to the riflemen, M. De-
herpe, Colonel Loyd Lindsay, and the commandant
of the Dutch officers returned thanks. The yin
d'honneur was then plentifully distributed. The
officers of the Garde Civique subsequently enter-
tained the officers of the foreign riflc corps at a din-
ner in the Hotel St. Antoine. A more magnificent
feast than this, both as regards the decorations of
the table and the viands, has rarely been given even
in any capital city. Afterwards there were recep-
tions and balls at the Reunion Lyrique, the Grande
Harmonic., and the Theatre des Varictes, each of
these places being still grander than the other. All

are concert and dancing rooms, yet such is the diver-
sity in their elegance that each possesses a charm and
brilliancy peculiarly its own. In London we have
nothir.g at all of the kind to compare with the Salle
of the Grande ilarmonie or the Theatre des Varietcs.
The Volunteers were delighted with their visit to
Antwerp, and only regretted that they had not set
out earlier in the day. They were escorted back to
the railway by a torchlight procession of the citizens,
and amid the loudest acclamations took their de-
parture for Brussels in trains which brought them
here in the small hours of the morning.
The following is a return of the long-range scoring
as far as it had been ascertained up to yesterday :
Hooper, Queen's Westminster, 35 ; Dawson, 4th West
York, 33 ; Starkie, Queen's Westminster, 35 ; Peake, Gth
Lancashire, 33; Gibbs, Ist Glocester, 31; Gould, 37th Mid-
dlesex, 33 ; Marriner, West Middlesex, 33 ; Syme, Ist
Lanark, 33 ; Black, Queen's Westminster, 33; Sprott, sth
Lancashire, 32 ; Cooper, sth Lancashire, 31; Montgomery,
30th Middlesex, 31; Colette, Liege, 31 ; Arrowstnith,
Bristol, 31; Harms, 29th Kent, 31; Sharman, 4th West
York, 31; Hopkins, 41st Middlesex, 31; Hewett, 22d
Essex, 30; Hodgkinson, 32d Suffolk, 30; Russell, 24th
Kent, 30; Saw, Ist London, 30.