The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-07 00:00:00

VISIT OF THE EMPEROR AND
EMPRESS OF THE FRENCH.

Yesterday morning, at a much ea,lier hour than

wasg?neraliy anticipated by the public at large, the
Emperor and Elepryss of the French arrived at Os-
. .

bum-e. The visits beyond all doubt a strictly pri-
v.ite one, and such precautions have been taken to
insure its beiog kept so, that literally nothing what-
ever is known of the intended movements of the

Imperial visitors, and but for the Rtyal saluting
this morning very few would have known that they
had come at all. Osborne presents unrivalled fact-
Mies for such strict sesbi -ions, not the nominal
seclusion of Emperors, bet the unrlisturhed quiet
of a private family. The illustrious • individuals,
whoever they may be, arrive and step out of their
yachts almost at the door of Osborne Ii tusa, depart.
ing in the same quiet and perfectly unrestricted
manner. Such a chef d'wuvre 'of privacy was the
visit of the Grand Duke Constantine that to this
hotir a respectable minority believe he never came
at all. The same opinion cannot obtain with re-
gard to the Emperor and Empress, though previeus
precautions have been redoubled to keep all relat-
ing to their movements strictly secret. A most
vigilant surveillance is kept up in the neighbour.
hood of Osborne, arid, indeed, a'l over the is'and,
by a strong force of the ,police specially brought
down from London for the purpte-e, assisted in
their labours by some members of the French
police. Boats have been appointed to keep guard
off the beach at Osborne, and to allow no shore
or strange boat under any pretence whatever
to approach it; so that, in the present instance,
the Imperial visitors may congratulate themselves
in having, indeed, effected a really private visit to
the Queen on the ordinary cordial terms on which
one family of rank may enterain another.
This intention will be most rigi Ily carried into
effect throughout the brief period during which
the illustrious guests are expected to remain.
To supply the unusual number of boats required
to row guard some of the launches and pinnaces of
the men of war in harbour were taken; and Master
Commander G. All, n's vessel the Sprightly,
christened on the old tams a non lucendo principle,
one of the dullest and ugliest tubs in port, was _
yesterday promoted to tow them to Spithead.
At 6 o'clock yesterday morning all over the house
front, .rich terrace gardens and sloping woods of
Osborne not a soul was visible. Soon afterwards,
howeVer, the signal tower was occupied. and a
telescope kept continually pointed towards the fleet
at Spithead, whrch was again in communication
with the Alban steamer, pos el far out to sea. By
and by a pony carriage came down to the landing-
place, followed at long intervals by another and
another, with grooms, led horses, and outriders,
till the Royal cortege in attendance was complete.
At 7 o'clock the Refine Hortense was signalled as in
sight, yet it made but slow progress, for it was a
quarter past 8 o'clock before she had arrived within
saluting di-tance of the squadron. The Queen's
yacht has often gone over the same course in one
quarter of the time.
The fleet and town batteries saluted and the
vessels manned yards at a quarter past 8 o'clock.
The wind, though very light, was in a contrary
direction and not a sound or echo of the tremen-
dous reverberation which the guns must have
created reactrel Osb trne. The broad angry darts
of flames from the huge vessels' sides could, of
course, be distinctly seen, and so also the massive
fo•d.s of smoke, which seemed gradually to rise like
mountains from the sea till the whale pile of masts
and spars was hidden. But there was no echo,
however faint, and the whole evolution might have
been a vivid painting or dissolving view for any-
thing which sound could tellto the contrary.
A few, minutes bef •re the salute was fired his
Royal Highness the Prince Cons rt, in plain walk-
ing dress, accompanied by Prince Alfred, in the
Highland costume, came down to the landing-place.
Alter a short time er Majesty, accom- -anied by the
Royal Prirspesses, also drew down and joined his
Highness on the b-acb. Here the Royal party
waited for some time, for the progress of the Reine
Hor ense was unusually slow.
She is a screw, low in the water, but without any
of the slim appearance which moat even of our
trading screws present. Crowds were assembled on
Ry de Pierto see her pass, and a whole fleet of yachts
and pleasure boats—nearly a hundred in number—
spread their white sails, aad seemed as if about to
follow her like a crowd of butterflies skimming and
dancing over the glistening waters; but none re illy
made the attempt, for the Admiralty orders had
been published, and were strictly adhered to, and
not any but the vessels of war on duty were allowed
to approach within nearly two miles of the landing
place at Osborne. As the Reine Hortense dropped
slowly down at half-speed the Imperial visitors
could be distinctly seen standing on the quarter-
deck, which was decorated with exquisite taste, and
covered with small conical parterres of clustering
1 flowers, so as to make it resemble a small summer
garden rather than the deck of a steamer. The
Empress was attired in the plainest description of
travelling dress, and leant upon the arm of lilis
Majesty, who also wore a simple walking costume
without order or decora ion of any kind. Standing
with teeir Majesties were the Count and Countess
Walesyski, the Princess Essling, and General the
Baron Roland, Chief of the Staff. When the yacht
had approached within about a mile of Oab erne,
Prince Albert and Pr ince Alfred entered the. Royal
barge. The men-of-war boats formed in double
lines on each side of it, and the Fairy and E fin
Royal yachts steamed close outside all. This little
water priicession was headed by the Royal barge,
in: the stein of which was a large silk banner,
emblazoned with the arms of Her Majesty and
the Prince Consort.
Her Royal Highness immediately went on board
the Reine Hortense, and warmly welcomed the
Imperial gu, sts. After a delay of a few moments
the Prince Consort conduct:.d the Empress down
into the Royal barge, in which the Emperor also
took his seat, followed by the four members of his
sitite we have mentioned. The Reyes' barge, loth
in going and returnins from the yacht, was steered
by Captain the Hon. Joseph Denman, the Com-
modore of the Victoria and Albert, and in a few
minutes was at the landing-place at Osborne. The
Emperor was the first to disembark, and the most
cordial greetings apparently passed between him
and her Majesty, and also between her Majesty
and the Empress. Tho latter gave a most affec-
tionate reception to the Princess Royal. Almost
immediately after laud ng the Empress and her
Majesty and tr e Emperor and Prince Albert en-
tered their pony carriage and drove at once to the
house.
Captain the Hon. Joseph Denman entertained all
the officers of the Reine Hortense and the two
French war steamers which escorted her (La Corse
and Pelican) at a m iguificent banquet the same
evening.
In order to set at rest the numerous rumours
whi• h are at present current as to its being the in-
tention of the Imperial visitors to visit the Man-
chester Exhibition, we can state most positively
that nothing whatever in relation to the intended
movements of the Court has been allowed to trans-
pire as yet, beyond the mere fact that, except for
short excursions in the Royal yachts, neither the
Ethiperor or E. press are likely to quit the island.
It is considered by those who have the best oppor-
tunities of obtaining correct information on these
matters, that it is just probable the Empe or may
pay a private visit to the dockyard, and also to the
James Baines, on Saturday morning, before her
sailing with the troops for India. Beyond this and
the fact that there is to be an early soirée dansante
at Osborne-house on Saturday, nothing is known.
There seems little doubt that the visit will termi-
nate on Monday next.