The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-12 00:00:00

THE BURNS' FESTIVAL.

The first idea of a Festival on the Banks of the
Doon in honour of the memory of Burns was sug-
gested, we believe, by the entertainment given in
September last year to Mr. Mainzer on that classic
ground. It was upon a small scale, no doubt, but it
showed how effective a larger demonstration would
be. The visit of Colonel Burns to Ayrshire about
the same period naturally prompted the feeling that
some mark of respect should be paid him while so-
journing in the land of his father. Cogitations to this
effect were going on amongst individuals, when a
hitter from a gentleman in Edinburgh, with whom
Mr. Auld had been in correspondence, recommending
that the three sons of Burns, all of whom were then
in the country, should be invited to an entertain-
ment of welcome on the ground rendered classic by
their father's muse, at once gave an impetus to the
embryo thought; and countenanced by the ready
acquiescence of the Earl of Eglinton and Winton to
preside on the occasion, it was immediately resolved
to put the suggestion into practice. A little reflec-
tion, however, convinced Mr. Auld, and those who
were taking an interest in the matter, that the season
was too far advanced to overtake it upon a proper
scale. The idea was consequently abandoned for the
time, but with a full determination to realise it next
year. The first meeting called with the view of
forming a committee, took place in Ayr on the 17th
of May last. The subsequent progress of the ar-
rangements we need not repeat. _ They have been
regularly chronicled in the Ayr Observer, and other
journals, and are well known to the public. From
the enthusiasm with which the announcement of the
festival was everywhere greeted, and the interest
taken in it by so many persons of rank and talent,
the Committee found A necessary greatly to extenil
their original plan, and the result has beenn, the
ample accommodation provided for the largest assem-
blage ever witnessed—not even excepting the tourna-
ment itself—in the west of Scotland. The pavilion,
erected in a field of twenty-two acres, adjoining to
the monument, is a magnificent building. It measures
not less than 120 feet by 110, forming nearly a perfect
square. It has three roofs ; the centr4 one—with two
ventilators—rises proportionally 'nigher than the
others ; and, surmounted wit,'
numerous flags
waving in the wind, presents 3. picturesque and im-
posing object. The roof, a
:tinported by two rows of
pillars, is covered with. 'waterproof Celt, and the
building inside is lined with white cloth, variegated
with crimson ; and, Voile wreaths of flowers taste-
fully adorn the walls,, and the daises of the chairman
and croupier, the 'centre of the roof is beautifully
wrought in imitation of the sun dispensing his rays
over the expa'.isive area beneath. The tables and
seats are arranged in parallelograms from the head to
the foot of the apartment, rising with a gentle in-
clination. from the middle on both sides. The com-
pany,
seated as in a church, have a full view of the
chai.rmanAnd croupier. On each side there is an abut-
ment—one for the band, and the other for the press. It
was deemed better by the Building Committee to make
provision in this way for the gentlemen of the broad-
sheet, than that they should be scattered throughout
the body of the meeting, where they could not have
the same facilities for writing : and it was also con-
sidered they would hear the better for being elevated.
Immediately under the reporters' gallery, a platform
is erected for Mr. Blewitt, the conductor of the vocal
music, and the glee singers. The architect of the
building was James Miller, Esq., of this town, and he
certainly deserves the utmost credit for the design, which
is elegant, substantial, and economical. Mr. DPNab and
Mr. Dickie, the contractors, also merits very con-
siderable praise for the efficient and expeditious man-
ner in which the work has been executed; while,
in the ornamental department, the Messrs. Wilson,
upholsterers, hare shown equal taste and neat-
ness of handicraft. The Pavilion is connected
with the " Auld Brig" of Doon by two rustic
bridges. In the centre of the field an erec-
tion has been made for the band of the 87th
Regiment, and in other parts of it four tents for
refreshments are put up at proper distances. A
splendid Gothic arch is erected over the New
bridge at the monument. Another spans the para-
pets of the " Auld Brig," with a painting of " Tam„
o' Shanter," well mounted on his " noble Maggie,
at the critical moment of his gaining the key-stone of
the arch, when .. •
" Ae spring brought aff her master hale,
But left behind her aim grey tail."
Another arch of evergreens and flowers marks the
cottage of the Poet's birth, where.
" The gossip keelcit in his loof,
Quo' she, wha lives will see the proof,
This waly boy will be nae coof,
I think we'll ca' him Robin."
The line of march for the procession by the High-road
was well chosen. To the right the line of the old
road from Ayr through the borough moor, which was
then unenclosed, and which the Poet no doubt had in
his eye when he composed the poem of " Tam
o'Shanter," can be traced. It must have passed, on the
west of the farm of Slaphouse, by St. Leonard's
Chapel, now entirely demolished, throught the ford of
the Curtecun,
" Where n the snaw the chapman smoor'd;"
then

" past the birks and monde stane
Where drucken Charlie brak 's neck bane,"
which stone is within a short distance of the public
road. From thence
" through the whins and by the cairn
Whare hunters fand'the murder'd bairn,"
west of Greenfield-house, and onwards to
" the thorn aboon the well,
Where Mungo's mither hang'd hersel';"
till at length
-- when glimmering through the trees,
Kirk Alloway seemed in a bleeze."
All these objects are near at hand, and can be pointed
out by any one acquainted with the locality.
The sons of Burns, accompanied by a large party
of friends, arrived early at the Crown Inn here, from
Dumfries. Yesterday they spent the greater part of
the day with their aunt, Mrs. Ben, at Bridgehouse,
where the two younger brothers remained last night
—the eldest and his friends returning to the Crown
in the evening. Lord Eglinton reached Eglinton
Castle yesterday, and Professor Wilson arrived
here in the evening. He spent the night at Castle
hill. Many other distinguished individuals arrived
in the course of yesterday. Ayr, indeed, has been