The Sun.
London, England, 1828-06-19 00:00:00

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THE REGATTA.

The Duke of Clarence, by his grand de jcunc,
presented to the Metropolis a scene to which it had
been little accustomed ; and those of the homely
English who did not witness the pride, pomp, and
circumstances of this Nautic Breakfast, must excite
their imagination, or tax their memories for what
they have read of Venetian gondolas and Genoese
water parties. It is extraordinary, however, that
possessing the finest river in Europe, the people of
London and its vicinity should confine its utility to
mere purposes of smoky trade. The Regatta of
yesterday ought to have cost as little as any dcjcune
d la fourchettc in Grosvenor-square and Piccadilly,
whilst the scene around it was Joyous and pictu-
resque, beyond shat the most splendid square or
mansion could cope with. At an early hour the
banks of the river were crowded with every descrip-
tion of persons, anxious to see a scene so novel, and
to which the newspapers, by their anticipations and
descriptions, had given so great a zest. The surface
of the water was crowded by every description of
boat, containing every possible description of per-
son, from the honest hard-faced skipper of the
Shields and Sunderland collier, to the haberdasher
of Cheapside, and even to all the richest and most
dignified of the Aristocracy that had not the entree
to the Duke's barge. The accommodation for the
Royal party consisted of the large vessel the Maria
Wood, a name most terribly impoetic and anti-
royal. This Maria Wood hoisted the Royal standard
in brilliant new silk, which floated in the breeze
most nobly, and would have surprised the good
people of Cockayne, but for some thirty nondescript
broad pendants, which were lashed to the fore and
aft stays which supported the mainmast. Over the
upper deck was spread an awning, and in the cabin
were laid two long and one cross table, to accommo-
date about 120 persons, and which were laid out
with an abundance of pines, fruit, and conserves of
every description, with side dishes of ham, tongue,
and fowl ; whilst the clusters of grapes were so
luxuriant, that Silenus himself would have con-
demned as sacrilegious the hand that could have de-
formed them into wine. There was scarcely any
plate or ornaments on the table, and the whole col-
lation was cold arid pure, which distinguished the
fete from a dinner, and Was, in fact, a compliment to
the guests, by anticipating that they resorted to the
scene as a banquet of reason and a feast of soul.
This grand barge had moored at both bow arid stern,
a City barge, with all their decorations of carved
work and gilding. On the starboard quarter was the
Lord Mayor's own barge; on the opposite quarter,
the Merchant Tailors' barge; whilst, on the larboard
bow was the Drapers' barge; and 011 the opposite
bow, what we understood to be a barge belonging
to no Company, but adapted to all, before feasting
had commenced, and after it had finished, when
beaus and belles might ssish to ascertain whether
rude Boreal, or the rough waves of Father Thames,
had discomposed their ambrosial curls, or whether
time had given them any consciousness of other
mortal deficiencies. Between the two barges, on
the quarters, was moored a minor barge, contain-
ing the band of the Oxford Blues ; whilst right
a-bead, and between the barges, on the bows,
was moored another small boat, containing the drum-
mers and fifers of the Foot Guards. This latter
band kept up a discordant din, except when the shrill
pipe and noisy drum were relieved by the melodious
swell of the wind instruments of the cavalry band,
which received an improvement to their usual melody
by its floating over the surface of the water, mid from
an association of ideas with the scenes around. The
stern and bow barges were connected with the Maria
Wood by narrow galleries lined with green baize, so
that tho five vessels constituted one promenade;
whilst in the cabins of the whole of them, there was
accommodation for three hundred guests. The flank
barges were ornamented with ensigns and devices of
different descriptions, and they formed a poetic con-
trast to the dreadfully manufacturing steam-passage
boat appearance of the Maria Wood. The real
beauty of the scene was in the well-dressed females,
the cheerful faces, and the numerous boats which
crowded the river to view the spectacle. These
evinced the wealth and taste of the population,
whilst all that belonged to the Royal party had " the
head and front" of a compromise, in which Aristocra-
tic revelry was obliged to draw largely upon civic ac-
commodation. In the days of Charles the Second,.
when the Howards, the Buckinghams, and the Cecils
had their houses on the banks of the Thames, a scene of
this description might have been unique; but the
river new is the exclusive enjcyment of the general
body of the citizens, and every Aristocratic party
upon it must either be a mere, speck, or must dress
itself in the borrowed plumes of that grandeur which
has grown out of commercial opulence. The scene
of yesterday fully evinced the truth of this opinion.
At one o'clock, the Ordnance and the Navy barges,
each pulled by six or eight oars, began to take off
parties of ladies and gentlemen from the stairs of
Somerset House to the grand barge moored off
Whitehall stairs. The steps under one of the arches
of Somerset House Terrace, from which the party
embarked, was decorated with ever-greens, but de-
formed by a miserable canvas roof, placed for what
purpose we could not conceive, as the arch-way
was
.a sufficient protection from weather, and ad-
mitted of a much finer vista. 'T'he accommodation
ladders were on the quarters of the lifaria 11, ood,
and as each party arrived, the shrill pipes and vulgar
drums a-bead greeted them with their warlike bola
marre, or the band of the Blues a-stern gratified
the finer tastes by more complex and scientific melo-
dies. The quick succession of these parties consist-
ing of ladies superbly dressed, and males distinguish-
ed from the mob by brilliant stars and broad ribbons,
farmed a truly superb sight—a sight of such revelry as
to absorb all ideas in the contemplation of the ga-
laxy of female beauty, grace, and loveliness. At
two, his Royal Highness embarked in an eight-oared
cutter of one of the yachts, accompanied by the
Duchess, and attended by two Naval Captains, and
a Lieutenant. Nothing could be more judicious
than this mode of embarkation. The Captain or
Admiral who steered the cutter alone distinguished
.the Royal bark; and amidst the taudry gingerbread
of the City barges, it reminded us of the Emperor
Napoleon's grey great coat amidst the splendid
dresses of his staff. Sic parvis componcrc maple
.colebanr. The most chaste and yet the most rich
boat on the river was that of the Duke of St. Alban's.
It was rowed by six men in new yellow jackets, with
broad black waistbands. The Duke was in it alone.
A rowing match was got up, and it was well de-
signed to amuse the company. There was little con-
test ; the boats that took the lead preserving, as if
with a knowledge. of effect, their relative distances
throughout the race. They came in—Scarlet,
Henry Norris; Light Blue, David Eld ; Pink,
William Robins ; Purple, William Fish ; Green,
E. Norris ; and Yellow, J. Calcomb. At six his
Royal Highness left the

tboanrge
left about a quarter to
The Duke of Wellington
six o'clock, in a six-oared cutter, rowed by young
noblemen, who landed the Hero of Waterloo at
Whitehall-stairs. The amateur boatmen took off
their hats when his Grace alighted. The Duke was
received with loud cheers.
The whole of the company landed about seven
o'clock, among whom were--
Prince E.terliazy, the Austrian Ambassador, and Prin-
cess Esterhny; Prince Polignac, the French Ambassador,
Monsieur Falk, the Ambassador from the Netherlands,
and Madame Falck ; Count d'Alcudia, the Spanish Mini-
ster, and Countess d'Alcudia ; Baron Bulow, the Prussian.
Minister, and Baroness Bulow ; Count de Moltke, the
Danish Minister ; Baron Ralamb, the Swedish Charge
d'Affaires ; Baron Cetto, the Bararian Minister ; Count de
Mandesloh, the Wirtemburg Minister ; Count Ludolf, the
Neapolitan Minister; Count d'Aglies the Sardinian Mini-
ster; Monsieur Biederman!), the Saxon Charge d'Affaires,
Mr. La.vrence, the Amelican Charge d'Affaires ; Senor
Madrid, the Colombian Minister; Monsieur Rocafuerte,

the Mexican Minister, the Archbishop of York, the Lord
Mayor and Lady Mayoress, the Bishop of London.
DUKES-Wellington, Northumberland, Gordon, New-
castle, and Somerset.
DucuEssEs—Wellington, Gordon, Dowager Richmond.

11IAaQ Londonderry,-Camdem, Ta-
vistock, Graham.
MAnc RION ESSES-Stafford, Emily of Londonderry,
Winchester, and Westmeath.
EARLS—Grey, Stanhope, Brecknock, Talbot, Darnley,
Gower, Euston, Chesterfield, Grosvenor, Cassillis, Jersey,
and Warwick.

CouNTEssrs—Grosvenor, Jersey, Darnley, Gower, Cas-
sillis, and Athlone.
VISCOUNTS-Strangford and Melville.
Loans—Ellcnborough, Hill, Farnborough, and G.
Seymour.
LADIES—De Roos, Keith, Lyndhurst, Grey, Thynne,
Whitshed, Ann Beckett, Cooper, and A. Fitzclarence.
Hon. Miss Stanhope.
STE s—W. Freemantle, Wathen Waller, J. Beckett, H.
Cooper, W. W. Wynn, G. Clerk, W. Gordon, and H.
Torrens.
ADMIRALS—Sir W. J. Hope, Sir J. Whitshed, and Sir
E. Owen.

COLONELS—Higgins, Wood, Trench, Fitzclarence, and
F. Fitzclarence.
CarT.Aws—Spencer, A. Fitzclarence, and Woohner.
MESSIEURS—Arbuthnot, Greenwood, Barrow, Croker,
Sneyd, Sydney, and Barton.
MIITRESSES—HawIey, Kennedy, Fox, and Sidney.
Missxs—Waller, Mowley, Sneyd, Osterhausen, and two
Whitsheds.

FASHIONABLE AND MISCELLANEOUS.

The Duke of CUMBERLAND left town on
Tuesday afternoon for the Royal Lodge, Windsor Park, on
a visit to the KING. His Royal Highness stopped on his
ivay at his residence at Ken-, and remained a short time
with his son Prince GEORGE.

The Earl of ABERDEEN, Mr. Secretary
PERI., and Lord FRANCIS LEvcsoN GOWER, had inter-
views yesterday with the Duke of WELLINGTON at the
Treasury.
A deputation from the West India planters
and merchants headed by Lord SEAFORD, the Chairman of
the Committee, had a long conference with Sir GEORGE
MURRAY yesterday at the Colonial-office, Downing-street.
Mr. PALLMER, M.P., Mr. COLQUILOUN, Mr. MANNING,
and Mr. lIIBBERT, were among the numbers of the depu-
tation, who were occupied with Sir GEORGE a consider-
able time.

Lord STUART DE ROTIISAY transacted busi-
ness yesterday at the Foreigu-office, Downing-street.
Mr. Secretary PEEL, was absent from the
House of Commons yesterday evening, in consequence, it
was mentioned, of the death of a sister, the wife of the
Rev. Mr. COCKBURN.

The Catholic Association have, we under-
stood, determined to send down a candidate to oppose the
re•-election of Mr. V. FITZGERALD for the county of Clare.
The Duke and Duchess of NORTHUMBER-
LAND gave a grand dinner yesterday, to the Duke and
Duchess of GLOUCESTER and a large party of distinguished
personages ; in the evening her Grace entertained a large
party of the bout ton.
Yesterday, his Grace the Duke of PORTLAND
arrived in Kingstown Harbour, au board the Clown, his
superb yacht, and immediately proceeded to GRESHAM'S
Hotel, Sackville-strect, where his Grace intends remaining
a few days.—Saunder's Dublin News Letter.

ARRIVALS AT BATH.

Earl of Manvers, lion. Capt. Gardner, Sir T. B. Leth-
bridge, Sir John and Lady Henreux and family, Sir A.
and Lady Elton, Sir R. and Lidy Batison, Lady Chalmers,
Majors and Mrs. Dicken, Pringle Taylor ; Capt. and Mrs.
Wheler, Flamank, Lee ; Capts. Porter, James Rees ; Rev.
Dr. Mackie ; Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Ellison, Cassan, Robin-
son, Wilkinson ; Rev. hissers. 'fridhall, Taylor, Thomp-
son ; Mr. and MKs. Rendell, Vaughan, Whitter, Rolle-
ston, Thring. Davis, Lodge, Newcombe, Polston, Tragett,
Tudway, Winter, Pope, Napier, Eleson, Bury, Bird;—
Messrs. Bouverie, henry, Dickman, Walker, Pocock,
Nanning, Davis, Lee Harming, Hart, Lawes, Saunders,
Tudson, Wood, West, Mackenzie, Wall, Clemens, Henry,
Askwell ; Mistresses Mackenzie, Collins, Nield, Thomp-
son, Bland, Mogg, Ryves ; Miss Nance.