New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-12-13

A
penter of a glitterng throng and the cry ran along
the line. "DImperatriee" Unhappily for the i'm
patent enthusiasm of the crowd it proved to be the
Princess of Holland, a blonde wholly unlike the
French Empress, who is a brunette, and thOughI
haadsome,-formerly. The Princess, with her cor
tege of Dutchmen in grange cockades, passed on anu
mounted the tribune. Five minutes later game d
troop of English naval officers. then Spanish theh
more English the procession splitting itself INTO SEC
tions and the real great people not YET coming
Twenty minutes had elapsed. The shore OaVUeiS
grew tired of sautng. the troops more tueu OF pre-
sentng arms and our party tired Oh stanuins VI
chairs to watch lot of walking uniforms
But we had not long to wait In five minutes more
the guns opened fire once more, shore again answer
ing to shin and this time there was no mistake n
big Turk. with dangerous saber came swinging up
tho blanks clearing away an imaginary crowd De-
tween the two lines of red-trowsered troops. We
climbed upon our chairs. SundTy functiOnaries at
the head of the procession half hid the Empress, but
she was there. She walked, leaning on the arm OF
the Emperor of Austria, the Empress in lavender
silk and black velvet hat, with black feathers and
lace-f you care to know that fact. With them came
the Viceroy, stout gentleman with goOd-natured
countenance, and too much gold lace. The Crown
Prince Of Prussia came next, and then more people
than there is room to mention. Pashas. Generals
Admirals ambassadors Ministers Consuls-I know
not who else.
IMPERIAL GUEsTs-BLFssING THE CANAL
They assembled the Pavilion whittier the MOslem
Tokkes and UleInas on one side, and on the
other the Catholic Archbishop Of Alexandra and ms
priests, had preceded them. The crowd thronged
after On the front bench of the tribune facing the
sea and the chapes sat the Crown Prince Of Prussia
the Emperor of Austria the Empress OF the French,
and the Kh6dive in the order l have named, from
left to right Emperor and Prince barred their
heads; the Kh6diye kept on his fez Last time
saw the Crown Prince of Prussia, in 1866, he was
riding up the Inter den Linden of Berlin at the
head of the Berlin and Potsdam garrsons $1,000
strong, returning victorious from Sadowa. Now ne
sat peacefully enough by the side of the man whom
in '66 he helped-mOTe or less-to beat. Personally
he is said to be good terms with his old enemy
as be is on i'll with Bismarck. A well-meaning man.
with no great force of intellect character Drifted
along with the crowd, l had found myself, without
knowing how, in the central pavilion, and stood
within ten feet of this front imperial row.
The EmperOr's head and face show all the OBJ
ytnacy for which he is famous the forehead narrow
and receding into cone the features without no.
bility, the moustache remarkable Bystanders said
the Empress Of the French was looking well-I
thought very pale and sad, and with scarcely more
than the remains of her great beauty p is an open
secret that she as well as her husband is i'll with
harassing and painful disease
The ceremony began with prayers from the Mos
lens, very modest and simple in contrast with the
Catholic service that followed. The two religions
were in closer contact than common, Catholic and
Nosem blessing the canal and otimpossibly cuTsing
each other with the same breath. Then came
speech, in French, from Mgr Bauer a converted
Hungarian Jew, now prOteg6 of the Empress and
part of her suite. The speech was filed with such
COmmOnplaces as you can readily supply Dy
u1VVNsp 4ln
two civilizations brought near to each other,
the marvellous energy that has done all that. Mon
segneur Bauer stood far off that hope he did not
zee the bored expression that reigned the faces of
al about me- few more prostTatiOns of the priests
brought the business to an end. The Princes got up
little hostility the procession reformed the sautes
recommended, and the first scene of the Inaugural
ton ended. The day closed with universal illu-
mnaton of buildings and ships, novel and brilliant
beyond comparison Nothing had gone wrong, or
broken down, or disappointed expectation. l can
remember few days filled with splendid hours, few
scenes that will live longer in the memory. 1t is
only the prologue to the programme of the actual
opening and inauguration which begins tomorrow.
G. W. S.
GOING THROUGH.
IsMuIA, Nov. 17-In closing my letter last night
said nothing of the uncertainty that waited on to-
day. All positively knew was that must be early
astir this morning. The Aige, leading the way
through the canal was to start at six, and earlier
than six the signal gun broke into my four hours of
sleep With not little difficulty and delay had
found my way last night back on the Guenne, and
once back nobody on board knew any more than peo-
pie on shore knew what was to be the rule for
Wednesday. l had seen Mr. Hale, consul, who
had all the information there was but how could
Mr. Hale know what the Pashas and canal people
themselves did not knowi ] leave what l wrote
last night unchanged but / no longer think the
programme drawn up by NJ. Lesseps can be carried
out What NJ Lesseps said yesterday was that all
vessels then in Port Said harbor could and wOuld
enter the canal and pass through il far lsmaa
WELL the Guienne is one of the vessels now in Port
Said harbOr, but whether she will 90 to
Ismaiia is a question no man ship shore viii OF
perhaps can answer. We hope and believe we are to
20 to ismaa to-day, but how is another matter. II
was not settled last night it is not settled early this
morning.
NJ de Lesseps and the Viceroy left last night at II
for IsmaIa. the Viceroy in his own yacht, Lesseps
in steamer of light draft. They went to prepare
for the fete of tomorrow. Since their departure q
part of the truth oozes out Not all the ships in Port
Said harbor can 90 to-day to Ismaia. 1t is the ac'
tual nth November, for months announced as the
day of opening-the day following to see the canal
opened also for commerce. Has there been miscal-
culationi Is it even possible that the world has
been summoned to witness failure, perfectly asceT-
tainabe beforehand No; not that, at any rate.
There is a canal through which vessels of certain
draft can pass from the Mediterranean to the Red
Sea- The question is of what draft
a We lie mOOred beside the P6luse, on board which
latter ship the members Of the administration of
the Canal Company. We were promised yesterday
that we should follow the P@luse in the grand pro-