New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-11-28


Princess is to stand when she receives
one of the best of which is Benjamin
Vests Sir Thomas Strange. Opposite the throne
portraits of two great soldiers who were born IN
the Provinces-JOhn Inglls of Lucknow, and Fen
wick Williams, who defended Kars so herocally
during the Crimean War; Two great balls have
been gwen in this legislative hall-One in 1871,
when Prince de JOinville visited the city, ana the
other in 1860, when the Prince of Wales received
as hearty welcome as has fallen to the Prineesss
lot to-day
Reference has been made in dispatches to the
house in which the Princess has had her first
glimpse of home-life in the Dominion. 1t is one of
the handsomest and most tasteful houses to be
found the country round. The Admiralty House
is approached from Gottingen-st mile and half
from the heart of the city, and stands on an ele-
waited plateau overlooking the doCkyards,
the barracks and the harbor. 1t is the
official residence of the COmmander-n-Chiefo of the
North American and West Indian SquadrOns 1t is
an old-fashoned but substantial manor-hOuse, built
of varegated stone. two stories in height. with
gable windows and tall chimneys projecting from
the roof The front is fresh and charming as
clean-faced stone. bright green blinds and porch
that is delight to the eye can make 1t. Inc long
vestbule is approached by four stone steps, ana is
divided midway by two more. The ceilings are
plain the walls are painted light green. the floors
are covered with choice plants. and in front OF the
arched doorway are two seven-pound torpedo guns
The woodwork of this doorway is painted light yell
low and the general effect of the deep vestibule Is
light and airy. The main corridor Is the
finest feature of this old-fashioned house.
1t is broad, deep, and high, and Is not
circles formed of marine cutlasses, and at
the further end braces of reyoyers, toma-
hawks, hatchets, and naval weapons IN pairs; wne
the British cOlors displayed to the right and
left. In one corner stands a fine old black walnut
table, and the chairs arc small but handsome each
bearing an anchor on a shield. The floor Is
covered with oii-cioth, and drugget runs from
end to end with palms, ferns, beg0nlaS, cedars
and rare plants ON each side. The Princess must
have fancied herself in some English eountry-seat
of the best order when she entered this spacious
hail.
To the right of the hall is a square room known
as the study. The ceilings are plain, the curtains
crimson, with lace directly behind the windows.
the mouldings high and the wallpaper delicate, and
the uphostering in neutral tints. From the mantel
hangs elegant Turkish lace, and above are handsome
ornaments, a bronze clock and a long row of large
royal plates superbly decorated There are no books
in the study; but there is long table at
which the Vice-Admral writes his dispatches.
Directly behind the study is the drawing-room,
which is quite luxuriously furnished Its lighted
by four windows, two or which open upon broad
niazza and command view Of the harbOr. The
background OF the mantel is another set Of royal
ware plates. richly Ornamented and designed hun
dred years ago. The most peculiar ornaments
in front of the china are vases from the
Tuileres of the days of Napoleon Ill, set
with blue and green turqu0ises. Across the
room is an 6tagere filled with old chini, and every
table has its FURNISHED CandelabTums. One of the
curIosites of the room is huge ChrOnometer, which
was worn by the Vice. dmiraPs grandfather. The
large hower-pieces in the wallpaper are almost too
with latteT-day ideas 1t IS an old-fashiOned draw
ing-rOom, and possibly none the worse IN the mat
ter of taste for being rather behind the times.
The dining-room is back of the main hall and
adjOns the drawing-room its three windows open
ing upon the broad piazza which faces the barbor
In the centre Of this spacious room is circular
table at which seventeen guests be seated, and
to the right and left large square tables. The
round-table has in the centre a movable base for a
fountain with thirteen Jets The VlceAdmraI is fond
of old china, and his table has splendid setting.
hundred plates painted by hand III Copenhagen,
and no wO alike. can be set before his guests, and
his decanters and fancy glass are elegant, there
beng no plain glass on the shelves There are fire
places at each end of the room with pair OF PLAIN
crimson iire-scTeens. The floor Is covered with
dark drugget and the furniture is comparatively
plain A presentation service Is the most con-
spicaous ornament in the rOom and the mantcls are
lined with old china and fine glass.
The main staircase is to the right as one leaves
the dnng-room. Half way to the second floor, at
the turning point of the staircase, is large window
filed with flowers and plants, prominent among
them being great tuft of Scotch heather and
Jerusalem cherry. The suite occupied by the Gov
crnor-G General and the Princess is over the
d,ninp-room and a section of the drawng-rOOm.
The boudoir and bedroom carpeted alike in dark
green and the window hangings of lace and
crctonne. with flowers on bright brown ground.
In the boudor hang portraits OF the Queen and the
Prince Consort-faces which the Princess could
scarcely have expected to on the evening of her
arrival in strange land. 1t is not the Queen
whom she left IN England, but the Queen Of thirty
wears agOnc, young, gracious and winning.
Among the other pictures are several fine
chromos and two water-colols from the Vice
Admral's own hand--fOr he, like the Princess, is
artist with a trained eye and hand. One of these
water-colOrs painted on his last cruise and
represents one of the vessels of the Spanish Ar
NADIA dsmantled. The other is also marine view
"a stormy night at sea. On the mantel is a curious
cOmpaSS-barOmeter clock and Ill front OF II
lies a long Malay blade IN a sheath Here too,
two Venetian vases OF rare beauty, with pair of
handsome candlesticks. The mantel Is fringed
with Creek lace of exquisite hneness, which the
Princess who not only knows good lace when she
sees it, but Is said to have genius for fancy en-
broidery and needlewOrk could not help but adj
mTe In front of the fireplace Is turkish hearth
rug There is one beautiful sOfastand made of several
woods with an inlad mOther-Of-pearl top, but the
most interesting thing in the room Is little chair
which belonged to the Prncess's grandfather, the
Duke Or Kent, when he commanded the British
forces III 1talaA lIlS WAS UHt same worthy pcDllt-
man who had so much to do with constructing the
Notifications which crown the crest of the hill
above the city, winch have welcomed the arrival
of his granddaughter
The windows Of the bedroom. like those of the
boudoir look out upon the broad sweep of The bay,
where the fleet is lying at anchor. The walls here
are lined with chromos and water-colors, the Vice
Admirals hand furnishing Of the work, and the
principal picture being "The Italian Beauty" The
mantel is dressed with beautiful Egyptian lace. and
a small screen stands beside the fireplace. The
richest lace in the room hangs from the dressing