New-York tribune., 1883-06-03
THE FISHERIES OPENING.
THE ROYAL CEREMONY AT SOUTH KEN.
SINGTON.

r.r REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE !
tfko" LONDON, May 13.
III. oneuing ceremony of the International Fish
.-;as Exhibition has been conducted on the prin-
s,.,,a Of contrasts. foreigner who saw London
a this ceremony for the first time would be con-
cr,ned IN his notion-it is the notion all foreigners
haye--that the English a singular people. He
would have driven through past one of the
nob,est parks in the world to Princes Gate, down
the broad street of that name lined with stately
mansions. between serried ranks OF policemen
1000 strong, arrived at the Principal Entrance OF
the Exhibition found it a mean little street ht 10
give access to yard, and finally ahgnted I'D
pool of mud But when he had picked MS way
safely along the sthmus of slippery piahhs
and squeezed himself in at the narrow door-
way he would have found himself III
one of the prettiest scenes lmaglnaoie' rassine
,hronoh a yestibule described i'll the catalogue as
d.yoted IN fine arts and perceiviDg that in this
oo,nt,y the fine arts include advertising he wOuld
have mad before him the long gallery occupied by
the British exhibit; the floor covered with red
cloth for royal feet to walk on the arched ce'iing
of iron and glass, supported by galy-painted IRON
crders and heavy with flags; the walls cleaning
with countless objects of steel and fabrics oil wood
and cloth: while as he walks slowly on there seems
TO be passing him an endless procession of boats
scene altogether fresh and unlike any he had be-
held before. And SO on, past many barrier
guarded b, police past courts adorned with quaint
dev;ce. past entrances to other courts, where
strange engines and grim machinery oil all sorts
were whirling aud shreking; past a parlor up
bolstered with rich elegance. wherein the Prlnce Oh
Wales may take his ease; then into the Dutch sec
tion. on the left of which is little parallelogram
labelled United States. happily only the vestibule
TO a much bigger one; advancing still between
long lanes of hardy aud handsome fishermen N
blue Jerseys aud jack-boots. standing but i'll at
ease; and so finally through Norway into the long,
narrow gallery where the spoken part of this so
lemnity is to be performed. There will leave HIM
to look after himself. and take up my own parable
The managers of this business. of whom believe
Mr. Birkbeck, NJ p, Is the chief executive officer,
have a knowledge of human nature. They con-
trved to stir the anguid pulses OF jaded Londoners
by giving out that the space at their disposal was
limited, and that admission to the sacred inciose
where ROYALTY was to be seen a2d heard would be
difficult to obtain. Everybody at once became
eager to obtain it, and the pressure for tickets was
perhaps strong enough to make Mr.. Birkbeck and
his colleagues repent of their strategy which had
however q commercial side well, for 1t was made
known that purchasers of season tickets at $40
apiece would have right of entrance on this first
day. And they did, but whether they were ranked
among the privileged few who were allowed within
hearing of the Prince may be doubted. AS you
passed the last barrier through a glass door, you
were invited to turn to tie right or to the lett ac
cording as your ticket had, or had not red bar
across it. To the left you went into another com
partment divided by an open railing from the rest
of the gallery. and thence you had no doubt, some
sort of view of the subsequent proceedings; but
-. 4,
and standing. At the right. seats were provided.
and at the extreme east end beyond the seats rose
low dais, canopied, carpeted, aud furnished
with a sort of gilt ottoman in the middle
which good courtiers called throne fanked to
right and left by gilt chairs in a senclrcIe At the
opposite extremity far away as to be visible only
in mass were instrumental musicians and singing
people, thess last rising in tiers of seats and so
closing the lay view, the end of which the eye
reached after glancpg by the way at the upright
throng of humanity filling the aisle. the dropping
banners from the arched and glazed roof and the
cases of glittering merchandise which lined the
walls.
BY haf-past 10 guests had arrived in numbers
and from that time on to quarter TO II the place
filed gradually with a company OF whom many
were celebrities and nearly all clad in some brilliant
plumage that made them pleasing objects to the
spectator. Seats had been carefully set apart for
Minister'S for the Diplomatic Corps, for Commis-
sioners, for dignitares of various degrees. and all
these were denoted by cards, some of the cards
bearing very great names. But as people tbrongod
in these privileged places invaded, timidly at
first, then boldly. till finally there remained 10
quarter free from intruders, that assigned to the
diplonatists excepted The confding soul who had
charge of this matter clearly believed that his bits
OF white cardboard would suffice to protect the seats
on which they were placed. l hope he did
not himself make part of the procession,
for when the procession arrived there were vacant
seats for nobody except the royalties OF the plat
form. Meantime, whoever wore a uniform, as most
men did, OF a smart bonnet and gown as did the
women had occupied such quarters as they found
most convenient. Levee dress" said the rcd
barred cards, and morning dress for ladies. But 1t
was fOreordained that the arrangements Tor ths
pageant should not be carried out with absolute
fidelity to printed orders. good many men came
in plain morning dress-so great man as sir hlch-
ard Temple for one. Those who had uniforms wore
them In preference to the rich simplicity OF the
costume appointed for those who wait at stated
times upon His Royal HighneSs the Prince OF
Wales. And so on the whole it fell out that very
few exam Piles of levee dress the strict were
TO be seen. Ministers, of whom none too many
came. wore ministerial or Windsor uniform. Sir
William HarcouIts tall form was conspicuous in
the familiar and becoming dark blue and lacings
of gold. Lord Rosebery who, with his chief OF
the Home Office. was the centre OF glitterlng
group, was in similar attire. Professor Huxley was
early on the ground, his cooked hat and sword and
uniform Of blue and white bringing out more
strongly than the militant if not the military.
air which distinguishes him. The Earl
of Aberdeen was in scarlet; 80
naturally was Major-General Higginson,
and. perhaps less naturally, Mr.. John Pender. N.
p who, as a Deputy Lieutenant Of his county, is
fully entitled to appear in public as armed de-
fender Of the Kingdom Perhaps the most striking
figure among all the soldiers was Count Herbert
Bismarck in his PrussIan uniform of light blue.
turned ND with red, and string of medals
4 AI,na of the Erench Ienation