The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-07-10

and fifty officers in attendance, the lat
ter in their cooked hats, epaulets, and
swords. We We're seated in the body CT
the church, while very few pilgrims
were allowed to stay at the back. AT
eight o'clock the Pope Cleo KILL ar
rived, carried on throne, and prece-
ded by guard OF noblemen and a
number of prelates. The old Pope-he
is eighty-seven--is a kindly looking
old man, and rather bent with age; he
bears an extraordinary likeness to the
photographs of Phil May. When he
got up the end of the aisle he descend
ed from his chair and arranged him.
SELF or rather was arranged, as he Is
rather shakyin his pontifical robes;
and then, helped by the attendant
priest, he walked up to the altar, and
in a low, old voice he celebrated high
mass, the choir, which is one of the
finest in Europe, singing beautifully
nearly all the time. After he had fin
ished he was placed on his throne,
where he prayed, and one of the pre-
lates did the whole thing again. 1t
was a most impressive sight, and the
different orders Of the priests looked
very fine. The Pope had as a guard q
number of noblemen, some Of them
princes, and all over six feet in height.
After the service the Pope went away
for ten minutes, and then he returned
and the reception commenced. Be-
tween O. line of mobiles and priests each
officer went up to the Pope who was
seated on his throne by the high altar,
l1nelt down on one knee, and kissed an
enormous ring which he wears on his
finger, or if he were Roman Catholic,
he kissed his toe also When my turn
came round did as I have just said,
and was just going to rise when the old
man asked me (via his chamberlain, as
he can not speak English) my name. !
gave him the name of our illustrious
family; he then asked me if ! was q
Roman Catholic, and / replied in the
negative; he then blessed me- and / got
up and left. He was much amused at
some of the other midshipmen, who are
very short, and he could not under
stand our uniform-those short Elton
jackets we wear After this we were
taken round ST. Peters; I assembled to
the dome, from whence a fine view of
Rome is to be seen. When we had
come down it was time for the lunch
which the English Roman Catholics
had provided for the officers and men
of the fleet. Covers We're laid for fifty
officers and about four hundred men,
and 1t was served in the Vatican Pal
ace All the walters were amateurs
and every one of them noble Of some
sort, a regular mixture of princes Of
the blood, prelates, and all the toffs in
Rome; it was very good of them to
wait. wasn't it? and 1t was very anus
ing to watch them, as they were not all
very good at it, as might we'll be eX-
pected
After the band had played GOD Save
the Queen seven times running (why
will they always do it?) and the italian
anthem nearly as many, we cheering
the while, they started the usual
speeches about the British fleet, the
Queen, Pope, and England and Italy
YOU know the sort of thing. During
the lunch they handed round small me-
dallions with the effigy of the Pope on
them, and blessed by him. They are
rather interesting as keepsakes.
After lunch we We're taken round the
Vatican gardens by permission OF the
Pope. No one except the Pope's per-
| sonal attendants has ever been allowed
to go in them befores In the palace 1T
self there are some lovely statues,
| Apollo Belvedere, the LAGOON, and
MANY others. Unfortunately. the pic
| ture galleries were closed; why, don't
know. The men were provided with
carriages to.visit places of interest, ana
they were also given a supper JUST pc
fore leaving for Civita Vecchia !
came down that night, having spent q
splendid time up there. The Italians
certainly did us very well, trotting us
round as much as we liked.