ffbe dittern)1 tilidit to Ixottan21.

WE left the Royal travellers on their voyage, just after they had departed from Dartmouth on Friday morning. The sequel of the narrative acquires most interest after the Queen's arrival in the Frith of Clyde; and although the previous portion must not be omitted altogether, it may be told with comparative brevity.

During the whole of the Thursday afternoon, the yacht in Dartmouth harbour was surrounded by boats filled with visiters anxious to catch a peep at Royalty. Bold and astute Mr. J. B. Smith, an old solicitor of the town stole a march on the local authorities: armed with a dish of very fine mulberries, he went alongside the Queen's yacht, presented his offering, and was admitted to an interview with his gracious Sovereign. The Mayor and Corporation followed, but were not allowed to go so far: they came alongside in full state to pay their respects; but, learning that her Majesty declined seeing "any one," they returned on shore "gratified at having had another opportunity of showing their dutiful attachment."

In the course of the afternoon, Prince Albert and the Prince of Leinin- gen paid a visit on shore, to Governor Houldsworth's residence at Brookhill; inscribing their names in the visiters' book.

The squadron stopped for the night at the Scilly Isles; which it left early

next morning; and it reached Milford Haven about five p.m. on Saturday. The Queen came on deck, and was cordially greeted by her Welsh subjects; who were especially delighted at beholding their own Prince. The Earl of Cawdor went on board the Royal yacht to pay his respects, taking with him a Welsh girl in full costume of hat, jacket, &c., "much to the amuse- ment of the Royal party." Returning on shore, the Earl was honoured with the company of the Prince Consort; who went over the Dockyard, and afterwards drove to Bushhill to enjoy the view of the castle and town of Pembroke.

About one o'clock on Sunday, the Royal flotilla was descried off Car- narvon. Colours were immediately hoisted on all the principal buildings; the vessels in the harbour put on their full dress; and cannon from the neighbouring heights saluted the yachts as they proceeded down the Straits at full speed. The Straits were passed in the Fairy, accompanied by only one war-steamer; the larger vessels being sent round by Holyhead. On reaching the Menai Bridge, the yacht came to anchor, in order to enable Prince Albert to visit the structure; which he did in company with Earl Grey. The Queen meanwhile remained on deck, sketching the bridge and scenery. About five the passage was resumed; and the main body of the squadron was rejoined at Puffin's Island; where anchor was cast for the night. At Beaumaris, the eager inhabitants crowded to the pier in ex- pectation that the Queen would land. They suffered, however, the disap- pointment of seeing the Fairy pass within two hundred yards of the town, and were forced to be content with a wave from her Majesty's handker- chief as a recognition of their loyal greetings.

At dawn on Monday, the fleet stood to sea, in the direction of the Isle of Man. On nearing the island, several steamers, filled principally with visiters from Liverpool, came out to meet the Royal squadron; and having joined company, returned with it to Douglas Bay; where the vessels brought up about half-past eleven o'clock. Guns were fired from Castle Mona and Fort Ann; fires were lighted on the headlands; immense crowds of people thronged the shores and heights, and the bay was covered with row-boats full of lively "enthusiasm." It is remarked, however, that none of the authorities of the island came off to pay their respects to the Queen: the omission is attributed to no want of loyalty, but to dissensions between the local magnates and the inhabitants. Her Majesty and Prince Albert were on deck enjoying the brilliant prospect; and the Prince of Wales was seen running about the deck in a Guernsey frock and canvass trousers. After stopping little more than half an hour at Douglas, the squadron con- tinued its route Northwards.

As the afternoon advanced and the mouth of the Clyde was neared, some steamers of the natives, more adventurous than the rest, met the squadron, and formed a flotilla round it. Thus escorted, the voyagers reached Loch Ryan at six o'clock, and cast anchor; the crowds on shore and afloat vociferating a welcome. Loch Ryan is the deep inlet which turns from the Frith of Clyde to the right and South, just within the great portal of the frith. As usual, Prince Albert seized the opportunity of landing, with the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, and the Dutchess of Norfolk; and they took a abort walk on the beach. The Queen did not land, but remained on the deck of her yacht, under an awning, sketching the scene. At night, the hills around the loch and the whole line of coast blazed with bonfires.

Meanwhile, the good folks of Glasgow and its neighbourhood had sus- tained in that Monday a day of tremendous excitement and disappointment. We take the graphic account supplied by the Morning Chronicle. "This has been a day of sad disappointment in the Clyde. It is evening now, and not only is there no Queen, but no sign of her coming. The forty thousand sight-seers who left Glasgow this morning are crowding back as fast as railway carriages will convey them, or quarrelling in Greenock for the few pounds of beef steak or mutton chop which have survived the mighty demand of hungry plea- sure parties; while the half hundred steamers which this morning started from the Bronnelaw, gay with flags and garlands, are paddling disconsolately home- wards, having been unable in their long day's cruise to descry the Royal fleet, because 'twas not in sight.' "The disappointed cannot, however, plead lack of warning. Dismal reports of fogs and contrary gales were current at most of the Glasgow hotels last night; and landlords were energetic in assuring their guests that they might just as well stay in town as start on a hurried morning expedition down the Clyde. But in spite of all these portents and drear prognostications' the sun had not been long in the heavens ere forty or fifty steamers, of every class, started off, in high hope

of forming part of the Royal escort to Dumbarton. • • •

"Past Port Glasgow, its shipping gay with flags, and its mouldering castle fragrant with wreathed branches; past Greenock, its quays crowded, its shipping crowded, its buildings crowded, its every conspicuous point crowded, with eager

expectants; past Guurock, and through a fleet of yachts which lay sunning their white canvass on the quiet waters; and we were fairly speeding down the Frith. It was a pleasant summer's day—sunny, bnt misty. The long ranges of the Argyleshire hills were softened down by a mellow drapery of wreathing vapour; while the smooth green water stretched tranquilly away until it appeared to melt into the hazy distance, in the midst of which an occasional sail loomed like the dim fragment of a cloud upon the sight. " Noon—and no appearance of the steam fleet. People were quite sure, however, that it must be on the up side of the Cumbrays : and so ordered cigars and whisky and water, and puffed and hob-nobbed socially. " One o'clock, and matters were not a whit mended. The Upper Cuunbray showed a long cloud on the horizon—still no appearance of the expected squadron. 'Never mind,' said everybody, 'if they are not on this side of the Cumbrays, they are sure to be on the other. Down we held our course. In due time the brown heath and grey rocks of the Cumbrays were won and passed, and the misty waters of the Firth stretched dimly between the long low shores of Ayr and the lofty ridges of Arran. Half-a-dozen merchant craft, creeping slowly upwards before a fitful summer breeze, and the distant smoke of as many hull-down steamers, were the only moving things which showed upon the waters. Still, hoping against hope, we kept on. Goatfell flung aloft its abrupt crags and sunny ridges; and we had left it fairly behind, when in the hazy perspective the funnels and brown trails of smoke of many steamers showed that we were coming

up with the Clyde fleet. Half-an-hour passed, and it was evident that they were in full steam back. I have seen some striking marine pageants, but I certainly

never witnessed a more peculiarly pretty sight than the approach of this, perhaps the largest steam fleet ever witnessed. Conceive a summer sea spreading out in glancing silver ripples until it was lost in the misty distance imagine the peaked and abruptly-ridged mountains of Arran, rising in a series of dun slopes and grey steeps from the water, and then, creeping along, some of them by the brown line of coast, others scattered over the bosom of the Firth, their hundred streaks of smoke mingling in one dusky overhead cloud; the returning squadron speeding merrily enough along, but without the ghost of a notion of the whereabouts of the fleet they had gone out to meet. It was evident that for one day at least all was over. Wherever the Queen was, she was not in the Clyde. Dozens of steamers had lost a day's plying, thousands of people had lounged for a livelong twelve hours under a burning sun—but in vain. I fear that the same gathering cannot be expected tomorrow. There is no help for it: her Majesty has missed a loyal assemblage of her loving lieges, and her loving lieges have lost a passing glimpse of her Majesty." At six o'clock on Tuesday morning the squadron left Loch Ryan for Dumbarton; the highest paint to which her Majesty meant to ascend the Clyde. The Black Eagle, however, was left behind; one of its boilers having burst. We again take the Horning Chronicle's description. "Of coarse, such a vast tom-out, both on land and water, as we had yesterday, could hardly be expected again today. The Gliusgey bodies' are economists of time and cash, and had no idea, at least universally, of making two holydays in- stead of one. However, the Renfrewshire banks of the Clyde were all in a bustle again, the smoky wharves of Greenock swarmed; the white shingle of Geurock was blackened by excited crowds; the green-sea banks towards the Clock light- house, where the Large road runs skirtingly along, fragrant with the breath of hedgerows on one side and fresh on the other with the bracing odours of the sea —the banks hereabouts their green knolls (in the vernacular of the land, knowes ') and their rocky headlands—boasted, every few hundred yards or so, their gazing groups, sometimes clustered on the green sward, sometimes perched uponthe cliffs. "The day was, perhaps, rather brighter than its predecessor. The weather was not glaringly sunny; but the thin haze abroad softened without obscuring, and the Firth lay amid its encircling hills, dotted over with the white sails of yachts, and rippled now and then by fitful catspaws from the Westward. I have seen the Clyde often, but never to more advantage; and I presume her Majesty, as the fleet

gradually advanced, fully appr.etiated the beauties of this assuredly the most glori-

ous estuary in her island donunions. For nowhere, from St. Michael's Mount to John o'Groat's cottage, is there so grand a panorama of sea and shore—of peaked and jagged mountains flinging aloft their dusky outlines into the blue horizon—of soft and smiling copse and corn-field, green and rustling to the water's edge, so that the weeds of the hedgerow almost mingle with the weeds of the sea—of wide circling bays, with golden strips of sand and white villas, bright dots amid the trees—of clefts and glens among the mountains, opening upon the Firth, and permitting its briny waters to fling themselves out in long sinuous arms far up amongst mountains wild and moor, where the grey ruins of what was once a feudal keep crown the rifted rock, and where the red deer lie in the ferny glens and dim corrys of those vast Highland hills. There tower the glorious peaks of the Goatfell. On the opposite shore swell the

richly-wooded fields of Ayr. The Cumbrays are not, perhaps, marvelously. good- looking; but they are a couple of good, stout, rough, brown, serviceable Islands

enough. Once past them, and every turn of the paddles reveals new glories. You sweep in close by the bold and wooded coast; the grey lichen-covered rock alter- nating with young coppice and waving corn-fields where the counties of Ayr and Renfrew meet. The opposite shore is the island of Bate; with bright specks of villas and clustered villages dotting the green bank, and with far-stretching ranges of dun hills behind. Anon, the left hand bank gets wild and wilder. High-peaked chains of hills fling themselves upwards; the shadows of moving clouds float along their broad shoulders; and in the deep dark glens between stretch inwards in winding lakes the bright still waters ot the Frith. Villages and villas, bright and tidy, and lone castles, grey and time-worn, alternate, until the tumultuous hills seem on one side to slope down to the water, ending with the lumpish rock of Dumbarton; whilst on the other rises the smoke and resounds the hinn of busy, bustling, ship-owning, ship-building Greenock. "So much for the general aspect of the Clyde. The usual signs of welcome, monotonous in their unchanging identity, greeted the Royal fleet. Imagine the shores, such I have described them, marked from point to point by flags, and cheering crowds, and banging cannon; imagine the water-fronts of the mercantile towns and the sea-bathing villages all clustered with stands and scaffolds, the vessels alongside the wharves brown masses of people; imagine the waters of the Frith dotted with steamers big and little, with boats, yachts, barges, and every variety of sailing, rowing, and steaming things, all holding way behind and around the stately squadron of the Queen; and you will have that general notion of the scene which imagination can work into an air-drawn picture." " Dumbarton Castle was the nominal object of the Royal visitors to the Clyde. Many of your readers have probably seen it, and will remember the huge double- pointed rock, with its girding walls and crowning flagstaff which rises over the Drown sands and green cane, or meadow land, which hereabouts form the banks of the Clyde. It was an ancient Scottish fortress; and as such, of course alter-

nating in the hands of Southern invaders and of its more legitimate proprietors. I do not know that there is much of peculiar interest within its walls, barring a long rusty blade, said to have been the property of Sir William Wallace, and

which, if the legend be correct, has doubtless stricken off a goodly number of Saxon heads. The castle itself is by no means equal in point of picturesque beauty or historic interest either to that of Stirling or Edinburgh. It does not crown the cliff; so that, in point of fact, the soi-disant castle Is nothing more nor leas than an antiquely fortified rdck. "The visit, however, formed a pretty scene enough. There were the clustered steamers, the crowding boats, the swarming shores the massive rock in the midst, and all the picture set in a fair green frame of field and meadow and out-lying hill. " The Queen arrived at the rock in the Fairy, accompanied by one or two of the lighter vessels of the squadron; and as the sweet little screw-boat swept under the dark cliff, the summit of the rock became enveloped in white wreathe of smoke, and the heavy reports of melon firing a royal salute came with a sun. cession of dull heavy thuds acmes the water."

At Dnmbarton the Queen first set her foot on shore. On landing with all her company and suite, her Majesty was received by the Lord-Lieute- inert (Sir James Colquhouu) and the Sheriff of the county, (Mr. Campbell of Tillichewan,) Mr. Smollett the Member, and other gentlemen. It was remarked that all the Royal Family looked well, and browned with ex- posure to the sun and air. The party ascended to the summit of the Castle where addresses were to be presented.

" Earl Grey accordingly," says the correspondent of the Times, " after her Ma- jesty had rested for a few minutes, inquired for the Lord Provost of Glasgow: bat Just as the esteemed Magistrate and Representative was to present the city ad- dress, Mr. Sheriff Steele stepped forward and observed, that as the Queen was now within the precincts of Dumbartonshire, he considered that county should have the precedence. The noble Secretary replied to this, that as he had first met the Loge' Provost of Glasgow last night at Loch Ryan, and had made an appointment for this hour, it would be desirable to receive the Glasgow address first.

" The Lord Provost, accompanied by Bailies ISTKinlay and Stewart, and Mr. Forbes, Town-Clerk, then advanced, and, after having been presented to her Ma- jesty, had the honour of laying before her the address of the 'Town-Council. Her Majesty received the same very graciously, and intimated that an answer would be returned.

" The Lord-Lieutenant of Dumbartonshire and the Sheriff were then presented, and had the honour of laying before her Majesty the address of the county: to which the same answer was returned.

" The Provost of Dumbarton then advanced in order to present the address of that burgh. Lord Grey, however, represented to hen, that it was only addresses from the Metropolis which were generally received in person; but that, in the present case, her Majesty had made a special exception in favour of the great ma, nufacturing city of the West. The address of the burgh was thereupon left with Lord Grey, to be afterwards delivered to her Majesty.* Having enjoyed the prospect from the Castle rock—seen and touched the great two-handed sword of Wallace which is preserved in the fortress— the Queen reembarked with her oompanions and retinue.

" Respect having been thus duly paid to the ancient pile of Dumbarton, the fleet was once more put in motion; and the Fairy, surrounded by a squadron of puffing smoking steamers, stood down the river. Off Greenock the confusion on the water was prodigious; but the Fairy at length extricated herself from the floundering mass of steamers which were lying jamming against and shouldering each other, and stood away across the Firth,—not, as was first imagined, making for Toward Point, but steering towards Loch Long, and of course attended by an ample following of steamers.

"Loch Long is one of the most extensive salt-water lakes which branch from the Frith of Clyde. It is a lone, black sheet of water, lying, except when far- rowed by a mountain squall, in deep stillness between wild wastes of desolate mountains. Here and there are scattered over the brown slopes a coppice or so of stunted beach; but in general a succession of drear ridges, separated by craggy ravines run successively bank from the water, gradually increasing in height and abruptness, until near the head of the loch they tower into alpine sublimity, and the jagged summits are half shrouded in the driving mist."

At the head of the loch, the tender was stopped for a few minutes ; returning by the Ardentinny shore. On arriving at the foot of the inlet, the Fairy was steered across the mouth of Holy Loch; and thence by Kim n and Dunoon, to Rothsay. Here the squadron anchored for the night; the Queen's party having previously returned on board the Victoria and Albert steamer. Boats filled with loyal visitors crowded round the yacht, and the Queen repeatedly acknowledged their greetings. Prince Albert lifted the Prince of Wales in his arms, and pointed out to him the place whence he derives his ducal title of " Rothsay." At night the town was illuminated; bonfires were lighted, and fireworks were liberally ex- pended.

At eight o'clock on Wednesday morning, the squadron moved from the anchorage; passing through the Kyles of Bute round Lamont Point and up Loch Fyne. A short stay was Made at Tarbert, to view the scenery.. Her Majesty then proceeded, in the Fairy, up the loch to Inverary Castle, and took luncheon with the Duke of Argyle.

Extensive preparations had been made to do honour to the visit. The clans had gathered in tartan array; Mr. Campbell of Islay heading a large party of Islay men. On the lawn of the castle, the Celtic Society mus- tered in kilted strength, to escort the Queen from the landing-place. At the pier, her Majesty was received by the Duke of Argyle and Lord Blan- tyre, and conducted thence along a covered footway spread with scarlet cloth-

" From this covered gallery the Queen proceeded to the entrance of the Duke of Argyle's grounds, along a row of trees which had been planted in the side of the street next to the loch, giving it the appearance of an avenue, and through a magnificent triumphal aroh, gracefully festooned with flowers and evergreens, by the side of which galleries were erected for the ladies of the Celtic Society; who were admitted to this portion and to the platform on the quay by special tickets. One hundred gentlemen of the Celtic Society lined the quay, from the platform to the triumphal arch, fifty on each side of the arcade; Islay taking the ' command, the Duke having other indispensable avocations. Dunans and Inver- awe, two Vice-Presidents, acted as officers along with Islay. There was one gentleman between each two posts of the arcade on each side—the arcade con- sisting of forty-six divisions—forty-six posts on each side. Four gentlemen were on the platform to receive the Queen as she landed, and four were at the termina- tion of the arcade. As soon as the Queen's cortege passed, the gentlemen re- spectively faced about, and followed the cortege as closely as possible, so that the whole arrived at the barrier before her Majesty got into her carriage. There Is- lay gave the word for the advance of the band; and they proceeded en route to the castle, to be in readiness again to receive her Mejesty.

After spending an hour and a half at Inverary Castle, the Queen ream- harked; and, returning to Loch Gil phead about five o'clock, landed at Ardrishaig. Here her Majesty was received with due ceremony by Sir James Ord and many of the resident lairds, who formed the escort to the Crinan Canal. Without making any stay, the Queen entered the Sunbeam barge, and proceeded to rejoin the squadron which had been sent round the Mull of Cantire.

A great concourse of people—two or throe thousand persona—were as- sembled at Crinan, where the canal falls into the loch, in order to witness the landing from the barge and, the embarkation in the Royal yacht, which was already lying on the calm land-locked waters of Loch Creme "The crags around the landing-place are very romantic. The situation, in- deed, is altogether unique in its features. The broad and calm loch, with its is- lands, is belted round by a multitude of mountains, so numerous, that, like the Cheviot Hills, one never thinks of counting them. The hills immediately over- the landing-place are laid out artificially, but still look as if they had been laid

out in narrow ridges or terraces, and the grey crags are prettily relieved by patches of green grass, and bushes of red heather; while between the hills there asa small fields of oats, and some few neatly whitewashed country houses. Every Ride ledge forms a platform; and they were fully occupied; for far up white caps appeared on the hills, and groups of three or four persons watching the unaccus- tomed proceedings." At half-past seven the Royal canal-boat made its appear- ance, and the Queen stepped on shore amidst enthusiastic cheerings. At the landing-place a magnificent arch of flowers had been erected. The Queen and her party had to walk a considerable distance from the canal to the quay; where two barges, manned from the yacht which lay out in the loch, were waiting for them.

"As the barge was rowed to the yacht, the sun was setting behind the hill of Jura; and thus allowed the Royal party to see one of those magnificent colourings of the landscape which last but only for a few minutes, when his beams are falling almost level on the still waters of a land-locked Western loch."

After sunset the fleet of steamers never begins journies, but anchors for the night. In this instance it anchored in Crinan. As the evening wore down, fires were lighted on the hills around the loch, and on many of the mountain-tops between that and Oban. This description of illumination produced a splendid effect on the water.

On Thursday, the Queen was to proceed to Staffs and Iona; anchoring for the night in Iona Sound.