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ROYAL TOUR.
DIVERTING INCIDENTS.
-c
Against thc background of imposing
ceremonial and routine ou a Royal tour
une secs many diverting little incidents
(writes "A.VV.M." in the Sydney
"Morning Herald").
On-the tour so far, when engaged m
public functions, the Duke of Glouces-
ter has rarely allowed his mirth, when
some funny little incident has occurred,
to find expression in a real hearty
laugh. This is understandable' For tilt
most part, he has merely smiled, al-
though it has been a very pleasant smile.
At one of the country centres on .his
last Victorian tour, before embarking
on thc Sussex at Port Melbourne foi
Tasmania, the Duke looked somewhat
embarrassed, but accepted with a smile
and a charming "Thank you very much,"
a somewhat unusual gift for mere man.
A little kiddie among the hundreds of
assembled youngsters-had; somewhai
bashfully, presented his Royal Highness
with a big bouquet-of bright flowers on
a little base of cardboard," and ornate
with flowing ribbons.
BOUQUET FOR CAPTAIN
CURTIS.
On receiving, addresses of welcome
the Duke passes; them over for safe
keeping, to any orie;; of his personal
staff who happens íó'-rbe ;with him at
a function. Thus, following;,the gen-
eral practice, he" temporarily, handed
over the bouquet to the member, of
his staff who was, present-'his . pri-
vate secretary (Captain Arthur -Çur
I tis)-while he immedia'teij' proceeded
| to inspect a guard of honor ipf re-
turned men at the,foot bf the dais.
I Obviously, the Duke could not carry
a bouquet in his : hand while . cere-
moniously inspecting a guard. Cap
I tain Curtis smiled, and looked a lit
I tie embarrassed when he retired from
the dais ' carrying the bouquet, and
followed?? some distance behind the
j:Duke on the latter's inspection of the
guard.
; The bouquet found its way from
the scene of welcome to the Royal
train; There,;.'it "¿raced the Duke's
private suite; ;Bufowhat was to hap-
pen to it when the Duke left the train
at Spencer-street..' station and . pro
.ceedéd direct to" the Sussex?
. Inside a barricade at the Spencer
-street station,, the Governor of Vic-
toria and Lady Huntingfield, among
other leading citizens,1: had assembled
to greet the Duke,-and officially to
bid him farewell. It-was with sur-
prise that they saw his Royal High-
ness alight from the train on |n ''ie
.red carpet .on the platform-with t
-bouquet in his hand.
HEARTY LAUGHTER.
.The crowds of, people behind tile bar-
riers we're ho Jess .surprised than Lady
Huntingfield when they ¡sáw¿ the King's
son step off the train, carrying; tenderly
his bouquet of flowers; Thc Duke, deeply
appreciating the spirit of the little gift,
proudly showed the bouquet to Lady
Huntingfield. For a second or two. there
was hearty laughter;. in which the
Royal visitor joined.. Beyond the bar-
riers, of course,-no one knew what had
evoked the little outburst of merriment;
.but the journalists who had travelled on
the Royal ; 'train had a fair idea. that
Lady Huntingfield had asked the Duke
what he was doing carrying a bouquet,
and that bis Royal Highness had told
her the charming little story of bow
it had come into his hands.
OTHER INCIDENTS.
Talking of the races on the Dukie's
tour,' he saw something at the York
races, in Western Australia, that must
have amused him-the spectacle of
several of the jockeys wearing big
goggles in the races which- he wit-
nessed. It was ' a hoti dusty. day.
The bespectacled jockeys had adopted
that means of keeping out of their
eyes the dust that was thrown up . in
clouds by the thundering hoofs of the
horses all round them. ;
One of the most laughable, inci-
dents on the'Victorian tour, was when
the Duke attended a big dinner given
in-his' honor ; by .; returned : soldiers,
and, with a smile, apologised for be-
ing a little late, because he had been
to "see a man about a dog."- A-foar
of laughter swept the big assemblage.
The Duke, as à matter of, fact, was
speaking, literally, and hot figuratively,
although this was not revealed until
later. On his way. back from-the
races at Flemington and other func-
tions that day he called in ona well
known breeder of Australian- terrien,
to which he . had., taken a fancy, and
had purchased a/cbuple, of them tb be
snipped honieltb England for him!
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