The New York Herald Newspaper, July 1, 1873, Page 3

lien i Mark Twain Sets Out to “Impress” ‘the “King of Kings.” TERRORS OF THE UNDERTAKING Gloomy Views and Forebodings Leaving London. ~ SHOCKING DISCOVERY AT DOVER. Ostendtatious Remarks on Flanders and the Flounders. AFRESHET OF CHILDREN Distressing Experience in a Flemish Hotel. A PAINSTAKING LANDLORD. The Man of Mark Ready to Bring Over the O’Shah. THE “LIVELY” AND ‘‘VIGILANT.” First Appearance of the Boss Monarch and the Brimless Stovepipes. A CHEER AND A RECOGNITION. Mark Twain Gets Shah on Board and Pro- ceeds with Him to Hold Hingland. Lonpon, June 18, 1873, “Would you like to go over to Belgium and help Dring the Shah to England?” Tsaid I was willing, “Very well, then; here is an order from the Ad- Miralty which wili admit you on board Her Majes- fy’s ship Lively, now lying at Ostend, and you ean return in her day after to-morrow.” ‘That was all. That was the end of it. Without stopping to think, I had in a manner taken upon Myself to bring the Shah of Persia to England, I could not otherwise regard the conversation I had Just held with the London representative of the New York HERALD. The amount of discomfort I endured for the next two or three hours cannot be get down in words. I could not eat, sleep, talk, pmoke With any satisfaction, The more I thought the thing over the more oppressed I felt. What ‘was the Shah to me, that I should go to all this worry and trouble on his account? Where was there the least occasion for taking upon myself such a responsibility ? If I got him over ail right, well. Buti Ilost him: if he died on my hands? 31 he got drowned? It was depressing, any way I looked at it, In the end I said to myself, “If 1 get this Shah over here safe and sound I never will take charge of another one.” And yet, at the same time,I kept thinking “This country "has treated me well, stranger as I am, and this foreigner is the country’s guest—that is enough, Iwill help him out; I will fetch him over; I will land bim in London, and say to the British people, ‘Here is your Shah; give me a receipt?’ GEOGRAPHICAL INQUIRIES. I felt easy in my mind now, and was about to go to bed, but something occurred to me. I took a ab and drove down town and routed out that HERA representative. “Where is Belgium?’ said I. “Where is Belgium? I never heard such a ques- tion!” “That doesn’t make any difference to me, If I hhave got to fetch this Shah I don’t wish to go to the wrong place. Where is Belgium? Is it a shil- ing fare in a cab ?” He explained that it was in foreign parts—the first place I have heard of lately which a body ould not go to in a cab for a shilling. Isaid Icould not go alone, because I could not speak foreign languages well, could not get up-in time for the early train without help and could mot find my way. I said it was enough to have the Shah on my hands; I did not wish to have every- thing piled on me. Mr. Blank was then ordered to go with me. I was not so ignorant as I appeared, but I do like to have somebody along to talk to when I go abroad, THE GREAT NATIONAL CONUNDRUM. When I got home lsat down and thought the Shing all over. I wanted to go into this enterprise understandingly. What was the main thing ? That ‘Was the question. A little reflection informed me. For two weeks the London papers had sung just ne continual song to just one continual tune, and the idea of it all was “how to impress the Shah.” These papers had told all about the St. Peters- burg splendors, and had said at the end that splendors would no longer answer; that England could not outdo Russia in that respect; therefore gome other way of impressing the Shah mast be contrived. And these papers had glso.told all about the Shahstic reception in Prussia and its attendant military pageantry. England could not improve on that sorfof thing— ghe could not impress the Shah with soldiers; something ¢lse must be tried. And soon, Column after column, page after page of agony about how to “impress the Shah.’ At last they had hit upon & happr idea—a grand naval exhibition, That ‘was it! A man brought up in Oriental seclusion and simplicity, aman who had never seen any- ‘thing but camels and such things, could not help ‘being surprised and delighted with the strange ‘novelty of ships. The distress was at an end. ‘England heaved a great sigh of relief; she knew at Jast bow to impress the Shah. My course was very plain, now, after that bit of ‘efection. All I had to do was to go over to Belgium ‘ana impres@ the Shah. I failed to form any definite ‘plan as to the process, but I made up my mind to ymanage it somehow. I said to myself, ‘I will im- press this Shah or there shall be a funeral that will be worth contemplating.” . MAN'S INHUMANITY TO MAN, BTC. I went to bed then, but did not sleep a great deal, the resnonsihilitias ware welenipg pretty heavily “At atx o'clock in the morning Mr. Blank came and turned me out, I was surprised at this, and not gratified, for I detest early rising. I never Mke to say severe things, but I was a good deal tried this time. IsaidI did not mind getting up moderately early, but I hated to be called day be- fore yesterday. However, as I was acting in a na- tional capacity and for @ country that I liked, I stopped grambling and we set out, A grand naval review is a good thing to impress a Shah with, but if he would try getting up at mx o’clock in the morning—but no matter; we started, THE SUMMER BEAUTY OF ENGLAND, We took the Dover train and went whistiing along over the housetops at the rate of fifty miles an hour, and just as smoothly and pleasantly, too, as if we were in @ sleigh. One never can have anything but a very vague idea of what speed is until he travels over an English railway. Our “lightning” expresses are sleepy and indolent in comparison, We looked into the back windows of the endless ranks of houses abreast and below us, and saw many a homelike little family of early birds sitting at their breakfasts. New views and new aspects of London were about me; the mighty city seemed to spread further and wider in the clear morning air than it had ever done be- fore, There is something awe-inspiring about the mere look of the figures that express the pop- ulation of London when one comes to set them down in a good large hand—4,000,000! It takes a body’s breath away, almost, We presently left the city behind, We had started drowsy, but we did not stay so. How could we, with the brilliant sunshine pouring down, the balmy wind blowing through the open windows, and the Garden of Eden spread all abroad? We swept along through rolling expanses of growing grain—not a stone or a stump to mar their comeli- ness, not an unsightly fence or an iil-kept hedge; through broad meadows covered with fresh green grass as clean swept ‘as if a broom had been at work there—little brooks wandering up and down them, noble trees here and there, cows in the shade, groves in the distance and church spires projecting out of them; and there were the quaintest old-fashioned houses set in the midst of smooth lawns or partly hiding themselves among fine old forest trees; and there was one steep- roofed ancient cottage whose walls all around, and whose roof, and whose chimneys, were clothed in a shining mail of ivy leaves!—so thoroughly, indeed, that only one little patch of roof was visible to prove that the house was not a mere house of leaves, with glass windows in it. Imagine that dainty little home surrounded by flowering shrubs and bright green grass and all sorts of old trees— and then go on and try to imagine something more bewitching. . LANDMARKS OF THE AGES. . By and by we passed Rochester, and, sure enough, right there, on the highest ground in the town and nsing imposingly up from among clus- tering roofs, was the gray old castle—roofiess, ruined, ragged, the sky beyond showing clear and blue through the glassiess windows, the walls partly clad with ivy—a time-scarred, weather. beaten old pile, but ever so picturesque and ever 80 majestic, too. There it was, a whole book of English story. Ihad read of Rochester Castle a thousand times, but 1 had never really believed there was any such building before. Presently we reached the sea and came toa stand far out on a piers and here was Dover and more history. The chalk cliffs of England towered up from the shore and the French coast was visible. On the tallest hill sat Dover Castle, stately and spacious and superb, looking just as it has always looked any time these ten or fifteen thousand years—I do not know its exact age, and it does not matter, anyway, A WICKED DISCRIMINATION. We stepped aboard the little packet and steamed away. The sea was perfectly smooth, and pain- fully brilliant in the sunshine. There were no curiosities in the vessel except the passengers and aplacard in French setting forth the transporta- tion fares for various kinds of people. The litho- grapher probably considered that placard a triumph. It was printed in green, blue, red, black and. yellow; no individual line in one color, but the individual letters were separately colored, instance, the first letter of a word would the next red, the next green, and so on. The placard looked asifit had the smallpox or some- thing. Iinquired the artist's name and place of business, intending ‘o hunt him up and kill him when I had time; butno one could tell me, In the list of prices first clais passengers were set down at fifteen shillings am four pence, and dead bodies at one pound ten siillings and eight pence—just double price! That is Belgian morals, 1 suppose. I never say a harsh thing unless I am greatly stirred; but in my opinion the man who would take advantage of 4 dead person would do almost any odious thing, I puttish this scandalods dis- crimination against themost ‘helpless class among usin order that peope intending to die abroad may come back by sove other line. OSTENDTATOUS INFORMATION, We skimmed over to Ostend in four hours and went ashore, The first gentleman we saw hap- pened to be the Fag Lieutenant of the fleet, and he told me where the Lively lay, and said she would sail about sixin the morning. Heavens and earth. He said he would give my letter to the proper authetity, arf so we thanked him and bore away for the hotd, Bore away is good sailor phraseology, and Ihave been at sea portions of two days now. Ieasily pick up a forcign lan- guage. hi Ostend is @ eurdus, comfortable looking, m ass- jvely built town, were the people speak both the French and the demish with exceeding fluency, and yet I couldhot understand them in either tongue. But I wi) write the rest about Ostend in to-morrow’s lette, ABolt THE FLOUNDERS, We idled aboutthis curious Ostend the remain- der ofthe afternbn and far into the long-lived twilight, appardtiy to Amuse ourselves, but secretly [had a peper motive. I wanted to see if there was anythhg here that might “impress the Shab.” In th end 1 was reassured and con- tent. If Ostendtould impress him England could amaze the headtlear of his shoulders and have marvels left tha not even the trunk could be indif- For ferent to. i These citizen| of Manders—Flounders I think they cail shem/though I feel sure I have eaten a creature of that osme or seen it in an aquarium or & metagerie, or in @ picture or somewhere—e a thrifty, industrious race, and are as commeftiially wise and far-sighted as they were inEdward)the Third’s time, and as en- during and patient thder adversity as they were ja Chasles the Qolfs, They arg prolidc jn the be blue, | matter of children ; in some of the narrow streets every house seemed to have had a freshet of children, which had burst through and overflowed into the roadway. One could hardly get along for the pack of juveniles, and they were all soiled and all healthy. They all wore wooden shoes, which clattered noisily on the stone pavements, All the women were hard at work; there were no idlers about the houses. The men were away at labor, no doubts In nearly every door women sat at needlework or something of that market- able nature—they were knitting principally. Many groups of women sat in the street, in the shade of walls, making point lace. The lace maker holds a sort of pillow on her knees with a strip of cardboard fastened on it, on which the lace pattern has been punctured, She sticks bunches of pins in the punctures and about them weaves her web of threads, The numberless threads diverge from the bunch of pins like the spokes of a wheel, and the spools from which the threads are being unwound form the outer circle of the wheel, The woman throws these spoels about her with flying fingers, in and out, over and under each other, and so fast that you can hardly follow the evolutions with youreyes. In the chaos and confusion of skipping spools you, wonder how she can possibly pick up the right one every time, and especially how she can go on gossiping with her friends all the time and yet never seem to miss a stitch. The laces these ingentous Fiounders were making were very dainty and delicate in texture and very beautiful in design. FLOUNDER MORALS, Most of the shops in Ostend seemed devoted to the salé of sea shells, A!) sorts of figures of men and women were made o1 shells; one sort was composed. of grotesque and ingenious combinations of lobster claws in the humen form, And they had other figure made of stuffed frogs—some fencing, some barbering each other, and some were not to be de- scribed at all without indecent language. lt must require a barbarian nature to be able to find humor in such nauseating horrors as these latter. These things were exposed in the public windows where yonng girls and little children could see them, and in the shops sat the usual hairy lipped young woman waiting to sell them. A SINGULAR CONTRIVANCR, There was a contrivance attached to the better class of houses which 1 had heard of before, but never seen, It was an arrangement of mirrors outside the windows, so contrived that the people within could see who was coming either up or down the street—see all that might be going on, in fact—without opening the window or twisting themselves into uncomfortable positions in order to look. A capital thing to watch for unwelcome (or wel- come) visitors with, or to observe pageants in cold or rainy weather. People in second and third stories had, also, another mirror which showed who was passing underneath. A FLANDEBR’S HOTEL. The dining room at our hotel was very spacious and rather gorgeous, One end of it was composed almost entirely of a single pane of plate glass, some two inches thick—for this is thé plate glass manu- facturing region, you remember. It was very clear and fine, It one were toentér the place in such a way as not to catch the sheen of the glass, he would sup- pose that the end of the house was wide open to the sun and the storms, A ptrauge DOYNocd iustinct came strongly upon me, and I could not really enjoy my dinner, I wanted to break that glass so badly. I have no doubt that every man feels so, and I know taat such @ glass must be simply tor- ture to a boy. This dining room’s walls were almost completely covered with large oil paintings in frames, HOW THEY ‘KEEP HOTEL”) THERB, It was an excellent hotel; the utmost care was taken that everything should go right. I went to bed at ten and was called at eleven to ‘take the early train.” I said Iwas not the one, so the ser- vant stirred up the next door and he was not the one; then'the next door and the next—no success— and soon till the reverberations of the knocking were lost in the distance down the hail, and I fell asleep again. They called me at twelve to take another early train, but I said I was not the one again, and asked as a favor that they would be particular to call the rest next time, but never mind me. However they could not understand my English; they only said something in reply to sig- nify that, and then went on banging up the board- ers, none of whom desired to take the early train, When they called me at one, it made my rest seem very broken, and I said if they would skip at two I would call myself—not really intendir do it, But hoping to beguile the porter and de him, He probably suspected that and was to trust me, because when he mado his rr that hour he did not take «ay enhances or rented me out alung with the others. 1, more sleep pfver that, but when the porter cai. me at three I felt depressed and jaded and greatly discouraged. Sol gave it up and dressed myseif, The porter got me a cup of coffee and kept me awake while I drank it, He was a good, well-mean- ing sort of flounder, but really a drawback to the hotel, I should think. - Poor Mr, Blank came in then, looking worn and old. He had been called for in all the different trains, too, just asIhad. He said it was a good enough hotel, but they took too much pains, While we sat there talking we fell asleep and were called again at four. Then we went out and dozed about town till six, and then drifted aboard the Lively. HER MAJESTY’S SHIP THE LIVELY. She was trim and bright, and clean and smart; she was a8 handsome asa picture. The sailors were in bran new man-of-war costume, and plenty of officers were about the decks in the state unt- form of the service—cocked hats, hage epaulettes clawehammer coats, lined with white silk— hats and coats and trousers all splendid with gold lace. I judged that these were all admirals, and so got afraid and went ashore again, Our vessel was to carry the Shab’s brother, also the Grand Vizier, several Persian princes, who were uncles to the Shah, and other dignitaries of more or less consequence, A vessel alongside was to carry the luggage, and a vessel just ahead (the Vigilant) was to carry nobody but just the Shah and certain Ministers of State and servants, and the Queen’s special ambassador, Sir Henry Rawlinson, who is a Persian scholar and talks to the Shah in his own tongue. I was very giad, for several reasons, to find that I was not togo in the same ship with the Shah. First, with him mot immediately under my eye I would feel less responsibility for him; and, sec- ondly, a8 | was anxious to impress him, I wanted to practice on his brother firat. “THE SHAH/S QUARTERS. .0 the affer deck pf the Viguant—very handsome ship—a temporary cabin’ had been constructed for the sole and special use of the Shah; temporary, but charmingly substantial and graceful and pretty, It was about thirty feet long and twelve wide, beautifully gilded, decorated and painted within and without. Among its colors was a shade of light green, which reminds me of an anecdote about the Persian party, which 1 will speak of in to-morrow’s letter. GETTING READY FOR HIS SHAHSHIP, It was getting along toward the time for the Shah to arrive from Brussels, so I ranged up along- side my own ship, J do not know when I ever felt 80 ill at ease end undecided, It was a sealed letter which I had brought from the Admiralty, and I could not guess what the purport of it might be. I supposed I was intended to command the ship— that is, Thad supposed it at first, but, after seeing all those splendid officers, I had discarded that idea. I cogitated a good deal, but to no purpose. Presently a regiment of Belgian troops arrived and formed in line along the pier, Then a number of people began to spread down carpets for fifty yards along the pier, by the railway track, and other carpets were laid from these to the ships, The gangway leading on board my ship was now carpetted gnd its railings were draped with bright colored signal flags. It began to look as if 1 was expected; 80 I walked on board, ately ran and stopped me, and made another sailor bring a mop for me to wipe my feet on, lest I might soil the deck, which was wonderfully clean and nice, Evidently I was not the person expected, after ail. I pointed to the growp of officers and asked the sailor what the naval law would do to a man if he were to go and speak to some of those admirals—for there was an awinl air of etiquette and punctilio about the premises; but just then one of those officers came forward and said that if his instinct was cor- reot an Admiralty order had been received giving me a passage in the ship; and he also said that he was the first lieutenant, and that I was very wel- dome and he would take pains to make me feel at home, and furthermore there was champagne and soda waiting down below; and furthermore still, all the London correspondents, to the number of six or seven, would arrive from Brtssels with the Shah, and would go in our ship, and if our passage were not a lively one, and @ jolly and enjoyable one, it would be a very strange. thing indeed. 1 could have jumped for joy if I had not been afraid of breaking some rule: of naval. etiquette and getting hanged for . THE SHAH ARRIVES, ready for ‘the greatevent. The Belgian regiment straightened itself up, and some two hundred Flounders arrived and took conspicuous position on @iittie mound. I was a littie afraid that this would impress the Shah; but I was soon occupied with other interests. ‘the train of thirteen cars came tearing in, and stopped abreast the ships Music ana guns began an uproar, Odd-looking Persian faces and felt hats (brimless stovepipes) appeared at the car windows, Some gorgeous English officials filed down the carpet from the Vigilant. They stopped a long car with the royal arms upon it, uncovered their heads and unlocked the car door. Then the Shan stood up in it and gave us 8 good view. He was a handsome, strong-featured man, witty ‘ather En- ropean fairness of complexion; had lustache, wore spectacles, seemed0f>@ good height. and gracefal build and carriage arid looked about forty or @ shade less, He was very simply dressed— brimless stovepipe and close-buttoned dark green military suit, without ornament. No, not wholiy without ornament, for he had a band two inches wide worn over his shoulder and down across his breast, scarf fashion, which band was one solid glory of fine diamonds, , A Persian official appeared in the Shah’s rear and enveloped him in an ample quilt—or cloak, if you please—which was lined with fur., ‘The out- side of it was of a whitish olor and ‘éluborately needie-worked in Persfan’ patterns lké-ait todia shawl, The Shah stepped out and the official pro+ ‘cession formed about him and marched him down music. Not @ Flounder Taived & cheer. All the small fry swarmed out of the Arain now. . THE CORRESPONDENTS EXCITED. The Shah walked back alongside his fine cabin, looking at the assemblage of silent, solemn Flounders; the correspondent of the London Zelegraph, was hurrying along the pter and took off his hat and bowed tothe “King of “mgs,” and the King of Kings gave a polite mili- ‘ite in return, This was the commence- excitement, The success of the %man made all the other Lon- “4, every man of whem ‘essly and cheered ‘e varying the ‘ng their be aa to “im, ventured @ hi the other shouts, . ship heard and 8» in @ manner that was, . acknowledgement of my superior Ido not know that I ever felt so ostentativ absurd before. All the correspondents aboard, and then the Persian baggage came also, and was carried across to the ship alongside of ours, When she could hold no more we took some- where about @ hundred trunks and boxes on boardour vessel. Two boxes fell into the water, and @veral sailors jumped in and saved one, but the ofier was lost. However, it probably contained nothiig but a few hundred poundsof diamonds and tings, UNDER WAY FOR ENGLAND, At last we got under way and steamed out throigh a jong slip, the piers on either side being crowled with Flounders; but never a cheer. A bi of three guns om the starboard pier boomed & rofl salute, and we swept out to sea, the Vigi- lant } the lead; we right in her wake, and tne ship in ours, Within fifteen minutes eve ly Was well acquainted ; s general jollifica- tion Pt in, and I was thoroughly giad I had come ove fetch the Shah, MARK TWAIN, -ed-Din, the Shah of Persia, in Belgium and England. BRUSSELS, June 17, 1873, “Ire of them damned Yankee boxes!” ex- Claiged one of the porters at the Charing Cross fay station yesterday morning, looking rue- ta heavily laden cab which succeeded my im; and he was deserving Of some pity. He like Zamiel in “Der Frieschuts,” in the A sailor immedi- | Now the train was signaliea, and everybody got | the carpet and on board the Vigilant t6°sipw” Ma as huge Saratoga trvvk» (eich of these atx foot long | by three deep), teatiier portwnanteaus and | Other impedimer iio B, P,, Schenectady, UV. | 8.” showed in dewp viack letters on the Saratogas, and M. B. P., in a full suit of black and a stove-pipe | hat, with a delicate wife and two very pretty daughters, was supervising the transmission of | his baggage. M. B. P.’s countrymen and women predominated among the passengers on the plat- form, the balance being mostly made up of me- returning French people, for the hour was seven A, M., and your bold Britisher, though prepared to sit | Up tll any hour of the night, is averse to early rising. What is the mission which summons me from my | bed and takes me on board the Continental mail train this lovely Summer morning? In the service of the HERALD I am detached to look after that po- tentate who has already been designated by the witlings ‘Mr. Shaw, of Persia,’ and whois ex- pected at Brussels this evening, 1am to give a faithful account of his movements, chronicle his outgoings and ingoings, his appear- ance and everything appertaining to the monarch of the great East that may be interesting to the | people of the great West, and by all accounts this is no easy task, for of all people in the world | the Shah is the most unreliable. ‘Sic volo sic jubes” | is his motto. No matter what the engagements he | has made he will not keep them if he does not think fit. He snubbed the Emperor of Russia and kept the Emperor of Germany awaiting him for one hgur and a half at the Berlin Opera House, and so great a swell 1s he that neither the Grand Vizier nor any one ofthe suite dare venture to re- mind him of appointments which await him or engagements which he either forgets or does not | chose to full, My travelling companion—an Eng- lish Journalist of great repute, who won his spurs during the Franco-German war, when he was the first man into Metz, and the only civilian who rode with the advance corps of the German army into Paris—teils me he expects yet that to do his duty’ chronicling the Shah’s movements will be as hard a task as ever fell to his lot, But it has to be done, and so we must take our chance, TO BELGIUM BY STEAM. The bell rings and our fight has begun away through the lovely Kentish landscape, with its green waving corn and climbing hops, its thickly wooded copses and smiling uplands, its general alr of cultivation and prosperity. A shriek, a mo- mentary duiness and we have rushed on Shak- speare’s cliff, and here are the sea waves breaking on Dover beach. There is scarcely a ripple on the silver streak separating us from France, and, though there is an ominous supply of white basins here and there about the steamer, no one, not even the most delicate lady, can mak¢ up her mind to be ill, Now comes Gaiais, with its cheerly | refreshments buffet, where the bouillon and the cutlets are so well cooked and acceptabis; and then a five hours’ ran, partiy through northern France, which still seems to feel the | effect of war; partiy through highly cultivated | low-lying Belgium, where one catches flying | glimpses of quaint old towns with high-towered cathedrals, wherein one Knows are art treasures of Rembrandt and Rubens, and mediiwval houses with overlapping eaves, dreamy footfall-echoing streets, undisturbed by traffic, unacquainted with commerce, scarcely changed in aught since David Teniers lojtered in their taverns or Philip Van Artevelde roused the burghers to arms, BRIGHT, QUIET BRUSSELS, : Brassels is reached at last, and only just in time for our purpose, as it appears, for the Persian potentate is expected to drive from Spa within an hour, and the telegraph announces his train on time, Brussels is as pleasant as ever, clean and bright, and gay, with a wholesome gayety which is very different from the feverish whirl of Paris. It has been compared with Paris as scen through the wrong end of an opera glass, but, indeed, it has a character of its own, and the inhabitants—the Braves Belges—are less demonstrative, but infi- nitely more reliable than the Parisians. "Thef are certainly not demonstrative, if Dr. Johnson was correct in his definition—“That the man who drinks beer thinks.” It is probably to that enormous consumption of white, frothy liquid called ‘‘faro” that the Belgians owe their unconquerable apathy, Even on this occasion there are comparatively few of them in the streets, and among those few there is not the smallest excite- ment. As the time passes on a new ele- ment crops. up among the bystanders, the gathering is largely augmented by the accession of many American and English visitors. The bal- conies of the Hotel de l'Europe and Hotel de | Fiandre, iu the Place Royale, are enlivened by | pretty dresses, The various correspendents of the London press begin to putin an appearance and something like life glimmers among the Belgian | crowd. There ts a stir now, and an approach to an excitement as an open carriage drives out of the | palace gates and in it are recognized the King of the Belgians and his brother, the Comte de Flan- KING LEOPOLD WAITS FOR THE SHAT, Agood looking man ts King Leopold—tall and ‘well shaped, with aristocratic features, long brown beard, but with somewhat of a vaciilating, unde- cided.expression. He is dressed in full military ‘uniform, with a cocked ‘hat on his head and two ‘Didizing stars on his breast. 4, small escort of cavalry, not more than @ dozen troops, and two outridersin scarlet uniform precede the carriage, behind which stand two gigantic fectmen, quite of the English “Jeamsa:) pattérn, also in scarlet. Itis sald that His Majesty is very popular with his sub- jects; there is no evidence of this in the crowd—no cheering, no vivas, only a little hand applause. On rolls the cortege, and on I follow aiter it in a hack cab through streets in which there 1s no sign of welcoming decoration, until we reach the depot, the Gare du Nord, the interior of which is handsomely draped with flags. Prominent among the display of bunting are the Belgian tricolor, the with a broad green stripe in the middle of a white ground; the emblems of the lion and the sun; the lion rampant, with the drawn scvmitar in his paw, the sun looking over his back. The King descends and takes up his position on the platform. Scarcely.has he ddue so when th Shab train is signalled, “HEAD ON TIME.’ -serion is on tiptoe, and a subd ~ ‘he royal saloon Such a description uves . holder of the sceptre of Darius, a mau u. a i eT at, eo opentandau. The Shah was loged at the Royal Palace and his suite at the Hotel de Flandre, ag night he went to the opera, “where ‘L)Africamne? was played as @ delicate compliment to his com- plexion,” and, though more gracious than we nad been led to believe, he did not seein amused untur the ballet commenced, when he was all opera glass and attention. June 18.—Yesterday was a black day, The Shah drove through the city in the afternoon and ont to the palace of Laecken. There Wasa State dinner in the evening, having to leave Brussels at an early hour next morning in order to catch the tide at Ostend, AN BARLY START, JuNE 19,—At five o’clock this morning the Brus. ‘sels Railway station was in fall blast. Excited om. cials were running to and fro. M. Van Auspach, the burgomaster, a very popular character, waa/ superintending the final arrangements, and a nam. ber of dusky-faced Persians, clad in long frock coats and baggy pantaloons, having seen to the disposal of their master's luggage, were now look! ing after their own, consisting principally of enor! mous loosely-tied bundle’, from which peeped line, of dubious cleanliness, scymitars in red woolle. cases and metal vessels in shape like coffee pots, of which each man had at least one, ENGLAND'S ENVOYS. 1 On the royal train, drawn up by the carpesqove ered platform, a space had been reserved jor the gentlemen sent from England to accompany the Shab, Sir Henry Rawlinson, Sir Arnold Kimball and Major Burne, all of whom, in cocked hats, fringed with white, and diplomatic uniforms, giit- tering with gold lace, were in attendance, Aregiment of rifemen, in green and orange, with long cocks’ feathers in their shakos, wag drawn up, but the men were undersized and want- ing in smartness and their appearance anything but striking, Five o’clock peals out from about fifty churches, and the Burgomaster begins to show anxiety. So do alsothe members of the Britis Mission, knowing that only just time has been allowed for the vessel’s lying in Ostend harbor to get over the bar betore the tide should drop, and that a very little more delay may render the great reception which has been prepared at Dover abso- lutely futile. Suddenly @ fat man appeared in tho distance and waved his hand, and the troopers present arms, and the Shah and his host, the King of the, Belgians, euter the station. AN ORIENTAL GAIT, * The Shah’s walk, like that of most Orientals, ia singularly ungraceful. He waddles like a duck, roiling from side to side, He passed close by the soldiers, remarking them with interest, and once stopping to have the mechanism of 4 rifle ex~ plained to him, The horror of the British Missiow at this delay ‘was unspeakable. At length the potentate suddenly tacks and rolls towards the splendid saloon car, at whose door his Ministers are standing. Farewells are exchanged betweem the royalists and we are off, From his starting from Brussels the Shah seemed . A DIFFERENT MAN. He expressed his delight at being at last en route for Kngland, which was the real object of his Euro, pean travel, and his satisfaction at having got ft of the stiff and ceremonious etiquette, the displ and reyews of which on the Contirent he been the unwilling spectator. He seemed impatiqnt to be at his journey’s end, though the train male. quick time, and in two hours we were wi ohe ie harbor. i ENGLAND'S SKIMMERS OF THE SEA. There three admiralty steam yachts, the Vigilanty Lively and Vivid, were lying alongside. The Shah’s eyes brightened as he saw these trim ves- sels, with white decks and shining brase Work, every rope and spar in-its place, the officers in full uniform, the Jack Tars in their blue jackets, with, the huge open collar showing their bushy beard# and tanned skins. Admiral Sir ‘Leopold McCun- tock, one of our Arctic expedition commanders, re~ ceives His Majesty and welcomes him on board the Vigilant, where he at once takes position in the deck house, looking through the wintow witli mack) interest at the preparatigp«*.v¢ departure. some little time 1s occupied in getting the cumbrous east~ ern luggage on board; and when it is op boarg the big wooden boxes and bulging, unsightly bun- | dies look singularly out of place on the trim deck | of the yacht. Comparatively little went on board! | the Vigilant. All the heavy packages had beem sent forward the night before, and what remained was put on the Lively and Vivid. BUNGLING BELGIANS AND HANDY BRITISH TARS, One large trunk was dropped into the sea by the’ stupid Belgian porters and was recovered by the | English sailors, who heartily jumped into te sea and swam toit. Slowly the side wheels began to revolve, and the Vigilant, leaving the three ships, steams out of the harbor past the long pter, clothed with people and amid the tbunders of saluting guns. Four miles from shore the fleet falls in with. ita escort of TWO IRON-CLAD FRIGATES, the Audacious and the Vanguard, one of which as’ we proceed moves into position at either side of the cortége, and soon after we are joined by the new iron-clad fancy, the turret ship Devastation,. looking like some hideous floating town. THE PERSIAN ENJOYS A NOVELTY. The Shan is much interested tn all this, He is out om the paddle boxes, up othe bridge, inspects the engines, asks questions, ang, at his request, the Devastation fires twice from héF revolving tur~ ret. The sea wassmovth as glass, The Shab wag black, yellow and red, and the Persian flag, white ° quite well, though two or three of his suite were seasick, A splendid luncheon was served on board the yacht, wy THE CHANNEL FLERT—TWRLVE IRON-CLADS INLINE. As we approached the English coast. haze: and mist cleared away and we saw the Ohannel, Squadron in the distance, It was « magnificent.| sight. Our escort left us here that’the ships might take up their positions in the feet. tron-clads were formed in two lines; The Prince, the finest vessel afloat, was there, with Agincount fying the Admiral’s flag; the Monar sister ship to the unfortanate Captain, and t yacht Endvgntress, with the Lords of the Admiral on board, A NAVAL ING TC TRE NATION'S, As the Shah passes Thorack Js an roar of British cheers, yards are ined and there is a universal salute ‘rom the feet. The seg is perfectly covered with yachts, excursion steam ers and small row boats. The Shah was in great *-“ent with the first sight of the white oliffs of Sed atthe canna af the tna middle height, about forty-three years of age, sal- low complexion, bright black eyes, shaven cheeks and a long jet-biack* mustache, growing right across his upper hp; @ man with good features, and who might be called good looking but for his expression. That expression is somewhat Jewish and entirely sarowche and coldly cruel. Looking at him, you realize how it is that his attendants are afraid to remind him of duties or engagements, He would no more scruple to order & man to be beheaded, if his looks are to be trusted, than you would to order M. Constance at Delmonico’s to Yrapper your monopole or ex- change your Blue Points for Saddle Rocks. He is grave as a “mustard pot,’’ as the somewhat incon- gruent Engligh saying has it, but dignified withal. He has learned to shake hands since he has been in Evrope. He would have rapidly been accus- tomed to the friendly practice in America, and submits to the King's” @tasp with grace; but his face lighted up with real pleasure when the band stationed outside struck up the first bars of the Persian nationsl hymn. His costume was @ disappointment. I imagine that many of the spectators were disappointed by the Shah’s dress. They had expected to see him in flow- ing robes, with, probably, a turban and covered all over with blazing diamonds; whereas he wore a high Oriental caftan on his head, a black frock coat and ordinary pantaloons, As compensation for this simplicity of attire, his coat was decorated with four rows of brilliants; on his breast blazed Waltiy yi. As the Shah steps asho saluting from the ships teries of the castle on welcoming ceremony tl Warden Hotel and the | pass.ng all the distance try people thronging ut partsin hopes to cate Onentals, Charing Cre hour behind time, and ’ the Prince of Wales; ar ingham Palace, where was driven in an open t 12g Tain, escorted by ---= Guards, and through streets where every “colga of vantage,” from the curbstone to the chimneg tops, was held by such @ roaring mags of humanity as only London can turn out. A GEORGIAN BLAGE, ' SAVANNAH, Ga, June 30, 1878, A disastrous fire occurred early this morning at Thomasville, Ga. It ts impossible to obtain pare ticulars on account of the destruction of the tele-. gTaph office. Teu large stores were almost entire! reduced to ashes. The joss is estimated at about one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. In a few minutes after the alarm was given the whole blocky Was in a blaze, and the fre could not be checked im consequence of the scarcity of water. The Fire Department was, therefore, inadequate to the emergency. The origin of the fire is not exac known, but is thought to have been the work the Order of the Lion and the Sun, and slung to his side and carried in his hand was a sword, the hilt and scabbard of which were covered with dia- Of @ circle, only with the difference that monas, The King presented the Comte de Flan- Gre. and the roval party tank thaie Aandaress = an incendiary. WAGNER IN JAIL AGAIN, * Poursuoura, N. H., June 20, mn