English: The INTERNATIONAL NAVAL FESTIVAL AT CHERBOURG - Illumination of the French ironclad Magenta, during the Emperor's fete-day, August 15, 1865.

Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 2 September 1865
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ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE NAVAL FESTIVAL AT CHERBOURG. Several illustrations of the visit of the British Channel Squadron to Cherbourg, and of the festivities which took place there the week before last, were published in our Impression of last Saturday ; and the present Number contains some more Engravings from the sketches made by our Special Artists at Cherbourg on the same occasion. The large Engraving, which occupies two pages in the middle of the paper, gives an excellent view of the appearance of the British squadron lying in the harbour at eight o'clock in the morning of Tuesday, the 15th ult., the Emperor's fete day, when a general salute was fired by all the French and English ships, together with the forts and batteries of Cherbourg, producing a tremendously grand effect. The combined squadrons were moored in three lines. The outer line was formed by the Constance, the Octavia, the Research, the Hector, and the French frigate Heroine, an ironclad new from the yard at L' Orient. The second line consisted of the Black Prince, the Urgent, the Defence, and the Magenta, the latter the flagship of the French Rear-Admiral, le Baron de La Ronciere Nonry. The third line was formed by the Prince Consort, the Achilles, and the French frigate the Flandre. The stately-looking flagship of Admiral Sir Sidney Dacres, the Edgar, was placed almost in the centre of the harbour, on the west side of which lay the Royal Sovereign, and next to her lay two fine French frigates. Many other smaller French ships of war were scattered about with our own vessels, the Enchantress, Salamis, Fire Queen, Trinculo, and Sprightly, while the interstices between them were filled up with crowds of yachts, excursion-steamers, and pleasure-boats. The weather on the 15th was rainy and unpleasant; but as elght o'clock drew near all the quays and wharves west of the fort sand along the line of shore were crowded with thousands, who came out. in spite of the rain, to see the fleets exchange salutes. The sight was well worth seeing. With the first note of eight bells the Edgar and Magenta fired almost simultaneously, and in a second afterwards up and down the roadstead, from high-placed forts and detached rock batteries, out came regular pulsations of flame and smoke, with a sharp. smashing boom, which, seeming to echo itself, swelled gradually into a din which really shook the air. But that the ships were not hi motion, it would have seemed like a naval battle; the ships lying broadside to broadside kept blazing at each other till 11l were hid in the smoke, from which, even amid the noise of the gnus. could be heard the shrill boatswain's whistle and hoarse shoant giving directions. What these directions were was soon seen: for. as the firing ceased and the bank of smoke was sent rapidly to leeward, each ship emerged from its cloud "dressed" as if by magic from stem to stern with arcs of coloured bunting, and the English ships with their topgallant yards crossed. All the French ships dressed athwart-ships from the yards, while the English, as usual, hoisted their colours fore and aft over the mastheads an1 down astern. The effect of both was very pretty, though on this occasion the wind, being violently dead ahead, showed the French mode off to the greater advantage. All the English vessels carried the French flag at the main, and, when the salute was over, the Lords of the Admiralty paid the high compliment of lowering their own Luag from the Enchantress and hoisting that of France in its place. One of our Illustrations shows the style in which che British Admirals flagship was decorated on this occasion, while a number of yachts and other small vessels are seen at a respectful distance behind. The illumination of the fleets which took place in the evening of the same day was a spectacle of singular beauty. It began about nine o'clock, at which time a very considerable crowd had assembled oil the Place d'Armes and the Place Napoleon. The Magenta commenced the display by exhibiting two powerful electric lights, by the aid of which. thongh at the distance of about two miles, it was possible to read a newspaper. Occasionally the cone of light proceeding from each of these luminous points was made to sweep across the wide expanse of water, and light up with intense brilliancy and in rapid succession spots separated by considerable distances. At times also it was concentrated u on the sides of particular vessels, and immediately their hulls, masts, and spars were bmught into luminous relief against the dark sky in the background. Very shortly after this light had ceased the illumination of the fleets commenced. As if by magic, the masts spars, rigging, and hull of a ship-all her contour, in fact-were traced out brightly in lines of vivid light, changing their colours from red to green, blue, and violet. Whilst the eye was resting on this beautiful object, it was suddenly attracted by another precisely similar, but situated towards the other extremity of the breakwater. A minute or two more, and this brilliant phenomenon was repeated in all the large ships of the two fleets. The beautiful exhibition lasted about an hour, and, though a sprinkling of rain threatened to mar Uh -" portion of the programme also, the assembled multitude sat or s.n, l placidly on the Place until its close, the rain fortunately passing of. On the Thursday night the festivities were brought to a close by a ball at the Hotel de Ville, which is the subject of one of our illustrations. The company assembled in three fine saloons-t"- ' first the municipal hall proper; the second built since Cherbourg has expanded into its present importance, and called the Emperor's saloon; the third, named the Queen's, as having been used on the occasion of her Majesty's visit, and as containing a magnificent picture of that event. All the halls and staircases leading to these rooms were profusely decorated with banks of flowers, mirrors, evergreens, and clusters of lights; while the saloons themselves were in keeping with their beautiful approaches. Everywhere were displayed splendid trophies of arms--stars, shields, and devices made up ,, weapons only-pistols, swords, muskers, and bayonets. Conspicuoes among these was a wonderful representation of the Imperial eagle". made entirely of bayonets and sabre blades. It was difflicult, even wi::. the most careful examination, to understand how so perfect an effigyi the king of birds could have been constructed out of such ifiexib' materials. In the Emperor's saloon hung the magnificent silver-gilt chandelier presented to the hotel by his Majesty. The other saloons were lit by most curiously-grouped chandeliers, made of pistols, with wax lights in the muzeles of the weapons. In fact, nothing connected ... (continues next page)