CONCESSION, Theninety-sixth anniversary of the stormingofthe Bastile was celebrated inthe french Concession on Saturday with more than the usual rejoicings. The ceremonies began at 8 o'clock in the morn "La Lyre," French Musical Society congregated at this hour in the garden gf the French Consulate, and a small body of men from the Kersainé were drawn up in line gateway. Panctually at the hour, agua sounded from the Kersaint, and the French flag was slowly hoisted up the flag-stof at the Consulate to the strains of the Marseillaise at the same time the tricolour was raised on the main mast of the Kersaint, and the ship was rapidly adorned with flags of every hue. H.MLS. Kestrel and several merchant' steamers paid honour to the French Republic by Aisplaying fage, and after a few aira from the French Band, the opening ceremony was at an end, baring been witnessed by not more than two dozen foreigners, the majority of whom were Fr d'elock the French Minister, M. Tricou, and the French Consul-General, BL. Flesch, held a reception at the Consulate, guard of honour consisting of fifty French constables under the command of Superintendent Binos was drawn up on the verandah, while the bluejackets from Kersaint kept the gateway. Among many gentlemen who called to pay their respects to the representatives of France and to do honour to the French Republic were Messrs. Orion (President), Lester, (Vice-President), 0. Dowdall, Guieu, 0. Jantzen, Ph. Mougniot, J. Scott, and A. eillol, members of the Conseil Municipale; Commander Beaumont and the officers and stof of the Kersaint, and the officers and staff of the French mail and the steamer Amerique. His Excellency M. Tricou and M, Flesch wred_the reception room accompanied all the Consular officers dressed in full diplomatic uniform, being greeted on their itrauce by a salute from the police guard and an air from the French band, stationed on the verandah. M, Orion, acting as spokesman on behalf of the Conseil d'Administration Municipaleand the French inhabitants of Shanghai, briefly expressed their loyalty tothe Republicand their hearty desire for its prosperity, and after a few words of reply from his Excellency, the band struck up the Marsei iso," and the building rang with cries of "Vive la A number of presentations jade, and the second chapter of the celebrations was brought to a finish ith the drinking of loyal and complimentary toasts. At noon salute of twenty-one guns was fired from the Kersaint, Tu the evening several manda at the Consulate to offer their felicitations to the Minister and the Consul-General. nuted by indisposition from paying a visit, and he accordingly sent these gentlemen in his place. Among them were kis Worship Ohéu, of the French Mixed Court; the Hai-fang-thing Lin Chang, delegate for Foreign Affaira; Ké, delegate of the Tao-t'ai for Customs affairs; and the son of the Tao-t'ai, who is now studying French with the Jesuit Fathers.
At nine o'clock in the evening the popular celebration of the day commenced.
From the Yang-king-pang to the Pig Creek a series of graceful triumphal arches, decked. with evergreens, tricoloured banner sts and tablets bearing the initials ""R.F." spanned the Bund, from each one. being suspended a, row of opal globes, six hundred of. which had been specially imported from France for the purpose of the illumination. ' In addition to the arches, rows of poles, aura rounded with festoons' of evergreens and surmounted with the national colours, lined both sides of the Bund; and among the trees and along the roadside were innumerable Chinese lanterns, extending the whole distance from the Yang-king-pang Bridge to the French Police Station. In addition to the public decorations, numerous flags and gas illuminations wore displayed by private residents and by hongs, and the general effect was exceedingly bright, tasteful and pleasing. The gardens of the Consulate, illuminated, like the face of the Consulate itself, with hundreds of Chinoge lanterns, were thrown open to the foreign residents of the Concession, and Settlement, and here in the course of the evening the French Band played a well-selected programme of music, including, of course, Rouget de I'lsle's world-famous hymn, Thegarden was crowded, but thenumber of ladies was rather small, a fact which is to be accounted for, no doubt, by the rumours, which did not prove altogether groundless, ofa probable dieturbanceamong the Chinese. During the evening a number of fireworks were let off from a house adjoining the Consulate, but the display was by no means what it would have been but for the refusal of the Messageries Maritimes Company to bring out the supply of fireworksspecially ordered from home for the celebration. The best effect in the way of pyrotechny was that produced by the burning of red fire, whose ruddy glow on the faces of the visitors, the buildings and admiration among the crowds of Ghia the trees appearing to excite go
who thronged the Bund, Besides the decorations on the Bund, several houses and firms in the Rue clu Consular and elsewhere displayed flags, lanterns and other tokens of rejoicings, the Hotel de Colonies being, as usual, conspicuous in this respect, The houses decorated in the English Settlement were not numerous, the most prominent among them being the office of the Comptoir d'Escompte do Paris, which was brilliantly illumi with designs in gas ts and gaily adorned with lage and armorial emblems, the motto Fluctuat noc Morgitur"—TIt floats and not—extending across the building in jetsof flame, Viewed from the river, the illuminations on the French Bund and at the Consulate had a very pretty effect, the gas stars and mottoes being very effective. When red fire was burut at the Consulate and elsewhere the shadows of people in the vicinity were thrown upon the Consulate and #0 magnified that they reached to the roof of the building. The weather continued bright and fine throughout the day, and the festivities were carried out with Eyrone oe two alight ontbronks of romdyiom rear spirit and enjoyment, only marred
and ill-feeling among the Chinese,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.