The first da Toongs, the Volunteer Fire Brizade, took place in 1871 and in recalling it in our native of the ball in 1897 we said that the guests numbered e than two hundred, and included fifty swe can recollect the men have given a hall every succeeding year, the Mih-ho-loong No. 1 Company of the Shanghai Volunteers ing their brothers of the Fire Brigade years. This year the jer-men declined to assist, and, as at first, the dance was sivan by' the firemen alone, with the aid of past members of the mittee being Messrs, Bidwell, J. E. Denham, and IF hard, the ubiquitous and indefutigable honorary secretary. The number of the hosts being somewhat limited, the entertainment was announced as a dance, not a ball, and the Town Hall was com fortably filled on Tuesday night (13th) with some four hundred and fifty in all, including, about two hundred ladies, We understand li us were issued, hut riber of the firemen and volunteers present were in uniform, and the scene was a Lrilliant one when the dancing began, very soon aiter nine, In everything except. the want of elastic city in the floor, a defect which we are formed could be entirely remedied pense of some fifteen hundred taels, the own Hall is a first-rate pi dance. Handsome building as it is, it is still handsomer when hall committees devote themselves to decorating it appropriately, in this the Mih-ho-loong Committve need fear no vival. The guests on entering found the main staircase, only one. side of which was used, tastefully relieved by palms and plants in flower, the wall facing the entrance being draped with the municipal flag, On reaching the upper Iunding the visitor was confronted by the monstrous head with open jaws of the tutelary dragon of the Milholoongs, which completely dwarfed the historic wooden elligy of ex-Chief Engineer Ashley which stood under its shadow. Tu the grent hall itself, the dais for the band had been moved some distance from the western and crested on it, and being the fi which canzht the eye on ente the hall, was x model of the Central Fire Bell Tower, 18 feet in height, complete with alarm signal lights and a large hell, which rang out a brazen warning before the commencement of each dance, and the number of the dance, The band played on the dais in the midst of flowers and shrubs, the minstrels' gallery being given up to spectators, the centre of the front of the gallery was the sign-hoard of the Company, and hung underneath it, draped with black and red, the colours of the M.H.L.s,, was to. ho seen that. treasured possession, the original roll of the Conpany, dated the 27th of June 1866, Three at least of these who signed that roll were present on Tuesday, Fairy lamps of many colours outlined the front of the gallery, the window-ledges, and other convenient positions. Phe roof was almost concealed by alternate festoons of red and black cloth. The western portion of the Hall beyond the dais was divided off by a high screen of feathery bamboos, through which the soft glow of the red-shaded electric lights showed with excellent effect, Here wis a Ingfet loaded with constant relays. of refreshments—for there was no set supper—and here the dancers could find cool quiet corners to rest in and. recover their zest for fresh exertions. Over each of the stove-recesses were shields henry ing the motto of the Company or some imilar device, flanked by quite a museum of helmets and fire-extinguishing gear, ancient and modern, The large Volunteer Club room opening out from the Hall was changed into the most luxurious and tasteful of drawing-rooms, while in the north nite of rooms full provision was made for the smokers and players of cards, There were sixteen dances on the programme, besides extras, and they were kept up with plenty of spirit, and altogether the entertainment. was one which fully repaid the care and labour which had been so freely and cheerfully expended in making it a thorough success. We may add that an Express issued on Wednesday notified that several articles had been found in the hall.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.