Town Hall, er it is now was impossible to imagine w
called, was "bu it great many years be large enough for any ball that was likely to be given here, but it was not a bit too large for the ball given by the St. Andrew's Society on Friday, and to which something like fifteen hundred people were invited. Not only was the resident community of Shanghai well represented, for, as we have often said before, the hospitality of the Scots among us is absolutely unbounded, but there were the officers of the garrison and of the warships in harbour, whose uniforms brightened what the decorations and the frocks of the ladies made already arnest brilliant scene. The lighting was much better than usual; the walls were hung with garlands and feathery bamboos, and the shields of the clans; while the Saint himself, illuminated, smiled benignantly on the revels. The floor was slippery enough, almost too slippery for reels, some of the Scotsmen said, but there were the inevitable complaints of its inelasticity. The music was excellent and the selection of tunes gave general satisfaction. The pipes and drums of the Baluchis were stationed in the gallery and played in the intervals between the dances, ut they were too loud for the hall, and they were relieved from duty after about the fifth dance. It may be noted that there were at least a baker's dozen of kilts on the floor.
There were eighteen dances on the programme, without extras, and this included three reels, two foursomes and one eightsome. The first foursome und the eightsome brought out a large number of dancers; the second foursome came rather late in the evening, but some nine sets took purt in it.
headed by the piper, at eleven o'clock, Mr:
There was the usual procession to supper, C.S. Addis, the President of the year, escorting Mrs. Bourne, Mrs. Addis being taken in by the Vice-President, Mr. J. H. MacLaren. Relays of guests followed the first invasion, the arrangements for the comfort of all, dancers and nou-dancers, onlookers and smokers, being really admire able, including the two valiant little Scots-mien' who handed the guests their programme as they arrived. The Committee and stewards, and notably the most courteous honorary secretary, Mr. G. Lindsay, were indefatigable in their attentions, and their names must be put on record for the benefit of the future historian of Shanghai C.8. Addis, President, J. H, MacLaren, Vice-President, Join Prentice A. Wright.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.