The fiftieth anniversary of one of the most memorable events in the history of the Settlements was celebrated on Monday night with becoming gaiety and splendour. One of the largest gatherings ever mustered at a ball in the Town Hall, danced away the merry hours in commemoration of the fight at Muddy Flat.
An awning of striped canvas over the outer door prepared the visitor for the special adornment of the premises within, Ere ever the great coir mat in the hall of the Town Hall was crossed, the effectiveness of the decorations smote the observer with a sense of the "ready aye readiness" of our brave defenders, as much to make a dance jolly as to make rude native soldiers anything but that. A mural grove of bamboo, graceful as to growth, if somewhat wilted as to foliage, made "such a gotting upstairs" quite a rus in urbe—a processional path befitting the approach to a templo—tho Temple of Terpsichore. Flag trophies, arranged by the men of H.AMS. Thetis, wore material features of the docorati scheme, and on the right hand, more naval bunting transformed the callous catacomb belowstairs into a room where hats and cloaks and such temporarily deserted impedimenta had no excuse for _pretending to look neglected. Palms and flowering plants in pots stood sentries on the stairs, and on the landing where a perverse generation likes to sit out, the air was heavy with the odours of jonquils and geraniums, jacinths et sui generi Cosy corners were here, with discreet screens and chairs that stood two by two, and carpets more sympathetic than the tessellated floors. Through the welcome ing doorway, the treasures of the temple of trembling "trilbies" met the gaze. Not all at once: there was too much for that. First of all, perhaps, the eye was held by the tableau at the hither end, where hung a huge painting of the old-time Shanghai Bund, with the clock tower already hinting that "we won't go home till morning." It said twenty past one, anyway. There was a real barrier of sand-bags in front of it, real sand, and maxims (murderous, not moral) threatening us as we approached for closer view. Blooming nasturtiums ple muzzled khaki weapon, and beside and between were stands of arms, bayonets fixed and gleaming in the glitter of electricity. In the corners were grottoes of living greenery, loot from some houses of glass raided during the day. The walls where no windows were, were divided in huge panels of alternate blue and crimson, and on each a gleaming trophy of naked steel. The idea was evidently to make two blades of grass grow where grew none before. Every niche, every ledge, bore its attire of some unusually refreshing hue. Drawing rooms and smoke rooms were as usual, invitingly cosy.' At the opposite end two big brass cannon, and aloft "the flag that bears a well-known name", was flanked by the equally memorable dates, 1854 and 1904. In conspicuous places were'the Intercompany challenge shield and the Mih-ho-loong challenge cup. Very conspicuous were to big standards, Japanese and British, screening the gallery entrances.
All this, and more besides than one mortal scribe could successfully record, was accomplished under the supervision of It. Pilcher, It. Hayter, Sgt. Stewart, Sgt. Mansfield, Trooper Aldridge, and Pte. Matthews.
The other committees were constituted as follows Refreshments; It. Fleming It. Burns, Sgt. Major Lavers, Sgt. Allen, Pte. Dawson and Pte, Hell.
Floor ¢ Music: Major Wedemeyer, It. Hay, Sgt. Kidd, and Pte. Gruenwald.
Finance; Major Watson,—Major Clarke, Capt. Wingrove, and Corp. Gamer. The onerous secretarial duties were successfully discharged by Corporal Garner.
The stairs were lined all the way up with khaki-clad soldiers standing at. attention.
There was avery large and fashionable crowd. The floor and the music were alike satisfactory. The affair was a success, The only possible ground for grumbling was the method of the trafic controllers outside. 'The Sikhs seemed to think that people arriving in the humble riesha had no right to go in; but there—one cannot have all one wants in this life, and the Muddy Flat Jubilee Dance' certainly atoned for much,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.