There was a very large.attendance of friends and Government officials ai the Customs Jetty last Friday afternoon to bid fare wei: to Sir Beilby Alston, ¢.B., K.C.M.G., who left at 5 p.m. by the special tender Victoria to join the str. President Lincoln, en route for South America, vid the United States.
Well before ihe time for the departure of the tender, the guard of honour furnished by Gen. Ho Feng-ling, Military Governor of Shanghai and Sungkiang, had taken up its position on the gangway between shore and pontoon, and on the pontoon itself the Chinese General's brass band was formed up in readiness. In the meantime, some 40 members of the Shanghai Volunteer Corps, consisting of members of the British Companies—'A" Ca., "B" 2o., and the Shanghai Scottish—hid lined up on the jetty roadway, under the command of Capt. F. J-Melville, of '"B' Ca. Major H. W. Pilcher, Acting Commandant of the Corps, was also in attendance io superintend.
Sir Beilby Alston, accompanied by Mx. Sidney Barton, c.m.c., H. M. Consul-General in Shanghai, and attended by an escort off [4 Sikh mounted troopers, under ihe command of Sub-Inspector Beale, arrived shortly. before the hour announced for his departure, aad the guards of honour immedia'+ly came to "attention" and gave the salute, After inspecting the Voluateer guard, and that of Gen. Ho Feng-ling, which consisted of 16 men under the command of Lieut.- Miag Lien-fu, His Excellency walked down to the pontoon, where he was greeted by the strains of tne British National Anthem, the soldiers standing at attention and the civilians standing erect and uncovering their heads.
On the pontoon, the departing Minister was greeted by Messrs. Hsu Yuan, Commissioner of Foreign Affairs; Major-Gen. Waung Chin-yuan; representing Gen. Ho Feng-ling; Messrs. 8. K. Chen and N. T. Yang, Chief Secretaries of the Bureau of Foreign Affairs; and members of the British Consular staff and of important business associations.
Among those present, in additive to Mr. Sidney Barton, o.u.c., weve Messrs. H. H. Fox, c.w.¢., Commercial Counsellor at H. M. Legation: C. F. Garstin, H. M. Consul W. Stark Toller, E. W. Mead and H. J. Macdonald, Vice-Consuls; H. J. Brett, Commercial Secretary of the British Legation; His Honour Judge Peter Grain; Mr. Edwin S. Cunningham, U. S. Consul-General, the Earl of Gosford, and Messrs. A. W. Burkill and E. F.
Mackay.
The tender left the jetty at 5 p.m., and amid the strains of the brass band's merry tune, three farewell cheers were heartily given for the departing guest
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.