Mr. Snowden to Mr. Foster.
Madrid, October 20, 1892. (Received November 8.)
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that I have this day returned to Madrid from assisting at the fourth centenary celebrations in Huelva and Sevilla in commemoration of the discovery of America.
The official invitation to be present at these ceremonies, indicated the 9th instant as the desired date for the arrival of the foreign representatives in Huelva, and it was on the evening of that date that I reached Huelva, accompanied by Mr. MacNutt, the secretary of legation, Lieut. McCarthy Little, the naval attaché, and the official messenger.
The representatives of the South and Central American Republics and of Portugal were also guests of the Government, and the ambassador of the King of Italy likewise. No other members of the diplomatic corps were invited.
The only Latin-American plenipotentiary not present was the Mexican minister, who, it was stated, had been detaiued in Madrid by duties connected with the Mexican exhibit and a certain congress, held at this same time.
On the 10th, which fell on a Monday, the Queen Regent and the King, together with the Infantas and the entire court, the ministers of state and of marine, and others arrived from Cadiz, their Majesties being on board the Conde de Venedito and escorted to the bar of the Huelva harbor by the greater ships of such navies as were represented in Cadiz; amongst these, and first in the line, was the United States cruiser Newark, with Admiral Benham on board.
The Government had placed a man-of-war at the disposition of the diplomatic and other representatives in Huelva, and it was on board this ship, in company with the president of the council, Señor Canovas del Castillo, that we went down to the bar to meet the sovereigns. The customary salutes were fired from all the ships as the Conde de Venedito passed into the harbor, closely followed by such of the smaller vessels, whose tonnage not being too great, as could pass the bar. Amongst these was the Spanish-built nao Santa Maria and our own caravels. [Page 503] The queen and king, with those in attendance, debarked at the landing stage of Santa Maria de la Rabida and proceeded in carriages to the convent, whither the archbishop coadjutor of Sevilla, the bishops of Badajoz and of Burgos, Franciscans, and a large body of clergy, and the civic and military authorities of Huelva had already gone to receive them. At the convent a Te Deum was sung in the church and a luncheon served.
The diplomatic corps meanwhile came ashore and awaited the return of the Queen from the convent. A place was reserved upon the pier and the corps was joined by the foreign admirals and commanders and other personages in their respective places.
Upon her return to the landing stage, the Queen stopped and spoke to several of the diplomatic corps before going on board her ship.
The following day the ceremonies at which we were invited to assist consisted of a reception held by the Queen in the town hall, followed by the review of a civic procession composed of cars representing the arts, trades, and sciences, and at the conclusion of which Her Majesty sat down to luncheon with the diplomatic representatives, the president of the council, and the minister of state. At 5 o’clock the Queen closed in person the congress of Americanistas and in the evening a second and largely attended reception was held.
At this reception such heads of missions as had commanders of squadrons to present were received first, and the minister having presented admiral or first officer in rank, he in his turn presented the officers of his squadron.
There were but two admirals present, i. e., the admiral of the Italian squadron and Admiral Benham, U. S. Navy.
Admiral Benham was afterwards asked to sup at the Queen’s table, a mark of favor which an indisposition prevented the Italian admiral from sharing with him.
On the 12th of October, the ceremony of dedicating the monument commemorating the discovery of America, which has been erected before the gates of the convent of Sta. Maria de la Rabida, was performed with much pomp and solemnity in the presence of the Queen and King and all the representatives of foreign powers and an immense concourse of people.
The religious function began by a Te Deum in the Convent church, at which a large representation of distinguished clergy assisted the Archbishop of Sevilla, and was concluded by the customary rites of the Catholic church at the base of the monument.
An address was delivered by a member of the Columbian society of Huelva and another by the bishop of Badajoz. The Queen then transferred to the Franciscan Order the convent and its property, to be by royal charter in their perpetual custody.
Christopher Columbus, Duke of Veragua, was then decorated with the collar of the Golden Fleece. The duke was not present in person.
The official ceremonies were concluded by the act of dedication.
The Queen afterwards visited Palos and Moguer, and there were illuminations of the town and harbor in the evening. On the 13th the journey to Sevilla was made.
Certain of the foreign ships went up the river to Sevilla, and also the Queen’s vessel. Her Majesty and all the court people and diplomats went by train. A stay of three days had been planned in Sevilla before proceeding on to Granada. This plan was completely upset by the illness of His Majesty the King.
This indisposition, while not of gravity to cause serious alarm, confined [Page 504] and does confine the King to his bed, and has caused the indefinite postponement of the finishing ceremonies in Granada, and, by delaying these and the return of the Queen to Madrid, has also deferred the opening of the exhibition here fixed for the 21st instant.
The festivities in Sevilla were naturally somewhat marred by this regrettable event and the evident anxiety it was causing the Queen. There was a gala night at the opera, a military torch light procession, a reception at the palace, banquet illuminations, and other functions, as originally planned.
At the conclusion of these, and in the absence of any certain knowledge as to when the court might be able to move on to Granada, I followed the example of the Italian ambassador and other colleagues, and renouncing my original intention of being present until the conclusion of these celebrations, left Sevilla yesterday, the 19th, and, as before staged, arrived in this capital this morning.
The Spanish Government may be congratulated upon the successful issue of these festivities in Huelva, which, indeed, passed off with no untoward event or accident.
The untimely illness of the King has been the only drawback to the national jubilation.
I have, etc.,