South Amboy. Then, a day of blaring bands, of blended flags, of great
transparencies, that eventually led to the Fifth Avenue Hotel. He was
still very young, still very much of a boy, very much bored with all the
tumult and ceremony. Once out of sight of the crowd he threw dignity to
the winds and played leap-frog in the corridor with his retinue. But
once again, from his bed, to which he had gone with a bad headache, he
was called at midnight to acknowledge the salutes of the Caledonia
Club. That organization, made up mostly of members of the Scotch
Regiment commanded by Colonel McLeay, headed by Dodsworth's Band,
marched up Broadway to the hotel. In the Prince's honour a serenade was
given, the band blared out with "God Save the Queen!", "Hail Columbia!"
and other national airs, and once more the sleepy and sorely tried royal
visitor was obliged to appear to bow his thanks.

The next day, Friday, was given over to visiting such public buildings
as the Astor Library, Cooper Union, the Free Academy, and in riding
through Central Park.

A ball, famous in city annals, was given at the Academy of Music. Among
those who attended that ball and left a record of it was the late Ward
McAllister. "Our best people, the smart set, the slow set, all sets,
took a hand in it, and the endeavor was to make it so brilliant and
beautiful that it would always be remembered by those present as one of
the events of their lives."

The ball was opened by a quadrille d'honneur. Governor and Mrs. Morgan,
the historian Bancroft and Mrs. Bancroft, Colonel and Mrs. Abraham Van
Buren, with others were to dance in it. The rush was so great that the
floor gave way, and in tumbled the whole centre of the stage.
Carpenters set feverishly to work to floor over the chasm.

"I well remember," said McAllister, "the enormous form of old Isaac
Brown, sexton of Grace Church, rushing around and encouraging the
workmen."

In the course of the evening the Prince danced with Miss Fish, Miss
Mason, Miss Fannie Butler, and others, and was conceded to have danced
well. The supper was served at a horseshoe table. At one end of the room
was a raised dais, where the royal party supped. At each stage door a
prominent citizen stood guard; the moment the supper room was full, no
one else was admitted. "I remember," confesses Mr. McAllister, "on my
attempting to get in through one of these doors, stealthily, the
vigilant eye of John Jacob Astor met mine. He bid me w