WATER.

_August 11th, 1872._

On the 11th of August, 1872, the Prince of Wales went from Osborne in
the Royal yacht _Victoria and Albert_, to inaugurate the completed
Breakwater and Harbour of Refuge at Portland, and to pay a visit to
Weymouth, the favourite resort of the Prince's great-grandfather, George
III. A magnificent fleet of ironclads, headed by the _Minotaur_, bearing
the flag of Admiral Hornby, and many other vessels, were in attendance
for the ceremony, of which fifteen were first-rate ironclad ships of
war.

The weather was stormy, and the sea had been too disturbed for the
comfort of the Civil Lords of the Admiralty; but the Prince showed no
signs of suffering from the rough voyage, and manfully went through the
proceedings of the day. The stone being laid, prayers were said by a
clergyman, plaster was spread on the surface on which the last of seven
million tons of Portland stone was to find a firm resting-place, the
usual glass bottle containing newspapers, coins, and a chart of the
island and the breakwater was laid in the groove prepared, and, when the
Prince himself had spread some mortar, the great block was lowered into
its place. His Royal Highness then struck three blows upon it with an
ivory mallet, tested it with a silver level, and completed a very short
but sufficient ceremony, by saying, "I now declare this stone to be well
and truly laid and this great work to be complete." At the concerted
signal of a lowered colour, the guns of the fort began to fire a salute,
and the spectators raised a cheer. The inscription on the stone read as
follows, the concluding quotation having been added, it is stated, by
the Prince himself:--

"From this spot, on the 25th of July, 1849, His Royal Highness
Prince Albert, Consort of Queen Victoria, deposited the first
stone of this breakwater. Upon the same spot, on the 10th of
August, 1872, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, laid this last
stone, and declared the work complete."

"'These are imperial works, and worthy Kings.'"

At the end of the ceremony the Royal yacht steamed towards
Weymouth, and after a rather uncomfortable passage, through a
choppy sea and over the bar, in the Royal barge, the Prince landed
at the end of the pier. Here the Mayor and Corporation presented
an address, which declared that "His Royal Highness had added
one more link to the golden chain of favours already conferred by
Royalty on this ancient bo