Page:Tournament at Eglinton Castle.pdf/6

6 of smaller dimensions, and of a less gorgeous description, were designed to aceomodateaccommodate [sic] about 1600 persons.

Across each side of the enclosed space, and a little way along the side at which the Grand Stand was placed, the marquees of the knights were erected for the accommodation of knights, esquires, and pursuivants, equeries, retainers, &c. Each marquee consisted of a centre and two wiugswings [sic], which looked like thrcethree [sic]. These stands were as follows:—The Earl of Eglinton's marquee consisted of five divisions—two large and three small—the centre one being the one through which the cavalcade was to pass as it entered the oblong square. This was afterwards removed, as it was feared the horses would not pass through.

The marquees were distinguished by the following colours:—

Earl of Eglinton, at the entrance,—yellow and blue stripes.

The Hon. Captain Beresford,—black and white stripe.

Lord Glenlyon,—blue, green, and red stripes.

Mr Lechmere,—red and white stripes, horizontal.

Earl of Cassillis, and the Hon. Captain Gage,—white.

Mr Charles Lamb,—white with yellow stripes, and blue diamonds.

The Hon. Captain FairlicFairlie [sic],—dark crimson and blue, with yellow fossils.

Earl of Craven,—red and white.

Viscount Alford,—blue and white.

Marquis of Waterford,—white with black stripes.

These marquees were boarded and some covered with carpets, and in many of them were to be seen very commodious brass framed camp beds, with various trappings of the knights and their retainers. The barrier, as we havohave [sic] before stated, ran along the centre of the square, and on each side of it a path for the horses, four or five paces broad, was strewed with bark and saw-dust, to the depth of a few inches, to soften the fall of the knights.

We shall now take a glance of the grand banqueting hall and dancing saloon. This extensive erection lay behind the Castle, and between it and the river. The whole length was about 325 feet by 45. Of this about 166 feet were assigned to the dancing saloon, the left as looked at from the Castle, 134 to the dancing room to