ROYAL VISITS 133 



under the command of H.RH. the Duke of 

 Connaught. Four camps were pitched, and all 

 the northern and western parts of the Forest 

 were used for manoeuvres. About 13,000 men 

 first came into the Forest, but before the close of 

 the manoeuvres, about 20,000 were on the ground. 



This was up to that time the largest body 

 of soldiers that had ever been assembled in the 

 New Forest. Nor was it exceeded till 1914, 

 when the Seventh Division of the Army, with 

 artillery and cavalry, was camped at Lyndhurst, 

 during August and September, before going to 

 the fighting line in France. This was the most 

 magnificent body of highly trained athletic men, 

 to the number of nearly 30,000, that could possibly 

 have been seen. They looked, indeed, able to go 

 anywhere and do anything. But those who will 

 read the history of the terrible war that is raging 

 will know but too well what were the difficulties 

 and disasters which confronted that magnificent 

 body of men, almost from their first landing 

 abroad, and what were the results. 



But to go back to 1895 : the Duke of 

 Connaught visited the Queen's House (as then it 

 was) various times, and honoured me on some 

 occasions by having luncheon there. 



During these manoeuvres, various members of 

 the Royal Family visited the Forest, and came 



