HYDE PARK 
45 
of all ages, of miniature yachts of all sizes. There are the 
large boats with skilful masters, which sail triumphantly 
across the placid waters, and there are the small craft that 
spend days on the weeds, or founder amid “waves that run 
inches high,” like the good steamship Puffin in Anstey’s 
amusing poem. When the weeds are cut twice every 
summer, many pathetic little wrecks are raised to the sur¬ 
face, perchance to be restored to the expectant owners. 
Skating was an amusement in Hyde Park even before 
the Serpentine existed, and the older ponds often pre¬ 
sented a gay scene in winter, although it was on the 
canal in St. James’s Park that the use of the modem 
skate is first recorded in Charles IP’s time. 
During the last hundred years Hyde Park has 
frequently been disturbed by mobs and rioters, until 
it has become the recognised place in which to air 
popular discontent in any form, or to ventilate any 
grievance. The first serious riot took place at the 
funeral of Queen Caroline, in 1821. To avoid any 
popular demonstration of feeling, it was arranged that 
the funeral procession should not pass through the City. 
The Queen had died at Brandenburgh House, and was 
to be interred at Brunswick. Instead of going straight 
by way of Knightsbridge and Piccadilly, a circuitous 
route by Kensington, Bayswater, Islington, and Mile 
End was planned. On reaching Kensington Church, 
the mob prevented the turn towards Bayswater being 
taken. Hyde Park was thronged with an excited crowd, 
trying to force the escort to go the way it wished. At 
Cumberland Gate quite a severe encounter took place, 
in which the Life Guards twice charged the mob. 
Further down Oxford Street were barricades, and to avoid 
further rioting the procession eventually had to take the 
