class="it">continuous Anthem and Prayer offered,” as stated in the Official Circular issued by me on the 8th April, “as the loyal and affectionate tribute of the Sons of England to their Gracious Queen upon the Diamond Jubilee of her accession to the Throne,” has been carried out in actual fact, and in completest detail.

It is not possible within the limits of this report to give more than a sketch, but some record is due of a “service” which was so universally and ardently adopted, which is absolutely unique in history, and which, moreover, is one capable of being carried out only by our nation, upon whose Sovereign’s dominions the sun never sets.

The intention was that commencing from the hour of 4.05 in the morning at Windsor Castle on the 20th of June, the Sons in the Colonies should join in a world-wide carol, and encircle their Queen with the continuous singing of the National Anthem all through the hours of that great day of her life, and on through the night until daylight the next morning.

On the opposite side of the world from the Heart of the Empire at Windsor Castle are the Fiji Islands, the colony situate nearest to longitude 180, where it is 4 o’clock in the afternoon at the same moment at which it is 4 o’clock in the morning of the same day in England at Greenwich.

The problem was therefore to have the National Anthem commenced in Fiji at the beginning of Her Majesty’s day, and sung thereafter precisely at 4 p.m., as the sun arrived at that moment in succession over each place in the Colonies, and passed onwards around the world.

A form of service was devised suitable for any Sunday afternoon service, to commence at 3.30, in which the National Anthem should be sung at the appointed moment of 4 o’clock.

Full descriptive circulars, forms of service, and a time-table of longitudes, prepared by the Meteorological Department of Canada, and showing the meridian or sun time at each place, were sent in multitude to friends and correspondents in every Colony and Dependency owning allegiance to the Union Jack.

With the co-operation of the Right Rev. The Bishop of Toronto, who is a member of our Order, communications were opened up with all the Colonial bishops and clergy, and their services were enlisted. Patriotic societies and the secretaries of the Royal Colonial Institute were asked by me to assist. Letters were sent to the captains of every British passenger ship which would be at sea on the 20th of June, asking them to sing the Anthem, fire a gun, and note the position of their ship at 4 p.m. on that day.

Our own brethren in Newfoundland and Canada and patriots in the United States took the service up with energy and enthusiasm. The Sons of England in South Africa answered with alacrity, Australia and New Zealand joined in heartily, and thus, by prompt and efficient action, the organization was completed and ready for the eventful day. Copies of the time-table were sent to Her Majesty, by reference to which it could be seen at any hour how far the Anthem had proceeded on its way and in what colony it was at any moment being sung.

In acknowledging receipt the Colonial Secretary, The Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, says to His Excellency Lord Aberdeen: “I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch of the 24th April with its enclosures on the subject of the Continuous Service around the World which is being arranged by the Sons of England in commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of the Queen’s Accession to the Throne. I have to inform you that, in accordance with your request, the matter has been brought before the notice of the Queen, and that Her Majesty was graciously pleased to express her sincere appreciation of the loyal feelings that have prompted this interesting method of Commemoration.”

The 20th of June came and the Anthem passed around the world.

Reports and letters kept coming in month after month in reply to my request and giving an account of the proceedings held in each place. A few extracts only can be give here as samples of many hundreds of similar character which have been received from the continuous line now recorded around the world.

The service commenced on Sunday afternoon 20th June in Levuka, Fiji Islands. Dr. Garner Jones, headmaster of the Levuka Public Schools, writes: “Owing to geographical position—viz., 178.51 E. long.—the inhabitants of Levuka, Fiji Islands, enjoyed the unique honor of initiating “The Wave of Song” that hailed the Jubilee (Diamond) of Her Majesty’s Ascension, a wave which travelled from colony to colony in order of longitude, encircling the entire globe.”

“The service was an open air one, being held in the Government school grounds, Rev. W. Floyd, vicar of the Episcopal English Church officiating. The attendance was large and included representatives of various races who claim Her Majesty as their Sovereign. English, Scotch, Irish, Australian and New Zealand Colonials, Chinese, Germans, Swedes, among whom the characteristic bushy hair of the Fijian and other South Sea Islanders was prominent, there found themselves shoulder to shoulder in the antipodes of the British Empire earnestly rolling forth our grand old National Anthem, thus giving the keynote of thanksgiving to the entire world. The Masons and Odd Fellows appeared in regalia and the Levuka brass band was in attendance. Surrounding the main body of the assembly were the Levuka school boys, drawn up with their wooden rifles at the “Order.”

“Punctually at five minutes to 4 o’clock the procession of choristers left their temporary vestry and slowly approached their stand. At 4 o’clock precisely, meridian time, the British Ensign was hoisted, which was the pre-arranged signal, the band immediately struck up and every throat commenced ‘God Save the Queen’ while the public school guard stood at the ‘Present.’

“Undoubtedly the occasion was unique, and Levuka never forgot for a moment that her geographical position was unique also, in so far as she enjoyed the proud distinction of being allowed to start the wave of song which in its course would pass over in rotation all the British possessions on the face of the globe.”

At that same time, and while Her Majesty slept at 4.05 a.m. at Windsor, the Executive of the Sons of England and Lodge Commercial were in meeting at Shaftesbury Hall, Toronto. Precisely at 10.55 p.m., on Saturday 19th, they sang the National Anthem, commenced that same moment on Sunday afternoon in Levuka, and which for the next 17¼ hours was to be coming steadily nearer with the sun until it was over Toronto at 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, when the Sons of England in Toronto again joined in the loyal strain as it pushed by them onwards toward the West.

Three minutes after Levuka had commenced, Suva, the Fiji capital, took up the strain. Mr. Hamilton Hunter says: “I am glad to report that the Special Jubilee Service was a great success in this Colony. It was not merely confined to the English Church but was heartily taken up by the Roman Catholics, Presbyterian and Wesleyan Churches. The National Anthem was sung on the stroke of four. I have to thank you for having enabled us to set ‘The Wave of Song’ in motion by your timely warning, and I can assure you that though our numbers are small and consequently the volume of sound was less than in larger colonies, yet the loyalty shown in Fiji to Her Most Gracious Majesty on the 60th anniversary of her reign, could not have been exceeded in any other part of the Empire.”

Nineteen minutes later, or before the services in the Fijis had closed, the Anthem was taken up, in Napier, New Zealand. The report says, “The Jubilee