"Mafeking Day" in Portsmouth : Commercial Road at Night. 1900.

For Sale is a Full Page removed from "The Graphic, May 26th, 1900," showing a Drawing by Reginald Cleaver for "Mafeking Day" in Portsmouth :  Commercial Road at Night."

The relief of Mafeking was celebrated with the utmost enthusiasm at Portsmouth.  After "closing-time" commercial Road was thronged with cheering crowds.  By common consent the corner of Edinburgh Road was chosen as a suitable halting-place, and until long after midnight the crowd continued to exhibit the most frantic signs of joy.  Men and women danced, sang, and shouted, while every man in uniform-be he sailor, soldier, marine, or stoker-was at one time or another hoisted shoulder high by his comrades and carried around amongst the shouting throng.  The gallant defender of Mafeking was frequently singled out by some more than usually loud-voiced individual, and the cheers which followed the mention of the name "Baden-Powell" sent the crowd into still greater ecstasies of delight, and the cheering and "hooraying" were almost deafening.  "For he's a jolly good fellow," "Rule Britannia" and "A hot time in the Transvaal to-night" were the favourite airs, but the singers were too wild with excitement to follow any one particular leader until a gang of bluejackets formed up in a ring and started the National Anthem.  This supplied the climax, and for the next few minutes the din created by some three thousand threats was something terrific.

Condition is Very Good.