The International Naval Festival at Cherbourg: officers returning from the banquet at the Hotel de Ville - from a sketch by our special artist, 1865. On the Thursday night the festivities were brought to a close by a ball at the Hotel de Ville...The supper was on a profuse scale of hospitality, though certainly not more than half the visitors partook of it, for most of the officers, English and French, were anxious to get on board early, not knowing at what hour next day the fleet would sail. Fortunately, the night was still and calm, and all were enabled to reach their ships with ease and safety. From "Illustrated London News", 1865.