07 RIGA
VII
RIGA
WE HAD been joined at Klaipeda by M. Zarrins, the International Commissioner of the Latvian Boy Scouts, and by Miss Schulmann, of the Latvian Guides. They came with us to the Rally at Palanga, and on our return to the ship they were ready to talk over with us the plans for the coming day.
The programme had to be modified. We were an hour late in leaving Klaipeda and should therefore be correspondingly late in reaching Riga, so the proposed sightseeing in the town had to be left out.
The Latvian Scout and Guide authorities had taken immense trouble in preparing for our reception. A large envelope was sent to the cabin of each passenger in the Calgaric, addressed by name, and containing two little handbooks on Latvia, an outline of the programme to be followed, and personal invitations from the Mayor of Riga to a luncheon at the Officers' Club and from the Mayor of Riga-Jurmala (Riga-on-Sea) to a garden party at the Café Lido.
In addition to this, special instructions were issued in writing to each member of the large staff which was invited to accompany the Chief Scout and Chief Guide on this occasion.
We anchored soon after 10 a.m. off the mouth of the Daugava river: this used to be called the Dvina when the country belonged to Russia.
The Chief Scout, General Goppers, came on board to greet the Chiefs, with his daughter, who wore her charming national dress. The delegation also included Mr. Dombrovskis and Mr. Eduard Lapins, who both had a large share in founding Scouting in Latvia. The Guides were represented by their President, Madame Sviders, who brought with her, to interpret, an English lady, Mrs. Alksnis—she married a Latvian and loves the country so much that she has made it her home, even after the death of her husband.
The Chiefs and their staff embarked on board a ship of the Latvian Navy, a minelayer called Imanta, and the rest of the British were transported in tenders. The thoughtfulness of the Latvians for our every want was shown by the fact that they had provided on board the tenders facilities for changing money and for buying stamps, and there were "travelling letter boxes" (Scouts with post-bags on them).
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The journey up the river took nearly an hour and a half. The Daugava is a fine wide river, between low-lying wooded banks. Several rowing boats, manned by Sea Scouts, came out to meet us and saluted by tossing their oars.
The approach to Riga by water is a very fine one and the traveller gets a wonderful view of the Old City, the three most prominent landmarks being the spires of St. James's, of the Cathedral, and of St. Peter's: this last is the highest wooden spire in Europe. In the foreground, on the river front, is the round tower of the Castle.
At the landing-stage, the Scouts and Guides were drawn up, in splendid array, on three sides of a square. As the Chiefs landed they were greeted by the sudden waving of hundreds of little Latvian flags (two crimson stripes with a white one in the middle) while the children all shouted at the tops of their voices: it was a very effective welcome. A very small Wolf Cub and a Brownie then advanced to meet the Chiefs. Lord Baden-Powell at once spotted the life-saving medal which the boy was wearing and asked what he had done to deserve this. He was told that it was for rescuing someone in an ice accident. The Chief Scout and Chief Guide then spoke to the assembled Scouts and Guides. The Scouts looked as Scouts do all the world over, but the Guides wear dark green, with pleated skirts. Miss Elizabet Rozenberg, the Chief Commissioner, was there to welcome us.
The Chiefs got into a motor car and went to the Castle, where they were received by the President of the Republic, who decorated Lord Baden-Powell with the highest grade of the Order of the Three Stars of Latvia. (The stars symbolize the three ancient duchies, Courland, Livonia and Latgale, which have united to form the present country.)
The rest of the visitors embarked in buses and drove slowly through the town, which is a very fine one, with beautiful squares and gardens and imposing public buildings. Finally we all arrived at "The Brethrens' Cemetery," which is Latvia's memorial to those of her sons who fell in the years when she was fighting for her independence-1917-1920. It is the work of the sculptor, K. Zale, and is one of the most beautiful modern war memorials in existence. First comes a very simple massive gateway of white stone: on either side are sculptured reliefs of huge warriors on horseback, with bowed heads. From the gateway there stretches a long avenue, which on this occasion was lined with Latvian Scouts and Guides with their standards. The British Scouters and Guiders lined up in front of them, while the Chiefs walked up the path, preceded by Scouts carrying a large wreath of roses, gladioli and violets, which the Chief Scout then laid on the altar at the end. This is on a sort of terrace, and below is a sunk garden planted with all kinds of shrubs and flowers: in among them are hundreds of crosses and stone blocks bearing the names of the fallen.
Beyond the garden, on a very high pedestal, stands a colossal stone figure, "Latvia the Mother," mourning for her children, and holding a wreath over two dying
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Photo] [J. Ozols
THE GREETING OF THE LATVIAN SCOUTS AND GUIDES
Photo] [M. Crowdy
THE RECEPTION AT RIGA
General Burt Madame Sviders Mlle. Goppers
General Goppers M. Zarrins
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Photo] [D. Archer Thomson
LINING THE AVENUE, RIGA
Photo] [M. Crowdy
DIPPING THE COLOURS
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Photo] [M. Crowdy
THE BRETHRENS' CEMETERY, RIGA
Photo] [M. Crowdy
THE CHIEF LAYING A WREATH AT THE WAR MEMORIAL
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Photo] [W. M. Comber
LATVIAN FOLK DANCING
Photo] [E. .Stone
A TYPICAL CONVEYANCE IN LATVIA
Photo] [M. Crowdy
LATVIAN COSTUMES
Photo] [M. Desch
TWO MEMBERS OF THE REITERA CHOIR
Photo] [W. M. Comber
RANGERS IN NATIONAL DRESS
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warriors who lie at her feet. One of our party wrote in her log: "The restraint and simplicity make this one of the most impressive figures I have ever seen. It is one of the few memorials which make one feel that they express, not sorrow only, but pride."
On leaving "The Brethrens' Cemetery" we were all taken to the Officers' Club, where, in the courtyard, some stands had been erected and there was an exhibition of Guide handicrafts and Latvian specialities. There were beautiful necklaces and bracelets of amber for sale, and one of our party, who was soon to be married, bought £15 worth of amber for herself and her bridesmaids!
The Chiefs, after resting at the British Legation with Mr. and Mrs. Knatchbull Hugessen, came on here and inspected the assembled Scouts and Guides.
We then went indoors into a large hall, where we all sat on the floor and listened to the wonderful Reitera singers, a world-famous choir which takes its name from its leader, Mr. Theodors Reiter, the director of the National Opera. There were about forty singers, men and women, the latter dressed in beautiful national costumes. Their singing was a revelation to us of what a marvellous instrument the human voice can be. They sang just a few of the folk songs which are the national heritage of the Latvian people; they are handed down from one generation to another by word of mouth; there are about 218,000 of them and it has been calculated that the singing of these songs, on the basis of an eight-hour working day, would take about twenty years!
After this wonderful concert we adjourned to a neighbouring room, where the Chiefs and their party sat down to luncheon with the Mayor of Riga and other well-known ladies and gentlemen. The Mayor, in an excellent speech, bade us transmit to "the great city of London the greetings of her sister town of Riga."
The visitors who were not on the staff had the same luncheon, but "a la fourchette," which was translated by one of the party as a "snatch-and-nibble" meal. Smoked salmon and other excellent cold dishes were piled up on the table, with every variety of vegetable and salad.
Meanwhile, in the courtyard, visible from the windows, the Scouts and Guides were giving various displays.
After luncheon the Chiefs returned to the Calgaric. The rest of us walked to the Central Station and went in the train to a place called Avioti, on the shores of the Baltic, the seaside of Riga. We walked through the pine-woods, in which a number of charming summer villas are situated, to the beach, where there are wonderful sands and where a great many people were bathing, both in the sea and in the sun. A few of our party bathed and some paddled. The waters of the Baltic, as well as being tideless, are almost fresh. We walked for some way along the sands and eventually reached the "Café Lido," where we were magnificently entertained by the Mayor and Municipality of Riga-Jurmala (Riga-Strand). Some had tables in the garden
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for tea, but most of us were indoors where a band was playing. The Latuians sang to us and we did our best to sing in return; the Mayor made a speech to bid us welcome, and Mr. Robbins responded on our behalf.
At last the time came to go. We took the train to the station of Lielupe and here we embarked on the waiting tenders.
Then came almost the best part of our Latvian visit. We steamed for an hour and a half down the river Lielupe, which in this part of its course runs parallel to the coast, leaving only a strip of low-lying sand and pine-woods between itself and the sea. It was a lovely evening and the rays of the setting sun streamed across the water gilding the dunes and the forest behind them. Every now and then we passed a huge mass of timber, tied together in rafts and floating down to the sea. The Latvian Guides sang to us all the way, and when we came at last to our ship out on the open sea, Miss Rozenberg said to us: "We will not shout or cheer; our Guides will just sing to you as we leave you."
So after we had climbed the gangway and were looking down from the various decks at the tender going back to the shore, we saw handkerchiefs waving and heard their songs becoming fainter and fainter in the distance.
I need hardly say that when the second tender came alongside, containing a majority of Scouts, they made more noise than any other party of people could have done! There were cheers and counter-cheers in every known language, and as our Scouters came up the gangway, one of them said to me: "We really got to know those fellows and thoroughly fraternized with them. This is the best day we have had yet!"
Drawn by H. E. C. Brickell
THE CHIEFS ARE "BUNCHED" AT RIGA
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Photo] [A. Macdonald
THE LIELUPE RIVER, LATVIA
Photo] [M. Crowdy
A SHIP ON THE DALIGAVA
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Photo] [M .Crowdy
A LATVIAN PYRAMID
Photo] [J. Ozols
"GOOD-BYE, LATVIA!"
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