Greetings from the Serjeants Mess of the Columbia Detachment, Royal Engineers!
Saluting as done by Victorian-era soldiers has often been a topic of discussion at our re-enactments. It was finally resolved when I came back from visiting Fort Henry in Kingston, Ontario, where they perform daily parades, gun drills and a magnificent 'Sunset Ceremony'. The band of the USMC (wearing red tunics ....) was performing as well, several Canadians among them, some veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Fort Henry Guard had to go co-ed for both PC and man(person) power reasons. The Garrison RSM was a petite female, as was the Master Gunner of the 24 pdr gun crew that fires a gun periodically. There were also several female soldiers and gunners running around as well. I was a little dubious about all this, but they acquitted themselves admirably.
The RSM saluted as the Garrison Commander took over the parade and I'll attempt to describe the salute:
She raised her straight right arm out to the right and forward with theatrical slowness, bringing it to the 'palm down' position at the peak of her forage cap; the Officer responding alike. Hitherto, they had used the more modern 'palm facing forward' salute, drummed into them by a retired Regular Army type who didn't know better.
A video of the FHG performing the Sunset Ceremony can be ordered on line.