H.R.H. THE DUKE OF ELIN BURGH.

Auckland Star, Volume I, Issue 203, 2 September 1870, Page 2

H.R.H. THE DUKE OF ELIN BURGH.

The Australian Squadron has effected a rendezvous at Wellington. The new Commodore bas arrived, and ere this has relieved Commodore Lambert, and the Galatea v>\th her Royal skipper forma one of the squadron. Since the arrival of the news of the Galatea lying in Port Nicholson, many rumours have been afloat as to the Prince and his pi'Obable proceedings. It must be remembered that the Duke is merely here as captain of the Galatea, aud under the command of Commodore Stir ing, and that^ he is in no sense on a Royal tour on this occasion. Tattle said yesterday that a telegram had been received from H.R.H. to engage rooms at the Northern Club for his v c should he arrive. Other reports stated that the Galatoa aud Clio would sail for Sydney together from Wellington without visiting this port. The reason of the Galatea being ordered to this station is the circumstance of the South Sea Island kidnapping practises having been brought prominently before the House of Commons, aud although it seems like sending an elephant to satch a mouse, the Galatea probably happened the time to be the most convenient vessel

dispatch for the purpose. We have every reason to believe that the Galatea will therefore proceed direct from Wellington to the New Hebrid. Islands ou. her mission, and it is not prob., o that sho will visit this port before the en of the ye;ii\ Both the Galatea and the Clio seem to have made very quick passages from the Cape to Wellington, notwithstanding the heavy weather which they arc ropoi'tcd to have encountered. It is somewhat singular that these two vessels should have arrived in Wellington on the same day, after having lost sight of each other for bj long. They left the Cape together on the 14th of July, got separated almost immediately, and again sighted each other off Cape Palliser, New Zealand, on the 27th August. Our Wellington contemporary, the Evening Post, tells us that they left the Cape of Good Hope in company, and continues, " which port they left on the 14th July." We would remind the Post that the Cape of Good Hope can hardly be called a port, as it is an immense territory, many times larger than New Zealand, and that, therefore, " the port of the Cape of Good Hope" is somewhat indefinite. From information in our possession we are enabled to say that the "port" was Table Bay, or Cape Town, where the Galatea made a stay of three weeks. Of this period a fortnight was the stormiest weather ever known at the Cape. Notwithstanding this, however, a great deal of festivity was irdu'ged iv in the Duke's honor, the balls and parties,at least,being we. 11 attended. Amateur theatricals were pot up, and the Honorable Elliot Yorke, who is still with the Duke, sustained several of his best characters, including " Hamlet" and " Cardinal Wolsey," both of which were much admired. In the dry weather, pleasure and pic-nic parties were the order of the day, and, three days before leaving, the Prince laid the foundation stone of some new docks, in the presence of an immense crowd of spectators. The Galatea returns to these waters after an absence of nearly fifteen months. — Herald