AUCKLAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 925, 24 January 1871, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

DEPARTURE OP H.M.S.S. GALATEA EOR ENGLAND. H.M/s s.s. Galatea, Captain H. R. H. the Duke of Edinburgh, left Auckland for England on Monday, the 16th inst. The following interesting account of her departure we extract from the New Zea* land Herald, 17th instant: — Shortly after 10 o'clock yesterday morning, His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, the second son of Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria, brought his second visit to this colony to a close ; and we are quite sure that he takes with him the best wishes of the inhabitants of this city, for whose various charitable institutions he has shown a most worthy consideration, having given several entertainments for their benefit. The hour fixed for the departure of the Clio and Galatea was 10 o'clock. Long before that time large numbers of people had congregated upon the Queen street wharf, upon Fort Britomart (which was thronged with Maoris), and also upon the vessels alongside the wharf, most of which were gaily decorated for the occasion. The p.s. Luna, at the Breakwater, was crowded with a large party of ladies and gentleman, among them being his Excellency the Governor, Donald McLean (the Defence Minister), the Bishop of New Zealand, the members of the Choral Society, and a large number of special guests. The Royal Alfred and Enterprise No. % were also well filled. The weather was everything that could be desired, though many regretted that the wind was unfavorable for the Galatea's sailing out of the harbor. A few minutes before ten o'clock H.M.S. Clio, Commodore Stirling, bound for the South, was seen to be gliding quietly down the harbor, and a few minutes later the Galatea followed suit, and steamed majestically towards the Heads. The Luna at once came off from the Breakwater, and the Royal Alfred from the Queen street wharf, and both followed in the wake of the Prince's sbip-r-one to windward and the other to leeward. Gradually ranging up with the Galatea, and going parallel with her for a considerable distance, the passengers of the Luna were enabled to view to the greatest possible advantage that most magnificent model of naval architecture, and she was truly a sight worth seeing. She was steaming along at from eight to ten knots an hour. Her decks and port-holes swarmed with men, and the bridges were crowded with officers, conspicuous among whom was his Royal Highness, who repeatedly suiuted his friends of the Choral Society on board the Luna. In the fore and main-tops were observed large parties of sailors playing cards (these could not be seen from the deck), evidently bent upon enjoyment, while the Prince's elephant was trotting up and down the deck, every now and then stopping to look at the Luna through a port-hole, and now and then shaking his trunk as a sort of farewell salutation. From the main-truck floated a Royal whip, three hundred and sixty-five feet long, as a signal that the vessel was homeward bound. A portion of this getting foul of the steamer, some forty or fifty feet of it broke off and was secured and divided among the passengers as a memento of the Duke's visit. Shortly after leaving her anchorage the magnificent band of the Galatea struck up " Auld Lang Syne." This was answered by the members of the Choral Society singing the beautiful ballad, " Home, Sweet Home," and afterwards several patriotic airs, among them being the " National Anthem." AH this time the Clio was leading some half-a mile a-head of the Prince's ship, but when some short distance beyond the North Head, she suddenly came to a standstill, and the Galatea, while steaming up to her, made ready to give her the usual salute. This was a magnificent sight. Some two hundred men, at a given signal, swarmed up the shrouds and placed themselves on every available spot on the ship's spars, and simultaneously unfolded small brightcoloured flags. Three daring fellows climbed to the very trucks, upon which they stood holding on by the lightningrods and waving their flags most enthusiastically. (For this temerity they lost their caps, which were blown into the sea.) It might be worthy of mention in passing that the seaman standing on the main-truck was accompanied in his assent by a which perched upon his iJoulder as quietly as though it were

upon the deck. As soon as the Galatea ranged up to a level with the Clio, the signal was given, and a tremendous cheer broke forth from six hundred British throats, and roiled along the water for miles. The men on board the Clio replied almost as lustily, and cheers were then interchanged freely on both sides, the people in the Royal Alfred and Luna also joining in. It was at this time that the National Anthem was sung on board the Luna, and the band on board the Galatea struck up in reply. That vessel then put on the whole of her steam, and went ahead at a slashing pace, the steamers following her up as far as the Reef, when after a round of cheering, in which the Prince joined most enthusiastically in bidding farewell to the people of Auckland, the steamers returned to the harbor, leaving H.M.S. Galatea to pursue her long and lonely journey to the Falkland Islands, South America, where she will receive her next despatches from home. Should war unfortunately have broken out between Old England and any other country, we may be sure that the Prince will have his work cut out for him, and we are convinced that both he and the noble body of men under his command will do their duty as English sailors always have done, and as English sailors always will do in action, and bring nothing but honor to the names they bear. We wish them a safe, a pleasant, and a speedy passage home.