The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1884-02-12 00:00:00

THE CHANNEL SQUADRON.

Vioe•Adesiral, the Duke of Edinburgh, with th•
Channel Srpiadroo, will remain at•Cagliarl, Sardinia,
up te Toesfay next, and will than proceed to Terra
Nova, Sardinia.
A correspondent with the Channel Squadron,
writing from Palmas Bay, Sardinia, on the nth of
Jauuary, say.:—" The Channel Squadron, comprising
the following veseele—lier Majeety's ship Minotaur,
Capt in Fellows., flying the fl Vi le-Admiral his
Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh ; Agincourt,
Captain Mead, the Bag ship of War-Admiral J. C.
%Vilma, second in command; Sultan, Captain Sir
Walter Hout-Girubhe, K C.li. ; N dthunibarland,
Captain Robinson Neptune, Captain Mac veil;
Arbilles, Captain Meteor, left Palm• in Miaj rca, f
Palmas, In Sardinia, on l'hurielay, the 24th January,
On the evening prerione to our departure meet of iis
paid • farewell visit to the opera, the performance
Wog boaoured by the presence of VietrAdmiral the
Duke of Ediaborgh earl Rear-Admiral Tim
Duke wed received at the entrance to the hew. by a
ritid of honour, a military band playing 'Gad nave the
urea; the entire audience rising se be entered hie box.
loruA wee the opera, awl Miss Ella Kumasi, the prima
donna. &charming young American lady, with, I think,
a future before her. She looked sod mug remarkably
well. On leaving Palm., on the afternoon iif Thurs.
day, we proceeded under emy steam slowly r ,12134 to
the other side of the inland, sod on Friday fmenoon
anchorel off the celebrated caves of Arta tor three or
four hours, to allow the onions of the squadron oppor-
tunity of visiting them. There wee the usual cave
' business' of stalactites an I stalagmites, and gutter-
ing tallow °wadies carried by obtrusive guide.: and.
on the whole, we were net sorry to get back on bo.rd
after our hurried trip. Here we parted company with
the Achilles, which left us and proceeded to Gihraltax,
in order to change her captain and being on super-
numeraries for the rquadron. Captain Morant leaves
her on api.intment Commodore at Hong.Korg, an
offioe that may be of mins importance in the present
disturbed state of Chine. He is to b. •ucceeded by
Captain Buller, en offirme who is Dot new to the
Cherwell dapmdroo, basica; mused rao flagmaptaln In
the Agincourt with Admiral Waddelove. The
Achilles will probably rejoin a. at o.gliari. Sardinia.
The remainder of the squadron arrived in Palmas Bay,
to which place the little Forward bad been despatched
ahead no Sunday aftertooet ; it beana wide, open bay,
with no , thee shipping preemie we ley at single
ocher, instead of mooring ship. On Monday the Exe.u.
live had • regular Channel Squadron-day, begisuing
by crossing the upper yards and making all pl.in nail;
then preparing tor action aloft, whee to the uninitiated
observer, it seemed to rain gicks, spire, wags, and
hen., then the ships exercised at general quarters
with the big gun., and, after that, cross royal yards
again, when everything that had come down wae sent
up again. Then the barometer fell, and it came on to
hjen, and the topgslientniaato were sent down, and on
ft, blowing harder this exciting day was wooed up by
send,eg down the lower yards and topmiet—whloh, I
understand, is the hassled piece if work done on
board ship—and letting go second anchor. Toaday
&dog floe, the signal was wed* to woos royal pude,
said everything went up with lightnieg speed. We are
anchored so far Al the shore that but few f ne have
visited Palmas, but the moaotony of ship life has been
varied by the daily arrival f mails from Englesd.
We leave on Thur. lay for Cegiiisi, and after that go,I
believe, to Terra Nova, where it proposed to boll the
simnel Channel Squadron Hallett fee the All-comers'
Sailing Rocs, for which the Duke of &Mahwah is
plug to present • hes looms silver cup, —Shuidoni.