The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-01-18 00:00:00

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH IN
AUSTRALIA.
(From the Melbourne Argus.)

His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, whose
arrival at the shores of Australia was at the date of
our last summary the matter of daily expectation, and
whose visit had been the subject of busy preparation
for months, has at length arrived, and has been
welcomed, first in South Australia and then in
Victoria, with a degree of cordiality and enthusiastic
loyalty fully proportionate to the zeal and diligence
with which those preparations hove been carried on.
The inhabitnts of the good city of Adelaide made
careful provision for receiving immediate information
of the arrival of the Prince's ship, the Galatea, off
Glenelg, and a series of night signals was arranged
for announcing the arrival, by means of artillery
should the Galatea make her appearance by night. On
the night of the 28th October, the whole city was
aroused by a false alarm, some mischievous persons
having fired the signal which wax to announce the
Prince. When it was discovered that the alarm was
not only false, but wilfully given, the feeling caused
was rather one of indignation than amusement. It
was, however, rather amusing that after this mistake
the city was taken by surprise on the morning follow-
ing (October 20), by finding at an early hour that the
Galatea had arrived the night before, and secured a
good anchorage off Glenelg, without having fallen in
with the pilot-float, which was watching for her out-
side. Great excitement followed on this discovery,
and large numbers poured down from Adelaide to the
pert. • It was goon ascertained that the Galatea had
left the Cape of Good Hope on 1)-tuber 2, and had
made the run to South Australia without having
sighted land on the passage.
The Prince was visited on board by the Mayor of
Glenelg, who was cordially received. His Royal High-
ness, hearing of the preparations which had been made
for his reception in Western Australia, mentioned that
he had no instructions to visit that colony and he ex-
pressed regret for the disappointment to which the in-
habitants would be subjected. He remained on board
that day, deferring his public entry into Adelaide till
the next. At night all the hills around were
illuminated by bonfires, producing a most interesting
effect. Adelaide was in a state of the utmost ex-
citement. Arrivals were pouring in from the country

_
in thousands. and it was estimated that there were
no leas than 60,000 persons in the town. Preparations
for the decoration of the streets were being hurriedly
pursued; the completion of the triumphal arches
was hastened; and, as far as possible, everything
was got in readiness for the next day's ceremonial.
The official Landiug took place at two o'clock on the
31st October at Glenelg. 'rhe Prince was received
on the jetty by his Excellency Sir Dominic Dal),
Governor ot South Australia, the Ministry, some lead-
ing officials, and the members of both Houses of Par-
liament, some 3,000 persons attending to witness the
ceremony. A procession was forced, the carriage of
the Prince being drawn by four bright by horses, and
escorted by a volunteer cavalry guard of honour. On
the cortege arriving at the first triumphal arch in King
William-street the Mayor and corporation of Adelaide
Presented his Royal Highness with an address, whieh
was afterwards placed in a silver casket. To describe
the procession with its carriage of officials, various
friendly societies, corps of volunteers, &e., the halt
while the National Anthem was sung by 2,500 Sunday
school children, the enthusiastic welcome bythe crowds
collected at Government House, and the varioust n
tridents of the way, would exceed the limits of our
space. It is sufficient to may that the reception was
one of most apontamstus cordiality, and appeared to
afford great pleasuro to his Royal Highness. The
Duke, during his stay in Adel role, was the guest of
his Excellency at Government House.

_
The town on the night of the reception was illumi-
nated, and the streets were thronged with spectators.
On the following day the Prince held a levee, after
which he proceeded to lay the foundation stone of the
Victoria tower if the new Poet-office. The ceremony
was performed in the presence of 6,000 people, by
whom he was most enthusiastically cheered, A mag
niticent gold trowel, with a jewelled handle, was pre-
sented to the Duke by the contractors In the even-
ing a dance was held at Government House, the
I Duke opening the ball in a quadrille with Mrs. Siemer,
I and subsequently waltzing with Mrs. Dominic Daly,
and the same evening a numerous torchlight procession
of German residents proceeded to the Government
House and serenaded the Prince, who, with the
I Governor and many of the company, went out and re-
ceived an address, to which he replied in German-
His Royal Highness next day attended at the review
of the volunteers and military, 800 in number, and pre-
sented a new set of colours to the voluuteers.
The following day or two were spent in various
short excursion., the Duke on Suuday driving down
to the port and attending Divine service on board
his ship, and on the following day driving not four
in hand to Judge Gwynne's, and inspecting the
estate. He subsequently laid the foundation
stone of the Wesleyan College, Kent Town.
On the evening of November 7, his Royal
Highness was entertained at a public hall at the Town
Hall, about 800 ladies and gentlemen being present
In the course of the evening the I ffike's Highland piper
entered the room, and played is Scotch reel, thq dike
dancing with Miss Sniilie. This, 'we hear, being
unexpected, caused great enthusiasm. The towe
illuminations were repeated on the same bight. The
following day was mainly occupied by a trip taken by
the Prince to Kapunda, and by his opening the
National Agricultural Show, although he found time
to pay a good-natured visit to the banquetting-room,
in which a public dinner was being given to 250 of the
Galatea's men. The enthusiasm with which he was
received sufficiently proved that he was a favourite
with his crew. After several days spent in various
entertainments, including a cricket match and a civic
banquet, the Duke, on the morning of the 11th
November, started on a country tour to the Lakes.
The journey was a triumphal progress, every little
place passed being decorated for the occasion, and
the road being all alive with riders and others
coming either to see Or follow the cavalcade.
At the first evening's encampment, on the Hon.
J. Baker's run, the Duke was received by
400 aborigines, who presented to him an address
composed and written by themselves in very
creditable style. About nine o'clock a grand corrob-
boree was held, the blacks, decorated with their war.
paint, dancing in the bright moonlight, forming a wild
and picturesque spectacle. In the kangaroo hunting,
which followed on the following day, his Royal High-
ness obtained excellent sport, and his fearless riding
won the praise of those by whom he was accompanied.
One night during the country trip, owing to some mis-
management, the tents did not arrive, and the com-
pany had to "camp out" in the open air. Fortunately
the night was a warm one, and no inconvenience was
experienced. After a four days' trip the duke returned
to Adelaide, where he pleasantly spent several days
more, finally leaving the town on the 20th inst., and
the anchorage on the following morning, receiving a
mort hearty God speed from the whole population on
his departure. The courtesy and affability of the
young Prince, and the complaisance with which he
visited everything that had been got up for his enter-
tainment, won for him golden opinions from all sides,
and it will be long before the loyal enthusiasm which
his visit occasioned has become extinct in South
Australia.

Here in Melbourne we had several advantages over
the Adelaide people in respect to our preparations.
We had a longer time allowed us, we knew exactly
when to expect our visitor, and there was no possibility
of our being taken by surprise at his visit, as were our
South Australian neighbours. As soon es it was
known that the Duke was to sail from Adelaide on
the 21st of November, and arrive at Hobson's Bay on
the 23rd, all of our arrangements began to assume
definite shape.
Information was telegraphed from Adelaide of the
departure of the Gidatea at six o'clock on the
morning of the 21st, and we learned that she would
arrive at Port Phillip Heads at noon on the 23rd.
On the afternoon of Friday the colonial steam
sloop of war, the Victoria, left Sandridge for the Heads,
having on board his Excellency Sir J. H. Manners
Sutton, K.C.8., and suite; Sir Trevor Chute, K.C.8.,
commanding her Majesty's forces in Australia;
Borne of the members of the ministry; Sir Janus
Palmer, President of the Legislative Council ; Sir F.
Murphy, speaker of the Legislative Assembly; and a
number of members of the Executive Council and of
the Royal; Reception Commission. The Victoria took
up her position and anchored in waiting for the arrival
on the following day of the Galatea, and also of the
steamers which were to come down to form the flotilla
by which the Galatea was to be accompanied up the
bay to the port of Melbourne. At &quarter past eleven
the signal was given from the outer lighthouse that
the expected vessel had come into view. The Galatea
was se unmade out, and shortly after steamed through
the Heads. She was minted by the shore battery at
Queenscliff, and subsequently by the Victoria, which
also manned her yards in honour of the new arrival.
By this time the steamers from Melbourne, twenty-
five in number, which were to form the escort, began
to arrive and take position. Several of them were
loaded with passengers, and had bands on board play-
ing merrily. Captain Norman, of the Victoria, boarded
the Galatea, and obtained the Prince's permission to
the steamers escorting him to his anchorage. His
Excellency then proceeded on board the Prince's ship,
mid was received with a salute of seventeen guns. By
this time the vessels from Melbourne had all been got
into order in two lines, forming a port and a starboard
division. The Galatea steamed through the lines,
followed by the Victoria and the little Government
steamer Pharos, and the whole fleet commenced the
trip up the hay to the anchorage.
At Melbourne the day was one of holiday and ex-
pectancy. Business was almost wholly suspended.
The city wax decorated with flags, which, flying mer-
rily in the brisk southern breeze and in the bright sun-
shine, gave to Melbourne an appearance of joyous
festivity it had never worn before. The streets were
crowded with people in holiday attire, hurrying
off to Sandridge or Williamstown to see the ar-
rival of the Galatea at her anchorage. The piers
and shipping at Sandridge were crowded with spec-
tators, looking down the bay for the expected fleet.
At about four o'clock the stately hull and tall masts of
the Galatea came in sight, and behind her followed the
two long lines of steamers. As the Galatea anchored
she was saluted by the batteries at Sandridge and
Williamstown, and also by the Victoria and the Pharos.
The steamers that had formed the escort as they can,e
up passed under the stern of the Galatea, and their
crews and passengers cheered three times three in
passing, the Galatea acknowledging by dipping her
ensign. The Prince decided to remain on board tmtil
Monday, when the public entry took place.