The Express.
London, England, 1863-09-10 00:00:00

DEPARTURE OP THE CHANNEL 'FLEET PROM

THE CL IDE.

After s week's sojourn in the Clyde, the Channel
squadron weighed anchor about mid-day es Tuesday, and
proceeded direct out the firth. The morning had been fine,
though moist ; the stormy weather of the prooding day
had entirely disappeared, and was seemeded by a calm, and
the surface of the river was quite smooth. On the early
part of the morning parties of men from the vessels were seen
onshore, busily occupied in conveying officers' luggage from
hotels, and all was preparation on board the ships. About
a quarter.mat 2 eideck the Defence weighed anchor and
proceeded down the firth under steam, followed at regular
intervals by the other skips of the fleet All were under
steam, except that in some instances a foresail ma run up,
to bring • vowel's heed to her course. The Edgar, fiagahip,
rapidly overhauled the Defence, Emerald, and Liverpool,
and before paring Grano& Bay kd taken the lead, and by
three o'clock she rounded Kemper* Point, followed by
all the other ships, forming a line from Kempock to
the Tail of the Bank. The Royal Oak was the lotto get
under weigh, and bad made little movement until the
three leading vowels had rounded Kempock. The music
from the bands on board was wafted ashore upon the light
breeze; and between the ships and some of the tin*
west-end mansions, where colours were displayed, many
salutation@ were exchanged. Though the sky wu not 'bright,
the scene was very floe. Several steamers and yachts con-
voyed the fleet a short distance out the firth. The state
of the weather, however, did not warrant the fleet in put.
suing their come, for' when off Toward, three of them
turned, and is about two hours after their leaving their
moorings they made their appearance back to their old
quarter', where by half-past our o'clock they re-anchored
at the Tall of the Bank. These were the Edgar, flag-ship
the Emeeald, and the LiverpooL It was reported that the
other five vessels would anchor fee the night in me of the
contiguous bays—Bother or Gourock.
The Scotsmen' has the followiegremarks wider the beading
of the " Fleet and she Marione of Greenock." A greater
measure of succese, as to the prevention of the sirs of look-
ing at ships on Sunday, hasaitanded the Beggsof the Wort than
wee attained by the lesedolthat sect nearer home—and it is
worth while totakenote whatthateuccesscame to. Wsrnedby
the blunder made by the less win men of the East, the
Western Beggs did not address an order to the Admiral of
the fleet to the effect that, as visiting the fleet on Sunday
would be shocking to the feelings and principles of the
people, the Admiral must forcibty prevent the people
from so shocking themselves. Neither did they
go to the opposite extreme, which ordinary people
would think the natural mune, of enjoining the people
themselves to act according to their own principles and
feelings. They bit cc the happy medium of appealing neither
to the visitors Meths 'into!, hot to the goes-between. They
first got " the authorities" into their posseesion and then
induced the authorities to use their rather irreeMtible " M-
amma" with the omen of 1140111/901% to sign bonds not to
take people to the fleet on Sunday, under a penalty
of team pounds. The result we lied thus stated
in the Greenock Advertiser of yesterday : "A large
number of persona wont off to the vessels in
shore boats, and daring the day from forty to fifty
boats plied emotes* between the fleet and the quays." In
the primitive days of chimney sweeping, a humane old lady,
as doe Miller teals, objected to the prevalent practice of
having her chimney swept by the pulling up and down of •
live gems, bed expressed herself satisfied with the
to have the operation performed by means of a Juropteit
live ducks. Jost so are the old ladies of both sexes at
Greenock satisfied with hay* prevented the Sunday sailing
of four or five stamen, and having got the operation per-
famed by " from forty to fifty Mate." Az much as Jos
Miller's old lady did againet cruelty to animals have her
skiers and breth fee at Greenock dons against Sabbath de-
seeratim