The Express.
London, England, 1864-04-11 00:00:00

4"

GARIBALDI'S VISIT TO PORTSMOUTIL

(nom on eIPICIAL soma.)
FRESHWATER, Szonw.
. . .

So completely private was yesterday's trip to
Portsmouth, that although we were meeting the
General, Mr. Seely, and party, by special appoint-
ment, we had some doubt as we stood upon the
shingle at Cowes whether we had not after all
mistaken the place, or the hour. " Government
yachts always come here over night, Sir, when
they've anything to do at Cowes ;" " Hyde's the
place where people go to Portsmouth from, Sir,
the'd never think of coming here ;" "If she was
coming to Cowan we should see her for miles before
she got in ;" from the boatmen and officials whose
opinion we asked (not as to the probability of the
party coming to Cowes, but as to which pier
would be their point of embarkation), were scarcely
reassuring, and, as it was within five minutes of the
appointed time, 10 am., I began to ask myself
whether after all I had mistaken Cowes for Ryde
during the hurried farewell I had exchanged with
Mr. Seely on the afternoon before. A bystander's
friendly suggestion that " she might be hugging
the island, when it wouldn't be possible to see her,'
was followed by, " It's the very Fire Queen, I
know her by her smoke !" and almost im-
mediately afterwards the vessel so named
steamed into the bay. After • short delay
the party from Brook-house arrive, and embark
from the ordinary Cowes and Southampton steam-
boat pier, in one of the Fire Queen's boats, sent out
to meet them. Garibaldi is, of course, the first
person on board, and is received not only by Staff
Commander Paul, of the Fire Queen, but by
Captain Francis Scott, C. 8., of the flag-ship Vic-
tory, whose presence is a special compliment from
Admiral Sir Michael Seymour to the general, and
whose gold and crimson sash shows him to be
(though it should be stated that this distinctive
badge is but recently instituted) one of the aide-de-
camps of her Majesty. The Fire Queen is a hand-
some government yacht set aside for special serene.
Under the immediate orders of the Commander-in-
Chief, it is her function to convey privy councillors
and distinguished guests to and from Osborne, to be
employed upon such occasions as when his
Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge makes
a tour of inspection necessitating a sea
voyage ; and her distinctiveness is marked by
the fact, that, with the exception of her
Majesty the Queen, every member of one royal
family has from time to time been her guest.
Garibaldi looks well, wears his white poncho to-day,
the rest of his costume being only varied by the sub-
stitution of a puce and white silk handkerchief over
his shoulders for the light crimson one he has
hitherto worn, and prefers to slowly pace the deck
to availing himself of any of the easy chairs placed
at our disposal. The haze of the morning has cleared
away, the sun shines brightly, the sky is so clear
that I hear the hackeied " like that of Italy,"
employed in good faith even by the Italians about
me, and the sea is literally without a ripple. Leav-
ing Cowes a few minutes before eleven, we aped
rapidly on, Captain Scott pointing out all note-
worthy objects to, and conversing freely with, the
general, who evidently enjoys the sunny brightness
of the morning, and who takes the deepest interest
in all he hears. Now it is his son Menotti, who
points to a large schooner colt ier with " The Garibaldi
—Cowes," painted on its stern ; now Captain
Scott, or Commander Phelps, or Mr. Seely
who show him Hasler Hospital or Norris
Castle, or the fortifications in course of
erection ; now the faithful Pietro, as much friend
as servant—" but them foreigners is mostly free,
Sir," remarked a gentleman's gentlemen to me anent
this remarkable fact a few days back—who offers •
wrap, and has a kindly word from his general,
now Colonel Chambers, or Signor Guezzori, or
Dr. Baseilio, who draws a fancied comparison
between some point in the coast we are passing,
and other rocks and fields ; now some less im-
portant member of the party, who directs his
attention to the smooth verdure of the greasy
mounts in front of Osborne House ; and to all
and each of us he is animated and gentle, grateful
for the slightest information, often illustrating
what is told him by an anecdote or a
comparison, which prove that he has rapidly
seized and thoroughly comprehends its salient
points. The smoke from the funnel of even so
exalted a vessel as the Fire Queen is not en-
tirely pure, as is evidenced by a plentiful shower
of " blacks," which I am bound to say, neither in
shape nor obtrusiveness, could be exceeded
by any of those of the penny steamers on
the Thames. Here, however, if we cannot get rid of
blacks, we can at least be protected from their in-
roads, for finding them to be no respecters of
persons, and that the purity of G • di's white
poncho runs some risk of being dimmed, Captain
Scott considerately orders out the awning, under
which, fur the rest of the trip, I remark the general
doe* not stand. Calling his sons and suite together
to point out the Victory "where Nelson died," and
explaining that it is now " a training school for
young English sailors" (a statement proving his
study of England to have been close and constant,
for the Victory, though now a flag ship, was used
as a training ship for years previously, and Gari-
baldi must thus have learnt the latter fact by read-
ing or from information given him long before his
visit here); pointing out, too, the vast size and ap-
parent impregnability of the other ships of war ;
the general is engaged in animated talk at the mo-
ment of casting anchor, and the admiral's barge
coming off to convey him ashore. It is now just
12 o'clock, and the crowds of dockyard labourers
(free for their dinner hour), the gaily uniformed
naval and military officers who are piloting bevies
of ladies to a good position, the aggregation of
well-dressed people, the crowded boats, and the
occupation of scch windows as command a view of
the landicg point, all prove that some of the Ports-
mouth people Lave obtained an inkling of the
coming visit, and that, although neither flags nor
decorations, neither mayor nor corporation, neither
address presenting nor formal municipal welcome,
have been possible (for the errand of the Fire
Queen can only hare been known • few hours be-
fore her arrival), the fortunate few are doing
their utmost to represent the lungs and smiles of
the many who are away. The dockyard men lead
the cheers, the anion on the admiral's barge present
their bright pea-green oars (I'm afraid one of them
was carried away by his feelings to the ex-
tent of "Hip, hip-ping" without orders, for
which breach of discipline he may be as-
soiled), a boat's crew in red flannel shirts
and canvas ducks, and with " Aymez Loyaulte "
OD their black tarpauliug caps, a crew which I take
to be French until I look into their facer, and
which I believe is in the service of one of the Ports-
mouth military anthorities, presents oars too ;
Admiral Sir Michael Seymour, K.C.8., accum-
pauiel by Flag-Lieutenant Seymour, and Major-
General Lord William Paulet, attended by his
aide-de-camp Lieut. Panlet, of course in uniform,
come forward to greet the general, there is much
genial hand-shaking on all sides ; and so the party
progresses along avenues of cheering workmen to
the Royal Sovereign. Having seen the rotatory
movement of the cupolas on deck, weare marshalled
into the departments below, where I leave the
general for a few minutes, to send off my telegram
for your evening's impression. On my return it is
evident that the news has spread, the crowd is
denser, and I have some diflienity in making my
way to the first floor of the blockhouse, where Gari-
baldi now is. Whizzing and burring sato sound, oily
and metallic as to smell, a little, a very little, olea-
ginous as to atmosphere, this room resembles any
other of the machinery departments in our large
factories. Oue of the foremen of the works takes a
small block of wood, and, with lathe and graving
tool, with the aid of polishing material and by dex-
terous manipulation, converts it in a few moments
into a duly waxed ship's pulley, to the evident de-
light of the general, who comments thereon delight-
edly t.) Admiral Seymour, to Signors Meootti and
Rieciotti, and his Italian friends, all of whom
cluster round to witness the operation. Then to
the wood-house, past huge crane., past vast and
powerful-looking steam hammers, through sheds
wherein %edges, cranks, winches, ship's tackle,
maritime gear of all Muds are either at work, are
being turned out, or have left evidence of recent
occupation ; past, too, the Victoria and Albert

NAVAL AND MILITARY.