The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-12 00:00:00

VISIT OF THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE

TO LANCASHIRE.

LIVERPOOL, Thursday.—The excursion yesterday of
his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge up and
down the Mersey was accomplished under the most
favourable auspices. The landing stage was densely
packed with people, and the liveliness of the scene was
heightened by the presence at the stage and different
piers of some 20 river steamers dressed in their gayest
bunting. Opposite the landing-stage a fleet of pilot
boats was stationed, displaying all their flags, and be-
hind one of them were linked four life-boats in a row.
About a quarter past 11, his Royal Highness, accom-
panied by his Worship the Mayor, alighted from the
official equipage, and were received at the west slope of
the landing-place by Major Greig, on horseback, and a
body of police under Superintendents Quick and Murphy.
In other carriages were his Royal Highness's suite, and
a select party from Knowsley; Mr. W. Brown and lady,
&c. Immediately the duke was observed deafening cheers
rent the air, flags in all directions were waved to and
fro, and the bells of St. Nicholas sent forth a merry peal.
The party descended the west slope, and on the landing-
stage the duke was received with the same enthusiasm
which had characterised his progra,ss generally through
the town. The passage to the boat was kept by a
strong body of dock constables. The steamer Countess
of Ellesmere was selected to convey the august party,
and we may say that a better selection could not have
been made. The steamer, besides being a beautiful
model, is yacht-like in appearance, and a very swift
boat ; indeed she distanced every steamer on the river
yesterday. The embarkation having been effected, the
Countess of Ellesmere moved off slowly from the stage,
immediately in front of which was the steam-ship Tra-
falgar, belonging to the City of Dublin Royal Mail Steam
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life-boats, the crews of which manned oars as the Countess
of Ellesmere passed them. A little to seaward were sta-
tioned, 200 yards apart, seven of the pilot-boats, viz., the
Teaser, the Mersey, the Pioneer, the Duke, the Albert
Edward, the Prince of Wales, and the Auspicious,
all profusely decorated with flags. As soon as the
steamer was fairly under way, the pilot-boats fired a
salute of twenty-one guns, at intervals of half-minutes,
until the salute was completed, and then, weighing their
anchors, stood off for the Rock Lighthouse, sailing in
line about 150 yards apart. Steaming across the river
towards the Woedside Ferry, the pier at which was
crowded, and from which resounded the vociferous
cheers of several hundreds of spectators, the Countess
of Ellesmere kept in shore until off the Brombro' Works,
when she put over towards Garston, near which she kept
in shore, thence running over to Eastham, a large num-
ber of ferry steamers, tug-boats, &c., crowded with
people, keeping in the rear. Prominent among these
steamers was the new Woodside ferry boat Liverpool,
built by Mr. John Laird, and which is about to be
placed on the station.
The commissioners of Birkenhead, who are most
loyal subjects, and we hope soon will be, along with
those whom they represent, pleasant citizens of Liver-
pool, had availed themselves of the opportunity afforded
them by their neighbours on this side of the
water, of testifying their respect to the cousin of our
benign ruler, and their warns appreciation of the
inherent bravery of one of our princes of the blood. The
Liverpool was placed at the disposal of the commission-
ers by the ferry committee, and a select party of about
400 went down in her to meet the duke returning. The
boat was gaily decorated with a great profusion of mag-
nificent flags, and Jolliffe's band was in attendance to
add to the harmony of the proceedings. Captain White
was in command, and Mr. Reed, the manager of the
ferry, was present with his valuable advice when it be-
came necessary to manoeuvre in order that the Liverpool
should not commit the error which some boats did, of
preceding the Royal yacht-steamer. Amongst the
commissioners present on board the Liverpool were
Mr. John Laird, chairman, Mr. Rae, deputy-chair-
moan, Messrs. Gough, Hornblower, Cross, Whitting-
ham, Bradley, Hind, Tyrer, and Goulburn ; and the
Rev. R. M. Feilden, R. Barton, Esq,, J.P.L
Frodsham, Esq., R. Hughes, Esq., T. Harrison, Esq.,
S. Bailiff, Esq , F. Frodsharn, Esq., T. Fletcher,
Esq., H. Fox, Esq., A. Wain, Esq. law clerk to
the commissioners, the Rev. M. Cockroft, the Rev.
Hamilton, R. Bryan, sen., Esq., the Rev. Francis
Bryan, E. Milan, E -q., E. Storey, Esq., H. Williams,
E,Rq., E. Thompson, Esq., the Rev. Hirt, Hayes,
Esq., James Andrew, Esq., &c. The refreshments,
which were supplied by Mrs. Jones, confectioner, Mar-
ket-cross, Birkenhead, were ample, and of the most
rech,erdie description, and the wines were pronounced
unexceptionable. The general superintendence of the
arrangements had been entrusted to Messrs. Whitting-
ham and Bradley, to whom special thanks are due for
the most excellent manner in which they fulfilled their
arduous undertaking.
But to return to the Countess of Ellesmere, which we
left off Eastham. About 12 o'clock she again struck
across the river to Garston, keeping close in shore for
some distance, and then going into the middle of the
stream, where she passed all the steamers that had fol-
lowed, and others that had come out to meet her. The
duke met with such a reception as will not easily be
erased from his memory. The cheers from the Liverpool
were loud and protracted, and his Royal Highness re-
peatedly took off his hat and bowed his acknowledgments.
In the meantime the yachts in port off Birkenhead, 14
ins number, and named the Ariel, the Miranda, the
Cymba, the Nimrod, the Coralie, the Blue Bell, the
Sea Bird, the Mirage, the Windward, the Ranger, the
' Electric, the Spray, the Jessica, and the Zillah, under.
the command of Commodore Littledale, slipped from'
their moorings after repeating the salute of the pilot
boats, as the Royal steamer passed them, bore to the
northward, and joined the pilot boats, in line, off the
Rock Lighthouse.
The Countess of Ellesmere then proceeded to the Rock,
where the pilot boats were inspected by his Royal High-
ness as they manceuvred, and then returned to the
landing-stage, where it arrived about a quarter-past two
o'clock, after having gone close in shore at Woodside
Ferry, and thus permitted the duke once more to ac-
knowledge the loyalty and patriotism of the people of
Birkenhead. The life-boats here manceuvred in grand
style, and his Royal Highness and party then landed,
amidst the renewed plaudits of thousands. At the top
of the west elope, accompanied by his Worship the
Mayor, his Royal Highness occupied the official equi-
page, and after taking leave of his worship at the Town
Hall, the duke was driven to Knowsley. As the equi-
page passed down Castle-street, Lord-street, and Church-
street, the cheering was vociferous, and the duke bowed
his acknowledgments frequently. The day was very
fine, and there being a brisk breeze and a somewhat
heavy sea the capacities of the various beats, sailing and
steam, were fully tested.
The concert took place in the evening at St. George's
Hail. Apart from any extraneous decorations, the superb
edifice is the greatest ornament of our town ; but, with
its accessories of innumerable flags, medals, and illumi-
nations it could not fail to be the most gorgeous and
magnificent spectacle of which we have to boast. The
grouping of the national flags of England, France,
Turkey, and Sardinia, between the pillars on the east
side of the hall, has a most imposing effect, while
the flags fluttering in the breeze from the top of the
building impart a wonderfully light, airy appear-
ance to the ponderous structure itself. Four
bronze shields, of chaste and classic design, are ranged
along the front of the hall ; two of them bear the memo-
rable names of the Crimean battles, and the other two
shine with the appropriate words "Gallia" and "Albion;"
while over each there is a pretty grouping of the flags of
the allied nations. French lamps, which were illuminated
with gas on Tuesday night, are placed on the top of those
two beautiful but misplaced granite pillars at the front
entrance. These pillars are commonly known throughout
the town by the name of "The Candlesticks;" and cer-
tainly the use they have been put to on this occasion
renders the term singularly appropriate. On the top of
the eastern facade the words " Victoria—
Napoleon" are
ranged in letters which stand about 6 feet high. It is
understood that no less than 100,000 gas jets have been
used in their construction, but they were not lit up last
night.
About dusk Lime-street became very much crowded
by people anxious to see his Royal Highness arrive. As
time wore on the multitude became more and more
dense ; and between 7 and 8 o'clock it was almost an
impossibility to elbow a way through the Matifieg that