RECEPTION OF PRINCE ALFRED AT DUNEDIN.

Press, Volume XIV, Issue 1887, 3 May 1869, Page 3

RECEPTION OF PRINCE ALFRED AT DUNEDIN.

[Abridged from the " Evening Star."] QOIXG TO MSET THE FRINGE. All the arrange irent 8 for convoying exeureon ;j,ts to meet tiio Blanche were carried out. The Harbor Company had invited the memhereof the Provincial Council on board their w boat the Wallace, where every provision I ma de for the comfort of the guest*. The Wallace wua *o have started from the Rattray treetPierat half-paat eight o'clock, but the !chooner Banshee managed, late on Sunday i eht to get aground in the channel, and this necessitate taking the Wallace, before daylight out off the bed of the training wall. Aβ lie guest* had to be conveyed to her in boats, the steamer did not get away until half-past nine The hour's delay, however, wbs of no consequence ac things turned out. The Wallace laid-to off the Port Chalmers iettv and it *a 9 n0 " until nearly a quarter after'eleven that the darted for the Heads. She was closely followed by the Geelong, which after conveying to the Port the Volunteers to form the guard of honor, hud picked up there a coodly number of excursionists. The other boats of the, Company-tho Gblden Age, the PeninbuU »nd (he Lady of tho Lake—followed the 'G-eelong. The Age was crowded with nawengere, and the L-idy of the Lake was fairly patronised. Tho boats named were followed by the screw-steamer Taiaroa On board the Peninsula wero the Superintendent (James Maeandrew Esq ) ; His Honor Mr Justice Ward; the Provincial Treasurer, Mr J. Vogel ; the Provincial Solicitor, Mr B. C. Haggitt ; the Speaker of the Provincial Council, Mr W. H. Reynolds ; and Mr Hughes, non-official member, of the Executive Council. These were to be conteved on board the Blanche as soon as she anchored. The Wallace, inatead of staying ineide the Heads, ran outaide, closely followed by the Geelong and the Taiaroa. The other boats did not pass iho Heads. A mile or so outeiae, a whale-boat was overtaken. In her were the Harbor-Master, Captain Thomson, and Mr Pilot Kelly. Captain Thomson came on board the Wallace ; and the boat was taken in tow. ___ Before tho Wallace got to the Heads, the signal for a man-of-war in eight had been hoisted on the staff there; and n steamer could be seen from the Wallace's deck, about the time when Captain Thomson was picked up. But still the Wallace and Geelong, keeping well abreast of each other, ran on rapidly over the long lazy swell, until between six and seven miles outside the lighthouse. Then she stopped, and Captain Thomson resumed his place in the boat. The Blanche was now close at hand, ehifting and rolling more than either of. the small steamers did. She came on " dead slow " without an inch of canvas* set, and coon got Pilot Kelly on board ; during this time the Wallace and the Geelong crossed slowly under the Blanche's etern. The Wallace made the better turn, and ehe got up to the Blanche's quarter before the signal to go ahead was given on board the man of war. Then those on board the Wallace gave three hearty cheers of welcome. There was no sign of recognition from the Blanche ; but she soon showed that it was not meant slie should bo escorted into the port of Otago. The Wallace was running " a good ten knots," although her bottom is foul, and sbe has been constantly under steam for more than three days. But the Blanche walked away at not less than twelve knots an hour, leaving the Wallace and the Geelong to race after her as best they could. When the two were near the Heads, the Taiaroa was overtaken ; and as she soon lost the slant of ■wind which had been helping her, she was left behind. . It was twenty minutes past one o'clock when the Wallace's engines were stopped, to allow Captain Thomson to go into the pilot boat; and it was twenty-two minutes after one when the steamer again passed inside the lighthouse. By this time the Blanche was well on towards her anchorage, and the Peninsula was seen leaving the jetty. As ehe neared the Blanche, that vessel was, in an instant, decked with flags ; and there was a swarming of the rigging, for the purpose of manning the yards. The Peninsula put on board the Blanche, His , Honor the Superintendent, and the other gentlemen already mentioned. They -were received by Captain Montgomerie, and escorted to the quarter-deck, where they were received by the Prince. THE LANDING. The Geelong had taken down to Port Chalmers 267 rank and file of the Artillery, Naval Brigade, and Nob. 1 and 2 Companies. These, with the Port Chalmere Naval Brigade, near 60 strong, formed the Guard of Honor. The Naval Brigades were on the seaward side of the arch erected at the shore end of the jetty; the Artillery and the Rifles being on the shore side. Lieut.-Col. Cargill was in command. The arch was really deep enough for an archway, and not a mere screen of foliage. There were plenty of S»ge to relieve the ferna, &c.; and on each eide the arch bore the words " God Bless our Sailor Prince " and •' Welcome." There was a free decoration of hotels and shops. When the and Executive came on •hore, it was stated that the Prince had requested that reading the addresses intended to be presented to him might be foregone; that the levee was postponed until to-morrow, , at noon; and that the Prince would not be on shore for some time. The minutes passed somewhat wearily to the crowds in waiting ; but at last —at five nnnutes before three o'clock —a gun from the Blanche gave note that the Prince had gone on board the Peninsula. That puffy, but smart little steamer had been selected for the honor of conveying the Prince ; and she *as »oon alongside tho jetty. Of course, ehe couldn't get to the steps ;* and so all that csreful carpetting of the stops and part of the jetty, which had been so zealously ga&yded from the touch of plebeian foot was done in vain. The Prince was accompanied JJ His Excellency, the Governor; the Hon. iihot Yorke ; and Captain Montgomerie, of &c Blanche. Most of the members of the Provincial were on the jetty ; as were also T. -Uykr, Eeq., Major of Port Chalmers, and tne members of the Municipal Council. For an hour or more people had been suggesting where, the members of tho two bodies should «M their place*, and a great deal of un-

necessary trouble mused. TTirpi'y. nono of the pi. <<f the would Uauthorities were eurrieil our ! The Superintendent and ho Ju'i-i■ -. with the £*<<•» tiro and the Speaker <■( the Council, had advanced to welcome \h • Duke, an 1 they accompanied him to tlm arch. Then the members of the Provincial Council, and the Municipal Council, also advanced. The Superintendent briefly said that lie had much pleasure in bunding to His Royal Highness an address of welcome on behalf of the province. The Princo accepted the address, and merely said that he should have pleasure in r orwarding an early reply thereto. His Honor next introduced the Mayor of Port Chalmers, who had an address from tho Corporation. There was merely a repetition of the ceremony already stated. It was only brief, but very satisfactory —vastly more satisfactory than it would have been had the addresses and replies to them been read. The Prince advanced towards the carriage in waiting for him—a very odd carriage—one that was commonly compared to "a hearae with the sides knocked out." "Wβ sincerely hope that it was a very comfortable vehicle : if co, its oddity may be forgiven. There was no mistake as to the fineness of the team of eight greys —none whatever as to the fact of Mr E. Devine, who was on the box, being one of our very best " whips." The Blanche's ealute was continued up to twenty-one guns—each discharge being followed by one from the battery of the Port Naval Brigade, and by one from another battery as to which we could not get definite information. The cheering was most enthusiastic and long continued ; and more than once, when there was a lull, a fresh outbreak followed a cry of" One for his mother!" THE DBIVE. The Prince's carriage was preceded by two conveying the Superintendent and the i Executive. After those carriages came a few Mounted Troopers; and the Royal carriage was followed by more Troopers, and by Volunteer Woodland, who has been chosen as orderly to Hia Highness. From the Port, quite 150 horsemen " cut in," so as to keep well up to the Troopers. At the junction there was an addition of more than fifty ; and when the boundary of the city was reached, there were quite 300 horsemen acting as an eecort. The Mayor and Council of Port Chalmers followed in buggies ; and there was then a tail of nearly a score of vehicles. It is to be regretted that there was mist enough on the hill to prevent a proper appreciation of the magnificent scenery. At that point whence so charming a view of Dunedin is obtainable in fine weather there was an arch erected. We believe that it was the work of the roadmen ; but whoever put it up, it ia not second, in taste or in effect, to anything in Dunedin or at the Port. The approach to this arch was marked by a line of cabbage-trees on each side of the road. There is a neat arch at the Junction Hotel; and at many other points there were decorations. Long before one o'clock, a large crowd assembled in the neighborhood of the Water of Leith, where, as it was known His Royal Highness would stay a short time, a good view of the royal party could be obtained. Although they had to wait a very long time, and their patience was severely tested, they bore it good humoredly. A little after four o'clock, it was announced that His Koyal Highness was in view, and almost immediately afterwards the outriders rode up. When the Prince's carriage came in sight, it waa the signal for loud and continued cheering, continued for several seconds. When the carriage containing His Royal Higl ness reached the bridge, a halt was made, and the Mayor and City Councillors advanced. His Worship and the Councillors having been introduced to His Royal Highness by the Superintendent, the Town Clerk (Mr Massey) stepped forward, and presented an address from the city to His Royal Highness. The address was handel by H BH to the equerry-in-waiting. Hie Royal Highness was understood to say that, owing to the lateness of his arrival, he had been unable to prepare a reply, and promised to forward one to the Corporation. TL c presentation of the addresses having been concluded, a procession was formed in the following order :— Fleury's Band j D.V. Fire Brigade Chinese Residents Caledonian Society Ancient Independent Order of Oddfellows Manchester Unity of Oddfellows Ancient Order of Foresters Tailor's Society Other Trades Citizens on foot Chamber of Commerce Legal Profession Bankers Port Chalmers City Conncil City Corporation Provincial Council Members of Provincial Executive Members of House of Representatives Members of Legislative Council I His Honor the Superintendent i His Honor the Judge The Foreign Consuls Suite of His Royal Highness and His Excellency the Governor His Royal Highness and His Excellency the Governor Escort of Mounted Police Carriages Horsemen. The procession proceeded as far as the Caledonian Grounds, where a halt was made, the children scationed on the Grand Stand singing the National Anthem. The procession again moved on, but when His Royal Highness's carriage reached the Caledonian Society's Arch, it was stopped to admit of a presentation by the Society. On a stand under the arch were four little children dressed in Highland costume—Masters Bldmond and Fargies and Misses Wain and Frazer. It had been intended that the children should have presented the address and members' medal to His Royal Highness, but it was found impossible to carry out the idea, in consequence of the crush being so great. Mr M'G&w, the YicePrcsident of the Society stepped forward presented an address. A box, containing the Society's gold medal of membership, -was also presented to His Royal Highness. The procession again moved on, and proceeded without much interruption as far as Princes street south, His Royal Highness passing through, and proceeding to his residence at Fern Hill. Along Princes street, from the cutting to the Imperial Hotel, the streets were lined with Volunteers, who presented arms as His Royal Highness passed through.

Proprietor.