THE CRUISE OP H.M.S. GALATEA.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1014, 16 January 1869, Page 3

THE CRUISE OP H.M.S. GALATEA.

By the Rev. John Milnek, B. A. Chaplain, and Oswald W. Bisiekly. London, W. H. Allen and Co. The Melbourne journals are divided in , opinion as to the literary merits of this work ; it is, however, scanned with much curiosity, and extracts from its pages anxiously sought after. Of the hospitality dispensed by the Victorians on the occasion of the Royal visit, the reader will learn something in the following extract. " The greatest hospitality and kindness were shown to both officers and men of tho ship ; free railway passes were furnished to all, provisions were supplied to the ship without charge, and a livery stable was placed at the disposal of officers, who could have horses, buggies, or carriages for any distance or for any time they chose to keep them. JNTor were the hospitalities confined to the residents in the metropolis or its charming suburbs. Occasionally a stray seaman, getting a few days' leavo of absence to visit relations in the far interior, would bo treated with the most marked attention in some inland town or village, the Galatea ribbon on his hat being the only ' passport ' required. Tho following anecdote will give some idea of the hospitality which we experienced every where during our stay in the colony : — Some of the officers -of tho Galatea wished to have a good look round the goldfields beforo the Prince's arrival there. A letter was written to the Mayor, requesting him to be kind enough to obtain permission for them to see tho various mines, and have an intelligent guide to meet them when they arrived at' the railway station. The Mayor was sixty miles from home when the letter reached, him, but telegraphed to say that he would himself meet them on their arrival on the following day. Six of the officers accordingly went tip, and found the Mayors of both boroughs waiting to receive and show them every attention. It was determined to visit some of the mines whilst the dinner was preparing ; and as some slight return for their great kindness and attention, the worthy Mayors were invited to dine with them. After some little consultation together, as to whether some official duties connected with tho Prince's reception could be postponed to another day, they consented to accept the invitation. Tho best dinner the hotel could provide was thereupon ordered, with abundance of iced champagne, and the very best wines that could be had, in honor of the two guests. Tho dinner came off in clue course, tho first lieutenant taking the head of tho table, with one Mayor on his right and tho other on his left. ' Mine host ' had obeyed his instructions to the letter, and supplied a most sumptuous repast. Late at night our guests ordered the new Albert 11 all to bo lit up with gas, and drove the party down to inspect it ; after which another mine was visited, and all went down the shaft to explore the interior workings. It was nearly one o'clock in the morning before they returned to the hotel. Two of the officers had to leavo by tho six o'clock train the next morning, and left with the others all the money they could spare, in anticipation of a heavy reckoning for tho previous night's entertainment. After breakfast the officers weie again driven to different places by tho Mayors, and back again to tho hotel, in time to settle tho ' little account ' before the train started for Melbourne. The landlord, when asked to furnish his account, observed that there was nothing to pay, that the Mayors had left strict injunctions that no charge was to be made for any tiling; so that it turned out that the., pincers were all the while the guests of the kind-hearted

Mayors, instead of being their entertainers 1 We cannot leave the subject of Melbourne without some slight allusion to the great kindness and profuse hospitality shown by Mr. Moffat, who, whether residing in town or at his country seat, was never happy unless he had the opportunity of entertaining as many of the officers as he could contrive to have with him. A small party of us went to stay with him at Hopkins Hill, shortly after he had been entertaining the Prince, and enjoyed our visit exceedingly. The novelty of being driven about four-in-hand through tho bush — shooting yarded kangaroo — snipe-shooting in the creeks, Mr. Moffat driving from one pool to another, and from creek to creek, up hill and down dale, through anything and over eveiy obstacle, apparently in the most reckless manner, but with consummate skill — was a great treat .- as was also the drive back (four-in-hand) in two days. The powers of endurance possessed by ; the best Australian horses are something wonderful, as may be inferred from the | fact that Mr. Moffat had frequently driven from his place to Geelong, a distance of 109 miles in a single day, without distressing his horses in the least."