H.R.H. THE DUKE of EDINBURGH AT TAHITI.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1074, 13 August 1869, Page 2

H.R.H. THE DUKE of EDINBURGH AT TAHITI.

PUBLIC BEJOICINGS;

Br the arrival of/H.I.M. ship-of-war Duchaykj Captain Le\M. Ffanquet, we (Southern Cross) are pfeced in possession of late files, by which we learn that His Royal Highness the Duke .f Edinburgh, in command of H.M.S. Galatea, arrived at Papeete on Sunday, the 19th June. A large concourse of people were assembled to watch the approach ofthe Prince's vessel, whose arrival had been anxiously looked for, and .considerable, preparations had been made for his reception. " Immediately upon anchoring, ,the Galatea fired a royal salute of twenty-one guns, which was responded to by the land batteries. The Imperial Commissioner despatched his staff' officer on board to welcome his Royal Highness to Tahiti; and to-inquire when he would be pleased to receive the j. Imperial Commissioner himself. The next j day the Hon. Elliot Yorke and Lieut. Haig ! went on shore, and informed the Commissioner that his Royal Highness would pay -liis resbeefcs to her. Majesty Queen Pomare at four o'clock _ injhe /afternoon. At two o'clock the Commandant, accompanied by the staff officer, repaired on board tho Galatea, when they were graciously welcomed by the Prince, who conducted them over his vessel and explained to them the working of the large guns carried by the Galatea. Before landing the; Commandant iinfo?me__ the Prince that the resources of the Tahiti arsenal were at the disposal of his Royal Highness if he required anything for Jhe Galatea. On his departure .'■' from f thp vessel the Commissioner ;was saluted by 14 guns by the Galatea, which was at once returned by H.I.M.s. Duchayla. On his Royal Highness quitting his own vessel he was saluted by a salvo of artillery from the Duchayla, which at the sameftime manned her yards, an honour accorded only to prince's of the Imperial family. On landing the' aiMiiUe'ty again belched forth, and the Prince was received with every mark of welcome and rejoicing, the various staff officers and the commander ofthe vessels in harbour being, present oj4 the wharf. After a short stay afc tlie Government House his Royal Highness repaired with the Commandant to pay his respects to the Queen," the large crowd greeting him with the most enthusiastic shouts of welcome on the way to the palace. ; The Queen—who was surrounded by her family and the principal native chiefs ofthe island— r-expressed her pleasure at the arrival of the Duke, and assured him that she would do everything in her power to render his stay agreeable. The next day the Commissioner • gave a dinner, at which his Royal Highness was present;, also Queen Pomare and the native chiefs,. and officers of the ships of war in harbour (the Galatea, Nereide, Kearsage, and Dimhayla), and others. Four toasts were proposed, the first by the Commandant Commissaire-Imperial — her Majesty Queen Victoria ; the second, byi tho Duke —his Majesty the Emperor of the Trench. The Queen followed with the toast of his Royal Highness, who responded, and proposed the health of Queen . Pomare. - A concert of music followed, and the evening passed off brilliantly. . On Tuesday the inhabitants of the island came to the palace to render homage to the Prince:' in the evening music again reigned supreme. On the Wednesday a ball took place at; the palace, and, to use the . expression of tho Tahiti journal, "the evening was charm? ing." The next day the Duke repaired on board his ship to witness .tk£ regatta, which was very successful. rHis vessel was afterwards visited by the Queen, when he presented^ her with his own portrait and those of his Royal parents. The marines were put through a -number of evolutions by the Prince, which much pleased her Majesty the Queen, and she expressed herself delighted with her visit. The following Sunday, was spent by s Kia Royal Highness making Visits to the interior; and on Monday, the next day, a country picnic took place. On Tuesday his Royal Highness gave a grand dinner on board the Galatea to the Commandant and the whole pf the_ French.^officers located on the island. mid-day on Thursday the inhabitants assembled for the last timo at the palace, and presented to the Prince various offerings, which, according to native usage, consisted of cocoanuts, bananas, poultry, and, suckingpigs ! The Queen then thanked the inhabitants for the hearty welcome which they had accorded to the Prince during his stay. ' ■ . On Friday, the lst of July, the Galatea took up anchor, at 11 a.m., and as she steamed out of port she saluted the Government ofthe Protectorate with another salvo of 21 guns. The.Galatea was, to call at tho Sandwich Islands, from whence she would go directly on to Japan and to the Indies.