THE FLYING SQUADRON IN AUCKLAND.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 14, Issue 1125, 8 February 1870, Page 3

THE FLYING SQUADRON IN AUCKLAND.

(From the "Southern Cross.") The arrival of the Squadron on Wednesday took a good many people by surprise. It was between one and two o'clock that a string of bunting was run up at the flagstaff on the North Head. People who have contrived to master the new signals annontiep/1 thnfc the flags. denoted the arrival of five ships, and it was naturally concluded, therefore, that the Flying Squadron had come. Under ordinary circumstances the mere announcement that the Plying Squadron was in sight would have been sufficient to have thrown the whole city into a flutter of excitemeat, but now, for the time being, the regatta was the allengrossing object of interest. Indeed, so heartily do the good citizens enjoy this annual holiday, that, if the whole British navy were sighted, it would scarcely reduce the interest in the several events of the day. Therefore, people had almost forgotten the signals at the flagstaff, when the largo hull of the first vessel glided round the North Head into full view at about a quarter to three o'clock. This was the Scylla, and she was followed five minutes later by the Liverpool, bearing the flag of .Rear-Admiral Hornby. No sooner were these two ships espied by the crowd assembled on the Queen-street Wharf than a ringing cheer was sent forth, and the steamers, which had been in readiness during the day, were rushed by persons eager to obtain a nearer look at the fleet. The Favourite and the Royal Alfred were the first to put off, with their decks crowded with passengers, followed by the Enterprise No 1 and 2, the Luua, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Samson. By this time the third vessel, the Endymion, had come round the North Head, followed at about two minutes to three o'clock by the Phoebe, at three o'clock by the Barrosa, and five minutes later by the Liffey, the sixth ship of the squadron. A salute of thirteen guns was fired from the flagship in excellent time under the superintendence of Mr. John Copland, the first gun being fired at 3.30 p.m. The salute itself was appropriately followed by three hearty cheers from the people on board the City of Auckland, which were cordially taken up by the crowd on shore, the band meanwhile playing, " Rule Britannia. Prior to this, the Liverpool had saluted the port in the usual way.!. A few minutes later, Captain Young, A.D.C. to the Governor, put off from the City of Auckland to convey his Excellency's welcome to the Admiral, and almost simultaneously Captain Pitt proceeded on board the Liverpool from the shore. The fleet were not long anchored ere the harbour was dotted over with man-of-war boats engaged in communicating with the different ships. The steamers also kept plying to and fro with passengers until a late hour in the afternoon. At about half-past four o'clock the Naval Artillery Volunteers fired a salute of eleven guns in tensecond time. Shortly after the fleet had anchored, Captain Pitt left the Liverpool, and proceeded on board the City of Auckland. About the same time Admiral Hornby and his Flag-Lieutenant, J. Bruce, went ashore to Government House, whither also his Excellency the Governor proceeded at about 4 o'clock. The Squadron will x'emain here until Tuesday next, when it will leave for Yokohama, Japan. Thence it will proceed to Vancouver Island; thence to Honolulu; thence to the Sandwich Islands : thence to Tahiti ; from there to Valparaiso; thence to the Falkland Islands ; and from that place to England. The ships of the Squadron will be open to visitors every day while in harbor, from 10 o'clock a.m. to 4 p.m., (Saturday excepted.) The excitement consequent upon the arrival of the Flyinp Squadron appeared to have very little decreased during the whole of Thursday, for, from morning till night, the Queen-street Wharf was thronged with eager sight-seers. The noble appearance presented by the fleet, as it calmly lay afc anchor on the waters of the Waitemata, drew forth unanimous expressions of admiration from the crowds which, during the day, promenaded the wharf — amonTj whom by far the greater

portion were ladies, dressed in gala attire. The jolly tars we're ashore in large numbers,' and behaved themselves remarkably well, so far as we could observe. Officers and men, with a fair sprinkling of marines, dotted our' streets. At night, the town was completely taken by storm by the liberty men of the fleet; and, in consequence of the increase to the population occasioned by their sudden and unexpected incursion, and by the influx of visitors who came to see the regatta and pass the grand festival of the year, it was a most difficult matter to procure a bed or to obtain accommodation of any kind, and the town generally must have felt the benefit of so sudden an influx of population. One butcher was in despair at not being able to supply sufficient beef; a wellknown baker, who had received, a large order for the fleet, was at his wits' end as to how the bread was to be pi'oduced in sufficient . quantities. Washerwomen were in great demand, a notification to that effect being posted upon the wharf, and dirty duds came ashore in boat loads. At an early hour of the morning a large number of boats in two divisions left the fleet and anchored in Rangitoto Channel, where target practice was carried on until the afternoon, the division having fixed their targets under the North Head. The boom of the guns every few minutes could be plainly heard in town. In the evening, his Excellency the Go- | vernor gave a private dinner-party. Ad- | miral Hornby and a number of the officers of the fleet being among the invited. The Squadron continued to be the object of interest yesterday (Friday), and the animated appearance of the harbour was maintained. The seamen and marines of the fleet were ashore on leave during the day in large numbers, and it speaks well for their discipline that no case of irregularity came under the notice of the police. His Excellency Governor Sir George F. Bowen will pay a visit to the Flying Squadron this afternoon. After his Excellency's visit the ships will be thrown open to the public till 6 o'clock, but not before. The vessels will also be open to visitors between the hours of 1 and 6 o'clock to-morrow. We observe that the subscription ball to be given by the citizens to Admiral Hornby and the officers is in a fair way of being successfully carried out. Tuesday evening has been fixed upon as the time, and the place, the Music Hall, Symondsstreet.