THE LANDING OF H. R. H. THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume VI, Issue 1705, 10 May 1869, Page 4

THE LANDING OF H. R. H. THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH.

The sudden and unexpected arrival of the Duke of Edinburgh in Auckland on Saturday evening has somewhat disarranged our reception programme. It. is -a matter of regret that - the plan, as suggested by his Excellency Sir George Bowen to the Superintendent, and on the faith of. which all our arrangements have been built, was not carried out. We are not only so taken unawares that thousands of oiir country settlers, who would otherwise have come into Auckland, will not hear of the reception until after it has taken place, but from the very fact of the Galatea having already anchored in our harbour, we shall be precluded from" carrying out the very portion of the programme on which, as a maritime community, we chieflv prided ourselves, the naval reception by our steamingand sailing fleet. Aay place in New Zealand could receive the Duke with cheers and addresses on its public wharf, but nowhere else than in Auckland could th& Galatea have been received and escorted to her. moorings by a fleet of vessels such as "we can furnish. The early hour of the landing to-day, eleven o'clock, and the loss of the twentyfour hours' clear notice promised us by the Governor, will cause the reception cf the day to belessworthy of Aucklandthanitotherwiso would have been. We may, however, console ourselves with the , reflection that the blame is not ours. H.E.H. leaver, we hear, in the Galatea on Monday next. ,