Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Thursday 11 August 1881, page 5


THE DETACHED SQUADRON.

The vessels of the Detached Squadron presented a busy scene yesterday, for from an early hour preparations for departure in the afternoon were in progress. A few visitors were allowed on board to bid their friends among the officers good-bye, but each vessel was rigidly closed to the general public. His Excellency the Governor paid a farewell visit to the Inconstant and the Bacchante, and in the afternoon the Mayor of Sydney and a number of the Aldermen visited the different ships and wished

the captains a pleasant voyage When on the Bacchante they were received by their Royal Highnesses Prince Edward

and Prince George of Wales, to each of whom little Master Harris, son of the Mayor, presented a lovely bouquet of flowers. The Admiral, who is now able to take exercise on deck, is nearly well again, and at noon yesterday the signal was made from the flagship-- "The squadron will proceed to Brisbane and Yokohama, and will probably touch at Fiji." What is to become of the mails sent on to Auckland was not said, but they will probably be sent in pursuit of the squadron, and reach it months hence, as the route now projected is likely enough to be changed when the vessels reach Brisbane. The stay at Moreton Bay will be short, probably only long enough to acquaint the Admiralty with the state of Lord Clanwilliam's health, and to receive definite instructions about visiting

Fiji.

Fairer weather could not have prevailed for the beginning of a sea vo}age than that Avhich favoured tno Detached Squadron yestexda} As tho hour for leiving port dreAV near, visitors disapDcared from the decks, each vessel Avas got under steam, ivith cable shortened, and every oflicer wes at his post. At a few minutes to 4, the Inconstant signalled, " Singl" column line ahead, close order," and at precisely 4 o'clock the flagship, bavins Aveighed anchor, moved slowlv ahead towards Tort Dem«on The light Avind and flood tide swung tho Aussei« Avith their heads to seaward, so that little mnnciuvnug was nece sary to get them into the desired line, and this was done almost before the} had quitted Farm Cove Ilia Cirjsfort ranged up closo in the wake of the Inconstant, then followed tho Bacchante, which received a round of cheers from some hundreds of sightseers on tho Orient steamet as she po.«sed The Wolverene, Cleopatra, and -tourmaline followed in the order named, and p i««ing 1 ort Denison the flagehin sent a signal ale ft indte itmg that the Admintl intended to proceed at a «peed of 12 knot»* An increased velocity was lorthwith notico able on the part of eaeh ship, and the last of the Uno pi««ed I ort Denison at 4 20 p m, tho band of each ship keeping up a succession of hvelv mr

A considerable d^sree ot nautical skill was evinced by the speed*, vvaj in which the vessels ranged in line, aud though tho Baeehnnti, as she felt herself mov mg, became a littlo unruly, she waa soon got under control Tho procession down the 1 arbour AAaa a pretty and novel spectacle -one that AVO3 worth going far to seo The Squadron txik a wido sweep round Bradley's Head, and passed out by the eastern channel, with piont} of water under oven the Inconstant which draw s 26 feet aft and 21 feet 6 inches forward Tarin Cove was fairly alive with sailing boats, rowing boats, and steam liunehe.«as the timo for departure approached lhe area irouud Mrs Macquarie s Chair was blaek with people, and a number of bteam yachts and steamers accompanied the statclv line of warships to tho Hoads Among them wero the Government steamer Nea,in which wereLady Augustus Loftus, his L-cellency Sir Arthur Kenned}, Lieut Nathan, ADC, and several ladies , tho Pacifie, with the Mayor and Aldermen of Svdnov, and a numbei of other gentlomcn on bo trd the Commodore, Thetis Prtnoe ot "Wales, Alathea, Quandong, and ¡swansea Cheeis were exchanged between tho crews of the depaituig vessels und thoso on the steamers, and amid the waving of handkerchiefs and Hags from tho friends the} left behind, the tender strains of ' Auld Lang S}no," and heartily shouted good wishes, the squadron passed out of Port Jackton, and took ita course northward. The journey to Cape Moreton will be made under sail, and may be expected to occupy about four

days.

The Wolverene, Commodore Wilson, will accompany the squadron to the latitude of Brisbane, and then voyage to New Guinea. This will be the Wolverene's last cruise, as Commodore Wilson's time (three years) will expire in December next. There is, we understand, some probability of the Wolverene remaining here, as tho Imperial Govern-ment has been asked to make a gift of her to tho Govern-ment of this colony for the use of the Naval Brigade.

Baron Maclay, the distinguished naturalist, has gone to New Guinea in the Wolverene, for the purpose of con-tinuing his scientific labours there. And it is further ex-

pected that his knowledge of the New Guinea people will be of assistance to Commodore Wilson in securing the real offenders in tho murder which took placo at Kalo, on the south coast of New Guinea. The biological station at Watson's Bay is now ready for use by scientists.

It tiauspnes thet during tbo Inconstant s sta} hero about SO mon have deseilodfrotn hoi, and the other bhipshave also lost a lui gc number of meu

Bv telegiam fiom La Perouse we learn that tho Ilonor iiblo i bomas Holt, oarlv jesterday, causéela fence tobo erreted aiound tho tieea planted by the Ito}al Pnnees, at Cook's monument, Botan} B w.

Mi It feevmour, Inspector of Pish Markets, sent i quantity of di beato fi«li taken in the local waters, as a pie sent to thoollicers of the Bacchante, on tho 3th mslant, and ajun on the 10th instant borne ot the otlieois had re-marked that no good iiih wore to bo got heio, aud Mr -levmour, to praetictlly contradict this, sent thom half a do?cn of each of the following soits -Mmappir, tloundcis, whiting, <rarh«h, pirrot Ii6h, black brctn, ththend, blttk loilc cod, red rock cod, mullet, nanni ¿ti}, gurnctt, TohuDoioj, tia¿lcr, mowong, carp, ned bl iel tish Vesícula} ho leceiACtl a loiter from Loid Cb irles Seotl, captain of tho Bacchante, conAO}ing to lum tho tbenks of the Rovil Pi mee«, foi tho piesentof ksh ho had made to tut m und then fellow ofilceis

At noon AObttrdav Mr John Davies, C "AI G , M L A , pie«entcd 10Ü cases ot oranges to tho othceis and men ot tho Di taehed Sqtiadion, tho gift providing about tinco do/en of tho fi uit for oath pel nu During the afternoon Mr DaA les io OÍA ed let tei seif thanks ii oin tho captains oi the lucon st nt and Cleopatra

¡>horth before th< dep rturo of tho squadion Mr J II

Xoi-muii, of Oxford Mi et, was comunasoned to tiko spinal photuguhs ot the eapttin and otlieers of the Dscchanto Ont is it group of the Ho}al Princes, and two other midshipmen , the t.« und 13 a rjhotogr tph of tbo Baeohaute, i nd tho third shows tho captuu and about forty of the ofijceis of tho vessel grouped on deck I beso pic-tures aie excellent ones and full} maintain tho credit of Mr IA ew man's establishment

On Tuesdav, Pap'un Lout Charles Scott entertained tho RoAalPrnees at dmuei on buaid tho Bacchante The Bishoij ol «joulbnrn, Captain Hixson, Mr Dalton, and ">«.. ul nlliruu-s ot the Kfniaiiron w er*» also of the par«A^