The Flying Squadron at Melbourne
(From our own correspondent)
Wednesday, December 8

The excitement occasioned by the presence of the Flying Squadron was kept up until the time of its departure, yesterday. Some of the principal events in which its officers and men have taken part were only on the to pis at the date of my last letter. Since then detachments of the officers have been dancing with the belles at an assembly�s ball, got up for their special delectation, dining with the Governor and with the Commander-in-Chief of the Forces; patronising the theatre and concerts for charitable benefits; playing cricket with the Melbourne Cricket Club; spending a day at Ferntree Gully in the Dandenong Ranges, on the invitation of the Mayor; giving an amateur dramatic performance before a crowded and delighted house; contributing largely to the attendance and success of a grand ball for the joint benefit of the Sailor�s Home and Benevolent Asylum; besides enjoying the private hospitalities of the citizens of Melbourne and the suburbs.

The mayor�s picnic was a great affair and unique in its way. About a hundred of the officers of the Fleet started with the Mayor�s party soon after 7 in the morning in carriages provided for them, and arrived at about 11 o�clock at the foot of the gully, where tents and marquees were erected, and every possible provision made for their enjoyment and for the comfort and convenience of the visitors generally, especially the ladies. A considerable number of private vehicles had started at an earlier hour from the residences of invited guests; and as a four hour�s drive had an appetizing effect, the earlier arrivals had more consideration for themselves and their own parties than for those who were coming after. The principal guests did not, in consequence, find the breakfast tables laden with that abundance of unmutilated viands which the hospitable entertainer had provided for them. While clambering up the gully and the steep hillsides, there was a little more rain than was pleasant, and as might have been expected if the ladies had only known what was before them, but many of them didn�t, the skirts and boots came out of the encounter with the mud and brambles decidedly worsted. Not withstanding these discomforts, however, most of the party declared that they had immensely enjoyed the day�s outing and none more emphatically so than the naval gentlemen.

The Admiral had very considerately suggested that while he and many of his officers were away to the arcadia, the Fleet should be shown to the schoolchildren; and the idea having been taken up warmly by the teachers and the Education Board, the youngsters were allowed to invade the ships in swarms. Some six or seven thousand crowded down to the Bay during the day and it was perfectly marvelous to see how the vast crowds, which at times were collected along the Sandridge Pier, were kept in hand by their teachers and prevented from merging into one inextricable mess. The sailors received the little folks quite affectionately, and both parties were on excellent terms throughout the visit, parting from each other with evident regret. There were no incidents, and the day�s occupation will cause the Flying squadron of 1869 to live in the memories of many of the men and women of the next generation.

On Friday evening there was a great crowd at the Duke of Edinburgh Theatre to witness the dramatic performances undertaken by the officers of the Squadron. The object to be assisted was a fund for the erection of the first cottage for decayed actors in connection with an asylum which it is intended to establish. The nucleus of the fund was provided from the results of a similar amateur performance by the officers of the Galatea, and it is to be called the Duke of Edinburgh Cottage. The critiques upon the performance were all of an extremely favourable character.

Saturday was the day on which the great event of the week was to come off, namely, the naval review. It was proclaimed a public holiday, and notwithstanding some rain in the early morning and the prospect of more in the afternoon, some thirty or forty thousand persons at least have turned out for a view of the grand spectacle, either from the shores or from the many coasting steamers and sailing vessels which were chartered to cruise down the Bay, laden with sight-seers. Every one of the ships in the squadron carried two or three hundred invited guests, and all the large passenger steamers were crowded. H.M.V.S. Nelson, which had been put into active service for the day, in order to carry the members of Parliament and their families, with a few friends specially invited, was rushed by an additional thousand or more who invited themselves, and who not only took possession of the ship�s decks, but also the private apartments of Captain Payne and the officers, and devoured like locusts the good things which had been provided for the refreshment of the invited legislators and their friends. Remonstrance was in vain. His Majesty � the mob � was master of the situation. "Aren�t we a free people, and isn�t this our ship?" was argument enough for most of the intruders, and it was impossible to deny that they were a free people � very! The grand old ship, however, did her duty, and she was the noblest of the fine specimens of naval architecture in the fleet. She was the only man-of-war under steam, but by her activity gave evidence of the ease and rapidity with which she could be handled in action.

The commencement of the proceedings was, to the great majority of spectators, the most interesting part of them, namely the manning of the yards of the entire squadron (which was done with great precision), and the firing of the salute of seventeen guns on the arrival of his Excellency on board the Admiral�s ship. The fleet then got underway, one by one, and after all had got into their places, they sailed majestically down the bay in two columns of division. The breeze freshened soon after the start, and the ships were getting down the bay at a lively pace, when, unfortunately, the rain set in, and from that time the majority of the spectators on board the attendant fleet of vessels began to think of getting back again. On they steamed, however, for some time looking for the "man oeuvres", which had been talked about with a good deal of mystery by the Press, so that thousands had got it into their heads that there would be a mimic naval engagement, or something approaching it. The most interesting "man oeuvres", however, were performed on the main decks of the war-ships, and one or two of the steamers tried hard to accomplish the same performance, where a band of music was at hand. This, however, was next to impossible, owing to the crowds and pelting rain, and the dancing was confined chiefly to the principal ships of the fleet. The hospitalities shown by the officers throughout the entire squadron to their visitors were, and continue to be, the theme of unqualified praise; and if the evolutions of the fleet did not afford the satisfaction to non-nautical eyes which was expected, there was ample compensation provided for them in other ways. The company on most of the large passenger steamers indulged in some amount of jollity, but it was entirely of the Tapleyan kind, and the majority persisted in believing, before they got back to Melbourne, that they had been made the victims of a huge practical joke. The thousands who lined the shores at Williamstown, Sandridge, St Kilda and Brighton, had all their enjoyment over by about 1 o�clock. After that time the fleet began to arrive at that distance which did not lend enchantment to the view, and the rain which set in at noon afterwards sent most of them to the shelter of the railways and vehicles which were accessible, while hundreds had to reach home as best they could, dripping with wet, if not drenched to the skin.

It was 5 o�clock when the fleet reached their anchorage off Williamstown, and the passenger steamers began to arrive at the various piers and up the river at about the same time. It was 7 o�clock, however, before the last of the crowds arrived in town by the railways from Sandridge and Williamstown. Although the majority of the landsmen failed to make out the manoeuvres of the fleet, it must not be supposed that there was nothing interesting to the nautical eye. In brief then. On the Admiral�s signal to make sail, the Scylla was the first to get away. This pretty corvette was the admiration of everybody throughout the day. She had, however to take in half her canvas on order to accommodate her movements to those of the rest of the "flying" squadron. The Phoebe was the next ship to get before the wind, and then all the others but the Liffey. After some delay the latter got her anchor up, and under a crowd of canvas gave chase to the rest, and soon came up into position. The next movement was, as I have before mentioned, forming into double column. When about fifteen miles down the Bay, the order was given for the ships to wear in succession on the port tack, which was well responded to. Half an hour afterwards they formed line three abreast. Then the Liffey stood across the sterns of the Phoebe and Barossa as if to take them, and the same movement was practiced by the Endymion across the sterns of the Liverpool and the Scylla. These very effective performances, however, were scarcely seen by the people on board the various steamers as the rain was falling continuously, and the atmosphere was too dense to admit of the movements being clearly discerned. The fleet next formed in line of battle, then formed into double line, then again into line of battle, and afterwards, all under sail made for their anchorage ground off Williamstown. It is to be regretted that the event was so greatly marred by the state of the weather, and it is said that if that had been more favourable the Admiral would not have confined the review to the simple movements above indicated. There would still, however have been considerable disappointment at the absence of any expenditure of gunpowder, or anything more substantial than a pleasant trip down the bay in such distinguished company.

Sunday was no day of rest for those on board the several ships of the squadron. Even in the morning the visitors from town and country began to swarm down to the piers at Sandridge and Williamstown, and shortly after noon the steamers and shore boats began to ply a busy trade in taking passengers to and from the ships.

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