FROM the moment that Her Majesty's fine frigate the Galatea* left our shores in the spring of last year, under the command of the youthful Duke of Edinburgh, to visit our colonies in the southern hemisphere, and to convey to them in person the kindly greetings of his Royal Mother, her movements were watched with much interest by the people of this country.

His Royal Highness had already made himself very popular, not alone with his brother Officers in the Naval Service, but amongst all classes of his countrymen with whom he -had mixed, by his kindly, frank, and amiable manners, arid straightforwardness, and by the entire absence of all that hauteur and frigidity which often unnecessarily widens the barrier between those of high and low estate, and chills the sympathies which should exist between them.

On his arrival at our Australian colonies, a splendid reception awaited him, and the pent-up natural loyalty of our fellowcountrymen there, which never before had a present personal object on which to expend itself, burst forth with genuine enthusiasm, and seemed to know no bounds. His public reception was everywhere an ovation; and no one felt a moment's fear or uneasiness on his account, unless it were in the shape of a doubt whether any young man, however gifted with good sense and modesty of character, could pass unscathed through such an ordeal of popular favour.

Yet how little do we know what is in store for any one of us! Here was a young and favourite Prince, unassociated with political parties, employed on a friendly mission—actually engaged at the moment in promoting a benevolent object, and not supposed to have an enemy in the world, yet suddenly stricken down by the cowardly hand of an assassin. The Prince, as the public are aware, was shot in the back, at Port Jackson, by a dastardly ruffian, said to have been commissioned to do so from Ire- * We are indebted to the Publishers and Editors of that admirable serial, the Leisure Howr, for an electro block of the accompanying engraving of H.M.S. Galatea.

laud by a body of ruthless scoundrels like himself, in the vain and senseless hope thereby to promote their treasonous ends, or in revenge for the righteous punishment that had been legally inflicted on other assassins engaged in the same hopeless and infamous cause.

However, happily and providentially, the will of the evil-doer does not always prevail, and the murderous bullet was diverted from its course, and glancing from a rib, passed round and outside the vital organs, instead of through them ; and thus, by God's mercy, the useful and honourable life of the young prince has been preserved to his affectionate and royal parent, and to his country.

We earnestly trust that in a few days .His Royal Highness will be amongst us again; and, in tendering to Her Majesty the Queen, and to himself, on his arrival in England, in the name of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, and all who support and befriend it, which we feel that we may properly do, their earnest and respectful condolence and sympathy, we venture to express the hope that His Royal Highness may have a long, happy, and useful career before him, and that this Institution may yet have the honour, which it has long looked forward to, of his presiding at one or more of its annual com memorations.

We should not, however, do justice to our loyal colonists and fellow-countrymen in Australia if we were not to make special allusion to the universal expression of sorrow, abhorrence, and indignation which burst forth from them when this atrocious and cowardly act became known. Never before, it is stated, had the sensibilities of the Australian colonies been so thoroughly stirred.

"Indignation meetings" were everywhere held, and addresses of sympathy to the PRINCE drawn up and presented to him; and just before his departure from Sydney the Duke was entertained at luncheon at Governmenthouse, a number of the leading gentlemen of the colony having been invited to meet him. In reply to the toast of his health, which was proposed bv His Excellency Governor-General the Earl of Belmore, his Royal Highness, who, the report states, was so much affected as to be unable to speak for several seconds, said (as soon as the j cheering had subsided) :—" Gentlemen, I have no doubt you will allow me to read the few words that I desire to say to you, as I do not feel equal to the task of speaking extempore. In returning you my best thanks for drinking my health, I must express my regret at having to bid you farewell; and I take this opportunity of thanking you for the enthusiastic and hospitable manner in which I have been received and entertained in this as well as all the Australian colonies. The universal manifestations of loyalty to the Queen and attachment to her person and throne have ere this been made known to her Majesty, and cannot fail to have given her the liveliest pleasure. I must now, however, allude to the unfortunate occurrence connected with myself, which marred your festivities, and cast a temporary gloom over the community. I sincerely regret, on your part, that there should have occurred any one incident during my sojourn amongst you which should have detracted from the general satisfaction which I believe my visit to Australia has given. The event, however, cannot in any degree shake my conviction of the, loyalty of the colonists at large, nor her Majesty's confidence in her Australian subjects. Indeed, the meetings and expressions of sentiment which have been called forth by the recent attempt on my life will show their fellow-subjects at home, and the world at large, that they not only have loyalty, but affection for the Queen and her family. If there is any disaffection tending to disloyalty amongst any community in any section of this portion of her Majesty's dominions, it will be the duty of the government to put it down, and I am certain that here it will receive every support from all classes. Through the merciful interposition of Providence, the injury I received was but slight, and I believe no further evil consequences are to be anticipated from the wound.

It has, however, been considered that I shall be unequal to any great exertion for some time, and therefore it has been decided that it would be most advisable for me to return home direct. It is a great disappointment for me not to be able to visit New Zealand, and I am afraid it will also very much disappoint the people there. In thanking you once more for your kindness to me during my visit, I must tell you how much I have enjoyed it, and regret that it conies to an end to-day.

Before I conclude, I will ask you to join me in a toast. I propose—' Prosperity to the colony of New South Wales;' and as this is the last opportunity I shall have of addressing an assembly of Australians, I beg to couple with it the toast— ' Prosperity to all the Australian colonies.' " We trust that the general expression of reprobation and disgust which has been pronounced, not only in this country and its colonies, but in all civilized nations, at the commission of this dastardly act, may have the effect of deterring from the perpetration of similar atrocities the reckless and deluded men, who seem able to persuade themselves that they can serve their country by the commission of deeds of blood, which have in all times been execrated by all good men, and denounced by GOD himself.

: As is generally known, the would-be assassin has since paid the righteous penalty of his crime by the forfeiture of his own life..