The Argosy — page 68: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Crmse of the Reserve Squadron. 55 rivalled. I knew well how he would be watching the bay from his pleasant windows for our appearance, and would watch in vain. Not many places in England equal Falmouth in the beauty of ap- proach. ‘Turner seems to have been one of the few to recognise this truth. The hills, repeating themselves over and over again in wave- like undulations ; the crescent sweep of the bay, its green, transparent waters meeting the white sand of the shore in a long-drawn, ever moving line; the mouth of the harbour guarded so grandly by the walls of old Pendennis; the distant view of the Fal beyond, its banks one rich unbroken carpet of waving trees: all these points contribute to form an exquisite and unrivalled picture. We hear little of it, whilst much 1s said of the approach to Plymouth, Dartmouth, and many other spots on our fair west coast. These indeed have their beauty, and may be content; but the approach to Falmouth on a sunny day, is before them all. It possesses a grand, noble and open outline and effect altogether its own. The Lzvely, the Duke’s yacht, accompanied us on first starting, with the Duchess of Edinburgh on board, who could be distinguished sitting upon the bridge and watching the movements of the Fleet. These movements were worth watching. The vessels in themselves were a grand sight. Nothing could be more stately than their manner of getting slowly under weigh, as one after another passed beyond the breakwater into the open Channel, and gradually took up its appointed station. Everything was in our favour. ‘The freshness of the early morning was exhilarating. The sun, already far up in the sky, poured his rays upon the water, that danced and sparkled and flashed a thousand gleams around, as if to bid us a lively farewell and speed us on our voyage. Then, in a double line of four vessels, two abreast, we proceeded to face these kindly elements. This was our order : The HERCULES. The LORD WARDEN. Af.R.H. The DUKE OF EDINBURGH in Command of the Squadron. i Pei ABORD) (Captain HENEAGE.) The WARRIOR. The HECTOR. (Captain TOWNSEND, ) (Captain CARTER. ) The DEFENCE. The PENELOPE. (Captain JAGO.) (Captain D’Arcy-IRVINE.) the REPULSE. The VALIANT. (Captain SULIVAN.) (Captain POLAND.) As soon as we were in position, the signal came from the Flagship to perform evolutions or tactics. A prettier and more graceful sight could not well be imagined. As the eight vessels gradually changed positions (a sort of chassé croisé) each vessel was supposed to do its work with mathematical precision. Starting from the position of the order of sailing—two lines of four, two abreast—perhaps they gradually resolved themselves into two lines of two, four abreast. Next form GOnnlGaooks GO