Introductory. 29 
DEPARTURE SCENES. 
From the Westminster Gazette, August 23rd, 1898. 
“It was just half-past four o'clock yesterday 
afternoon when the Southern Cross glided out of 
ihe gates of St. Katharines Dock. Опсе in the 
main stream she swept as gracefully as a swan in 
and out among the busy craft that filled the Thames. 
In appearance the ship was as gay as a ladybird—her 
black hull shone like a mirror; from deck to mast 
floated a stream of bunting, whilst from the mainmast 
flew the Union Jack, the gift of H.R.H. the Duke of 
York ; the foremast bore the Norwegian flag, and the 
mizzen-boom that of the pilot. 
* As she passed down the river she was greeted 
by an orchestra of whistles, some with notes as full 
of music as those of the nightingale, others with only 
the croak of a rook, but from the siren of the 
biggest liner down to that of the oiliest, tiniest, 
barge tug, all joined in ‘Hip, hip, hurrah!’ 
“And all the time that the down-river voyage 
lasted the whistles kept up the inciting melody. At 
Greenwich the waterside was crowded; there were 
cheers and counter cheers, and as the Southern 
Cross passed the boys’ training ships every yard 
was manned; bands played, and the bugle cry 
sounded its greeting from the topmast stay, and, to 
make the harmony quite complete, a good number of 
the ninety picked Siberian dogs on board took up the 
chorus. To tempt fair weather always to surround 
the ship three of the crew had fixed their chests of 
clothes up in the cross-trees ; and for yesterday after- 
noon at least the charm worked, for the sun shone 
