James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1875

' • .. • • • ' ' I \. � � tl1ri�ers that "; would have torn to shreds any ' b'-µt · a , masterpiece of �aval eotistrt1otion. On Novemb e r 1st. w e t a.11ohored at Malta. No · n1e11di oant but more fruit, cigars, and �bacco for tts, and a - little nia1ier -- 9f tl i ree hnn­ dred ton·s of coal for ' the '' Mirzahpore . '' . Five hours, and we were .off. �ain. 1; , until a . t noon on the 4th of Noveinber we ' pulled up a r t AleX:andria. ,. Not an · inodorotLc; place, nor ' one noted for innoeenee in its inliabittints I ' shollld say, - this same port of Alexandria. At least my impressions are still vividwithdirly streets, dirty natives, the · inevitable 4onke_y, and a gene;ral sense of relif3i on our d e ' p , arture. A delicate attention of the British consul · was the only rede e min g . point. The B. C. wished · · u s · _ t o stop and have a · game on the follbwing day, tempting tis with the promi se · to se nd . us on · by & special tr.ain to Sue� to catch the boat. 1 · It was tt ha.rd thing · to have - , to decline an invit.atioil so polite and hearty, but we h�d, and I only mention the fact that that wo � thy British Consul m a y receiV8 _ suita � le p � omotio n _ - � the hands of � H r MaJesty's Government. On Gu y F awkes ,, day we Bteam·ed · into the Suez Canal; and were duly int1·oduced to · the ]) e s · e rt : of Arabia on th. e one side, to the Salt Lak-es on the other. :Neith er · v i e w was pleasant, so W { } had a little game at · · c ri cket on deck ,. an amusement not so refreshing · a s the mor� systematic pursuit on the '' tented field.'' T1:1e pa sage .. thr�ugh the cana1 is . no t rapid, and indeed it might bemore speedy wefe there less mud. .As it wits ,ve ,vere of that adhesi�e character that mnd held us fast, and more, - there Wl\S an u11easy feel i ng . abroad that � we should ha\e to retire ttOtn the eonfliet nnder the disagreeabie alterna,tive of ·' leav.in g onr machµtery �ehind us. We did reach Suez after all though, and a plea,sant sensa·tion it was · to - feel oneself once · mese on ter _ rafirlna. �other · mo v e was mtkie in ott.r ont� a � d voyage� · a nd the 23�� of _ · November . · found · us without any rem _ ar� � ble incident safely anchored 1n the ha�bou.r of Galle. It wa,s another milestone on the r,oad, for we had to ltnship ourselves ' and lt1ggage from the �firzahpore to ' · t�e N�bi � , 8tll exchange ___ n<>t fo � OUf �dvant � �e , \ a s r . e v �ts pt o ved. ' The Nubia ,va lrke a cock-boat alongside our old f:r1end the Mirzahpore, but she bore us safe and sot1nd to Melbourne, and, so fat at' l ea st . ; fnlfilled her ' duty . W e · "eoa.led" at St. George �s � ou:n� on DEiCembei- � 8, and the !l ee ratt1 e a · a.1� to · M e lb our n e under every po s sib l e · advantage of wind and sail. We a.neho . off Melbourne on Deee . mb � · 13, after , a - pa s sage of fifty-two days, pleasant and �greeable enough after we had · got over the first e:tiect1; of a -sea trip� Our arrival was premat�e 11,s · we _ ,v�re before our time, _ but we received a . right hearty welcome from · the Vietorians who came' 6-dt � to receive tis in ' the · · name of Australian Cricket, and a warm i-eceptit>h th ey . g ave US in the� old Engli s h · fashion. Of the disagreeables o,f th& trip I s hall . say 11Qthing, for suoh subjects in the heat of the moment are often magnified. , It was, perhaps, not a judioiot1s notion of the reception committee t9 divide onr team - into two distinct pa�tiea, ana � to quarter us in · �wo different hot�ls, bltt · if tlie er:cor was in : judgment, the intention was honest enough . ,. · ·WhateveJr .. shortcomings there w&re dtitjng �he tour, might have been remedied wi _ �h .a: little conciliation on both . s i d e s , and the , want : of an �cc,i,siorrBl - concession · from one le&dar OJ: the other did $UCh to magnify l\ · mere SOratCth · into &ll open · sore. - On the Tues · day afte1· om· arrival the !\tiayo1� of �1elbourne gave us a. forma.l welcome i� th� . shape of · a . sumptuous entertO:i � tnent at _ tb'.e : Town Hall. It was e, right royal f�d and w e ll . dono. · . Ot r skip-p�r . ret\llned thart� f�r us in his best style · ; # u · he · erred at all it was on th ; e side of . charity , · - for · �e spared us a long speech and the error was condoned- : Twolve days · intervened before we had to perforin · in pt1blie, and these w e . spen t after otir . • • . , . I, . . ' • , ' • , . • • • • • • . . ' -