HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH AT RIO JANEIRO.

RIO JANEIRO, July 23.

On the evening of Sunday, the 14th inst., a telegram from Capo Frio announced to the port authorities of Rio Janeiro that Her Britannic Majesty's ship Galatea had passed that Cape. Next morning a frigate was seen off the bar of the mouth of the harbour of the Brazilian capital, but until about 2 o'clock p.m. there she lay motionless, and those who were anxiously watching her movements were left to conjecture that the delay in her progress was caused by the natural desire on the part of her Royal commander to wait the setting in of the afternoon breeze from the sea in order that the Galatea might enter the magnificent harbour of Rio under full sail. But if this was the object of the sailor Prince it was not destined to be realized, for the breeze of that afternoon was so slight as not to admit of the frigate carrying sail. So soon as this became apparent steam was got up on board of the vessel, which then slowly passed the renowned rock called the "Sugar-loaf," and, with the Royal Standard of England flying from the mainmast, proceeded to take up her post in the portion of the harbour assigned to the English squadron.

No sooner had the Galatea dropped her anchor than she became the mark for a flight of boats, which were immediately directed towards her; and while a Royal salute was being fired from the shore batteries and from the English, French, Spanish, and American flagships, Prince Alfred was waited upon by Mr. Thornton, Her Britannic Majesty's Minister, accompanied by his secretaries, Mr. Watson and the Hon. Mr. Le Poer Trench; by the English Admiral commanding on the South Atlantic station, Rear Admiral Ramsay, C.B., and his staff, as well as by the several officers commanding Her Majesty's ships now here — Captains Ingram, Mayne, C.B., Lefroy, &c., by the English Consul, and by the Admirals in command of the American, French, and Spanish squadrons, accompanied by their respective Staff officers. Later in the afternoon the Prince was visited by his Royal Highness the Cormte d'Eu, son of the Duke of Nemours, and husband to the heiress apparent of Brazil.

The Emperor had placed his town Palace at the disposal of his Royal Highness, but he elected to remain on board during his stay in preference to going there or to the English Legation. That evening the Prince proceeded first to the English Legation and then returned the visit that had been paid to him by the Comte d'Eu.

On the following morning his Royal Highness landed in state for the purpose of proceeding to the Imperial Palace of Saô Cristovaô. Nothing can be imagined that would exceed in beauty the appearance which the harbour of Rio Janeiro presented on that morning. The atmosphere was sufficiently clear to reveal on the opposite side of the bay the peaks of the Organ Mountains, and it was like a scene in fairy land as the Prince's barge swept across the water, followed in its course by the barges of all the vessels of the English squadron, which at present consist of six vessels besides the Galatea — the Narcissus, the Egmont, the Nassau, the Chanticleer, the Virago, and the Spiteful. All the men-of-war of the various squadrons in the harbour had their yards manned and were "dressed," and each flagship saluted with 21 guns as the Royal standard passed.

The Prince, attended by his equerries and by the members of the British Legation, then proceeded to the Palace of Saô Cristovaô, where he had a lengthened interview with the Emperor and Empress, after his return from which he received a deputation from the British residents of Rio Janeiro.

The visit of the Galatea to Brazil has also its sombre side. On the evening of the 16th occurred the death, from typhus fever, of one of the midshipmen of that vessel, the Hon. Mr. Willoughby, whose remains were the next afternoon followed to the English cemetery by his commanding officer, the Duke of Edinburgh. On the 18th the Emperor of Brazil dined on board the Galatea, and remained till a late hour, and on the following evening the Emperor and Empress, the Princess Imperial, the Comte d'Eu, and the Duke of Edinburgh honoured with their presence a ball given at the English Legation. The grounds had been beautifully illuminated for the occasion, and as the Duke of Edinburgh attended by Lord Newry and Mr. Watson, drove up the avenue in an open carriage belonging to the English Minister, his Royal Highness was recognized by the crowds of on-lookers, whose enthusiasm could scarcely be kept within bounds by the cavalry with which the road was lined. Seven hundred persons had been invited to the ball, and, to judge by the appearance of the rooms, that number at least were present. Their Imperial Majesties opened the ball respectively with Mr. and Mrs. Thornton, and remained at the Legation until nearly 3 o'clock in the morning. No better proof could be adduced of the sincere regard they bear to our estimable Minister, and of the complete success with which his management of affairs has been attended in obliterating every vestige of the general ill-feeling which undoubtedly existed in Brazil towards England, and which for so long a period caused a suspension of diplomatic relations between the two countries. It may be mentioned that, before this, only on one occasion has the Brazilian Emperor during his 40 years' reign honoured with his presence the house of an English representative, and that 30 years ago, when he visited Mr. Hamilton Hamilton. It may be mentioned, also, that His Imperial Majesty presented to the Duke of Edinburgh the insignia of the highest Brazilian order of knighthood — the "Southern Cross."

On the day following that of the ball at the English Legation, Prince Alfred dined at the palace of Saô Cristovaô, those invited to meet him being the Brazilian Admiral Tamandaré, Mr. Thornton and his secretaries, and the foreign Admirals on the station, as well as Captains Ingram, Mayne, and Wilson, R.N.

On the next day the Prince was the guest of the Comte and the Comtesse d'Eu, to whose Palace there were also invited on the occasion the British Minister and Mrs. Thornton and Admiral Ramsay, C.B., which latter gentleman's table the Duke of Edinburgh honoured by his presence on the day following. On the same evening the Duke of Edinburgh, as well as the Emperor and Empress of Brazil, was present at a ball given to his Royal Highness by the English merchants of Rio Janeiro. This fête, for which the sum of 1,500l, sterling was in a few hours subscribed, was well worthy the distinguished personages whose presence graced it. The ball-room of the Casino of the Brazilian capital yields in size and beauty to perhaps no public ball-room in the world, with the exception of that of the Hôtel de Ville, in Paris, and it may, I think, be asserted that until yesterday the walls of that ball-room never re-echoed the stirring sounds of the Scotch bagpipes. Farquharson, the piper of the Duke of Edinburgh, was permitted to attend, and at the request of the northern portion of the English residents and his Royal Highness, took an enthusiastic share in the performance of two Highland reels.

None of those who this morning witnessed the Duke of Edinburgh's departure from Rio Janeiro could fail to see the difference between those observances prescribed for the sailing of persons of rank and the most hearty leave-taking which preceded the departure of the Duke of Edinburgh from Rio Janeiro. At an early hour Mr. Thornton and his secretaries, and Admiral Ramsay and his staff were on board the Galatea for breakfast, and when, previously to her weighing anchor, their boats had left the ship, the stillness which till then had that morning reigned in the harbour was first broken by the sound of music from the Galatea, the band of which vessel played "The Garb of Old Gaul. " This was the signal for which the flagships waited to pour forth their sonorous thunders, the smoke hiding for the moment the Frenchmen, English, Brazilians. Americans, and Spaniards, who manned the yards of the "dressed" vessels belonging to the fleets of their respective nations.

So far the courtesy due to Royalty was observed. What followed was a personal tribute to Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh. By signal or by previous arrangements the strains of the English National Anthem, coming simultaneously from the various flagships, suddenly ceased to reverberate; there was a moment's pause, when, loud through the air, awakening the echoes of the hills surrounding this land-locked bay, there arose a deafening, prolonged, and repeated cheer from the concurrent throats of Brazilians, Frenchmen. Americans, Spaniards, and Englishmen. It was a cheer the thorough heartiness of which could not he misunderstood — a cheer which, from thousands of tongues, said to its Royal object, "May all good attend you!"

After this interruption the playing of God Save the Queen was renewed, and when it had ceased the Galatea signalled the word "Farewell" as she slowly steamed onwards on her way towards the Cape of Good Hope.