"Given on board Her Majesty's ship _Nelson_, at the harbour of Port
Moresby, on the 6th day of November 1884.
"(Signed) JAMES ELPHINSTONE ERSKINE.
"Commodore.
"God Save the Queen."
This was interpreted to the natives by the Rev. W.G. Lawes, who, at the
request of Commodore Erskine, had translated it into the Motu language,
and then, by direction of the Commodore, the Union Jack was slowly
raised to the truck of the flagstaff.
All this not a little astonished the natives, though some of those whose
homes were at Port Moresby had witnessed the firing of a _feu-de-joie_
before; but though the firing startled some of them it had, with the
general display, the effect of impressing them all with some sense of
the solemn importance of the ceremony that was being performed. The
firing party were then ordered to shoulder arms, and the Commodore,
addressing all present at the ceremony but the natives, said:
"Officers and men, Mr. Romilly and Gentlemen, This interesting and
important ceremony now formally concluded, it only remains for me, in
Her Majesty's name to express the fervent hope that under the blessing
of Almighty God the establishment of this Protectorate may conduce to
the peace, happiness and welfare of the people of this vast territory.
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