A Voyage in the 'Sunbeam' / Brassey, Annie Allnut

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Title: A Voyage in the 'Sunbeam'

Author: Annie Allnut Brassey

Release Date: January 31, 2005  [eBook #14836]

Language: English

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Transcriber's Notes:

   1. The first page of Chapter VIII: the last line of text was
      partially missing, and a best guess was made on a few words.

   2. Page 72: Typograpical error, 'nndertaking' changed to
      'undertaking'.

   3. Page 55, paragraph starting "Santa Anna", corrected 'past'
      to 'part'.





A VOYAGE IN THE 'SUNBEAM'

Our Home on fhe Ocean for Eleven Months

by

MRS. BRASSEY

Illustrated

Chicago:
Belford, Clarke & Co.

1881







[Illustration: CAPE BRASSEY: SMYTHS SOUND]




DEDICATION

To the friends in many climes and countries, of the white and coloured
races, and of every grade in society, who have made our year of travel
a year of happiness, these pages are dedicated by the ever grateful
Author

[Illustration: Portrait of the Author]




PREFACE.


This volume needs no elaborate preface. A general sketch of the voyage
which it describes was published in the 'Times' immediately after our
return to England. That letter is reprinted here as a convenient
summary of the 'Sunbeam's' performances. But these prefatory lines
would indeed be incomplete if they did not contain a well-deserved
tribute to the industry and accuracy of the author. The voyage would
not have been undertaken, and assuredly it would never have been
completed, without the impulse derived from her perseverance and
determination. Still less would any sufficient record of the scenes
and experiences of the long voyage have been preserved had it not been
for her painstaking desire not only to see everything thoroughly, but
to record her impressions faithfully and accurately. The practised
skill of a professional writer cannot reasonably be expected in these
simple pages, but their object will have been attained if they are the
means of enabling more home-keeping friends to share in the keen
enjoyment of the scenes and adventures they describe.

THOMAS BRASSEY

[Illustration]




CONTENTS.

CHAPTER

     I. FAREWELL TO OLD ENGLAND

    II. MADEIRA, TENERIFFE, AND CAPE DE VERDE ISLANDS

   III. PALMA TO RIO DE JANEIRO

    IV. RIO DE JANEIRO

     V. THE RIVER PLATE

    VI. LIFE ON THE PAMPAS

   VII. MORE ABOUT THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC

  VIII. RIVER PLATE TO SANDY POINT, STRAITS OF MAGELLAN

    IX. SANDY POINT TO LOTA BAY

     X. CHILI

    XI. SANTIAGO AND VALPARAISO

   XII. VALPARAISO TO TAHITI

  XIII. THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS

   XIV. AT TAHITI

    XV. TAHITI TO SANDWICH ISLANDS--KILAUEA BY DAY AND BY NIGHT

   XVI. HAWAIIAN SPORTS

  XVII. HONOLULU--DEPARTURE FOR JAPAN

 XVIII. HONOLULU TO YOKOHAMA

   XIX. YOKOHAMA

    XX. KIOTO, LATE MIACO

   XXI. THE INLAND SEA

  XXII. TO CANTON UP THE PEARL RIVER

 XXIII. FROM MACAO TO SINGAPORE

  XXIV. SINGAPORE

   XXV. CEYLON

  XXVI. TO ADEN

 XXVII. VIA SUEZ CANAL

XXVIII. 'HOME'

APPENDIX




LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

WOODCUTS IN TEXT.

CAPE BRASSEY: SMYTH'S SOUND

PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR

SUNSET ON SOUTHAMPTON WATER

NEARLY OVERBOARD

THE DERELICT 'CAROLINA' LADEN WITH PORT WINE

OUR FIRST VIEW OF MADEIRA

MADEIRA FISH-CARRIER

A COZY CORNER

A PALM-TREE IN A GARDEN, OROTAVA, TENERIFFE

TARAFAL BAY, ST. ANTONIO

FATHER NEPTUNE

HIS DOCTOR (CROSSING THE LINE)

LULU AND HER PUPPIES

VESPERS

BOTAFOGO BAY

THE SLAVE VILLAGE, FAZENDA, SANTA ANNA

THE THREE NAVIGATORS

PRAIRIE DOGS AND OWLS

DEVIL'S HORNS

LA CALERA

INDIANS AT AZUL

LASSOING HORSES

'MONKSHAVEN' ON FIRE

SHIPWRECKED CREW COMING ON BOARD

FUEGIAN WEAPONS

FUEGIAN BOW AND ARROWS

PIN FOR FASTENING CLOAK, MADE FROM A DOLLAR BEATEN OUT

FUEGIAN BOAT AND OARS

BARTERING WITH FUEGIANS

THORNTON PEAKS

GLACIERS, SNOWY SOUND

UNFIT BAY

TWO-PEAKED MOUNTAIN

INDIAN REACH

CATCHING CAPE-PIGEONS IN THE GULF OF PENAS

CHILIANS WAITING FOR THE TRAIN

A FELLOW PASSENGER

BATHS OF CAUQUENES

UP THE VALLEY TOWARDS THE ANDES

CACTI OF THE CORDILLERA

HUASSO HUTS

HUASSO OF CHILI

MORNING MASS AT SANTIAGO

WHAT MAKES HORSES GO IN CHILI

JUVENILE SCRUBBERS

CONVERSATION AT SEA

INSCRIPTION FROM EASTER ISLAND

TATAKOTOROA OR CLARKE ISLAND

GOING UP THE MAST IN A CHAIR

CHILDREN LOOKING UP

OUR FIRST LANDING IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC, HAO OR BOW ISLAND

MAITEA

MAITEAN BOATMAN

QUARANTINE ISLAND, PAPEETE

UNDER THE TREES, PAPEETE

CHAETODON TRICOLOR

CHAETODON PLAGMANCE

WATERFALL AT FAATAUA

A TAHITIAN LADY

TROPIC FEATHERS

CHAETODON BESANTII

TATTOO IN THE TROPICS

FEATHER NECKLACE

WAR NECKLACE

ANCIENT WAR MASKS AND COSTUMES FROM THE MUSEUM AT HONOLULU

CHALCEDON IMPERATOR

FEATHERED CLOAK AND HELMETS

THE PALI-OAHU

ZEUS CILIARIS

AMATEUR NAVIGATION

LITTLE REDCAP

JAPANESE BOATS

FUJIYAMA, JAPAN

A DRAG ACROSS THE SAND IN A JINRIKISHA

INOSHIMA BY A JAPANESE ARTIST

JAPANESE BOATMAN

FACSIMILE OF OUR LUNCHEON BILL

A FAMILY GROUP

WAYSIDE TRAVELLERS

ARRIMA. THE VILLAGE OF BAMBOO BASKET WORK

YOKEN SAN OR SACRED MOUNTAIN, INLAND SEA

HURUSIMA, INLAND SEA

HOW WE WERE BOARDED BY CHINESE AND DISPERSED THEM

CHINESE VISITING CARDS

PEARL RIVER

BOGUE FORTS

CHINESE PAGODA AND BOATS

THE FRENCH CONSULATE, CANTON

CHINESE FOOT AND BOOT

MAHARAJAH OF JOHORE'S HOUSE

THE PET MANIS

MALACCA

HOW THE JOURNAL WAS WRITTEN

PEACOCK MOUNTAIN, CEYLON

SOUMALI INDIAN, ADEN

STRAITS OF BAB-EL-MANDEB

BEATING UP THE RED SEA

HOMEWARD BOUND

FALDETTA, MALTA

ARMOURY IN THE GOVERNOR'S PALACE, VALETTA

TANGIER

VASCO DA GAMA

BELEM CLOISTER GARDENS

OUR WELCOME BACK OFF HASTINGS

HOME AT LAST




NOTE.

I have to thank Mr. W. Simpson, author of 'Meeting the Sun,' for the
passages given on pages 341 to 343 referring to the Japanese temples
and their priesthood.

The vessel which has carried us so rapidly and safely round the globe
claims a brief description. She was designed by Mr. St. Clare Byrne,
of Liverpool and may be technically defined as a screw composite
three-masted topsail-yard schooner. The engines, by Messrs. Laird, are
of 70 nominal or 350 indicated horse-power, and developed a speed of
10.13 knots at the measured mile. The bunkers contain 80 tons of coal.
The average daily consumption is 4 tons, and the speed 8 knots in fine
weather. The principal dimensions of the hull are--length for tonnage,
157 ft.; beam extreme, 27 ft. 6 in.; displacement tonnage, 531 tons;
area of midship section, 202 sq. ft.

A. B.

[Illustration: Sunset on Southampton Water.]




A VOYAGE IN THE 'SUNBEAM'.




CHAPTER I.

FAREWELL TO OLD ENGLAND.


    _Masts, spires, and strand receding on the right,_
    _The glorious main expanding on the bow._

At noon on July 1st, 1876, we said good-bye to the friends who had
come to Chatham to see us off, and began the first stage of our voyage
by steaming down to Sheerness, saluting our old friend the 'Duncan,'
Admiral Chads's flagship, and passing through a perfect fleet of craft
of all kinds. There was a fresh contrary wind, and the Channel was as
disagreeable as usual under the circumstances. Next afternoon we were
off Hastings, where we had intended to stop and dine and meet some
friends; but, unfortunately the weather was not sufficiently
favourable for us to land; so we made a long tack out to sea, and, in
the evening, found ourselves once more near the land, off Beachy Head.
While becalmed off Brighton, we all--children included--availed
ourselves of the opportunity to go overboard and have our first swim,
which we thoroughly enjoyed. We had steam up before ten, and again
proceeded on our course. It was very hot, and sitting under the awning
turned out to be the pleasantest occupation. The contrast between the
weather of the two following days was very great, and afforded a
forcible illustration of the uncertainties, perhaps the fascinations,
of yachting. We steamed quietly on, past the 'Owers' lightship, and
the crowds of yachts at Ryde, and dropped anchor off Cowes at six
o'clock.

On the morning of the 6th a light breeze sprang up, and enabled us to
go through the Needles with sails up and funnel down, a performance of
which all on board felt very proud, as many yachtsmen had pronounced
it to be an impossibility for our vessel to beat out in so light a
breeze.

We were forty-three on board, all told, as will be seen by reference
to the list I have given. We had with us, besides, two dogs, three
birds, and a charming Persian kitten belonging to the baby. The kitten
soon disappeared, and it was feared she must have gone overboard down
the hawse pipe. There was a faint hope, however, that she might have
been packed away with the new sails, which had been stowed in a great
hurry the day before. Unhappily she was never found again, and the
children were inconsolable until they discovered, at Torquay, an
effective substitute for 'Lily.'

The Channel was tolerably smooth outside the Isle of Wight, and during
the afternoon we were able to hold on our course direct for Ushant.
After midnight, however, the wind worked gradually round to the
W.S.W., and blew directly in our teeth. A terribly heavy sea got up;
and, as we were making little or no progress, it was decided to put
in to Torquay or Dartmouth, and there await a change. We anchored in
Torbay, about half a mile from the pier, at 8.30 a.m., and soon
afterwards went ashore to bathe. We found, however, that the high
rocks which surround the snug little bathing cove made the water as
cold as ice.

Nothing more having been heard of our poor little kitten, we can only
conclude that she has gone overboard. Just as we were leaving the
railway-station, however, we saw a small white kitten with a blue
ribbon round its neck; and all the children at once exclaimed,
'There's our Lily!' We made inquiries, and found that it belonged to
the young woman at the refreshment room, who, after some demur,
allowed us to take it away with us, in compliance with Muriel's
anxious wish, expressed on her face.

About ten o'clock we got under way, but lay-to for breakfast. We then
had a regular beat of it down Channel--everybody being ill. We formed
a melancholy-looking little row down the lee side of the ship, though
I must say that we were quite as cheery as might have been expected
under the circumstances. It was bright and sunny overhead, which made
things more bearable.

_Sunday, July 9th_.--A calm at 2 a.m. Orders were given to get up
steam; but the new coals from Chatham were slow to light, though good
to keep up steam when once fairly kindled. For four long hours,
therefore, we lolloped about in the trough of a heavy sea, the sails
flapping as the vessel rolled. By the time the steam was up so was the
breeze--a contrary one, of course. We accordingly steamed and sailed
all day, taking more water on board, though not really in any great
quantity, than I had ever seen the good ship do before. She carries a
larger supply of coal and other stores than usual, and no doubt the
square yards on the foremast make her pitch more heavily. We were all
very sorry for ourselves, and 'church,' postponed from eleven until
four o'clock, brought together but a small congregation.

On the 8th we were fairly away from Old England, and on the next day
off Ushant, which we rounded at about 4.30 p.m., at the distance of a
mile and a half; the sea was tremendous, the waves breaking in columns
of spray against the sharp needle-like rocks that form the point of
the island. The only excitement during the day was afforded by the
visit of a pilot-boat (without any fish on board), whose owner was
very anxious to take us into Brest, 'safe from the coming storm,'
which he predicted. In addition to our other discomforts, it now
rained hard; and by half-past six I think nearly all our party had
made up their minds that bed would be the most comfortable place.

Two days later we sailed into lovely, bright, warm, sunny weather,
with a strong north-easterly breeze, a following sea, and an
occasional long roll from the westward. But as the sun rose, the wind
increased, and we got rather knocked about by the sea. A good deal of
water came on board, and it was impossible to sit anywhere in comfort,
unless lashed or firmly wedged in. We were, however, going ten knots
through the water, on our course, under our new square head canvas;
and this fact made up for a good deal of discomfort.

The thirty extra tons of spare sails, spars, and provisions, the
fifteen tons of water, and the eighty-four tons of coal, made a great
difference in our buoyancy, and the sea came popping in and out at the
most unexpected places; much to the delight of the children, who, with
bare feet and legs, and armed with mops and sponges, waged mimic war
against the intruder and each other, singing and dancing to their
hearts' content. This amusement was occasionally interrupted by a
heavier roll than usual, sending them all into the lee scuppers,
sousing them from head to foot, and necessitating a thorough change of
clothing, despite their urgent protest that sea-water never hurt
anybody.

After our five o'clock dinner, however, we very nearly met with a
most serious accident. We were all sitting or standing about the stern
of the vessel, admiring the magnificent dark blue billows following
us, with their curling white crests, mountains high. Each wave, as it
approached, appeared as if it must overwhelm us, instead of which, it
rushed grandly by, rolling and shaking us from stem to stern, and
sending fountains of spray on board.

[Illustration: Nearly Overboard.]

Tom was looking at the stern compass, Allnutt being close to him. Mr.
Bingham and Mr. Freer were smoking, half-way between the quarter-deck
and the after-companion, where Captain Brown, Dr. Potter, Muriel, and
I, were standing. Captain Lecky, seated on a large coil of rope,
placed on the box of the rudder, was spinning Mabelle a yarn. A new
hand was steering, and just at the moment when an unusually big wave
overtook us, he unfortunately allowed the vessel to broach-to a
little. In a second the sea came pouring over the stern, above
Allnutt's head. The boy was nearly washed overboard, but he managed to
catch hold of the rail, and, with great presence of mind, stuck his
knees into the bulwarks. Kindred, our boatswain, seeing his danger,
rushed forward to save him, but was knocked down by the return wave,
from which he emerged gasping. The coil of rope, on which Captain
Lecky and Mabelle were seated, was completely floated by the sea.
Providentially, however, he had taken a double turn round his wrist
with a reefing point, and, throwing his other arm round Mabelle, held
on like grim death; otherwise nothing could have saved them. She was
perfectly self-possessed, and only said quietly, 'Hold on, Captain
Lecky, hold on!' to which he replied, 'All right.' I asked her
afterwards if she thought she was going overboard, and she answered,
'I did not _think_ at all, mamma, but felt sure we were gone.' Captain
Lecky, being accustomed to very large ships, had not in the least
realised how near we were to the water in our little vessel, and was
proportionately taken by surprise. All the rest of the party were
drenched, with the exception of Muriel, whom Captain Brown held high
above the water in his arms, and who lost no time in remarking, in the
midst of the general confusion, 'I'm not at all wet, I'm not.'
Happily, the children don't know what fear is. The maids, however,
were very frightened, as some of the sea had got down into the
nursery, and the skylights had to be screwed down. Our studding-sail
boom, too, broke with a loud crack when the ship broached-to, and the
jaws of the fore-boom gave way.

Soon after this adventure we all went to bed, full of thankfulness
that it had ended as well as it did; but, alas, not, so far as I was
concerned, to rest in peace. In about two hours I was awakened by a
tremendous weight of water suddenly descending upon me and flooding
the bed. I immediately sprang out, only to find myself in another pool
on the floor. It was pitch dark, and I could not think what had
happened; so I rushed on deck, and found that, the weather having
moderated a little, some kind sailor, knowing my love of fresh air,
had opened the skylight rather too soon; and one of the angry waves
had popped on board, deluging the cabin.

I got a light, and proceeded to mop up, as best I could, and then
endeavoured to find a dry place to sleep in. This, however, was no
easy task, for my own bed was drenched, and every other berth
occupied. The deck, too, was ankle-deep in water, as I found when I
tried to get across to the deck-house sofa. At last I lay down on the
floor, wrapped up in my ulster, and wedged between the foot stanchion
of our swing bed and the wardrobe athwart-ship; so that as the yacht
rolled heavily, my feet were often higher than my head. Consequently,
what sleep I snatched turned into nightmare, of which the fixed idea
was a broken head from the three hundredweight of lead at the bottom
of our bed, swinging wildly from side to side and up and down, as the
vessel rolled and pitched, suggesting all manner of accidents. When
morning came at last, the weather cleared a good deal, though the
breeze continued. All hands were soon busily employed in repairing
damages; and very picturesque the deck and rigging of the 'Sunbeam'
looked, with the various groups of men, occupied upon the ropes,
spars, and sails. Towards evening the wind fell light, and we had to
get up steam. The night was the first really warm one we had enjoyed,
and the stars shone out brightly. The sea, which had been of a lovely
blue colour during the day, showed a slight phosphorescence after
dark.

_Thursday, July 13th_.--When I went on deck, at half-past six, I found
a grey, steamy, calm morning, promising a very hot day, without wind.

About 10.30 a.m., the cry of 'Sail on the port beam!' caused general
excitement, and in a few minutes every telescope and glass in the ship
had been brought to bear upon the object which attracted our
attention, and which was soon pronounced to be a wreck. Orders were
given to starboard the helm, and to steer direct for the vessel; and
many were the conjectures hazarded, and the questions asked of the
fortunate holders of glasses. 'What is she?' 'Is there any one on
board?' 'Where does she come from?' 'Can you read her name?' 'Does she
look as if she had been long abandoned?' Soon we were near enough to
send a boat's crew on board, whilst we watched their movements
anxiously from the bridge. We could now read her name--the
'Carolina'--surmounted by a gorgeous yellow decoration on her stern.
She was of between two and three hundred tons burden, and was painted
a light blue, with a red streak. Beneath her white bowsprit the gaudy
image of a woman served as a figure-head. The two masts had been
snapped short off about three feet from the deck, and the bulwarks
were gone, only the covering board and stanchions remaining, so that
each wave washed over and through her. The roof and supports of the
deck-house and the companions were still left standing, but the sides
had disappeared, and the ship's deck was burst up in such a manner as
to remind one of a quail's back.

We saw the men on board poking about, apparently very pleased with
what they had found; and soon our boat returned to the yacht for some
breakers,[1] as the 'Carolina' had been laden with port wine and cork,
and the men wished to bring some of the former on board. I changed my
dress, and, putting on my sea boots, started for the wreck.

[Footnote 1: Small casks, used for carrying water in boats, frequently
spelt _barricos_, evidently from the time of the old Spanish
navigators.]

[Illustration: The Derelict 'Carolina' laden with Port Wine]

We found the men rather excited over their discovery. The wine must
have been _very_ new and _very_ strong, for the smell from it, as it
slopped about all over the deck, was almost enough to intoxicate
anybody. One pipe had already been emptied into the breakers and
barrels, and great efforts were made to get some of the casks out
whole; but this was found to be impossible, without devoting more time
to the operation than we chose to spare. The men managed to remove
three half-empty casks with their heads stove in, which they threw
overboard, but the full ones would have required special appliances to
raise them through the hatches. It proved exceedingly difficult to get
at the wine, which was stowed underneath the cork, and there was also
a quantity of cabin bulkheads and fittings floating about, under the
influence of the long swell of the Atlantic. It was a curious sight,
standing on the roof of the deck-house, to look into the hold, full of
floating bales of cork, barrels, and pieces of wood, and to watch the
sea surging up in every direction, through and over the deck, which
was level with the water's edge. I saw an excellent modern iron
cooking-stove washing about from side to side; but almost every other
moveable article, including spars and ropes, had apparently been
removed by previous boarders.

It would have delayed us too long to tow the vessel into the nearest
port, 375 miles distant, or we might have claimed the salvage money,
estimated by the experts at 1,500_l_. She was too low in the water for
it to be possible for us, with our limited appliances, to blow her up;
so we were obliged to leave her floating about as a derelict, a
fertile source of danger to all ships crossing her track. With her
buoyant cargo, and with the trade winds slowly wafting her to smoother
seas, it may probably be some years before she breaks up. I only hope
that no good ship may run full speed on to her, some dark night, for
the 'Carolina' would prove almost as formidable an obstacle as a
sunken rock.

Tom was now signalling for us to go on board again, and for a few
minutes I was rather afraid we should have had a little trouble in
getting the men off, as their excitement had not decreased; but after
a trifling delay and some rather rough play amongst themselves, they
became steady again, and we returned to the yacht with our various
prizes.

A 'Mother Carey's chicken' hovered round the wreck while we were on
board, and followed us to the 'Sunbeam;' and although a flat calm and
a heavy swell prevailed at the time, we all looked upon our visitor as
the harbinger of a breeze. In this instance, at least, the well-known
sailor's superstition was justified; for, before the evening, the wind
sprang up, and 'fires out and sails up' was the order of the day. We
were soon bowling merrily along at the rate of seven knots an hour,
while a clear starlight night and a heavy dew gave promise of a fine
morrow.

_Friday, July 14th_.--We still have a light wind, right aft,
accompanied by a heavy roll from the westward, which makes it
impossible to sit anywhere with comfort, and difficult even to read.
By 6 a.m. the sun had become very powerful, though its heat was
tempered by the breeze, which gradually increased throughout the day,
until, having set all our fore-and-aft canvas, as well as our square
sails, we glided steadily along, in delightful contrast to the uneasy
motion of the morning, and of the past few days. Under the
awning--with the most heavenly blue sky above, and the still darker
clear blue sea beneath, stretching away in gentle ripples as far as
the eye could reach--it was simply perfect.

Our little party get on extremely well together, though a week ago
they were strangers to each other. We are all so busy that we do not
see much of one another except at meals, and then we have plenty to
talk about. Captain Lecky imparts to us some of his valuable
information about scientific navigation and the law of storms, and he
and Tom and Captain Brown work hard at these subjects. Mr. Freer
follows in the same path; Mr. Bingham draws and reads; Dr. Potter
helps me to teach the children, who, I am happy to say, are as well as
possible. I read and write a great deal, and learn Spanish, so that
the days are all too short for what we have to do. The servants are
settling down well into their places, and the commissariat department
does great credit to the cooks and stewards. The maids get on
satisfactorily, but are a little nervous on rough nights. We hope not
to have many more just at present, for we are now approaching calmer
latitudes.

In the course of the day, whilst Tom and I were sitting in the stern,
the man at the wheel suddenly exclaimed, 'There's land on the port
bow.' We knew, from the distance we had run, that this could not be
the case, and after looking at it through the glasses, Tom pronounced
the supposed land to be a thick wall of fog, advancing towards us
_against_ the wind. Captain Brown and Captain Lecky came from below,
and hastened to get in the studding-sails, in anticipation of the
coming squall. In a few minutes we had lost our fair breeze and
brilliant sunshine, all our sails were taken flat aback, and we found
ourselves enveloped in a dense fog, which made it impossible for us to
see the length of the vessel. It was an extraordinary phenomenon.
Captain Lecky, who, in the course of his many voyages, has passed
within a few miles of this exact spot more than a hundred and fifty
times, had never seen anything in the least like it. As night came on
the fog increased, and the boats were prepared ready for lowering. Two
men went to the wheel, and two to the bows to look out, while an
officer was stationed on the bridge with steam-whistle and bell ready
for an emergency; so that, in case we ran into anything, or anything
ran into us, we should at least have the satisfaction of knowing that,
so far as we were concerned, it had all been done strictly according
to Act of Parliament.

_Saturday, July 15th_.--Between midnight and 4 a.m. the fog
disappeared, as suddenly as it had come on. We must have passed
through a wide belt of it. At 5.30 a.m., when Tom called me to see a
steamer go by, it was quite clear. The vessel was the 'Roman,' and she
passed so close to us that we made our number, and exchanged
salutations with the officers on the bridge.

Towards the afternoon a nice breeze sprang up, and we were able to
bank fires and sail.




CHAPTER II.

MADEIRA, TENERIFFE, AND CAPE DE VERDE ISLANDS.

    _Full many a green isle needs must be
    In this wide sea of misery,
    Or the mariner worn and wan
    Never thus could voyage on._

[Illustration: Our First View of Madeira]


_Sunday, July 16th_.--Porto Santo being visible on the port bow, a
quarter of a mile ahead, by 3.55 a.m. this morning, our three
navigators congratulated themselves and each other on the good
land-fall they had made.

It looks a curious little island, and is situated about thirty-five
miles north-east of Madeira, with a high peak in the centre, of which
we could only see the extreme point, appearing above the clouds.

It is interesting to know that it was from his observation of the
drift-wood and debris washed on to the eastern shore that Columbus,
who had married the daughter of the Governor of Porto Santo, derived
his first impressions of the existence of the New World. Here it was
that he first realised there might possibly be a large and unknown
country to the westward; here it was that he first conceived the
project of exploring the hitherto unknown ocean and of discovering
what new countries might bound its western shores.

An hour later we saw Fora and its light, at the extreme east of
Madeira, and could soon distinguish the mountains in the centre of the
latter island. As we rapidly approached the land, the beauty of the
scenery became more fully apparent. A mass of dark purple volcanic
rocks, clothed on the top with the richest vegetation, with patches of
all sorts of colour on their sides, rises boldly from the sea. There
are several small detached rocks, and one curious pointed little
island, with an arch right through the middle of it, rather like the
Perce Rock on the coast of Nova Scotia. We steamed slowly along the
east coast, passing many pretty hamlets, nestled in bays or perched on
the side of the hills, and observing how every possible nook and
corner seemed to be terraced and cultivated. Sugar-canes, Indian corn,
vines, and many varieties of tropical and semi-tropical plants, grow
luxuriantly in this lovely climate. Nearly all the cottages in the
island are inhabited by a simple people, many of whom have never left
their native villages, even to look at the magnificent view from the
top of the surrounding mountains, or to gaze on the sea, by which they
are encompassed.

We dropped our anchor in the bay of Funchal at about twelve o'clock,
and before breakfast was over found ourselves surrounded by a perfect
flotilla of boats, though none of them dared approach very near until
the health-officer had come alongside and pronounced us free from
infection. At this moment all are complaining much of the heat, which
since yesterday has been very great, and is caused by the wind called
'Este,' blowing direct from the African deserts. It was 79 deg. in the
coolest place on board, and 84 deg. on shore in the shade, in the middle
of the day.

The African mail steamer, 'Ethiopia,' last from Bonny, West Coast of
Africa, whence she arrived the day before yesterday, was lying in the
bay, and the children went on board with some of our party to see her
cargo of monkeys, parrots, and pineapples. The result was an
importation of five parrots on board the 'Sunbeam;' but the monkeys
were too big for us. Captain Dane, who paid us a return visit, said
that the temperature here appeared quite cool to him, as for the last
few weeks his thermometer had varied from 82 deg. to 96 deg. in the shade.

We had service at 4 p.m., and at 5 p.m. went ashore in a native boat,
furnished with bilge pieces, to keep her straight when beached, and to
avoid the surf, for it was too rough for our own boats. At the water's
edge a curious sort of double sleigh, drawn by two oxen, was waiting.
Into this we stepped, setting off with considerable rapidity up the
steep shingly beach, under a beautiful row of trees, to the 'Praca,'
where the greater portion of the population were walking up and down,
or sitting under the shade of the magnolias. These plants here attain
the size of forest-trees, and their large white wax-like flowers shed
a most delightful fragrance on the evening air. There were graceful
pepper vines too, and a great variety of trees only known to us in
England in the form of small shrubs. This being a festival day, the
streets were crowded with people from town and country, in their
holiday attire. The door-posts and balconies of the houses were
wreathed with flowers, the designs in many cases being very pretty.
One arcade in particular was quite lovely, with arches made of double
red geranium, mixed with the feathery-looking pepper leaves, while the
uprights were covered with amaryllis and white arum lilies. The
streets were strewn with roses and branches of myrtle, which, bruised
by the feet of the passers-by and the runners of the bullock sleigh,
emitted a delicious aromatic odour.

The trellises in the gardens seem overgrown with stephanotis, mauve
and purple passion-flowers, and all kinds of rare creepers, the purple
and white hibiscus shoots up some fourteen to sixteen feet in height;
bananas, full of fruit and flower, strelitzias, heliotrope, geraniums,
and pelargoniums, bloom all around in large shrubs, mixed with palms
and mimosas of every variety; and the whole formed such an enchanting
picture that we were loth to tear ourselves away.

A ride of about twenty minutes in the bullock sleigh, up a steep hill,
by the side of a rocky torrent, whose banks were overgrown with
caladiums and vines, brought us to our destination, Til, whence we had
a splendid view of the town and bay stretching beneath us. During the
ascent we passed several cottages, whose inhabitants stood airing
themselves on the threshold after the great heat of the day, and
through the open doorways we occasionally got a peep into the gardens
beyond, full of bright flowers and luxuriant with vines, fig-trees,
and bananas. As we sat in the terrace garden at Til we enjoyed the
sweet scent of the flowers we could no longer see, and listened to the
cool splash of the water in the fountain below; whilst Allnutt, with
unceasing energy, searched amongst the bushes for moths, of which he
found a large number.

We jogged down the hill a great deal faster than we had come up,
stopping only for a short time in the now more than ever crowded
'Praca,' to listen to one or two airs played by the Portuguese band,
before we got back to the yacht at about half-past ten.

Next morning we were off to the fish-market by seven o'clock, but it
was not a good time for our visit, as there had been no moon on the
previous night; and, though there were fish of various kinds, saw
nothing specially worthy of notice. The picturesque costumes of the
people were, however, interesting. We afterwards went to the
fruit-market, though it was not specially worth seeing, for most of
the fruit and vegetables are brought in boats from villages on the
sea-shore; and, as it is necessary to wait until the sea-breeze
springs up, they do not arrive until midday. After our walk the
children and I went down to the beach and bathed, taking care not to
go too far out on account of the sharks, of which we had been warned.
We undressed and dressed in tents, not unlike clothes-horses, with a
bit of matting thrown over them, in which the heat was intense. The
beach is very steep; and as one gets out of one's depth immediately,
indifferent swimmers put on a couple of bladders--which stick out
behind their backs and produce a strange effect--or else take a
bathing-man into the water with them. I preferred the latter course;
and we all had a pleasant bathe.

[Illustration: Fish Carrier]

The natives seem almost amphibious in their habits, and the yacht is
surrounded all day by boats full of small boys, who will dive to any
depth for sixpence, a dozen of them spluttering and fighting for the
coin in the water at the same time. They will go down on one side of
the yacht too, and bob up on the other, almost before you have time to
run across the deck to witness their reappearance.

The Loo Rock, with its old fortress, close to our anchorage, forms a
picturesque object; and the scene from the yacht, enlivened by the
presence of numerous market-boats, laden with fruit and vegetables, is
very pretty. We lie about 150 yards from the shore, just under Mr.
Danero's quinta. The cliff just here is overhung with bougainvillaeas,
geraniums, fuchsias, aloes, prickly pears, and other flowers, which
grow luxuriantly quite down to the water's edge, wherever they can
contrive to find a root-hold.

After five o'clock tea we rode up the Mount and through the woods on
horseback, along a road gay with masses of wild geranium, hydrangea,
amaryllis, and fuchsia. We dismounted at a lovely place, which
contains a large number of rare trees and plants, brought from all
parts of the world. Here were enormous camellias, as well as purple,
red, and white azaleas, Guernsey lilies, all growing in the greatest
profusion.

Our descent of the Mount, by means of a form of conveyance commonly
used on the island, was very amusing. At the summit we found
basket-work sleighs, each constructed to hold two people, and attended
by a couple of men, lashed together. Into these we stepped, and were
immediately pushed down the hill at a tremendous pace. The gliding
motion is delightful, and was altogether a novelty to us. The men
manage the sleighs with great skill, steering them in the most
wonderful manner round the sharp angles in the zigzag road, and making
use of their bare feet as brakes when necessary. The turns were
occasionally so abrupt, that it seemed almost impossible that we could
avoid being upset; but we reached the bottom quite safely. The
children were especially delighted with the trip, and indeed we all
enjoyed it immensely. The only danger is the risk of fire from the
friction of the steel runners against the gravel road.

After paying a visit to Mr. and Mrs. Blandy, whose house is
beautifully situated, we dined at the hotel, and afterwards sat in
the lovely semi-tropical garden until it was time to go on board to
bed.

_Tuesday, July 18th_.--We were called at 4.30 a.m., and went ashore
soon after six to meet some friends, with whom we had arranged to ride
up to the Gran Corral, and to breakfast there, 5,000 feet above the
level of the sea.

It soon became evident that the time we had selected for landing was
the fashionable bathing hour. In fact, it required some skill on our
part to keep the boat clear of the crowds of people of both sexes and
all ages, who were taking their morning dip. It was most absurd to see
entire families, from the bald-headed and spectacled grandfather to
the baby who could scarcely walk, all disporting themselves in the
water together, many of them supported by the very inelegant-looking
bladders I have mentioned. There was a little delay in mounting our
horses, under the shade of the fig-trees; but when we were once off, a
party of eleven, the cavalcade became quite formidable. As we
clattered up the paved streets, between vineyard and garden walls,
'curiosity opened her lattice,' on more than one occasion, to
ascertain the cause of the unwonted commotion. The views on our way,
as we sometimes climbed a steep ascent or descended a deep ravine,
were very varied, but always beautiful. About half-way up we stopped
to rest under a delightful trellis of vines, by the side of a rushing
mountain stream, bordered with ferns; then, leaving the vineyards and
gardens behind us, we passed through forests of shady Spanish chestnut
trees, beneath which stretched the luxurious greensward.

At ten o'clock we quitted this grateful shade, and arrived at the neck
of the pass, facing the Gran Corral, where we had to make our choice
of ascending a conical hill, on our left, or the Torrinhas Peak, on
our right. The latter was chosen, as promising the better view,
although it was rather farther off, so we were accordingly seized
upon by some of the crowd of peasants who surrounded us, and who at
once proceeded to push and pull us up a steep slippery grass slope,
interspersed with large boulders. The view from the top, looking down
a sheer precipice of some 1,500 feet in depth into the valley below,
was lovely. Quite at the bottom, amid the numerous ravines and small
spurs of rocks by which the valley is intersected, we could
distinguish some small patches of cultivated ground. Above our heads
towered the jagged crests of the highest peaks, Pico Ruivo and others,
which we had already seen from the yacht, when we first sighted the
island.

A pleasant walk over some grassy slopes, and two more hard scrambles,
took us to the summit of the Torrinhas Peak; but the charming and
extensive view towards Camara de Lobos, and the bay and town of
Funchal, was an ample reward for all our trouble. It did not take us
long to get back to the welcome shade of the chestnut trees, for we
were all ravenously hungry, it being now eleven o'clock. But, alas!
breakfast had not arrived: so we had no resource but to mount our
horses again and ride down to meet it. Mr. Miles, of the hotel, had
not kept his word; he had promised that our provisions should be sent
up to us by nine o'clock, and it was midday before we met the men
carrying the hampers on their heads. There was now nothing for it but
to organise a picnic on the terrace of Mr. Veitch's deserted villa,
beneath the shade of camellia, fuchsia, myrtle, magnolia, and
pepper-trees, from whence we could also enjoy the fine view of the
fertile valley beneath us and the blue sea sparkling beyond.

_Wednesday, July 19th_.--We were so tired after our exertions of
yesterday, that it was nine o'clock before we all mustered for our
morning swim, which I think we enjoyed the more from the fact of our
having previously been prevented by the sharks, or rather by the
rumour of sharks.

We were engaged to lunch at Mr. and Mrs. Blandy's, but I was so weary
that I did not go ashore until about six o'clock in the evening, and
then I went first to the English cemetery, which is very prettily laid
out and well kept. The various paths are shaded by pepper-trees,
entwined with bougainvillaea, while in many places the railings are
completely covered by long trailing masses of stephanotis in full
bloom. Some of the inscriptions on the tombs are extremely touching,
and it is sad to see, as is almost always the case in places much
resorted to by invalids, how large a proportion of those who lie
buried here have been cut off in the very flower of their youth.
Indeed, the residents at Madeira complain that it is a melancholy
drawback to the charms of this beautiful island, that the friendship
frequently formed between them and people who come hither in search of
health, is in so many cases brought to an early and sad termination.
Having seen and admired Mrs. Foljambe's charming garden by daylight,
we returned on board to receive some friends. Unfortunately they were
not very good sailors, and, out of our party of twenty, one lady had
to go ashore at once, and another before dinner was over.

They all admired the yacht very much, particularly the various cozy
corners in the deck-house. It was a lovely night; and after the
departure of our guests, at about ten o'clock, we steamed out of the
bay, where we found a nice light breeze, which enabled us to sail.

[Illustration: A Cozy Corner.]

_Thursday, July 20th_.--All to-day has been taken up in arranging our
photographs, journals, &c. &c., and in preparing for our visit to
Teneriffe. About twelve o'clock the wind fell light and we tried
fishing, but without success, though several bonitos or flying-fish
were seen. It was very hot, and it seemed quite a relief when, at
eight o'clock in the evening, we began steaming, thus creating a
breeze for ourselves.

_Friday, July 21st_.--We all rose early, and were full of excitement
to catch the first glimpse of the famous Peak of Teneriffe. There was
a nice breeze from the north-east, the true trade wind, we hope, which
ought to carry us down nearly to the Line. The morning being rather
hazy, it was quite ten o'clock before we saw the Peak, towering above
the clouds, right ahead, about fifty-nine miles off. As we approached,
it appeared less perpendicular than we had expected, or than it is
generally represented in pictures. The other mountains too, in the
centre of the island, from the midst of which it rises, are so very
lofty that, in spite of its conical sugar-loaf top, it is difficult at
first to realise that the Peak is 12,180 feet high.

We dropped anchor under its shadow in the harbour of Orotava in
preference to the capital, Santa Cruz, both on account of its being a
healthier place, and also in order to be nearer to the Peak, which we
wished to ascend.

The heat having made the rest of our party rather lazy, Captain Lecky
and I volunteered to go on shore to see the Vice-Consul, Mr. Goodall,
and try to make arrangements for our expedition. It was only 2 p.m.,
and very hot work, walking through the deserted streets, but luckily
we had not far to go, and the house was nice and cool when we got
there. Mr. Goodall sent off at once for a carriage, despatching a
messenger also to the mountains for horses and guides, which there was
some difficulty in obtaining at such short notice.

Having organised the expedition we re-embarked to dine on board the
yacht, and I went to bed at seven, to be called again, however, at
half-past ten o'clock. After a light supper, we landed and went to the
Vice-Consul's arriving there exactly at midnight. But no horses were
forthcoming, so we lay down on our rugs in the patio, and endeavoured
to sleep, as we knew we should require all our strength for the
expedition before us.

There were sundry false alarms of a start, as the horses arrived by
ones and twos from the neighbouring villages, accompanied by their
respective owners. By two o'clock all our steeds, twelve in number,
had assembled, and in another quarter of an hour we were leaving the
town by a steep stony path, bordered by low walls. There was no moon,
and for the first two hours it was very dark. At the end of that time
we could see the first glimmer of dawn, and were shortly afterwards
able to distinguish each other and to observe the beautiful view which
lay below us as we wended our way up and up between small patches of
cultivation. Soon we climbed above the clouds, which presented a most
curious appearance as we looked down upon them. The strata through
which we had passed was so dense and so white, that it looked exactly
like an enormous glacier, covered with fresh fallen snow, extending
for miles and miles; while the projecting tops of the other Canary
Islands appeared only like great solitary rocks.

The sun had already become very oppressive, and at half-past seven we
stopped to breakfast and to water the horses. Half-past eight found us
in the saddle again, and we commenced to traverse a dreary plain of
yellowish white pumice-stone, interspersed with huge blocks of
obsidian, thrown from the mouth of the volcano. At first the monotony
of the scene was relieved by large bushes of yellow broom in full
flower, and still larger bushes of the beautiful _Retama blanca_,
quite covered with lovely white bloom, scenting the air with its
delicious fragrance, and resembling huge tufts of feathers, eight or
nine feet high. As we proceeded, however, we left all traces of
vegetation behind us. It was like the Great Sahara. On every side a
vast expanse of yellow pumice-stone sand spread around us, an
occasional block of rock sticking up here and there, and looking as if
it had indeed been fused in a mighty furnace. By half-past ten we had
reached the 'Estancia de los Ingleses,' 9,639 feet above the level of
the sea, where the baggage and some of the horses had to be left
behind, the saddles being transferred to mules for the very steep
climb before us. After a drink of water all round, we started again,
and commenced the ascent of the almost perpendicular stream of lava
and stone, which forms the only practicable route to the top. Our poor
beasts were only able to go a few paces at a time without stopping to
regain their breath. The loose ashes and lava fortunately gave them a
good foothold, or it would have been quite impossible for them to get
along at all. One was only encouraged to proceed by the sight of one's
friends above, looking like flies clinging to the face of a wall. The
road, if such it can be called, ran in zigzags, each of which was
about the length of two horses, so that we were in turns one above
another. There were a few slips and slides and tumbles, but no
important casualties; and in about an hour and a half we had reached
the 'Alta Vista,' a tiny plateau, where the horses were to be left.

The expedition so far had been such a fatiguing one, and the heat was
so great, that the children and I decided to remain here, and to let
the gentlemen proceed alone to the summit of the Peak. We tried to
find some shade, but the sun was so immediately above us that this was
almost an impossibility. However, we managed to squeeze ourselves
under some slightly overhanging rocks, and I took some photographs
while the children slept. The guides soon returned with water-barrels
full of ice, procured from a cavern above, where there is a stream of
water constantly running; and nothing could have been more grateful
and refreshing.

It was more than three hours before Tom and Captain Lecky reappeared,
to be soon followed by the rest of the party. Whilst they rested and
refreshed themselves with ice, they described the ascent as fatiguing
in the extreme, in fact, almost an impossibility for a lady. First
they had scrambled over huge blocks of rough lava to the tiny plain of
the Rambleta, 11,466 feet above the level of the sea, after which they
had to climb up the cone itself, 530 feet in height, and sloping at an
angle of 44 degrees. It is composed of ashes and calcined chalk, into
which their feet sank, while, for every two steps they made forwards
and upwards, they slipped one backwards. But those who reached the top
were rewarded for their exertions by a glorious view, and by the
wonderful appearance of the summit of the Peak. The ground beneath
their feet was hot, while sulphurous vapours and smoke issued from
various small fissures around them, though there has been no actual
eruption from this crater of the volcano since 1704. They brought down
with them a beautiful piece of calcined chalk, covered with crystals
of sulphur and arsenic, and some other specimens. Parched and dry as
the ground looked where I was resting, a few grains of barley, dropped
by mules on the occasion of a previous visit, had taken root and had
grown up into ear; and there were also a few roots of a sort of
dog-violet, showing its delicate lavender-coloured flowers 11,000 feet
above the sea, and far beyond the level of any other vegetation.

It was impossible to ride down to the spot where we had left the
baggage animals, and the descent was consequently very fatiguing, and
even painful. At every step our feet sank into a mass of loose scoriae
and ashes; and so we went slipping, sliding, and stumbling along,
sometimes running against a rock, and sometimes nearly pitching
forward on our faces. All this too beneath a blazing sun, with the
thermometer at 78 deg., and not a vestige of shade. At last Tom and I
reached the bottom, where, after partaking of luncheon and draughts of
quinine, we lay down under the shadow of a great rock to recruit our
weary frames.

Refreshed by our meal, we started at six o'clock on our return
journey, and went down a good deal faster than we came up. Before the
end of the pumice-stone or Retama plains had been reached, it was
nearly dark. Sundry small accidents occurring to stirrup-leathers,
bridles, and girths--for the saddlery was not of the best
description--delayed us slightly, and as Tom, Dr. Potter, Allnutt, and
the guide had got on ahead, we soon lost sight of them. After an
interval of uncertainty, the other guides confessed that they did not
know the way back in the dark. This was not pleasant, for the roads
were terrible, and during the whole of our journey up, from the port
to the Peak, we had met only four people in all--two goatherds with
their flocks, and two 'neveros,' bringing down ice to the town. There
was therefore not much chance of gaining information from any one on
our way down. We wandered about among low bushes, down watercourses,
and over rocks for a long time. Horns were blown, and other means of
attracting attention were tried; first one and then another of the
party meanwhile coming more or less to grief. My good little horse
fell down three times, though we did not part company, and once he
went up a steep bank by mistake, instead of going down a very nasty
watercourse, which I do not wonder at his objecting to. I managed to
jump off in time, and so no harm was done; but it was rather anxious
work.

About ten o'clock we saw a light in the distance, and with much
shouting woke up the inhabitants of the cottage whence it proceeded,
promising to reward them liberally if they would only show us our way
back. Three of them consented to do this, and provided themselves
accordingly with pine-torches, wrapped round with bracken and leaves.
One, a very fine man, dressed in white, with his arm extended above
his head, bearing the light, led the way; another walked in front of
my horse, while the third brought up the rear. They conducted us down
the most frightfully steep paths until we had descended beneath the
clouds, when the light from our torches threw our shadows in gigantic
form upon the mists above, reminding us of the legend of the 'Spectre
of the Brocken.' At last the torches began to go out, one by one, and
just as the last light was expiring we arrived at a small village,
where we of course found that everybody was asleep. After some delay,
during which Mabelle and I were so tired that we lay down in the
street to rest, more torches were procured and a fresh guide, who led
us into the comparatively good path towards Puerto Orotava. Finally,
half an hour after midnight, we arrived at the house of the
Vice-Consul, who had provided refreshments for us, and whose nephew
was still very kindly sitting up awaiting our return. But we were too
tired to do anything but go straight on board the yacht, where, after
some supper and champagne, we were indeed glad to retire to our
berths. This was at 3.30 a.m., exactly twenty-nine hours since we had
been called on Friday night.

It is certainly too long an expedition to be performed in one day.
Tents should be taken, and arrangements made for camping out for one,
if not two, nights; but, in the case of such a large party as ours,
this would have been a great business, as everything must be carried
to so great a height, up such steep places, and over such bad roads.
Still, there are so many objects and places of interest, not only on,
but around, the Peak, that it is a pity to see them only when hurried
and fatigued.

_Sunday, July 23rd_.--Orders had been given not to call us nor to wash
decks, and it was consequently half-past ten before any one awoke, and
midday before the first of our party put in an appearance on deck.

Long before this, the 'Sunbeam' had been inundated with visitors from
the shore. We had given a general invitation to the friends of the
Vice-Consul to come and see the yacht; and they accordingly arrived in
due course, accompanied in many cases by a large circle of
acquaintances. Those who came first were conducted below and all over
the vessel, but the number ultimately became so great that, in
self-defence, we were obliged to limit their wanderings to the deck,
opening the skylights wide, however, to enable them to see as much as
possible of the saloon and cabins.

From breakfast-time until prayers, at three o'clock, when the yacht
was closed for an hour, there was a constant stream of visitors from
the shore. It was a great nuisance; but still it seemed unkind to
refuse to allow them to see what they had never seen before, and might
possibly never have an opportunity of seeing again. All steamers and
sailing-ships, as a rule, go to Santa Cruz; and the fame of our vessel
having been spread abroad by our visitors of Friday, many of the poor
people had come from villages far away over the mountains. We could
not help feeling a certain respect for the determined way in which
physical infirmity was mastered by curiosity for, though many
experienced very serious inconvenience from the motion of the vessel,
they still persevered in their examination.

About five o'clock we went ashore ourselves, and drove up to Villa
Orotava. The wide road is macadamised and marked with kilometre
stones, and is planted on either side with pepper-trees, plane-trees,
and the _Eucalyptus globulus_, which has grown 35 metres, or 115 feet,
in seven years. The hedges are formed of blue plumbago, scarlet
geranium, yellow acacia, lavender-coloured heliotrope, white jasmine,
and pink and white roses.

After driving a few miles, we turned down an old paved road towards
the sea, and, by dint of a considerable amount of shaking, arrived at
the celebrated Botanical Gardens, mentioned by Humboldt and others. We
passed through a small house, with a fine dragon-tree on either side,
and entered the gardens, where we found a valuable collection of trees
and shrubs of almost every known species. The kind and courteous
Curator, Don Hermann Wildgaret, accompanied us, and explained the
peculiarities of the many interesting plants, from Europe, Asia,
Africa, America, Australia, New Zealand, and the various islands of
the North and South Pacific and Indian Oceans. The climate of
Teneriffe is so equable, that the island forms a true garden of
acclimatisation for the vegetable productions of the various countries
of the world; by the judicious expenditure of a little more money,
this establishment might be made an important means of introducing to
Europe many new and valuable plants. At present the annual income is
5,000 francs, the salary of the Curator being 1,000 francs.

A rough drive over paved roads, commanding extensive views of sea and
rocks, and of some palm-trees on a promontory in the distance, brought
us, at about seven o'clock, to the boat, which was waiting our return.
We arrived in due course on board the 'Sunbeam,' laden with bouquets
of the choicest flowers, and soon after dinner we all retired to bed,
not having yet recovered from the fatigues of yesterday.

_Monday, July 24th_.--What one gains in the beauty and abundance of
vegetable life here, one loses in its rapid and premature decay. Fruit
gathered in the morning is scarcely fit to eat at night, and the
flowers brought on board yesterday evening were dead to-day at 4.30
a.m.; whilst some of the roses we brought from Cowes lasted until we
reached Madeira, though it must be owned so many fell to pieces that
my cabin used to be daily swept with rose-leaves instead of
tea-leaves.

We went ashore soon after six, and drove straight to the garden of the
Marquis de Sonzal, where there is a beautiful palm-tree, 101 feet
high, the remains of an enormous dragon-tree, old even in the
fifteenth century, besides hedges of myrtle, jasmine, and clematis,
and flowers of every description in full bloom. The dragon-tree is a
species of dracaena, and looks rather like a gigantic candelabra,
composed of a number of yuccas, perched on the top of a gnarled and
somewhat deformed stem, half palm half cactus. Another beautiful
garden was next visited, belonging to the Marquis de la Candia, who
received us and showed us his coffee and plantains in full growth, as
well as a magnificent Spanish chestnut-tree, coeval with the
dragon-tree. Out of one of its almost decayed branches a so-called
young tree was growing, but it would have been thought very
respectable and middle-aged in any other locality.

Every one here, as in Madeira, has been more or less ruined by the
failure of the vines. Most of the large landed proprietors have left
their estates to take care of themselves; and the peasants, for the
last few years, have been emigrating by hundreds to Caraccas, in
Venezuela. Things are, however, beginning to look up a little now. The
cultivation of cochineal appears to succeed, though the price is low;
coffee answers well; and permission has been obtained from the Spanish
Government to grow tobacco, accompanied by a promise to purchase, at
a certain fixed rate, all that can be produced. Still, people talk of
the Island of Teneriffe as something very different now from what it
was twenty-five or thirty years ago, both as regards the number of its
inhabitants and the activity of its commerce, and mourn over 'the good
old times;'--a custom I have remarked in many other places!

[Illustration: A Palm-tree in a Garden, Orotava, Teneriffe.]

The Marquis de la Candia and Don Hermann Wildgaret returned on board
with us to breakfast. The anchor had been weighed, and the 'Sunbeam'
was slowly steaming up and down, waiting for us. The stream of
visitors had been as great and as constant as ever during our absence,
in spite of the heavy roll of the sea, and the deck seemed quite
covered with baskets of flowers and fruit, kindly sent on board by the
people who had been over the yacht the day before. Amongst the latest
arrivals were some very handsome Spanish ladies, beautifully dressed
in black, with mantillas, each of whom was accompanied by a young man
carrying a basin. It must, I fear, be confessed that this was rather a
trial to the gravity of all on board. It certainly was an instance of
the pursuit of knowledge, or the gratification of curiosity, under
considerable difficulties.

Immediately after breakfast, our friends bade us adieu, and went
ashore in the shore-boat, while we steamed along the north side of the
island, past the splendid cliffs of Buenavista, rising 2,000 feet
sheer from the sea, to Cape Teno, the extreme western point of
Teneriffe. In the distance we could see the Great Canary, Palma, and
Hierro, and soon passed close to the rocky island of Gomera. Here,
too, the dark cliffs, of volcanic form and origin, are magnificent,
and as we were almost becalmed by the high land whilst we sailed along
the north shore of the island, we had ample opportunities of admiring
its rugged beauty. During the night we approached Palma, another large
island of the Canary group, containing one of the most remarkable
_calderas_, or large basins, formed by volcanic action in the world.




CHAPTER III.


PALMA TO RIO DE JANEIRO.

    _A wet sheet and a flowing sea,_
    _A wind that follows fast_
    _And fills the white and rustling sail_
    _And bends the gallant mast._

_Tuesday, July 25th_.--There was not much wind during the night, and
Palma was consequently still visible when I came on deck at daybreak.
We had a light fair wind in the morning, accompanied by a heavy swell,
which caused us to roll so much that I found it very difficult to do
anything. Several shoals of flying fish skimmed past us along the
surface of the water, occasionally rising to a considerable height
above it. Their beautiful wings, glittering in the bright sunlight,
looked like delicate silver filigree-work. In the night one flew on
board, only to be preserved in spirits by Dr. Potter.

_Saturday, July 29th_.--For the last three days we have been going on
quietly with fair, warm weather, but a nice fresh breeze sprang up
to-day. At midday the sun was so exactly vertical over our heads, that
it was literally possible to stand under the shadow of one's own
hatbrim, and be sheltered all round. Our navigators experienced
considerable difficulty in taking their noon-tide observations, as the
sun appeared to dodge about in every direction.

About two o'clock we made the high land of St. Antonio, one of the
Cape de Verde Islands, and, soon afterwards, the lower land of St
Vincent. Some doubt existing as to the prevalence of fever at the
latter place, Tom decided not to stop there, for fear of having to
undergo quarantine at Rio de Janeiro. We therefore shortened sail, and
passed slowly between the islands to the anchorage beyond the Bird
Rock. This is a very small island, of perfectly conical form, covered
with thousands of sea-fowl, who live here undisturbed by any other
inhabitants. The town of Porto Grande, with its rows of white houses
on the sea-shore, at the base of the rocky crags, looked clean and
comfortable in the evening light. During the day, however, it must be
a hot and glaring place, for there are no trees to afford shade, nor,
indeed, any kind of vegetation. The water, too, is bad, and all
supplies for passing steamers are brought from the other islands, at
very uncertain intervals. It is still a great coaling-station, though
not so much used as it was formerly, before the opening of the Suez
Canal. The ships come out with coal, and go away in ballast (there is
nothing else to be had here), procured from a point near the town, to
Rio or elsewhere, where they pick up their homeward cargo of fruit,
&c.

The absence of twilight in these latitudes, both at dawn and sunset,
is certainly very remarkable. This morning, at four o'clock, the stars
were shining brightly; ten minutes later the day had commenced to
break; and at half-past four the sun had risen above the horizon, and
was gilding the surrounding mountain tops.

_Sunday, July 30th_.--About 10 a.m. we were off Tarafal Bay--a most
hopeless-looking place for supplies. High rocky mountains, sandy
slopes, and black volcanic beach, composed a scene of arid desolation,
in the midst of which was situated one small white house, with four
windows and a thatched roof, surrounded by a little green patch of
sugar-canes and cocoa-nut palms.

But the result proved the sageness of the advice contained in the old
proverb, not to trust to appearances only; for, whilst we were at
breakfast, Mr. Martinez, the son of the owner of the one whitewashed
cottage to be seen, came on board. To our surprise, he spoke English
extremely well, and promised us all sorts of supplies, if we could
wait until three o'clock in the afternoon. Having agreed to do this,
we shortly afterwards went ashore in his boat, with a crew of more
than half-naked negroes, and a hot row of about three miles brought us
to the shore, where, after some little difficulty, we succeeded in
effecting a landing. Our feet immediately sank into the hot black
sand, composed entirely of volcanic deposits and small pieces, or
rather grains, of amber, through which we had a fatiguing walk until
we reached some palm-trees, shading a little pool of water. Here we
left some of the men, with instructions to fill the breakers they had
brought with them, while we walked on along the beach, past the
remains of an English schooner that caught fire not far from this
island, and was run ashore by her captain, thirty years ago. Her iron
anchor, chain, and wheel still remained, together with two queer
little iron cannon, which I should have much liked to carry off as a
memorial of our visit. We then turned up a narrow shadeless path,
bordered by stone walls, leading away from the sea, past a sugar-mill
and a ruin. A few almond, castor-oil, and fig trees were growing
amongst the sugar-canes, and as we mounted the hill we could see some
thirty round straw huts, like beehives, on the sandy slopes beside the
little stream. An abrupt turn in the mountains, amid which, at a
distance of three leagues, this tiny river takes its rise, hides it
from the sea, so that the narrow valley which it fertilises looks like
a small oasis in the desert of rocks and sand.

Mr. Martinez's house, where we sat for some time, and beneath the
windows of which the one stream of the island runs, was comparatively
cool. Outside, the negro washerwomen were busy washing clothes in large
turtle-shell tubs, assisted, or hindered, by the 'washerwoman-bird,'
a kind of white crane, who appeared quite tame, playing about just
like a kitten, pecking at the clothes or the women's feet, and
then running away and hiding behind a tree. The stream was full of
water-cresses, while the burnt-up little garden contained an abundance
of beautiful flowers. There were scarlet and yellow mimosas, of many
kinds, combining every shade of exquisite green velvety foliage,
alpinias, with pink, waxy flowers and crimson and gold centres,
oleanders, begonias, hibiscus, allamandas, and arum and other lilies.

[Illustration: Tarafal Bay, St. Antonio.]

Mr. Bingham sketched, I took some photographs, Dr. Potter and the
children caught butterflies, and the rest of our party wandered about.
Every five minutes a negro arrived with a portion of our supplies. One
brought a sheep, another a milch-goat for baby, while the rest
contributed, severally, a couple of cocoa-nuts, a papaya, three
mangoes, a few water-cresses, a sack of sweet potatoes, a bottle of
milk, three or four quinces, a bunch of bananas, a little honey,
half-a-dozen cabbages, some veal and pork, and so on; until it
appeared as if every little garden on either side of the three leagues
of stream must have yielded up its entire produce, and we had
accumulated sacks full of cocoa-nuts and potatoes, hundreds of eggs,
and dozens of chickens and ducks. It was very amusing to see the
things arrive. They were brought in by people varying in colour from
dark yellow to the blackest ebony, and ranging in size from fine
stalwart men, over six feet in height, to tiny little blackies of
about three feet six, with curly hair, snowy teeth, and mischievous,
beady eyes. The arrival of the provision boat and the transfer of its
miscellaneous cargo to the 'Sunbeam' was quite an amusing sight. The
pretty black goat and the sheep bleated, the fowls cackled, and the
ducks quacked, while the negroes chatted and laughed as they handed
and hauled on board fish of all shapes and sizes, bunches of bananas,
piles of cocoa-nuts, sacks of potatoes, and many other things,
finishing up with a tiny black boy, about three years old, whom I
think they would rather have liked to leave behind with us, if we
would only have taken him. The fish proved excellent, though some of
them really seemed almost too pretty to eat. A brilliant gold fish,
weighing about three pounds, and something like a grey mullet in
flavour, was perhaps the best. The prices were very curious. Chickens
a shilling each, ducks five shillings, goats thirty shillings, and
sheep ten shillings. Vegetables, fruit, and flowers were extremely
cheap; but the charge for water, fetched from the spring in our own
breakers by our own crew, with but little assistance from four or five
negroes, was 3_l_. 18_s_. However, as ours is the only yacht, with one
exception, that has ever visited this island, there was nothing for it
except to pay the bill without demur.

I never in my life felt so warm as I did to-day on shore, though the
inhabitants say it will not be _really_ hot for two months yet; I
never before saw cocoa-nut palms growing; and I never tasted a mango
until this morning; so I have experienced three new sensations in one
day.

The night was fearfully close, muggy, and thundery, the temperature in
the cabins being 89 deg., in spite of open sky-lights and port-holes.
Generally speaking, it has not hitherto been as hot as we expected,
especially on board the yacht itself. On deck there is almost always a
nice breeze, but below it is certainly warm.

_Tuesday, August 1st_.--Yesterday we were still under sail, but to-day
it has been necessary to steam, for the wind has fallen too light.
There was a heavy roll from the south, and the weather continued hot
and oppressive. In the cabins the thermometer stood at 89 deg. during the
whole of the night, in spite of all our efforts to improve the
temperature. We therefore put three of the children in the deck-house
to sleep, opening the doors and windows; and some of the rest of our
party slept on deck in hammocks. In anticipation of the heavy
equatorial rains, which Captain Lecky had predicted might commence
to-day, we had had the awnings put up; a fortunate piece of foresight,
for, before midnight, the rain came down in torrents.

_Wednesday, August 2nd_.--At daybreak the sky was covered with heavy
black clouds, and the atmosphere was as hot and muggy as ever. We had
a great deal of rain during the day, and took advantage of the
opportunity to fill every available tub, bucket, and basin, to say
nothing of the awnings. It came down in such sheets that mackintoshes
were comparatively useless, and we had soon filled our seventeen
breakers, the cistern, and the boats, from which we had removed the
covers, with very good, though somewhat dirty, washing water.

_Friday, August 4th_.--We were only 289 miles off Sierra Leone in the
morning, and at noon therefore Tom decided to put about. Having done
so, we found that we went along much more easily and quite as fast on
the other tack. We maintained a good rate of speed on our new course,
which was now nearly due west, passing a large barque with every
stitch of canvas set, hand over hand.

We are still in the Guinea current, and the temperature of the water
is 82 deg., even in the early morning; but the heat of the sun does not
seem to have much effect upon it, as it does not vary to any great
extent during the day.

[Illustration: Father Neptune.]

In the evening we saw the Southern Cross for the first time, and were
much disappointed in its appearance. The fourth star is of smaller
magnitude than the others, and the whole group is only for a very
short time in a really upright position, inclining almost always
either to one side or the other, as it rises and sets.

_Tuesday, August 8th_.--We crossed the line at daylight.

This event caused much fun and excitement, both in cabin and
forecastle. The conventional hair was put across the field of the
telescope for the unsophisticated 'really to see the line,' and many
firmly believed they did see it, and discussed its appearance at some
length. Jim Allen, one of our tallest sailors, and coxswain of the
gig, dressed in blue, with long oakum wig and beard, gilt paper crown,
and trident and fish impaled in one hand, was seated on a
gun-carriage, and made a capital Father Neptune. Our somewhat portly
engineer, Mr. Rowbotham, with fur-trimmed dressing gown and cap, and
bent form, leaning on a stick, his face partially concealed by a long
grey beard, and a large band-box of pills on one arm, made an equally
good doctor to his Marine Majesty, while the part of Mrs. Trident was
ably filled by one of the youngest sailors, dressed in some of the
maids' clothes; but the accompanying pictures will give a better idea
than any description of mine.

[Illustration: His Doctor (Crossing the Line)]

Soon afterwards we saw an enormous shoal of grampuses, large black
fish, about 25 feet in length, something between a dolphin and a
whale, with the very ugliest jaws, or rather snouts, imaginable. They
are of a predatory and ferocious disposition, attacking not only
sharks, dolphins, and porpoises, but even whales, more than twice
their own size. We also passed through enormous quantities of
flying-fish, no doubt driven to the surface by dolphins and bonitos.
They were much larger and stronger in the wing than any we have
hitherto seen.

Lulu's puppies, born yesterday, have been respectively named Butterfly
(who survived her birth only an hour), Poseidon, Aphrodite,
Amphitrite, and Thetis--names suggested by their birth-place on the
ocean close to his Marine Majesty's supposed equatorial palace.

[Illustration: Lulu and her Puppies]

At noon we were 250 miles off St. Paul's Rocks.

_Thursday, August 10th_.--A very hot, showery day. Saw two large ships
in the distance. In the morning we were almost becalmed for a time,
but the breeze returned during the afternoon, and we were able to
proceed on our course. I think this has been the most lovely of the
many exquisite days we have enjoyed since we left England. It
commenced with a magnificent sunrise, and ended with an equally
gorgeous sunset, only to be succeeded by a beautiful moonlight night,
so clear and bright that we could see to read ordinary print on deck.

_Saturday, August 12th_.--At noon we were 300 miles off Bahia, a place
we have made up our minds not to visit, as it would lengthen our
voyage considerably, and there is not much to see there. We have
therefore decided to proceed direct to Rio, where we are looking
forward to arrive on Wednesday or Thursday next.

The night was showery, with a good deal of wind and sea.

_Sunday, August 13th_.--Sailing in the tropics is really very
delightful! When going to the westward, there is almost always, at
this season of the year, a favourable breeze, and the weather is
generally either quite fair or moderately so.

    Whispered to it, westward, westward,
    And with speed it darted forward.

We had service at 11.15 a.m., and again at 5.30 p.m. The choir has
considerably improved; one of our new men plays the violin very well,
and frequently accompanies the children and the nurse in their songs.
On a clear calm night, beneath a tropical sky, when the members of
this little group assemble on deck, and, by the light of a lantern,
sing some of their simple songs, the effect produced is both melodious
and picturesque.

The wind dropped at about 10 p.m., and we had an unpleasant amount of
roll during the night, sails flapping, spars creaking, and booms
swinging as if they would pull the masts out of the vessel.

[Illustration: Vespers.]

_Monday, August 14th_.--This morning we saw a small schooner ahead,
and thinking from her manoeuvres that she wished to speak us, we made
our number and ran towards her. We soon found out, however, that she
was a whaler, in chase of two large grampuses. She had two men on the
look-out in the cross-trees, in a sort of iron cage; and though she
was of much smaller tonnage than the 'Sunbeam,' she carried five big
boats, one of which, full of men, was ready to be lowered into the
water, the instant they had approached sufficiently near to the whale
or grampus. These seas used formerly to abound with whalers, but they
are now much less numerous, the seasons having been bad of late.

To-night the stars were especially brilliant, and we spent some hours
in trying to make out their names. Vega, our polar star for some time
to come, shone conspicuously bright, and the Southern Cross could be
seen to great advantage.

_Wednesday, August 16th_.--We had a fine fair breeze all day, and at 5
p.m. there was a cry from the mast-head of 'Land ahead!' Great
excitement immediately prevailed on board, and Tom and Captain Brown
rushed, for about the twelfth time, to the foretop to see if the
report was true. They were soon able to announce that Cape Frio was
visible on the port bow, about thirty-five miles distant. After even a
fortnight at sea, an indescribable sensation is produced by this cry,
and by the subsequent sight of the land itself. When we came up on
deck this evening, after dinner, we all gazed on the lighthouse on the
still distant shore as if we had never beheld such a thing in our
lives before. The colour and temperature of the water had perceptibly
changed, the former from a beautiful, clear, dark ultramarine to a
muddy green; innumerable small birds, moths, locusts, and grasshoppers
came on board; and, having given special orders that we were to be
called early the next morning, we went to bed in the fond hope that we
should be able to enter Rio harbour at daybreak.

_Thursday, August 17th_.--'L'homme propose; Dieu dispose.' Steam was
up at midnight, but by that time it was blowing half a gale of wind
from the south-west, with such a steep short sea that the screw was
scarcely ever properly immersed, but went racing round and round in
the air with tremendous velocity, as we pitched and rolled about. Our
progress was therefore at the rate of something rather under a mile
an hour, and at daybreak, instead of entering the harbour of Rio, as
we had hoped to do, we found ourselves close to Cape Frio.

About 8 a.m. matters mended, the wind moderating and changing its
direction slightly; so that, under steam and sail, we were soon going
along the coast at the rate of four or five miles an hour. The surf
was breaking with a loud roar upon the white sandy beach, while the
spray was carried by the force of the wind far inland, over the strip
of flat fertile-looking country, lying between the sea and a chain of
low sugarloaf-shaped mountains, parallel with the shore, and only a
short distance off.

Our course lay between the mainland and the islands of Maya and Payo,
where the groves of bananas and other trees looked very miserable in
the wind. The tall isolated palm-trees, whose elastic stems bowed
readily before the fury of the blast, looked, as they were twisted and
whirled hither and thither, like umbrellas turned inside out. Passing
the false Sugarloaf mountain, as it is called, we next opened out the
true one, the Gavia, and the chain of mountains beyond, the outlines
of which bear an extraordinary resemblance to the figure of a man
lying on his back, the profile of the face being very like that of the
late Duke of Wellington. As the sun sank in gorgeous splendour behind
these hills, I think I never saw a grander or more beautiful sight;
though the sky was so red and stormy-looking that our hopes of a fine
day to-morrow were but faint.

Before entering the harbour, a bar had to be crossed, which is a
dangerous operation all the world over. The skylights and hatches were
fastened down, and those of our party who did not like being shut up
below took their places on the bridge, where, for the first time since
we left England, it felt really quite cold. As we advanced, the
beautiful harbour, with its long rows of glittering gas-lights,
extending for miles on either side of the bay, and illuminating the
city and suburbs, gradually became visible. On our left lay the two
islands, Rodonda and Raza, on the latter of which is situated a
lighthouse. The wind was blowing off the land when we reached the bar,
so that, after all our preparations, there was hardly any sea to
encounter, and the moment we were over, the water on the other side
was perfectly smooth. A gun and a blue light from Fort Santa Cruz,
answered immediately by a similar signal from Fort Santa Lucia,
announced our arrival, and we shortly afterwards dropped our anchor in
the quarantine ground of Rio close to Botafogo Bay, in the noble
harbour of Nictheroy.

After dinner it rained heavily, and continued to do so during the
whole night.

[Illustration: Botafogo Bay]




CHAPTER IV.

RIO DE JANEIRO.

   _The sun is warm, the sky is clear,_
   _The waves are dancing fast and bright,_
   _Blue isles and snowy mountains wear_
   _The purple noon's transparent light._


_Friday, August 18th_.--The clouds still hung heavy on the hills, or
rather mountains, which surround the bay, occasionally descending in
the form of torrents of rain, and hiding everything from our view.

Early in the morning we weighed anchor and steamed up the bay to the
man-of-war anchorage, a much pleasanter situation than the quarantine
harbour, where we had brought up last night. About 9.30 a.m. the
health officers came on board, and half an hour later we had a visit
from the custom-house official, who required Tom to sign and seal a
declaration upon oath that he had no cargo on board, and not more coal
than we absolutely required for our own consumption.

About eleven o'clock we put on our mackintoshes and thick boots, and,
accompanied by an interpreter, who (together with several washerwomen)
had suddenly made his appearance on board, rowed ashore, pushing our
way through crowds of boats laden with fruit and vegetables. The
landing-place was close to the market, at some broken-down steps, and
was crowded with chattering negroes, of every shade of colour. The
quays seemed covered with piles of fruit and vegetables, discharged
from the boats, the principal produce being sugar-cane, bananas, and
oranges. Each side street that we came to was a little river, which
had to be crossed, or rather forded, after paddling through the mud in
the main thoroughfare.

Our first visit was to the post-office--'no letters'--then to the
British Consulate--'no letters'--and finally to the Legation, but
there was nobody at home there; so we set off for the Hotel des
Etrangers, to breakfast. Our way lay through the straggling suburbs of
the city for about two miles, and as we drove along we could see and
admire, despite the heavy rain, the magnificent groves of palm-trees,
and the brilliancy and beauty of the tropical vegetation in the
various private and public gardens that we passed.

After breakfast we returned to the Legation, where we were most kindly
received, but, much to our regret, no letters were forthcoming. We
next paid a visit to some of the shops in the Rua do Ouvidor, for the
sale of imitations of flowers, made from the undyed feathers of birds,
and a large number of the more expensive varieties of ordinary
artificial flowers, each petal consisting of the entire throat or
breast of a humming-bird, and the leaves are made from the wings of
beetles. They are very rare and beautiful, their manufacture being
quite a _specialite_ of this city. The prices asked astonished us
greatly; the cost of five sprays, which I had been commissioned to
buy, was 29_l_., and the price of all the others was proportionately
high. But then they wear for ever. I have had some for nine years, and
they are as good now as when they were bought.

_Saturday, August 19th_.--Though far from brilliant, the weather
improved, and we were able to enjoy occasional glimpses of the
beautiful scenery around us.

Mr. Gough and Mr. O'Conor breakfasted with us on board, and we
afterwards proceeded in a 'bond' to the Botanical Gardens, about seven
miles out of the city. These 'bonds,' which are a great institution
here, are large carriages, either open or closed, drawn sometimes by
one, sometimes by two, sometimes by three mules. They go at a great
pace, and run very smoothly. Ordinary carriages are dear; and as
tramways have been laid down in almost every street and road, driving
is a rather difficult affair. On our road we passed several
delightful-looking private gardens. The railings were completely
covered, some with white stephanotis and scarlet lapageria, others
with a beautiful orange-coloured creeper and lilac bougainvillaea, or
passion-flowers of many colours and variety. Inside we could see large
trees with green and yellow stripes, croton-oil plants, spotted and
veined caladiums, and dracaenas, the whole being shaded by
orange-trees.

Along the edge of Botafogo Bay there is a delightful drive, beneath a
splendid avenue of imperial palms, extending to the gates of the
Botanical Gardens. Each specimen rises straight up like the column of
an Egyptian temple, and is crowned with a feathery tuft of large shiny
dark green leaves, some thirty feet in length. The clumps of bamboos,
too, were very fine, and nearly all the trees seemed to be full of
curious orchids and parasites of every sort and kind.

We had an agreeable drive back in the cool evening to dinner at the
Hotel de l'Europe. The food was excellent, and included some delicious
tiny queer-shaped oysters, which are found on the mangrove-trees,
overhanging the water higher up the bay. We afterwards went to a
pleasant little reception, where we enjoyed the splendid singing of
some young Brazilian ladies, and the subsequent row off to the yacht,
in the moonlight, was not the least delightful part of the programme.

_Sunday, August 20th_.--At last a really fine day. We could now, for
the first time, thoroughly appreciate the beauties of the noble bay of
Nictheroy, though the distant Organ mountains were still hidden from
our view. In the morning, we went to church on board H.M.S. 'Volage,'
afterwards rowing across the bay to Icaraky, where we took the tramway
to Santa Rosa. On our way we again passed many charming villas and
gardens, similar to those we had admired yesterday, while the glorious
and ever-attractive tropical vegetation abounded everywhere. In spite
of the great heat, the children seemed untiring in the pursuit of
butterflies, of which they succeeded in catching many beautiful
specimens.

_Monday, August 21st_.--After an early breakfast, we started off to
have a look at the market. The greatest bustle and animation
prevailed, and there were people and things to see and observe in
endless variety. The fish-market was full of finny monsters of the
deep, all new and strange to us, whose odd Brazilian names would
convey to a stranger but little idea of the fish themselves. There was
an enormous rockfish, weighing about 300 pounds, with hideous face and
shiny back and fins; there were large ray, and skate, and
cuttle-fish--the _pieuvre_ of Victor Hugo's 'Travailleurs de la
Mer'--besides baskets full of the large prawns for which the coast is
famous, eight or ten inches long, and with antennae of twelve or
fourteen inches in length. They make up in size for want of quality,
for they are insipid and tasteless, though, being tender, they make
excellent curry. The oysters, on the other hand, are particularly
small, but of the most delicious flavour. They are brought from a
park, higher up the bay, where, as I have said, they grow on posts and
the branches of the mangrove-tree, which hang down into the water. We
also saw a large quantity of fine mackerel, a good many turtle and
porpoises, and a few hammer-headed sharks. The latter are very curious
creatures, not unlike an ordinary shark, but with a remarkable
hammer-shaped projection on either side of their noses for which it is
difficult to imagine a use.

In the fruit-market were many familiar bright-coloured fruits; for it
is now the depth of winter at Rio, and the various kinds that we saw
were all such as would bear transport to England. Fat, jet-black
negresses, wearing turbans on their heads, strings of coloured beads
on their necks and arms, and single long white garments, which
appeared to be continually slipping off their shoulders, here presided
over brilliant-looking heaps of oranges, bananas, pineapples,
passion-fruit, tomatoes, apples, pears, capsicums and peppers,
sugar-cane, cabbage-palms, cherimoyas, and bread-fruit.

In another part of the market all sorts of live birds were for sale,
with a few live beasts, such as deer, monkeys, pigs, guinea-pigs in
profusion, rats, cats, dogs, marmosets, and a dear little lion-monkey,
very small and rather red, with a beautiful head and mane, who roared
exactly like a real lion in miniature. We saw also cages full of small
flamingoes, snipe of various kinds, and a great many birds of smaller
size, with feathers of all shades of blue, red, and green, and
metallic hues of brilliant lustre, besides parrots, macaws, cockatoos
innumerable, and torchas, on stands. The torcha is a bright-coloured
black and yellow bird, about as big as a starling, which puts its
little head on one side and takes flies from one's fingers in the
prettiest and most enticing manner. Unfortunately, it is impossible to
introduce it into England, as it cannot stand the change of climate.
The other birds included guinea-fowls, ducks, cocks and hens, pigeons,
doves, quails, &c., and many other varieties less familiar or quite
unknown to us. Altogether the visit was an extremely interesting one,
and well repaid us for our early rising.

At eleven o'clock we started for the Petropolis steamer, which took us
alongside a wooden pier, from the end of which the train started, and
we were soon wending our way through sugar and coffee plantations,
formed in the midst of the forest of palms and other tropical trees.
An Englishman has made a large clearing here, and has established a
fine farm, which he hopes to work successfully by means of immigrant
labour.

After a journey of twenty minutes in the train, we reached the
station, at the foot of a hill, where we found several four-mule
carriages awaiting our arrival. The drive up from the station to the
town, over a pass in the Organ mountains, was superb. At each turn of
the road we had an ever-varying view of the city of Rio and its
magnificent bay. And then the banks of this tropical high-road! From
out a mass of rich verdure grew lovely scarlet begonias, and spotted
caladiums, shaded by graceful tree-ferns and overhung by trees full of
exquisite parasites and orchids. Among these, the most conspicuous,
after the palms, are the tall thin-stemmed sloth-trees, so called from
their being a favourite resort of the sloth, who with great difficulty
crawls up into one of them, remains there until he has demolished
every leaf, and then passes on to the next tree.

The pace of the mules, up the steep incline, under a broiling sun, was
really wonderful. Half-way up we stopped to change, at a buvette,
where we procured some excellent Brazilia coffee, of fine but
exceedingly bitter flavour. Our next halt, midway between the buvette
and the top of the hill, was at a spring of clear sparkling water,
where we had an opportunity of collecting some ferns and flowers; and
on reaching the summit we stopped once more, to enjoy the fine view
over the Pass and the bay of Nictheroy. The descent towards Petropolis
then commenced; it lies in the hollow of the hills, with a river
flowing through the centre of its broad streets, on either side of
which are villas and avenues of noble trees. Altogether it reminded me
of Bagneres-de-Luchon, in the Pyrenees, though the general effect is
unfortunately marred by the gay and rather too fantastic painting of
some of the houses.

_Tuesday, August 22nd_.--We were called at half-past five, and, after
a hasty breakfast, started on horseback by seven o'clock for the
Virgin Forest, about six miles from Petropolis. After leaving the town
and its suburbs, we pursued our way by rough winding paths, across
which huge moths and butterflies flitted, and humming-birds buzzed in
the almond-trees. After a ride of an hour and a half, we entered the
silence and gloom of a vast forest. On every side extended a tangled
mass of wild, luxuriant vegetation: giant-palms, and tree-ferns, and
parasites are to be seen in all directions, growing wherever they can
find root-hold. Sometimes they kill the tree which they favour with
their attentions--one creeper, in particular, being called 'Mata-pao'
or 'Kill-tree;' but, as a rule, they seem to get on very well
together, and to depend mutually upon one another for nourishment and
support. The most striking of these creepers is, perhaps, the liane,
whose tendrils grow straight downwards to the ground, twisting
themselves together in knots and bundles. Occasionally one sees,
suspended from a tree, at a height of some fifty feet, a large lump of
moss, from which scarlet orchids are growing; looking like an enormous
hanging flower-basket. All colours in Brazil, whether of birds,
insects, or flowers, are brilliant in the extreme. Blue, violet,
orange, scarlet, and yellow are found in the richest profusion, and no
pale or faint tints are to be seen. Even white seems purer, clearer,
and deeper than the white of other countries.

We had a long wet walk in the forest; the mosses and ferns being kept
moist and green by the innumerable little streams of water which
abound everywhere. Owing to the thickness of the surrounding jungle,
it was impossible to stray from our very narrow path, notwithstanding
the attractions of humming-birds, butterflies, and flowers. At last we
came to an opening in the wood, whence we had a splendid view
seawards, and where it was decided to turn round and retrace our steps
through the forest. After walking some distance we found our horses
waiting, and after a hot but pleasant ride reached Petropolis by
twelve o'clock, in time for breakfast. Letter-writing and
butterfly-catching occupied the afternoon until four o'clock, when I
was taken out for a drive in a comfortable little phaeton, with a
pretty pair of horses, while the rest of the party walked out to see a
little more of Petropolis and its environs. We drove past the
Emperor's palace--an Italian villa, standing in the middle of a large
garden--the new church, and the houses of the principal inhabitants,
most of which are shut up just now, as everybody is out of town, but
it all looked very green and pleasant. It was interesting to see a
curious breed of dogs, descended from the bloodhounds formerly used in
hunting the poor Indians.

_Wednesday, August 23rd_.--At six o'clock we assembled all on the
balcony of the hotel to wait for the coach, which arrived shortly
afterwards. There was some little delay and squabbling before we all
found ourselves safely established on the coach, but starting was
quite another matter, for the four white mules resolutely refused to
move, without a vast amount of screaming and shouting and plunging. We
had to pull up once or twice before we got clear of the town, to allow
more passengers to be somehow or other squeezed in, and at each fresh
start similar objections on the part of the mules had to be overcome.

The air felt fresh when we started, but before we had proceeded far we
came into a thick, cold, wet fog, which, after the heat of the last
few weeks, seemed to pierce us to the very marrow. Eight miles farther
on the four frisky white mules were exchanged for five steady
dun-coloured ones, which were in their turn replaced after a
seven-mile stage by four nice bays, who took us along at a tremendous
pace. The sun began by this time to penetrate the mist, and the
surrounding country became visible. We found that we were following
the course of the river, passing through an avenue of coral-trees,
loaded with the most brilliant flowers and fruit imaginable, and full
of parroquets and fluttering birds of many hues.

We stopped at several small villages, and at about 11 a.m. reached
Entre Rios, having changed mules seven times, and done the 59-1/2
miles in four hours and fifty minutes, including stoppages--pretty
good work, especially as the heat during the latter portion of the
journey had been as great as the cold was at the commencement. The
term 'cold' must here be taken only in a relative sense, for the
thermometer was never lower than 48 deg., though, having been accustomed
for a long while to 85 deg., we felt the change severely.

After a capital breakfast at the inn near the station, we got into the
train and began a very hot dusty journey over the Serra to Palmeiras,
which place was reached at 4 p.m. We were met on our arrival by Dr.
Gunning, who kindly made room for Tom and me at his house, the rest of
our party proceeding to the hotel. The view from the windows of the
house, which is situated on the very edge of a hill, over the
mountains of the Serra, glowing with the light of the setting sun, was
perfectly enchanting; and after a refreshing cold bath one was able to
appreciate it as it deserved. A short stroll into the forest adjoining
the house proved rich in treasures, for in a few minutes I had
gathered twenty-six varieties of ferns, including gold and silver
ferns, two creeping ferns, and many other kinds. The moon rose, and
the fireflies flashed about among the palm-trees, as we sat in the
verandah before dinner, while in several places on the distant hills
we could see circles of bright flames, where the forest had been set
on fire in order to make clearings.

We were up next morning in time to see the sun rise from behind the
mountains, and as it gradually became warmer the humming-birds and
butterflies came out and buzzed and flitted among the flowers in front
of our windows. We had planned to devote the day to a visit to Barra,
and it was, therefore, necessary to hurry to the station by eight
o'clock to meet the train, where we stopped twenty minutes to
breakfast at what appeared to be a capital hotel, built above the
station. The rooms were large and lofty, everything was scrupulously
clean, and the dishes most appetising-looking. Our carriage was then
shunted and hooked on to the other train, and we proceeded to the
station of Santa Anna, where Mr. Faro met us with eight mules and
horses, and a large old-fashioned carriage, which held some of us, the
rest of the party galloping on in front. We galloped also, and upset
one unfortunate horse, luckily without doing him any harm. After a
couple of miles of a rough road we arrived at the gates of the Baron's
grounds, where the old negro slave-coachman amused us very much by
_ordering_ his young master to conduct the equestrians round to the
house by another way. Beneath the avenue of palm-trees, leading from
the gates to the house, grew orange, lemon, and citron trees, trained
as espaliers, while behind them again tall rose-bushes and
pomegranates showed their bright faces. Driving through an archway we
arrived at the house, and, with much politeness and many bows, were
conducted indoors, in order that we might rest ourselves and get rid
of some of the dust of our journey.

Santa Anna is one of the largest coffee fazendas in this part of
Brazil. The house occupies three sides of a square, in the middle of
which heaps of coffee were spread out to dry in the sun. The centre
building is the dwelling-house, with a narrow strip of garden, full of
sweet-smelling flowers, in front of it; the right wing is occupied by
the slaves' shops and warehouses, and by the chapel; while the left
wing contains the stables, domestic offices, and other slave-rooms.

[Illustration: The Slave Village, Fazenda, Santa Anna.]

By law, masters are bound to give their slaves one day's rest in every
seven, and any work the slaves may choose to do on that day is paid
for at the same rate as free labour. But the day selected for this
purpose is not necessarily Sunday; and on adjoining fazendas different
days are invariably chosen, in order to prevent the slaves from
meeting and getting into mischief. Thursday (to-day) was Sunday on
this estate, and we soon saw all the slaves mustering in holiday
attire in the shade of one of the verandahs. They were first
inspected, and then ranged in order, the children being placed in
front, the young women next, then the old women, the old men, and
finally the young men. In this order they marched into the corridor
facing the chapel, to hear mass. The priest and his acolyte, in
gorgeous robes, performed the usual service, and the slaves chanted
the responses in alternate companies, so that sopranos, contraltos,
tenors, and basses, contrasted in a striking and effective manner. The
singing, indeed, was excellent; far better than in many churches at
home. After the conclusion of the mass the master shook hands with
everybody, exchanged good wishes with his slaves, and dismissed them.
While they were dawdling about, gossiping in the verandah, I had a
closer look at the babies, which had all been brought to church. They
seemed of every shade of colour, the complexions of some being quite
fair, but the youngest, a dear little woolly-headed thing, was black
as jet, and only three weeks old. The children all seemed to be on
very good terms with their master and his overseers, and not a bit
afraid of them. They are fed most liberally, and looked fat and
healthy. For breakfast they have coffee and bread; for dinner, fresh
pork alternately with dried beef, and black beans (the staple food of
the poor of this country); and for supper they have coffee, bread, and
mandioca, or tapioca.

Returning to the house, we sat down, a party of thirty, to an
elaborate breakfast, the table being covered with all sorts of
Brazilian delicacies, after which several complimentary speeches were
made, and we all started off to walk round the fazenda. Our first
visit was to the little schoolchildren, thirty-four in number, who
sang very nicely. Then to the hospital, a clean, airy building, in
which there were happily but few patients, and next we inspected the
new machinery, worked by water-power, for cleaning the coffee and
preparing it for market. The harvest lasts from May to August. The
best quality of coffee is picked before it is quite ripe, crushed to
free it from the husk, and then dried in the sun, sometimes in heaps,
and sometimes raked out flat, in order to gain the full benefit of the
heat. It is afterwards gathered up into baskets and carefully picked
over, and this, being very light work, is generally performed by young
married women with babies. There were nineteen tiny piccaninnies, in
baskets, beside their mothers, in one room we entered, and in another
there were twenty just able to run about.

Cassava is an important article of food here, and it was interesting
to watch the various processes by which it is turned into flour,
tapioca, or starch. As it is largely exported, there seems no reason
why it should not be introduced into India, for the ease with which it
is cultivated and propagated, the extremes of temperature it will
bear, and the abundance of its crop, all tend to recommend it. We went
on to look at the maize being shelled, crushed, and ground into coarse
or fine flour, for cakes and bread, and the process of crushing the
sugar-cane, turning its juice into sugar and rum, and its refuse into
potash. All the food manufactured here is used on the estate; coffee
alone is exported. I felt thoroughly exhausted by the time we returned
to the house, only to exchange adieus and step into the carriage on
our way to Barra by rail _en route_ to Rio de Janeiro. After passing
through several long tunnels at the top of the Serra, the line drops
down to Palmeiras, after which the descent became very picturesque, as
we passed, by steep inclines, through virgin forests full of creepers,
ferns, flowers, and orchids. The sunset was magnificent, and the
subsequent coolness of the atmosphere most grateful. Leaving the
Emperor's palace of Sao Christovao behind, Rio was entered from a
fresh side. It seemed a long drive through the streets to the Hotel de
l'Europe, where, after an excellent though hurried dinner, we
contrived to be in time for a private representation at the Alcazar.
As a rule, ladies do not go to this theatre, but there were a good
many there on the present occasion. Neither the play nor the actors,
however, were very interesting, and all our party were excessively
tired; so we left early, and had a delightful row off to the yacht, in
the bright moonlight.

_Monday, August 28th_.--We have all been so much interested in the
advertisements we read in the daily papers of slaves to be sold or
hired, that arrangements were made with a Brazilian gentleman for some
of our party to have an opportunity of seeing the way in which these
transactions are carried on. No Englishman is allowed to hold slaves
here, and it is part of the business of the Legation to see that this
law is strictly enforced. The secrets of their trade are accordingly
jealously guarded by the natives, especially from the English. The
gentlemen had therefore to disguise themselves as much as possible,
one pretending to be a rich Yankee, who had purchased large estates
between Santos and San Paulo, which he had determined to work with
slave instead of coolie labour. He was supposed to have come to Rio to
select some slaves, but would be obliged to see and consult his
partner before deciding on purchase. They were taken to a small shop
in the city, and, after some delay, were conducted to a room upstairs,
where they waited a quarter of an hour. Twenty-two men and eleven
women and children were then brought in for inspection. They declared
themselves suitable for a variety of occupations, in-door and out, and
all appeared to look anxiously at their possible purchaser, with a
view to ascertain what they had to hope for in the future. One couple
in particular, a brother and sister, about fourteen and fifteen years
old respectively, were most anxious not to be separated, but to be
sold together; and the tiny children seemed quite frightened at being
spoken to or touched by the white men. Eight men and five women having
been specially selected as fit subjects for further consideration, the
visit terminated.

The daily Brazilian papers are full of advertisements of slaves for
sale, and descriptions of men, pigs, children, cows, pianos, women,
houses, &c., to be disposed of, are inserted in the most
indiscriminate manner. In one short half-column of the 'Jornal do
Commercio,' published within the last day or two, the following
announcements, amongst many similar ones, appear side by side:--


VENDE-SE uma escrava, de 22 annos,
boa figura, lava, engomma e cose bem;
informa-se na rua de S. Pedro n. 97.

FOR SALE.--A female slave, 22 years of
age, a good figure, washes, irons, and
sews well; for particulars apply at No. 97
rua de S. Pedro.


VENDE-SE ou aluga-se um rico piano
forte do autor Erard, de 3 cordas, por
280$, garantido; na rua da Quitanda n. 42,
2 andar.

FOR SALE, OR TO BE LET ON
Hire.--A splendid trichord pianoforte
by Erard, for $280, guaranteed; apply at
rua da Quitanda No. 42, 2nd floor.


VENDE-SE, por 1,500$, um escravo de
20 annos, para servico de padaria; na
rua da Princeza dos Cajueiros n. 97.

TO BE SOLD FOR $1,500.--A male
slave 20 years of age, fit for a baker's
establishment; apply at rua da Princeza dos
Cajueiros No. 97.


VENDE-SE uma machina Singer, para
qualquer costura, trabalha perfeitamente,
por preco muito commodo; trata-se
na rua do Sabao n. 95.

FOR SALE.--On very reasonable terms,
a Singer's sewing-machine, adapted for
any description of work; works splendidly:
apply at No. 95 rua do Sabao.


VENDE-SE uma preta moca, boa figura e
de muito boa indole, com tres filhos,
sendo uma negrinha de 6 annos, um moleque
de 5 e uma ingenua de 3, cabenda cozinhar
bem, lavar e engommar; na mesma casa
vende-se so uma negrinha de 12 annos, de
conducta afiancada e muito propria para
servico de casa de familia, por ja ter bons
principios, tendo vindo de Santa Catharina;
na rua da Uruguayana n. 90 sobrado.

FOR SALE.--A good black woman, good
figure, good disposition, with three
children, who are a little black girl 6 years
of age, a black boy of 5, and a child 3
years of age; she is a good cook, washes and
irons well. At the same house there is likewise
for sale a little black girl 12 years of
age: her character will be guaranteed; she
is well adapted for the service of a family,
as she has had a good beginning, having
come from Santa Catharina; apply at No.
90 rua da Uruguayana, first floor.


VENDE-SE o Diccionario portuguez de
Lacerda, em dous grandes volumes, novo,
vindo pelo ultimo paquete, por 30$, custao
aqui 40$; na rua do Hospicio n. 15, 2d
andar.

FOR SALE.--Lacerda's Portuguese Dictionary,
in two large volumes, quite new,
arrived by the last mail, price $30, costs here
$40; No. 15 rua do Hospicio, 2nd floor.


VENDE-SE uma preta de meia idade,
que cozinha, lava, e engomma com perfeicao;
para tratar na rua do Viscande de
Itauna n. 12.

FOR SALE.--A middle-aged black woman,
who is a first-rate cook, washes
and irons splendidly; for particulars apply
at No. 12 rua do Viscande de Itauna No.
12.


VENDEM-SE arreios para carrocinhas
de pao; na rua do General Camara n.
86, placa.

FOR SALE.--Harnesses for small carts
for delivery of bread; apply at No. 86
rua do General Camara.


VENDEM-SE 20 moleques, de 14 a 20
annos, vindos do Maranhao no ultimo
vapor; na rua da Prainha n. 72.

FOR SALE.--20 young blacks from 14
to 20 years of age just arrived from Maranham
by the last steamer; No. 72 rua da
Prainha.

We had many visitors to breakfast to-day, and it was nearly two
o'clock before we could set off for the shore _en route_ to Tijuca. We
drove nearly as far as the Botanical Gardens, where it had been
arranged that horses should meet us; but our party was such a large
one, including children and servants, that some little difficulty
occurred at this point in making a fair start. It was therefore late
before we started, the clouds were beginning to creep down the sides
of the hills, and it had grown very dusk by the time we reached the
Chinisi river. Soon afterwards the rain began to come down in such
tropical torrents, that our thin summer clothing was soaked through
and through long before we reached the Tijuca. At last, to our great
joy, we saw ahead of us large plantations of bananas, and then some
gas-lights, which exist even in this remote locality. We followed them
for some little distance, but my horse appeared to have such a very
decided opinion as to the proper direction for us to take, that we
finally decided to let him have his own way, for it was by this time
pitch dark, and none of us had ever been this road before. As we
hoped, the horse knew his own stables, and we soon arrived at the door
of White's hotel, miserable, drenched objects, looking forward to a
complete change of clothing. Unfortunately the cart with our luggage
had not arrived, so it was in clothes borrowed from kind friends that
we at last sat down, a party of about forty, to a sort of table-d'hote
dinner, and it continued to pour with rain during the whole evening,
only clearing up just at bed-time.

_Tuesday, August 29th_.--After all the fine weather we have had
lately, it was provoking to find, on getting up this morning, that the
rain still came steadily down. Daylight enabled us to see what a
quaint-looking place this hotel is. It consists of a series of low
wooden detached buildings, mostly one story high, with verandahs on
both sides, built round a long courtyard, in the centre of which are a
garden and some large trees. It is more like a boarding-house,
however, than an hotel, as there is a fixed daily charge for visitors,
who have to be provided with a letter of introduction! The situation
and gardens are good; it contains among other luxuries a
drawing-room, with a delightful swimming-bath for ladies, and another
for gentlemen. A mountain stream is turned into two large square
reservoirs, where you can disport yourself under the shade of bananas
and palm trees, while orange trees, daturas, poinsettias, and other
plants, in full bloom, drop their fragrant flowers into the crystal
water. There is also a nice little bathing-house, with a douche
outside; and the general arrangements seem really perfect. The views
from the walks around the hotel and in the forest above are beautiful,
as, indeed, they are from every eminence in the neighbourhood of Rio.

During the morning, the weather cleared sufficiently for us to go down
to 'The Boulders,' huge masses of rock, either of the glacial period,
or else thrown out from some mighty volcano into the valley beneath.
Here they form great caverns and caves, overhung with creepers, and so
blocked up at the entrance, that it is difficult to find the way into
them. The effect of the alternate darkness and light, amid twisted
creepers, some like gigantic snakes, others neatly coiled in true
man-of-war fashion, is very striking and fantastic. Every crevice is
full of ferns and orchids and curious plants, while moths and
butterflies flit about in every direction. Imagine, if you can,
scarlet butterflies gaily spotted, yellow butterflies with orange
edgings, butterflies with dark blue velvety-looking upper wings, the
under surface studded with bright owl-like peacock eyes, grey Atlas
moths, and, crowning beauty of all, metallic blue butterflies, which
are positively dazzling, even when seen in a shop, dead. Imagine what
they must be like, as they dart hither and thither, reflecting the
bright sunshine from their wings, or enveloped in the sombre shade of
a forest. Most of them measure from two to ten inches in length from
wing to wing, and many others flit about, equally remarkable for their
beauty, though not so large. Swallow-tails, of various colours, with
tails almost as long, in proportion to their bodies, as those of their
feathered namesakes; god-parents and 'eighty-eights,' with the
figures 88 plainly marked on the reverse side of their rich blue or
crimson wings. In fact, if nature could by any possibility be gaudy,
one might almost say that she is so in this part of the world.

From 'The Boulders' we went down a kind of natural staircase in the
rock to the small cascade, which, owing to the recent rains, appeared
to the best advantage, the black rocks and thick vegetation forming a
fine background to the sheet of flowing white water and foam. Our way
lay first through some castor-oil plantations, and then along the side
of a stream, fringed with rare ferns, scarlet begonias, and grey
ageratum. We returned to the hotel, too late for the general luncheon,
and, after a short rest, went out for a gallop in the direction of the
peak of Tijuca, past the large waterfall, the 'Ladies' Mile,' and
'Grey's View.' The forest is Government property; the roads are
therefore excellent, and are in many places planted with flowers and
shrubs, rare even here. It seems a waste of money, however; for there
is hardly any one to make use of the wide roads, and the forest would
appear quite as beautiful in its pristine luxuriance. To our eyes the
addition of flowers from other countries is no improvement, though the
feeling is otherwise here. More than once I have had a bouquet of
common stocks given to me as a grand present, while orchids,
gardenias, stephanotis, large purple, pink, and white azaleas,
orange-blossom, and roses, were growing around in unheeded profusion.

_Wednesday, August 30th_.--Once more a wet morning; but as it cleared
towards noon, we ordered horses and some luncheon, and went up to
Pedro Bonito. The ride was pleasant enough at first, but as we mounted
higher and higher, we got into the clouds and lost the view. Finally,
there seemed nothing for it but to halt near the top, under a grove of
orange-trees, lunch in the pouring rain, and return without having
reached the summit.

_Friday, September 1st_.--At three o'clock this morning, when I
awoke, I saw at last a bright, clear sky, and at five, finding that
there was every prospect of a beautiful sunrise, we sent for horses,
ate our early breakfast, and set off for the peak of Tijuca. Step by
step we climbed, first through the grounds of the hotel, then through
the forest, till we reached 'The Bamboos,' a favourite halting-place,
by the side of a stream, near which grow, in waving tufts, the
graceful trees which lend their name to the spot. It was very
beautiful in the hill-side forest, with a new prospect opening out at
every step, and set in an ever-varying natural framework of foliage
and flowers. There was not sufficient time to linger, however, as we
would fain have done, in the cool and shady paths, occasionally
illumed by the bright rays of the sun, shining through the foliage of
noble palms, the fronds of tree-ferns, and the spiral stems of
many-coloured creepers.

Before reaching the top of the peak, there are twenty-nine wooden and
ninety-six stone steps to be ascended, at the foot of which we tied
our horses. An iron chain is hung by the side to assist you, without
which it would be rather giddy work, for the steps are steep, and
there is a sheer precipice on one side of them. Arrived at the top,
the scene was glorious; on every side mountains beyond mountains
stretch far away into the distance, and one can see as far north as
Cape Frio, and southwards as far as Rio Grande do Sul, while beneath
lies the bay of Rio, with its innumerable islands, islets, and
indentations. All too soon we had to scramble down again, and mount
our horses for a hurried return to the hotel, there being barely time
for lunch and a scramble to the yacht.

_Monday, September 4th_.--We were all up very early this morning,
superintending the preparations for our eldest boy's departure for
England. The yacht had been gaily dressed with flags, in honour of the
anniversary of the Emperor's wedding-day; but it must be confessed
that our own feelings were hardly in accordance with these external
symbols of joy. Breakfast was a melancholy meal, and I fear that the
visitors from the 'Volage' were not very well entertained. After
breakfast, we went ashore to the market, to get a couple of
lion-monkeys, which had been kept for us, and which Tab was to take
home with him to present to the Zoological Gardens. At one o'clock the
steam-launch from the 'Volage' came alongside and embarked the luggage
and servants. Half an hour later it returned for us; then came many
tearful farewells to the crew, and we set off. We knew the parting had
to be made, but this did not lessen our grief: for although it is at
all times hard to say good-bye for a long period to those nearest and
dearest to you, it is especially so in a foreign land, with the
prospect of a long voyage on both sides. Moreover, it is extremely
uncertain when we shall hear of our boy's safe arrival; not, I fear,
until we get to Valparaiso, and then only by telegram--a long time to
look forward to. Over the next half-hour I had better draw a veil.

At two o'clock precisely, just after we had left the steamer, the
starting bell rang, and the 'Cotopaxi' steamed away. As she passed the
yacht, all our flags were dipped and the guns fired. Then we could see
her rolling on the bar, for, calm as the water was in the bay, there
was a heavy swell outside; and then, all too soon, we lost sight of
her, as she sank,

    ' ... with all we love, below the verge.'

We heard to-day that, the Saturday before our first arrival at Rio,
the bar was quite impassable, even for a man-of-war, and that,
although she succeeded the next day, the sea was extremely rough.

On our return to the 'Sunbeam,' I went to bed to rest, and the
remainder of the party went ashore. A great many visitors came on
board in the course of the afternoon; some remained to dine with us.
At half-past nine we all went on shore again to a ball at the Casino,
the grand public room in Rio, to which we had been invited some days
ago. It seemed a splendid place, beautifully decorated in white and
gold and crimson, with frescoes and pictures let into the walls, and
surrounded by galleries. It is capable of containing fifteen hundred
persons, and I believe that there were even more than that number
present on the occasion of the ball given to the Duke of Edinburgh
some years ago. The arrangement of the large cloakrooms,
refreshment-rooms, and passages downstairs, and the balconies and
supper-rooms upstairs, is very convenient. The ball this evening being
comparatively a small affair, the lower rooms only were used, and
proved amply sufficient. There were not a great many ladies present,
but amongst those we saw some were extremely pretty, and all were
exquisitely dressed in the latest fashions from Paris. The toilettes
of the younger ones looked fresh and simple, while those of the
married ladies displayed considerable richness and taste; for although
Brazilian ladies do not go out much, and, as a rule, remain _en
peignoir_ until late in the afternoon, they never fail to exhibit
great judgment in the selection of their costumes.

The floor was excellent, but the band made rather too much noise, and
the dancing was different, both in style and arrangement, from what we
are accustomed to at home.

The time had now come when we had to say farewell to the many kind
friends whom we have met here, and who have made life so pleasant to
us during the last three weeks, in order that we might return to the
yacht, to complete our preparation for an early start. The last
leave-takings were soon over, and, with mutually expressed hopes that
we might ere long meet some of our friends in England, Tom and I drove
off, in the bright moonlight, to the quay, where our boat was waiting
for us. The other members of our party found the attractions of the
ball so irresistible that they were unable to tear themselves away
until a much later nour.

[Illustration: The Three Navigators]




CHAPTER V.


THE RIVER PLATE.

    _Blue, glossy green, and velvet black,_
    _They coiled and swam; and every track_
    _Was a flash of golden fire._

_Tuesday, September 5th_.--We got under way at 6 a.m., and soon bade
adieu to Rio, where we have spent so many happy days, and to our
friends on board H.M.S. 'Volage' and 'Ready,' with whom we
interchanged salutes in passing. It was a dull wet morning, and we
could not see much of the beauties we were leaving behind us. The peak
of Tijuca and the summit of the Corcovado were scarcely visible, and
the Sugarloaf and Gavia looked cold and grey in the early mist. It was
not long before we were rolling on the bar, and then tumbling about in
very uncomfortable fashion in the rough sea outside. One by one we all
disappeared below, where most of us remained during the greater part
of the day. As for me, I went to bed for good at six o'clock in the
evening, but was called up again at ten, to see some large bonitos
playing about the bows of the yacht. It was really worth the trouble
of getting up and climbing quite into the bows of the vessel to watch
them, as they gambolled and frisked about, brightly illumined by the
phosphorescence of the water, now swimming together steadily in pairs
or fours, now starting in sudden pursuit of one of their number, who
would make an independent rush forward in advance of his companions.

_Saturday, September 9th_.--The last three days have been showery,
with squalls which have freshened to a gale, and we are now scudding
along, under all storm canvas, followed by crowds of cape-pigeons and
cape-hens, and a few albatrosses. Towards this evening, however, the
wind fell light, and we got up steam, in order to be prepared for any
emergency, as a calm is frequently succeeded on this coast by a
_pampero_, and we are now approaching a lee shore.

_Sunday, September 10th_.--Tom has been on deck nearly all night. The
shore is very low and difficult to distinguish, and the lights are
badly kept. If the lighthouse-keeper happens to have plenty of oil,
and is not out shooting or fishing, he lights his lamp; otherwise, he
omits to perform this rather important part of his duties. The
lighthouses can therefore hardly be said to be of much use. About 5
a.m. Kindred rushed down into our cabin, and woke Tom, calling out,
'Land to leeward, sir!' and then rushed up on deck again. The first
glimmer of dawn had enabled him to see that we were running straight
on to the low sandy shore, about three miles off, a very strong
current having set us ten miles out of our course. The yacht's head
was accordingly at once put round, and steaming seaward we soon left
all danger behind. The sun rose brilliantly, and the weather during
the day was very fine. Morning service was impossible, owing to the
necessity for a constant observation of the land; but, after making
the lighthouse on Santa Maria, we had prayers at 4.30 p.m., with the
hymn, 'For those at Sea.' In the night we made the light on Flores,
burning brightly, and before morning those in the harbour of Monte
Video.

_Monday, September 11th_.--After making the Flores light we proceeded
slowly, and dropped our anchor in the outer roads of Monte Video at 4
a.m. At seven o'clock we got it up again, and by eight were anchored
close to the shore. We found that our arrival was expected, and the
health-officers' boat was soon alongside. Next came an officer from
the United States' man-of-war 'Frolic,' with polite messages and
offers of service; and then a steam-launch belonging to the Pacific
Company, and another from the Consul, Major Monro, with piles of
letters and newspapers for us.

Monte Video, as seen from the water, is not an imposing-looking place.
On the opposite side of the entrance to the harbour rises a hill,
called the Cerro, 450 feet high, from which the town derives its name,
and further inland, on the town side, is another eminence, 200 feet
high, called the Cerrito. With these exceptions the surrounding
country looks perfectly flat, without even a tree to break the
monotony.

Soon after breakfast we went ashore--in more senses of the word than
one; for they have commenced to build a mole for the protection of
small vessels, which, in its unfinished state, is not yet visible
above the water. The consequence was that, at a distance of about half
a mile from the landing-steps, we rowed straight on to the submerged
stonework, but fortunately got off again very quickly, without having
sustained any damage. On landing, we found ourselves opposite the
Custom House, a fine building, with which we afterwards made a closer
acquaintance.

There is a large and very good hotel here, l'Hotel Oriental. It is a
handsome building outside, and the interior is full of marble courts,
stone corridors, and lofty rooms, deliciously cool in the hottest
weather. Having procured a carriage, Tom and I and the children drove
through the streets, which are wide and handsome, though badly paved,
and so full of holes that it is a wonder how the springs of a carriage
can last a week. The houses seem built chiefly in the Italian style of
architecture, with fine stucco fronts, and in many cases marble floors
and facings, while the courtyards, seen through the grilles, blazed
with flowers. All the lower windows were strongly barred, a precaution
by no means unnecessary against the effects of the revolutions, which
are of such frequent occurrence in this country. To enable the
inhabitants the better to enjoy the sea-breeze, the tops of the houses
are all flat, which gives the town, from a distance, somewhat of an
eastern appearance. There are a great many Italian immigrants here,
and most of the building and plastering work is done by them.

The Paseo del Molino is the best part of the town, where all the rich
merchants reside in quintas, surrounded by pretty gardens. They are
very fantastic in their ideas of architectural style, and appear to
bestow their patronage impartially, not to say indiscriminately, upon
Gothic cathedrals, Alhambra palaces, Swiss cottages, Italian villas,
and Turkish mosques. Except for this variety, the suburb has somewhat
the appearance of the outskirts of many of the towns on the Riviera,
with the same sub-tropical surroundings. These are, however, hard
times on the River Plate, and more than half the quintas are deserted
and falling into ruins. On our way back, by the Union Road, we met a
great many of the native bullock-carts going home from market. These
huge conveyances are covered with hides, and are drawn by teams of
from two to twelve bullocks, yoked in pairs, and driven by a man on
horseback, who carries a sharp-pointed goad, with which he prods the
animals all round, at intervals. Dressed in a full white linen shirt
and trousers, with his bright poncho and curious saddle-gear, he forms
no unimportant figure in the picturesque scene. In the large
market-place there are hundreds of these carts, with their owners
encamped around them.

When we at last arrived on board the yacht again, at three o'clock, we
found that the miseries of coaling were not yet over, and that there
had been numerous visitors from the shore. Everything on deck looked
black, while below all was pitch dark and airless, every opening and
crevice having been closed and covered with tarpaulin, to keep out the
coal dust. It took seven hours to complete the work, instead of two,
as was hoped and promised, so our chance of starting to-day is over.
This seemed the more disappointing, because, had we foreseen the
delay, we might have made other arrangements for seeing more on shore.

_Tuesday, September 12th_.--The anchor was up, and we were already
beginning to steam away when I came on deck this morning, just in time
to see the first faint streaks of dawn appearing in the grey sky. The
River Plate here is over a hundred miles wide, and its banks are very
flat; so there was nothing to be seen, except the two little hills of
Cerro and Cerrito and the town of Monte Video, fast vanishing in the
distance. The channels are badly buoyed, and there are shoals and
wrecks on all sides. The lightships are simply old hulks, with no
special marks by which to distinguish them; and as they themselves
look exactly like wrecks, they are not of much assistance in the
navigation, which is very confusing, and sometimes perilous. Once we
very nearly ran aground, but discovered just in time that the vessel
we were steering for with confidence was only a wreck, on a dangerous
shoal, and that the lightship itself was further ahead. The yacht was
immediately put about, and we just skirted the bank in turning.

The weather improved during the day, and a fine sunset was followed
by a clear starlight night. At 10.30 p.m. we dropped our anchor
outside all the other vessels in the roads at Buenos Ayres, eight
miles from the shore. The lightship only carried an ordinary riding
light, like any other vessel, so that it was almost impossible, unless
you knew the port very well, to go in closer to the land at night.

_Wednesday, September 13th_.--Daylight did not enable us to
distinguish the town, for the river here is wide and the banks are
low, and we were lying a long way from the shore, outside a great many
fine-looking ships, at anchor in the roads. About nine o'clock a
German captain, in a large whale-boat, came alongside and told us we
were nearly eight miles from Buenos Ayres. Tom arranged with him to
take us ashore; and accordingly we soon started. The water was smooth
and there was a nice breeze, and we sailed gallantly along for about
two hours, until we reached the town. After anchoring, we transshipped
ourselves into a small boat, in which we were rowed to some steps, at
the end of the long rickety mole, where we landed. Some of the planks
of the pier were missing, leaving great holes, big enough to fall
through, and others were so loose that when you stepped upon one end
of them the other flew up almost into your face.

Our first business was to secure the services of a pilot, to take us
up to Rosario. The best man on the river was sent for; but when he
came he did not recommend our undertaking the voyage, as the water is
very low at present, and we might get stuck on a sandbank, and be
detained for some days, although no further harm would be likely to
occur to us. We decided, therefore, as our time is precious, to give
up the idea of making the expedition in the yacht, and to go in the
ordinary river-boat instead.

Under the guidance of some gentlemen, we then went to the Central
Railway Station to send off some telegrams, and thence to the River
Plate Bank. The treasury contains 600,000_l_. in British sovereigns,
locked up in three strong safes, besides paper-money and securities to
the amount of 2,000,000_l_. It was the Rosario branch of this bank
which was recently robbed of 15,000_l_. by an armed government force;
an unprecedented proceeding in the history of nations, and one that
might have led to the interference of foreign powers.

There was time afterwards to go round and see something of the city,
which, like many other South American towns, is built in square
blocks, all the streets running exactly at right angles one to
another. There is a fine plaza, or grand square, in which are situated
the cathedral, theatre, &c., the centre being occupied by a garden,
containing statues and fountains. The various banks, with their marble
facings, Corinthian columns, and splendid halls, are magnificent
buildings, and look more like palaces than places of business. Some of
the private houses, too, seem very handsome. Outside they are all
faced with marble, to a certain height from the ground, the interior,
consisting of courtyard within courtyard, being rather like that of a
Pompeian house.

We next went to the agricultural show, which, though not an imposing
affair to our eyes, appeared really very creditable to those who had
organised it. The horses and cattle looked small, but there were some
good specimens of sheep--specially the _rombonellis_ and _negrettis_,
whose long fine wool was, however, only to be discovered by first
turning aside a thick plaster of mud, beneath which it was concealed.
We saw also some curious animals, natives of the country, such as
vicunas, llamas, bizcachas, and various kinds of deer, a very mixed
lot of poultry and dogs, and two magnificent Persian cats. Another
department of the show was allotted to the commercial products of the
country, animal, vegetable, and mineral; the whole forming a very
interesting collection.

In re-embarking, the disagreeable process of this morning had to be
repeated--rickety pier, rotten steps, and small boat included--before
we reached the whale-boat, after which we had an eight miles' sail out
to the yacht. It was a cold, dull night, and getting on board proved
rather difficult work, owing to the rough sea.

_Thursday, September 14th_.--The pilot came on board at seven o'clock
to take us in nearer the shore, but, after all, we found ourselves
obliged to anchor again five miles off. No ship drawing more than ten
feet can get inside the sand-banks, which makes it a wretched place to
lie in, especially as the weather at this time of year is very
uncertain. You may go ashore from your ship on a fine clear morning,
and before you return a gale may have sprung up, accompanied by a
frightful sea. Open boats are therefore quite unsafe, a state of
things which has given rise to the existence of a class of fine boats,
specially built for the service, which attend all the ships lying in
the roads. They are half-decked, will sail in any weather, and can be
easily managed by two men.

About ten o'clock we went ashore again in the whale-boat, which Tom
had engaged to wait on us during our stay, and made the best of our
way to a warehouse to look at some ponchos, which are the speciality
of this part of South America. Everybody wears one, from the beggar to
the highest official. The best kind of ponchos are very expensive,
being made from a particular part of the finest hair of the vicuna,
hand-woven by women, in the province of Catamarca. The genuine article
is difficult to get, even here. In the shops the price usually varies
from 30_l_. to 80_l_.; but we were shown some at a rather lower
price--from 20_l_. to 60_l_. each. They are soft as silk, perfectly
waterproof, and will wear, it is said, for ever. We met a fine-looking
man in one of beautiful quality yesterday. He told us that it
originally cost 30_l_. in Catamarca, twenty years ago, and that he
gave 20_l_. for it, second-hand, ten years ago; and, with the
exception of a few slight tears, it is now as good as ever. Before we
came here, we were strongly advised, in case we should happen to go on
a rough expedition up country, not to be tempted to take with us any
_good_ ponchos, as the Gauchos, or half-bred Indians of the Pampas,
who are great connoisseurs of these articles, and can distinguish
their quality at a glance, would not hesitate to cut our throats in
order to obtain possession of them.

The material of which they are made is of the closest texture, and as
the hair has never been dressed or dyed it retains all its natural oil
and original colour, the latter varying from a very pretty yellow fawn
to a pale cream-colour. The majority of the ponchos worn here are,
however, made at Manchester, of a cheap and inferior material. They
look exactly like the real thing at first sight, but are neither so
light nor so warm, nor do they wear at all well. Occasionally they are
made of silk, but more often of bright-coloured wool. In shape a
poncho is simply a square shawl with a hole in the middle for the head
of the wearer. On horseback the appearance is particularly
picturesque, and it forms also a convenient cloak, which comes well
over the saddle, before and behind, and leaves the arms, though
covered, perfectly free.

The natives, as a rule, wear a second poncho, generally of a different
colour, tucked into the waistband of their long full linen drawers
(_calzoncillos_), so as to make a pair of short baggy over-trousers. A
poor man is content with a shirt, drawers, and two ponchos. A rich man
has many rows of fringe and frills of lace at the bottom of his
_calzoncillos_, and wears a short coat, with silver buttons, and a
gorgeous silver belt, covered with dollars. His horse-fittings and
massive stirrups (to say nothing of his enormous spurs) will be of
solid silver, and his arms inlaid with the same metal. He will
sometimes give as much as from 10_l_. to 20_l_. for a pair of stirrups
alone, and the rest of his dress and equipment is proportionately
expensive. The cost of the silver articles is little more than the
value of the metal itself, which is of very pure quality, and is only
roughly worked by the Indians or Gauchos. But as Manchester provides
the ponchos, so does Birmingham the saddlery and fittings, especially
those in use in the neighbourhood of towns.

After inspecting the ponchos, we breakfasted with some friends, and
about noon started in the train for Campana. The line passes at first
through the streets of Buenos Ayres, and thence into the open country,
beautifully green, and undulating like the waves of the sea. Near the
town and the suburb of Belgrano are a great many peach-tree
plantations, the fruit of which is used for fattening pigs while the
wood serves for roasting them. There is also some scrubby brushwood,
and a few large native trees; but these are soon left behind, and are
succeeded by far-spreading rich pasture land, and occasional lagunes.

We saw for the first time the holes of the bizcachas, or prairie-dogs,
outside which the little prairie-owls keep guard. There appeared to be
always one, and generally two, of these birds, standing, like
sentinels, at the entrance to each hole, with their wise-looking heads
on one side, pictures of prudence and watchfulness. The bird and the
beast are great friends, and are seldom to be found apart. We also
passed several enormous flocks of sheep and herds of cattle, most of
them quite unattended, though some were being driven by men on
horseback. There were quantities of plovers, and a great many
partridges, of two kinds, large and small, and the numerous lagunes
were covered with and surrounded by water-fowl of all kinds--wild
swans and ducks, snipe, white storks, grey herons, black cormorants,
and scarlet flamingoes, the last-named standing at the edge of the
water, catching fish, and occasionally diving below the surface. On
the very top of some of the telegraph-posts were the nests of the
oven-bird, looking like carved round blocks of wood, placed there for
ornament. These nests are made of mud, and are perfectly spherical in
form, the interior being divided into two quite distinct chambers.

[Illustration: Prairie Dogs and Owls.]

Campana was reached by four o'clock, the train running straight on to
the pier, alongside of which the two vessels were lying, with steam
up. Passengers, baggage, and freight were immediately transferred from
the train to the boats; and we soon found ourselves steaming along in
the 'Uruguay,' between the willow-hung banks of the broad Parana. The
country, though otherwise flat and uninteresting, looks very pretty
just now, in its new spring coat of bright green.

We passed several small towns, amongst others, San Pedro and San
Nicolas, which are quite important-looking places, with a good deal of
shipping, and occasionally stopped to pick up passengers, who had come
in boats and steam-launches from far-distant villages, situated on
lagunes, which our steamer could not enter.

Just before arriving at each stopping-place, we had a race with the
'Proveedor,' and whenever she became visible at a bend in the river,
half a ton more coal was immediately heaped on to our fires by the
captain's order--a piece of reckless extravagance, for, do what they
would, they could not make us gain five minutes. The competition is,
however, very fierce, and I suppose the two companies will not be
satisfied until they have ruined one another; whereas, if each would
run a steamer on alternate days, they and the public would be equally
benefited. The fares are exceedingly reasonable, being less than 3_l_.
for the whole journey from Buenos Ayres to Rosario, including all
charges.

_Friday, September 15th_.--A violent storm of thunder and lightning,
apparently just above our heads, woke us at six o'clock this morning.
Torrents of rain followed, and continued to fall until we dropped our
anchor at Rosario, at 8.45 a.m., just as we were in the middle of
breakfast, in our cozy little stern cabin. Half an hour later we
landed, though the rain still came down in sheets, but the steamer was
now alongside the pier, and close carriages had been provided. A few
minutes' drive through ill-paved streets brought us to the Hotel
Universel, a handsome, spacious building, with marble courtyards, full
of trees, plants, and flowers, into which all the sitting-rooms open.
Above are galleries, round which the various bed-rooms are in like
manner ranged. It all looked nice and cool, and suitable for hot
weather, but it was certainly rather draughty and cheerless on such a
cold, pouring wet day, and all our efforts to make our large room, in
which there were four immense windows, at all comfortable, were vain.

Rosario, like Buenos Ayres, is built in squares. The streets are
generally well paved with black and white marble, but the roadways are
composed of little round stones, and are full of holes and
inequalities, so that, in crossing the road after heavy rain, one
steps from the _trottoir_ into a very slough of despond. The universal
tramway runs down the centre of every street.

After luncheon we made a fresh start for Carcarana by a special train,
to which were attached two goods-vans, full of horses, and a carriage
truck, containing a most comfortable American carriage, in shape not
unlike a Victoria, only much lighter and with very high wheels. After
a short journey through a rich, flat, grass country, we arrived at
Roldan, the first colony of the Central Argentine Land Company. Here
we all alighted, the horses were taken out of the vans, saddled,
bridled, and harnessed, and the gentlemen rode and I drove round the
colony, along what are generally roads, but to-day were sheets of
water. We saw many colonists, of every grade, from those still
occupying the one-roomed wooden cottages, originally supplied by the
Land Company, standing in the midst of ill-cultivated fields, to those
who had built for themselves good houses in the town, or nice
cottages, with pretty gardens, surrounded by well-tilled lands.

The drive ended at the mill belonging to a retired officer of the
British army, who has settled here with his wife and two dear little
children. Here we had tea and a pleasant chat, and then returned to
the train and proceeded to Carcarana, the next station on the line.
Now, however, instead of the rich pasture lands and flourishing crops
which we had hitherto seen on all sides, our road lay through a
desolate-looking district, bearing too evident signs of the
destructive power of the locust. People travelling with us tell us
that, less than a week ago, the pasture here was as fresh and green as
could be desired, and the various crops were a foot high; but that, in
the short space of a few hours, the care and industry of the last ten
months were rendered utterly vain and useless, and the poor colonists
found their verdant fields converted into a barren waste by these
rapacious insects.

Carcarana may be called the Richmond--one might almost say the
Brighton--of Rosario. It stands on a river, the Carcaranal, to the
banks of which an omnibus runs twice a day from the railway-station,
during the season, to take people to bathe. Near the station is also
an excellent little hotel, containing a large dining-room and a few
bed-rooms, kept by two Frenchwomen; and here the Rosarians come out
by train to dine and enjoy the fresh air. It was quite dark by the
time we arrived, so that we could not see much of the flourishing
little colony which has been formed here. We therefore paddled across
the wet road to the inn, where, despite the somewhat rough
surroundings, we enjoyed a capital dinner, cooked in the true French
style. They are specially celebrated here for their asparagus, but the
locusts had devoured all but a very few stalks, besides which they
were held responsible, on the present occasion, for the absence of
other vegetables and salad. Yesterday there was a grand wedding-party
near here, the complete success of which was, we were told, somewhat
marred by the fact, that for six hours, in the very middle of the day,
it became absolutely necessary to light candles, owing to the dense
clouds of locusts, about a league in extent, by which the air was
darkened. Trains are even stopped by these insects occasionally; for
they appear to like a hard road, and when they get on the line their
bodies make the rails so greasy that the wheels of the engines will
not bite. Moreover, they completely obscure the lights and signals, so
that the men are afraid to proceed. The only remedy, therefore, is to
go very slowly, preceded by a truck-load of sand, which is scattered
freely over the rails in front of the engine. Horses will not always
face a cloud of locusts, even to get to their stables, but turn round
and stand doggedly still, until it has passed.

After dinner we once more stepped into our special train, in which we
arrived at Rosario at about half-past nine o'clock, thoroughly tired
out.




CHAPTER VI.

LIFE ON THE PAMPAS.

    _There's tempest in yon horned moon,_
    _And lightning in yon cloud;_
    _But hark the music, mariners!_
    _The wind is piping loud._


_Saturday, September 16th_.--Waking at half-past five, we busied
ourselves until nine o'clock, when we again started in a special train
for Carcarana. After a short stop at Roldan, it was reached two hours
later, and breakfast was followed by a long ride through the Land
Company's colony, and from thence to Candelaria, a purely Spanish
settlement.

I freely confess that I had hardly believed all the stories they told
me last night about the terrible doings of the locusts, and thought
they must have been slightly exaggerated. It all seemed too dreadful
to be true--as if one of the plagues of Egypt had been revived by the
wand of an evil magician. In this somewhat incredulous mood I rashly
said that, although I was very sorry to hear of the visit of these
destructive creatures, as they _were_ unfortunately here, I should
like to see them. My wish was shortly to be gratified; for, in the
course of our ride, we saw in the distant sky what looked very much
like a heavy purple thunder-cloud, but which the experienced
pronounced to be a swarm of locusts. It seemed impossible; but as we
proceeded they met us, first singly, and then in gradually increasing
numbers, until each step became positively painful, owing to the smart
blows we received from them on our heads, faces, and hands. We
stopped for a time at Mr. Holt's large estancia, where,
notwithstanding the general appearance of prosperity, the traces of
the ravages of the locusts were only too visible. On remounting, to
proceed on our journey, we found that the cloud had approached much
nearer, the effect produced by its varying position being most
extraordinary. As the locusts passed between us and the sun they
completely obscured the light; a little later, with the sun's rays
shining directly on their wings, they looked like a golden cloud, such
as one sometimes sees in the transformation scene of a pantomime; and,
at a greater distance, when viewed from the top of a slight eminence,
they looked like a snow-storm, or a field of snow-white marguerites,
which had suddenly taken to themselves wings. When on the ground, with
their wings closed, they formed a close mass of little brown specks,
completely hiding the ground and crops, both grass and grain. In
riding over them, though not a quarter of their number could rise, for
want of space in which to spread their wings, they formed such a dense
cloud that we could see nothing else, and the horses strongly objected
to face them. They got into one's hair and clothes, and gave one the
creeps all over. I am sure I shall often dream of them for some time
to come, and I have quite made up my mind that I never wish to see
another locust as long as I live. I have, however, secured some fine
specimens for any one who is curious about them.

The land we passed through appeared to be well farmed. We spoke to
several of the colonists, especially to one Italian family, living in
a little mud rancho with a tile roof. They were all gathered together
to witness the dying agonies of one of their best cows, perishing from
the effects of the drought. The rest of the animals in the corral
looked, I am sorry to say, thin and miserable, and as if they intended
soon to follow their companion's example. The poor people,
nevertheless, seemed very cheery and contented, and hospitably gave
us each a drink of some remarkably muddy water.

After a thirty-mile ride under a hot sun, fortunately on the easiest
of horses, we were none of us sorry to stop for a short time at
Carcarana, and obtain some refreshment, before proceeding--horses,
carriage, and all--by train to Rosario, another colony on the line.
Arrived at the latter place, I thought I had had enough riding for the
first day, and therefore visited the various farms and houses in the
carriage, the rest of the party going, as before, on horseback. After
a round of about fifteen miles, we returned to the station, where we
were kindly received by the sister of the station-master. An excellent
dinner was provided for us in the refreshment-room, before we entered
our special train, and Rosario was reached at about ten o'clock.

_Sunday, September 17th_.--A kind friend sent his carriage to take us
to the English church, a brick building, built to replace the small
iron church that existed here previously, and only opened last month.
The service was well performed, and the singing of the choir
excellent. We paid a visit to the Sunday schools after luncheon, and
then drove to the quinta of Baron Alvear. The road lies through the
town, past the race-course, crowded with Gauchos, getting up scratch
races amongst themselves, and on, over undulating plains and
water-courses, into the open country. Sometimes there was a track,
sometimes none. In some places the pastures were luxuriantly green; in
others the ground was carpeted with white, lilac, and scarlet verbena,
just coming into bloom--for it is still early spring here. Here and
there came a bare patch, completely cleared by the locusts, who had
also stripped many of the fine timber trees in the garden of the
quinta. On the gate-posts, at the entrance, were the nests of two
oven-birds, like those we had already seen on the telegraph-posts, so
exactly spherical as to look like ornaments. In one of the shrubberies
a fine jaguar was shut up in a cage, who looked very like a tiger.
Though he had evidently just had his dinner, he was watching with
greedy interest the proceedings of some natives in charge of a
horse--an animal which he esteems a great delicacy, when procurable.

On our way across the camp we saw a great quantity of the seeds of the
Martynia proboscidea, mouse-burrs as they call them,--devil's claws or
toe-nails: they are curious-looking things, as the annexed woodcut
will show.

[Illustration: Devils Horns]

Frank Buckland has a theory--and very likely a correct one--that they
are created in this peculiar form for the express purpose of attaching
themselves to the long tails of the wild horses that roam about the
country in troops of hundreds. They carry them thousands of miles, and
disseminate the seed wherever they go at large in search of food and
water.

When we returned to Rosario we noticed a great crowd still on the
race-course, and were just in time to see the finish of one race,
ridden barebacked, and for a very short distance. All the races are
short; and as the natives are always engaging in these little contests
of speed, the horses get into the habit of extending themselves
directly you put them out of a walk. But the least touch is sufficient
to stop them immediately, and I never saw horses better broken than
they are here. The most fearful bits are used for the purpose; but
when once this is accomplished, the mere inclination of the body, or
the slightest pressure of the finger upon the bridle, is sufficient to
guide them. They will maintain, for almost any length of time, a quick
canter--what they call here 'a little gallop'--at the rate of three
leagues (ten miles) an hour, without showing the slightest sign of
fatigue. They don't like being mounted, and always fidget a little
then, but are quite quiet directly you are in the saddle. I rode
several horses which had never carried a lady before; but after the
first few minutes they did not seem to mind the riding-habit in the
least. They evidently dislike standing still, unless you dismount and
throw the rein on the ground, when they will remain stationary for
hours.

_Monday, September 18th_.--The early part of this morning was spent in
much the same way as on Saturday, Tom going as before to the Land
Company's Office, whilst I remained at home to write.

At nine o'clock we proceeded to the station, and started in our
comfortable railway carriage for Tortugas. We formed quite a large
party altogether, and the journey over the now familiar line, past
Roldan, Carcarana, and Canada de Gomez, was a very pleasant one. At
Tortugas we left the train, and paid a visit to one of the overseers
of the colony and his cheery little French wife, who, we found, had
been expecting us all day on Saturday. A few weeks ago this lady's
sister was carried off by Indians, with some other women and children.
After riding many leagues, she seized her opportunity, pushed the
Indian who was carrying her off his horse, turned the animal's head
round, and galloped back across the plain, hotly pursued, until within
a mile or two of the colony, by the rest of the band. It was a plucky
thing for a little bit of a woman to attempt with a great powerful
savage, and she is deservedly looked upon in the village as quite a
heroine.

The journey between Rosario and Cordova occupies twelve hours by the
ordinary train; and as Frayle Muerto is exactly half-way between the
two places, the trains going in either direction commence their
journey at the same hours (6 a.m. and 6 p.m.), by which means the
passengers meet each other here in time to breakfast and dine
together. There is a fine bridge over the river near Frayle Muerto,
but the place is principally celebrated as having been the site of the
Henleyite colony, which caused disappointment to so many young men of
family, who were induced to come out here from England and to go up
country, with no other result than the loss of all their money. The
scheme was supposed to be perfect in all its details, but proved upon
a closer acquaintance to be utterly worthless. The iron church at
Rosario is still standing, which the members of the expedition took up
there, and we have also met some of the young men themselves at
various times.

The train did not reach Cordova until 7.30 p.m., and it was therefore
too late for us to see much of the approach to the city, but to-morrow
we intend to do a good deal in that way. In the middle of the night we
were aroused by a violent thunderstorm. The lightning was most vivid,
and illuminated our room with many colours. The rain fell heavily,
flooding everything, and making the streets look like rivers, and the
courtyard of the hotel like a lake. It is one of the oldest, and, at
the same time, one of the most unhealthy, of the cities of South
America, for it is built in the hollow of the surrounding hills, where
no refreshing breezes can penetrate.

Travelling in Brazil is like passing through a vast hothouse, filled
with gorgeous tropical vegetation and forms of insect life. In the
neighbourhood of Monte Video you might imagine yourself in a perpetual
greenhouse. Here it is like being in a vast garden, in which the
greenest of turf, the brightest of bedding-out plants, and the most
fragrant flowering shrubs abound. Each country, therefore, possesses
its own particular beauty, equally attractive in its way.

Shortly after leaving Cordova we passed through an Indian village;
but, except at this point, we did not meet many natives during our
ride. One poor woman, however, whom we did unfortunately encounter,
had a fall from her horse, owing to the animal being frightened at the
umbrella I carried, yet my own horse had, after a very brief
objection, quietly submitted to the introduction of this novelty into
the equipment of his rider.

[Illustration: La Calera.]

We found that the hotel on the Caldera for which we were bound was
shut up; but one of the party had the keys, and an excellent lunch
quickly made its appearance. The view from the verandah, over the
river, to the Sierras beyond, was very fine. It had become quite hot
by this time, and I was much interested in seeing all our horses taken
down to the water to bathe. They appeared to be perfectly familiar
with the process; and, the river being shallow, they picked out all
the nice holes between the boulders, where they could lie down and be
completely covered by the water. Just as we were starting to return,
black clouds gathered from all around; the lightning flashed, the
thunder muttered, and big drops began to fall. But the storm was not
of long duration, and we escaped the worst part of it, though we had
ample evidence of its severity during our homeward ride, in the
slippery ground, the washed-away paths, and the swollen ditches. We
stopped half-way to see the drowning out of some poor little bizcachas
from their holes. The water had been turned into their dwellings by
means of trenches, and as the occupants endeavoured to make their
escape at the other end they were pounced upon by men and dogs; the
prairie-owls meanwhile hovering disconsolately overhead. Two of the
gentlemen of our party each managed to purchase a living bizcacha,
which was then wrapped up in a handkerchief and conveyed home. When
young they are pretty little creatures, and are easily tamed.

It was late when we reached Cordova; but I was anxious to visit the
Observatory before our departure, as it is one of the best, though not
by any means the largest, in the world. Professor Gould, the
astronomer, is away just at present, but we were kindly received by
Mrs. Gould, who conducted us over the building. They have a fine
collection of various instruments and some wonderful photographs of
the principal stars--Saturn, with his ring and eight moons, Jupiter,
with his four moons, Venus, Mercury, &c. If we could have stayed
longer we might have seen much more; but it was now quite dark, and we
had only just time for a short visit to the observing room itself. Our
ride down to the city in the dark would have been exceedingly risky if
our horses had been less sure-footed, for the roads had been washed
away in many places, but we reached the bottom of the Observatory hill
in safety, and shortly afterwards arrived at the hotel just in time
for dinner.

After dinner we drove to the station, where we found all our own party
assembled, and many more people, who had come to see us off. I was
given the Chilian bit used for the horse I rode to-day, as a
remembrance of my visit. It is a most formidable-looking instrument
of torture, and one which I am sure my dear little steed did not in
the least require; but I suppose the fact of having once felt it, when
being broken in, is sufficient for a lifetime, for the horses here
have certainly the very lightest mouths I ever met with. A gift of a
young puma, or small lion, was also waiting for me. It is about four
months old, and very tame; but, considering the children, I think it
will be more prudent to pass it on to the Zoo, in London.

The train started at 8.30 p.m. and took an hour to reach Rio Segundo,
where we found tea and coffee prepared. After that we proceeded to
make our arrangements for the night; some of the gentlemen sleeping in
the saloon-carriages, and some on beds made up in the luggage-van. Tom
and I turned into our two cozy little berths, and knew nothing more
until we were called at 4.30 a.m. at Canada de Gomez. The lamp had
gone out, and we found it rather difficult work dressing and packing
in the cold and dark; but it was soon done, and a cup of hot coffee in
the refreshment-room afterwards made us feel quite comfortable.

Then we all separated: Captain Dunlop to join his ship; Tom to
complete his report on the colonies of the Central Argentine Land
Company, which he is preparing in compliance with the request of the
Directors in London; while the rest of the party awaited the arrival
of the waggonette which was to take us to the estancia of Las Rosas.

_Wednesday, September 20th_.--At 6.30 a.m. the waggonette arrived, a
light but strong, unpainted vehicle, drawn by a pair of active little
well-bred horses, both of whom had been raced in their day. There were
but a few leagues of cultivated ground to be passed before we reached
the broad, undulating, solitary Pampas, where for some time the only
visible signs of life were to be found in the Teru-tero birds (a sort
of plover), who shrieked discordantly as we disturbed their repose;
the partridges, large and small, put up by the retriever who
accompanied us; some prairie fowls; a great many hawks, of all sizes;
and the pretty little wydah-birds, with their two immense tail
feathers, four times the length of their bodies. The first glimpse of
the far-spreading prairie was most striking in all its variations of
colour. The true shade of the Pampas grass, when long, is a light
dusty green; when short it is a bright fresh green. But it frequently
happens that, owing to the numerous prairie-fires, either accidental
or intentional, nothing is to be seen but a vast expanse of black
charred ground, here and there relieved by a few patches of vivid
green, where the grass is once more springing up under the influence
of the rain.

The road, or rather track, was in a bad condition, owing to the recent
wet weather, and on each side of the five _canadas_, or small rivers,
which we had to ford, there were deep morasses, through which we had
to struggle as best we could, with the mud up to our axletrees. Just
before arriving at the point where the stream had to be crossed, the
horses were well flogged and urged on at a gallop, which they
gallantly maintained until the other side was reached. Then we stopped
to breathe the horses and to repair damages, generally finding that a
trace had given way, or that some other part of the harness had shown
signs of weakness. On one occasion we were delayed for a considerable
time by the breaking of the splinter-bar, to repair which was a
troublesome matter; indeed, I don't know how we should have managed it
if we had not met a native lad, who sold us his long lasso to bind the
pieces together again. It was a lucky _rencontre_ for us, as he was
the only human being we saw during the whole of our drive of thirty
miles, except the peon who brought us a change of horses, half-way.

In the course of the journey we passed a large estancia, the road to
which was marked by the dead bodies and skeletons of the poor beasts
who had perished in the late droughts. Hundreds of them were lying
about in every stage of decay, those more recently dead being
surrounded by vultures and other carrion-birds. The next _canada_ that
we crossed was choked up with the carcases of the unfortunate
creatures who had struggled thus far for a last drink, and had then
not had sufficient strength left to extricate themselves from the
water. Herds of miserable-looking, half-starved cattle were also to be
seen, the cows very little larger than their calves, and all
apparently covered with the same rough shaggy coats. The pasture is
not fine enough in this part of the country to carry sheep, but deer
are frequently met with.

A little later we again began to approach cultivated land, and a mile
or two further brought us to a broad road, with high palings on either
side, down which we drove, and through the yard, to the door of the
estancia. The house is a one-story building, one room wide, with a
verandah in front and at the back, one side of which faces the yard,
the other a well-kept garden, full of violets and other spring
flowers, and roses just coming into bloom. There are several smaller
detached buildings, in which the sleeping apartments are situated, and
which are also provided with verandahs and barred windows. Having
visited the various rooms, in company with our hosts, we sat down to a
rough but substantial breakfast, to which full justice was done.
Travelling all night, and a ride of thirty miles in the fresh morning
air, have a tendency to produce a keen appetite; and the present
occasion proved no exception to that rule.

After breakfast I rested and wrote some letters, while the gentlemen
inspected the farm and stud. The proprietor of this estancia has the
best horses in this part of the country, and has taken great pains to
improve their breed, as well as that of the cattle and sheep, by
importing thorough-breds from England. Unlike the Arabs, neither
natives nor settlers here think of riding mares, and it is considered
quite a disgrace to do so. They are therefore either allowed to run
wild in troops, or are used to trample out corn or to make mud for
bricks. They are also frequently killed and boiled down, for the sake
of their hides and tallow, the value of which does not amount to more
than about 10_s_. per head. Large herds of them are met with at this
time of the year on the Pampas, attended by a few horses, and
accompanied by their foals.

The natives of these parts pass their lives in the saddle. Horses are
used for almost every conceivable employment, from hunting and fishing
to brick-making and butter-churning. Even the very beggars ride about
on horseback. I have seen a photograph of one, with a police
certificate of mendicancy hanging round his neck, taken from life for
Sir Woodbine Parish. Every domestic servant has his or her own horse,
as a matter of course; and the maids are all provided with habits, in
which they ride about on Sundays, from one estancia to another, to pay
visits. In fishing, the horse is ridden into the water as far as he
can go, and the net or rod is then made use of by his rider. At Buenos
Ayres I have seen the poor animals all but swimming to the shore, with
heavy carts and loads, from the ships anchored in the inner roads; for
the water is so shallow that only very small boats can go alongside
the vessels, and the cargo is therefore transferred directly to the
carts to save the trouble and expense of transshipment. In
out-of-the-way places, on the Pampas, where no churns exist, butter is
made by putting milk into a goat-skin bag, attached by a long lasso to
the saddle of a peon, who is then set to gallop a certain number of
miles, with the bag bumping and jumping along the ground after him.

About four o'clock the horses--much larger and better bred animals
than those we have been riding lately--were brought round from the
corral. Mine was a beauty; easy, gentle, and fast. We first took a
canter round the cultivated ground, about 300 acres in extent, and in
capital condition. Lucerne grows here splendidly, and can be cut seven
times a year. As we left the yard, Mr. Nield's man asked if he would
take the dogs. He replied in the negative; but I suppose he must have
referred to the greyhounds only, for we were certainly accompanied on
the present occasion by _eleven_ dogs of various sorts and sizes,
those left behind being shut up and kept without food, in anticipation
of the stag-hunt to-morrow. We rode over the race-course, where the
horses are trained, and on to the partridge ground. The larger kind of
these birds are extremely stupid, and are easily ridden down by a
horseman, or caught in a noose. They rise three times, and after the
third flight they are so exhausted and terrified that it is easy to
dismount and catch them with the hand, as they lie panting on the long
grass. Partridge-hunting is considered good sport. It is necessary to
keep your eye constantly fixed upon the bird, and to watch where he
settles, and then to gallop to the spot as hard as possible, leaving
your horse to look after himself amid the long grass; and this
manoeuvre has to be repeated until at last the unfortunate bird is
overtaken and caught.

As we were riding along, the dogs found and killed a bizcacha, in a
bank. Just as Mr. Elliott had pulled it out, and had laid it, dead, in
the field, its little companion owl arrived, and appeared to be in the
most dreadful state of mind. It shrieked and cried, as it hovered over
us, and finally selected a small white fox terrier, who, I think,
really had been principally concerned in the death, as the object of
its vengeance, pouncing down upon his head, and giving him two or
three good pecks, at the same time flapping its wings violently. The
other dogs drove it off; but more than half an hour afterwards, while
we were looking at some horses, nearly a mile from the spot, the
plucky little owl returned to the charge, and again swooped down upon
the same dog, with a dismal cry, and administered a vigorous peck to
him. Altogether it was a striking and interesting proof of the
attachment existing between these curious birds and beasts; the object
of the owl in the present instance clearly being to revenge if
possible the death of its friend.

On our return to the farm, we went all round the place, and found that
everything was being made secure for the night; after which we watched
all the servants come in one by one for their daily ration of grog,
and then retired to dress for dinner, shortly after which, being
thoroughly tired out, I retired to my bed-room, attended by a very
kind old Irishwoman, who had been deputed to look after me. My mind
was at first somewhat disturbed by the discovery of one or two
enormous toads and long-armed spiders in my apartment; but they
fortunately did not interfere with my repose, for I slept like a top.
All the rooms being on the ground-floor, it is almost impossible
entirely to exclude intruders of this description. I admired very much
what I took to be two fine ponchos, of a delicate fawn-colour, used as
tablecloths, but upon a closer examination I found that they were made
of the finest silk, and learned afterwards that they were imported
from England. I don't know why the same material should not be
employed for a similar purpose at home; but I believe that those
manufactured hitherto have been designed expressly for the South
American market, to which they are exported in considerable
quantities.

_Thursday, September 21st_.--At five o'clock, when I awoke, it was so
misty that I could only see about half-way across the yard. By six,
the hour at which we were to have started on our hunting expedition,
matters had improved a little; but it was still considered unsafe to
venture out, for fear of being lost on the vast plains which
surrounded us. An hour later, however, it was reported that the fog
was clearing off, and a little before eight o'clock we started.
Horses, riders, and dogs, all appeared to be in the highest spirits,
the former jumping and frisking about, hardly deigning to touch the
ground, the latter tearing after one another and barking at every
stray bird they met. The pack numbered seventeen, and could hardly be
called a level lot of hounds, comprising, as it did, two deerhounds,
five well-bred greyhounds, two retrievers, one setter, one spaniel,
one French poodle, two fox terriers, one black and tan terrier, and
two animals of an utterly indescribable breed; but they all did their
work well, as the event proved. Even the shaggy fat old French poodle
arrived in each case before the deer was cut up.

Two deer were soon descried in the distance, and we cantered steadily
towards them at the rate of about ten miles an hour, until the dogs
winded and sighted them. Then, directly the first short yelp was
heard, every horse extended himself in an instant, galloping away as
hard as he could go, almost literally _ventre a terre_. They were
nearly all thoroughbreds, and had been raced, so that the speed was
something delightful. But it only lasted ten minutes, at the end of
which time the dogs ran into one of the deer, and thus put a temporary
stop to our enjoyment. He proved to be a fine buck, and was soon
killed. His legs were cut off for trophies, but, his horns being like
velvet, the head was not worth having. Some of the dogs pursued the
doe, but failed to pull her down, and returned half an hour later
fatigued and panting.

It had become hot by this time, so we rode to the nearest water, to
enable the animals to drink and bathe, and then started afresh at a
sharp canter. There were plenty of bizcacha holes and boggy places to
be avoided; but we allowed the horses to take care of themselves and
us in this respect, and occupied ourselves almost exclusively in
looking for fresh deer. For some time we found nothing; then two
sprang out of the long grass close to the _canada_, which they
crossed, and, on reaching the other side, started off in different
directions. The pack pursued and divided, some going after each
animal. I, and two others of the party, followed the doe, and after
another short burst of ten minutes, at a tremendous pace, we ran into
and killed her. As soon as she had been despatched, we wanted to
follow the buck, in pursuit of which the rest of the riders had gone,
but there was now nothing to be seen of him or them. Flat as the
country looked, the slight undulations of the ground quite hid them
from our view. After riding about for two hours in various directions,
looking and listening most patiently, we abandoned the search in
despair, and returned to the house, where we found that our friends
had already arrived. They had enjoyed the best run they have had for
many months--seven miles, from point to point--but the dogs had lain
down, dead beat, at the end of the first six miles. The horsemen had
galloped on, their animals tailing off one by one, until only two
remained in it at all. Having mutually agreed to let the stag live
till another day to afford perhaps as good a run and as much pleasure
to some one else, they thereupon also abandoned the chase, and turned
their horses' heads homewards.

After a change of dress, we proceeded to pack up, preparatory to our
departure, and then had breakfast, after which we bade adieu to our
kind hosts, and started in the waggonette to retrace our steps to the
station. It was very bright and hot, and the sun and wind had already
begun to have a visible effect upon the vegetation of the Pampas. The
streams were much more passable, and we reached Canada de Gomez at
about half-past five, in a shorter time, than it had taken us to
perform the outward journey yesterday. On reaching Rosario at about
ten o'clock, we found several friends waiting to receive us, with
invitations to tea; but we felt too tired in body and too disreputable
in appearance to accept them, and preferred going straight to our
hotel and to bed.




CHAPTER VII.

MORE ABOUT THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC.

    _The twilight is sad and cloudy,_
    _The wind blows wild and free,_
    _And like the wings of sea-birds_
    _Flash the white caps of the sea._


_Friday, September 22nd_.--Mr. Fisher called for me at 8 a.m., to
drive me in his little carriage to the railway yard and workshops, and
then to pay some farewell visits. We also went to see the market, and
to get some photographs of Rosario; after which, breakfast,
packing-up, and paying the bill occupied our time until one o'clock,
when we started for the steamer, to return to Buenos Ayres. On our
arrival alongside the 'Proveedor,' I found that nearly all our Rosario
friends had come down to the landing-place to see us off, and had
brought all manner of remembrances for me and the children. Flowers in
profusion; a tame cardinal bird for Muriel; a pair of dear little
long-tailed green paroquets; the skin of a seal, shot at the
Alexandria colony; a beautiful poncho; an Argentine bit, whip, and
stirrups; a carpincha skin; two pretty little muletas--a sort of
armadillo, very tame, and often kept in the houses here as a pet; and
several other presents, all of which, when I look at them at home,
will serve to remind me of the kind donors, and of the happy days
spent in the Argentine Republic.

It was not long before we were off, and steaming slowly astern of the
'Uruguay.' This boat is not so large nor so fast as the 'Uruguay,'
though the difference in speed does not probably amount to more than
fifteen minutes in the twenty-four hours. Her saloon and deck are not
so good, but her sleeping-cabins are much larger and more comfortable.
The Italian captains are equally agreeable on both steamers, the
civility is the same, and the fares and food are precisely similar, so
that there is not much left to influence one in the choice of vessels.
We had a pleasant party at an excellent dinner in the evening, the
captain only regretting that we had not been on board two days ago,
when Mlle. P. and the opera company went down from Rosario to Buenos
Ayres. They had a very cheery evening, and some good music, which Tom
told us afterwards he thoroughly enjoyed. There were no musicians on
board to-night, and not any temptation to sit up late, which was
perhaps as well; one of the reasons for our going back this way being
that we wished to have an opportunity of seeing the River Tigre, which
we should reach in the early morning. On the upward journey we had, to
save time, embarked at Campana, which is situated above that river.

_Saturday, September 23rd_.--At 4.30 a.m. the captain called me, being
anxious that I should not miss any of the beauties of the Tigre. On my
arrival on deck he kindly had a chair placed for me right in the bows,
provided me with rugs and wraps, and sent for some hot coffee, which
was particularly acceptable, as the morning air was fresh and chilly.
The sky was flushed with rosy clouds, the forerunners of one of the
most beautiful sunrises imaginable. The river itself is narrow and
monotonous, the branches of the willow-tree on either bank almost
sweeping the sides of the steamer. The centre channel is fairly deep;
but we managed to run aground once, though we only drew nine feet, and
in turning a sharp corner it was necessary to send a boat ashore with
a rope, to pull the vessel's head round.

At half-past six we reached the port of Tigre, where we found many
fine ships waiting for the tide, to go up the river. Some delay
occurred while the passengers' luggage was being examined; but in
about half an hour we were able to land and walk to the
railway-station, through an avenue of shady trees, round the trunks of
which the wistaria, now in full bloom, was climbing, and past several
houses, whose pretty gardens were ablaze with all sorts of flowers. At
the station I found a letter from Tom, telling me we were expected to
breakfast at a quinta, not far from Buenos Ayres.

For about an hour and a half the line ran through a rich and fertile
country, quite the garden of Buenos Ayres, until we arrived at the
station where we were to alight. Here Mr. Coghlan met us and drove us
to his house, which is charmingly situated in the midst of a grove of
olive-trees, formerly surrounding the palace of the viceroys. After
breakfast the gardener cut us a fine bouquet of roses and violets, and
we walked to the tramway, and were conveyed by one of the cars,
smoothly and quickly, to the city. The contrast between this mode of
travelling and riding in an ordinary carriage through the ill-paved
streets is very striking. It is really less fatiguing to walk than to
adopt the latter mode of conveyance, and I believe that, but for the
look of the thing, most people would prefer to do so. How the vehicles
themselves stand the jolting I cannot imagine, for they are all large
and handsome, and must suffer tremendous strains.

At noon we went with Mr. Coghlan to see the market and the museum, and
to do some shopping. The market is a large open building, well
supplied with everything at moderate prices; meat, game, fruit,
vegetables, and flowers being especially cheap and good. House-rent
and fine clothes--what Muriel would call 'dandy things'--are very dear
in Buenos Ayres, but all the necessaries of life are certainly cheap.
People of the middle and lower classes live much better here than they
do at home, and the development of bone and muscle in large families
of small children, owing to the constant use of so much meat and
strong soup, is very remarkable. When once they have attained the age
at which they can run about, children get on very well; but the
climate, and the difficulty of obtaining a proper supply of milk in
hot weather, often prove fatal to infants. It is very difficult to get
good servants here, as they can easily obtain much higher pay in other
capacities, and are very soon enabled to set up in business for
themselves. Returning to the hotel, we collected our parcels and had
some luncheon, and then proceeded to the pier, where we found the
children waiting for us to embark in the gig, and we soon arrived
safely on board the 'Sunbeam.'

At about half-past six, Tom and Mabelle returned from their expedition
to the largest and most comfortable estancia in the country, where
they were received most hospitably, and enjoyed themselves very much.

After dinner, some of our party left in the whale-boat, being anxious
to be present at Madame Almazilia's benefit performance at the opera,
for which I fear they arrived too late after all. Whilst we were
waiting at the railway-station to-day, some of the bouquets, which
were to be presented at the theatre to-night, arrived by train. The
flowers were arranged in all manner of strange shapes and
devices--full-sized tables and chairs, music-stands, and musical
instruments, and many other quaint conceits, composed entirely of grey
Neapolitan violets, marked out with camellias and other coloured
flowers.

_Sunday, September 24th_.--Most of us went ashore in the whale-boat at
ten o'clock, to attend the English church, reopened to-day for the
first time for some months. After our own service we met many friends,
and walked to the Roman Catholic cathedral. The streets were full of
well-appointed carriages, and in the interior of the building we found
a great many well-dressed ladies, and a few men. Mass had not
commenced, and a constant stream of worshippers was still entering;
but we remained only for a short time, and then returned to the Mole.
By this time the wind had freshened considerably, and several of our
friends tried to persuade us to remain on shore; but as we knew Tom
was expecting us, and we wanted to get the things we required for our
next journey, we thought it better to go off.

It took us two hours and a half, beating against the wind, to reach
the yacht, sea-sick, and drenched to the skin. Directly we got outside
the bar the sea was very bad, and each wave broke more or less over
the little half-deck, under which the children had been packed away
for shelter. Seeing how rough it was out at the anchorage--far worse
than near the shore--Tom had quite given us up, for it was now
half-past three, and was preparing to come ashore, bringing our things
with him. On board the yacht we found an unfortunate French maid, and
another servant, who had come off early in the morning to spend the
day and have dinner with our people, but who were now lying prostrate
and ill in the cabin.

Champagne and luncheon revived us a little, and Tom hurried us off to
get ashore again by daylight, before the weather became worse. It was
a very pleasant twenty minutes' sail to the shore, racing along before
the wind, with two reefs in the mainsail--quite a different thing from
beating out. The tide was high, and the captain therefore steered for
the pier, where he hoped to land us. Unfortunately, however, he missed
it; and as it was impossible to make another tack out, all that could
be done was to let go the anchor to save running ashore, and wait
until they sent out a small boat to fetch us. This took some little
time during which we pitched and tossed about in a very disagreeable
fashion. When the boat did at last arrive she turned out to be a
wretched little skiff, rowed by two men, with very indifferent oars,
and only capable of taking three passengers at a time. Tom went first,
taking with him the two children, and the two poor sea-sick maids, and
the boat at once put off for the land, Tom steering. It was terrible
to watch them from the whale-boat, and when one tremendous sea came,
and the skiff broached to, I thought for a moment that all was over,
as did every one who was watching our proceedings from the pier. I
could not look any more, till I heard shouts that they were safe
ashore. Then came our turn. The boat returned for us, this time
provided with better oars, and we were soon landed in safety, if not
in comfort; and a third and last trip brought ashore the rest of the
party and the luggage, Tom remaining at the tiller.

Mr. Coghlan had come down to meet us, but, seeing the peril of the
first boat, had gone away until he heard we were all landed, and now
returned to congratulate us on our narrow escape and present safety.
After we had rested for a short time in the waiting-room, to recover
from our fright and shake our dripping garments, we went to the Hotel
de la Paix, where we dined, and at ten o'clock we walked down to the
railway-station, where a large number of people had already assembled,
some of whom were to accompany us to Azul, while others had only come
to see us off.

Everything had been most comfortably arranged for us in the special
train. The interior fittings of two second-class American carriages
had been completely taken out, and a canvas lining, divided into
compartments, each containing a cozy little bed, had been substituted.
Wash-stands, looking-glasses, &c., had been provided, and a profusion
of beautiful flowers filled in every available spot. In a third car
two tables, occupying its entire length, with seats on one side of
each table, had been placed; and here it was intended that we should
breakfast, lunch, and dine.

_Monday, September 25th_.--We slept soundly--speaking for the children
and myself--until we were aroused at six o'clock this morning by the
agreeable intelligence that we had reached our destination. Azul is
about 300 miles south of Buenos Ayres, on the Southern Railway. It is
a small and primitive place in itself, but is situated in the midst
of splendid pastures, both for rearing sheep and cattle, of which
there are large flocks and herds.

Whilst we were waiting for breakfast, we walked a little distance to
see a troop of mares treading mud for bricks. It was a curious, but
rather sad sight. Inside a circular enclosure, some fifty yards in
diameter, about fifty half-starved animals, up to their houghs in very
sloppy mud, were being driven round about, and up and down, as fast as
they could go, by a mounted peon, assisted by five or six men on foot,
outside the enclosure, armed with long heavy whips, which they used
constantly. Some of the poor creatures had foals, which were tied up a
little distance off, and which kept up a piteous whinnying, as an
accompaniment to the lashings and crackings of the whips. On our way
back to the station we saw a horse, attached to a light gig, bolt
across the Pampas at full gallop, vainly pursued by a man on
horseback. First one wheel came off and then the other; then the body
of the gig was left behind, and then the shafts and most of the
harness followed suit; until at last--as we afterwards heard--the
runaway reached his home, about five miles off, with only his bridle
remaining.

At nine o'clock the breakfast-bell rang, and we found an excellent
repast spread out for us on two long tables. An hour later we started
in seven large carriages, and proceeded first to make the tour of the
town, afterwards visiting the bank, and a fine new house in the course
of construction by a native, built entirely of white marble from
Italy. Then we paid a visit to some Indians--an old chief and his four
wives, who have settled quietly down in a toldo near the town. They
were not bad-looking, and appeared fairly comfortable, as they
squatted in the open air round the fire, above which was suspended a
large iron pot, containing, to judge by the look and smell, a most
savoury preparation. We next went to a store, where we picked up a few
curiosities, and then drove to the mill of Azul, a new establishment,
of which the inhabitants of the town are evidently very proud. There
is a pretty walk by the mill-stream, overhung with willows, and close
by is another toldo, inhabited by more Indians.

[Illustration: Indians at Azul]

Leaving the town, we now proceeded about two leagues across the Pampas
to Mr. Frer's estancia. He is a farmer, on a very extensive scale, and
possesses about 24,000 sheep and 500 horses, besides goodly herds of
cattle. The locusts have not visited this part of the country, and the
pastures are consequently in fine condition after the late rains,
while the sheep look proportionately well. We passed a large
_grasseria_, or place where sheep are killed at the rate of seven in a
minute, and are skinned, cut up, and boiled down for tallow in an
incredibly short space of time, the residue of the meat being used in
the furnace as fuel. Running about loose, outside, were four or five
curly-horned rams, between two of which a grand combat took place,
apparently conducted in strict accordance with the rules of fighting
etiquette. The two animals began by walking round and round, eyeing
each other carefully, and then retiring backwards a certain distance,
which might have been measured out for them, they stopped so exactly
simultaneously. Then, gazing steadfastly at one another for a few
moments, as if to take aim, they rushed forward with tremendous force,
dashing their foreheads together with a crash that might have been
heard a mile away. It seemed marvellous that they did not fracture
their skulls, for they repeated the operation three or four times
before Mr. Frer could get a man to help to stop the fight, when the
two combatants were led off, in a very sulky state, to be locked up
apart.

Arrangements had been made for us to see as much of station-life as
possible during our short visit. The peons' dinner had been put back,
in order that we might witness their peculiar method of roasting, or
rather baking, their food, and eating it; but we were rather later
than was expected, and the men were so hungry that we were only able
to see the end of the performance. Mr. Frer had also sent a long way
across the Pampas for some wild horses, belonging to him, in order
that we might see them lassoed; and Colonel Donovan had brought with
him one of his best domidors, or horse-breakers, that we might have an
opportunity of seeing an unbroken colt caught and backed for the first
time.

About a hundred horses were driven into a large corral, and several
gauchos and peons, some on horseback and some on foot, exhibited their
skill with the lasso, by catching certain of the animals, either by
the fore leg, the hind leg, or the neck, as they galloped round and
round at full speed. The captured animal got a tremendous fall in each
case, and if the mounted horse was not very clever and active, he and
his rider were very likely to be thrown down also. There was the risk
too of the man receiving an injury from the lasso itself, if it should
happen to get round his body, in which case he would probably be
almost cut in half by the sudden jerk.

[Illustration: Lassoing Horses.]

The next proceeding was to cast a lasso at a _potro_, or unbroken
colt, who was galloping about in the very centre of the troop, at full
speed. His fore legs were caught dexterously in the noose, which
brought him up, or rather down, instantly, head over heels. Another
lasso was then thrown over his head, and drawn quite tight round his
neck, and a bridle, composed of two or three thongs of raw hide, was
forced into his mouth by means of a slip-knot rein. A sheepskin saddle
was placed on his back, the man who was to ride him standing over him,
with one foot already in the stirrup. All this time the poor horse was
lying on the ground, with his legs tied close together, frightened
almost out of his life, trembling in every limb, and perspiring from
every pore. When the man was ready, the horse's legs were loosened
sufficiently to allow him to rise, and he was then led outside the
corral. The lassoes were suddenly withdrawn, and he dashed forwards,
springing and plunging upwards, sideways, downwards, in every
direction, in the vain effort to rid himself of his unaccustomed load.
The man remained planted, like a rock, in the saddle, pulling hard at
the bridle, while a second domidor, mounted on a tame horse, pursued
the terrified animal, striking him with a cruel whip to make him go in
the required direction. After about ten minutes of this severe
exercise, the captive returned to the corral, exhausted, and perfectly
cowed, and showing no desire to rejoin his late companions. In order
to complete the process of breaking him in, we were told that it would
be necessary to keep him tied up for two or three days, rather short
of food, and to repeat daily the operation of saddling, bridling, and
mounting, the difficulty being less on each occasion, until at last he
would become as quiet as a lamb.

We now saw our train approaching, orders having been given for it to
come as far as it could from the station to meet us. We wished
good-bye to Mr. Frer and his party, and, with many thanks to all, got
into our carriages and drove across the plains to the railway. On our
way we passed some large lagunes, full of wild fowl, and surrounded by
scarlet flamingoes and pelicans. The ground we had to traverse was
very boggy; so much so, that two of the carriages got stuck, and their
occupants had to turn out and walk. At last we reached the train, and
climbed into the cars, where we found an excellent luncheon prepared,
which we ate whilst the train dashed along at the rate of forty miles
an hour. About seven o'clock we stopped for tea and coffee, and the
children were put to bed. By nine we had reached the junction for
Buenos Ayres, where an engine met us, and took most of our party into
the city, in one of the cars, while we went on to Punta Lara, the
station for Ensenada.

On arriving we were met by several of our men, who had been allowed to
go ashore at Buenos Ayres on Sunday morning, and had not been able to
rejoin the yacht since. On Sunday night, when they were to have
returned, it was impossible for them to get off. Even the whale-boat
was nearly dashed to pieces, at anchor, near the pier. They spent the
early part of Monday morning in hunting everywhere with the pilot for
the lost steward, and at last left the shore just in time to see the
yacht steaming down the river, with only half her crew on board, and
without a pilot. It seems they had been waited for from eight o'clock
until eleven; it then became necessary to get under way, for fear of
losing the tide. As it was, the yacht had not been able to get near
the pier at Ensenada, and was now lying in the river, two miles out.
The station-master, having been informed of the state of affairs, very
kindly had steam got up in the railway tug to take us off. The
children, with their nurses, remained in bed in the car, which was
shunted into a siding until the morning, the doctor staying on shore
in charge. The rest of us then set out for the yacht, which we reached
at 1 a.m., only to be greeted with the pleasing intelligence that no
fresh provisions had arrived on board for the party of friends we were
expecting. The captain of the tug was good enough to promise to do
what he could for us on shore; but everything is brought here from
Buenos Ayres, and it is too late to telegraph for a supply. We cannot
help fearing that something must have happened to our steward, for he
has always been most steady and respectable hitherto, and I fancy
Buenos Ayres is rather a wild place. Every inquiry is to be made, and
I can only trust the morning may bring us some news.

_Tuesday, September 26th_.--The morning was fine, with a nice breeze,
but the tide was so low that we should have been unable to get
alongside the pier until ten o'clock, when Tom thought we should just
miss our guests. It was therefore decided that it would be better to
send the steam-tug to meet the special train, especially as, if we
took the yacht in, it would be impossible to get out again in the
middle of the night, when we had arranged to sail.

The steam-tug came off early, bringing two sheep, half a bullock, and
some wild ducks, much to the relief of the cook's mind; but there were
no vegetables to be had on shore, and of course it was too late to
send to Buenos Ayres for any. We had to do the best we could without
them, therefore, and I really do not think any one knew of the dilemma
we had been in, until they were told, at the end of the day. The
servants all turned to and worked with a will; but it was rather a
different matter from having a large luncheon party on board in the
Thames, with our London servants and supplies to fall back upon.

For our own part, I think we all felt that the comparative scarcity of
meat this morning was an agreeable change, after our recent
experiences. Animal food is so cheap and so good in this country that
at every meal four or five dishes of beef or mutton, dressed in
various ways, are provided. In the camp--as all the country round
Buenos Ayres is called--people eat nothing but meat, either fresh or
dried, and hardly any flour with it. Especially in the more distant
estancias, beef and mutton, poultry and eggs, form the staple food of
the inhabitants. Very little bread is eaten, and no vegetables, and an
attempt is rarely made to cultivate a garden of any sort. This year,
too, the ravages of the locusts have made vegetable food scarcer than
ever, and it must now be looked upon quite as a luxury by very many
people; for there can be little doubt that to live entirely on meat,
even of the best quality, though probably strengthening, must be
exceedingly monotonous.

About one o'clock we saw the tug coming off again, this time with her
decks crowded. We found she had brought us fifteen ladies and thirty
gentlemen--more than we had expected, on account of the shortness of
the notice we had been able to give. The luncheon was managed by
dividing our guests into three parties, the coffee and dessert being
served on deck; but I am afraid the last division got very hungry
before their time arrived. It could not, however, be helped, and it is
to be hoped that the examination of the various parts of the yacht and
her contents served to while away the time. Every one seemed to be
pleased with the appearance of the vessel, never having seen one like
her before. Indeed, the only yacht that has ever been here previously
is the 'Eothen,' which formerly belonged to us.

Mr. St. John's servant brought me a most magnificent bouquet, composed
entirely of violets, arranged in the shape of a basket, three feet in
width, full of camellias, and marked with my initials in alyssum.
Altogether it was quite a work of art, but almost overpoweringly
sweet.

It was late before our friends began the task of saying good-bye--no
light matter where, as in the present case, it is doubtful whether, or
at any rate when, we shall meet again. At last they left us, steaming
round the yacht in the tug, and giving us some hearty cheers as they
passed. The Minister's flag was run up, salutes were exchanged, and
the little steamer rapidly started off in the direction of the shore,
followed by a dense cloud of her own smoke. Through a telescope we
watched our friends disembark at the pier, and saw the train steam
away; and then we turned our thoughts to the arrangements for our own
departure.

_Wednesday, September 27th_.--A fine breeze was blowing this morning,
in a favourable direction for our start, but as ten and eleven o'clock
arrived, and there were still no signs of the expected stores, Tom was
in despair, and wanted to sail without them. I therefore volunteered
to go ashore in the gig and see what had happened to them, and
telegraph, if necessary, to Mr. Crabtree. Fortunately, we met the tug
on our way, and returned in tow of her to the yacht. Then, after
settling a few bills, and obtaining our bill of health, we got the
anchor up, and proceeded down the river under sail. Between one and
two o'clock we commenced steaming, and in the course of the evening
were clear of the River Plate and fairly on our way to the Straits of
Magellan.




CHAPTER VIII.

RIVER PLATE TO SANDY POINT, STRAITS OF MAGELLAN.

    _I have seen tempests, when the scolding winds_
    _Have riv'd the knotty oaks; and I have seen_
    _The ambitious ocean swell and rage and foam,_
    _To be exalted with the threat'ning clouds:_
    _But never till to-night, never till now_
    _Did I go through a tempest dropping fire._


_Thursday, September 28th_,--A fine bright morning, with a strong,
fair wind. The order to stop firing was given at noon, and we ceased
steaming shortly after. There had evidently been a gale from the
southward during the last few days, for the swell was tremendous, and
not only made us all feel very uncomfortable after our long stay in
harbour, but considerably diminished our speed. Still, we managed to
go twenty-seven knots in two hours and a half.

I was lying down, below, after breakfast, feeling very stupid, when
Mabelle rushed into the cabin, saying, 'Papa says you are to come up
on deck at once, to see the ship on fire.' I rushed up quickly, hardly
knowing whether she referred to our own or some other vessel, and on
reaching the deck I found everybody looking at a large barque, under
full sail, flying the red union-jack upside down, and with signals in
her rigging, which our signal-man read as 'Ship on fire.' These were
lowered shortly afterwards, and the signals, 'Come on board at once,'
hoisted in their place. Still we could see no appearance of smoke or
flames, but we nevertheless hauled to the wind, tacked, hove to, and
sent off a boat's crew, well armed, thinking it not impossible that a
mutiny had taken place on board and that the captain or officers,
mistaking the yacht for a gunboat, had appealed to us for assistance.
We were now near enough to the barque to make out her name through a
glass--the 'Monkshaven,' of Whitby--and we observed a puff of smoke
issue from her deck simultaneously with the arrival of our boat
alongside. In the course of a few minutes, the boat returned, bringing
the mate of the 'Monkshaven,' a fine-looking Norwegian, who spoke
English perfectly, and who reported his ship to be sixty-eight days
out from Swansea, bound for Valparaiso, with a cargo of smelting coal.
The fire had first been discovered on the previous Sunday, and by 6
a.m. on Monday the crew had got up their clothes and provisions on
deck, thrown overboard all articles of a combustible character, such
as tar, oil, paint, spare spars and sails, planks, and rope, and
battened down the hatches. Ever since then they had all been living on
deck, with no protection from the wind and sea but a canvas screen.
Tom and Captain Brown proceeded on board at once. They found the deck
more than a foot deep in water, and all a-wash; when the hatches were
opened for a moment dense clouds of hot suffocating yellow smoke
immediately poured forth, driving back all who stood near. From the
captain's cabin came volumes of poisonous gas, which had found its way
in through the crevices, and one man, who tried to enter, was rendered
insensible.

[Illustration: Monkshaven on Fire.]

It was perfectly evident that it would be impossible to save the ship,
and the captain therefore determined, after consultation with Tom and
Captain Brown, to abandon her. Some of the crew were accordingly at
once brought on board the 'Sunbeam,' in our boat, which was then sent
back to assist in removing the remainder, a portion of whom came in
their own boat. The poor fellows were almost wild with joy at getting
alongside another ship, after all the hardships they had gone through,
and in their excitement they threw overboard many things which they
might as well have kept, as they had taken the trouble to bring them.
Our boat made three trips altogether, and by half-past six we had them
all safe on board, with most of their effects, and the ship's
chronometers, charts, and papers.

The poor little dingy, belonging to the 'Monkshaven,' had been cast
away as soon as the men had disembarked from her, and there was
something melancholy in seeing her slowly drift away to leeward,
followed by her oars and various small articles, as if to rejoin the
noble ship she had so lately quitted. The latter was now hove-to,
under full sail, an occasional puff of smoke alone betraying the
presence of the demon of destruction within. The sky was dark and
lowering, the sunset red and lurid in its grandeur, the clouds
numerous and threatening, the sea high and dark, with occasional
streaks of white foam. Not a breath of wind was stirring. Everything
portended a gale. As we lay slowly rolling from side to side, both
ship and boat were sometimes plainly visible, and then again both
would disappear, for what seemed an age, in the deep trough of the
South Atlantic rollers.

For two hours we could see the smoke pouring from various portions of
the ill-fated barque. Our men, who had brought off the last of her
crew, reported that, as they left her, flames were just beginning to
burst from the fore-hatchway; and it was therefore certain that the
rescue had not taken place an hour too soon. Whilst we were at dinner,
Powell called us up on deck to look at her again, when we found that
she was blazing like a tar-barrel. The captain was anxious to stay by
and see the last of her, but Tom was unwilling to incur the delay
which this would have involved. We accordingly got up steam, and at
nine p.m. steamed round the 'Monkshaven,' as close as it was deemed
prudent to go. No flames were visible then; only dense volumes of
smoke and sparks, issuing from the hatches. The heat, however, was
intense, and could be plainly felt, even in the cold night air, as we
passed some distance to leeward. All hands were clustered in our
rigging, on the deck-house or on the bridge, to see the last of the
poor 'Monkshaven,' as she was slowly being burnt down to the water's
edge.

She was a large and nearly new (three years old) composite ship, built
and found by her owners, Messrs. Smales, of Whitby, of 657 tons
burden, and classed A 1 for ten years at Lloyd's. Her cargo, which
consisted of coal for smelting purposes, was a very dangerous one; so
much so that Messrs. Nicholas, of Sunderland, from whose mines the
coal is procured, have great difficulty in chartering vessels to carry
it, and are therefore in the habit of building and using their own
ships for the purpose. At Buenos Ayres we were told that, of every
three ships carrying this cargo round to Valparaiso or Callao, one
catches fire, though the danger is frequently discovered in time to
prevent much damage to the vessel or loss of life.

The crew of the 'Monkshaven'--Danes, Norwegians, Swedes, Scotch, and
Welsh--appear to be quiet, respectable men. This is fortunate, as an
incursion of fifteen rough lawless spirits on board our little vessel
would have been rather a serious matter. In their hurry and fright,
however, they left all their provisions behind them, and it is no joke
to have to provide food for fifteen extra hungry mouths for a week or
ten days, with no shops at hand from which to replenish our stores.
The sufficiency of the water supply, too, is a matter for serious
consideration. We have all been put on half-allowance, and sea-water
only is to be used for washing purposes.

[Illustration: Shipwrecked Crew coming on Board.]

Some account of the disaster, as gathered from the lips of various
members of the crew at different times, may perhaps be interesting. It
seems that, early on Monday morning, the day following that on which
the fire was discovered, another barque, the 'Robert Hinds,' of
Liverpool, was spoken. The captain of that vessel offered to stand by
them or do anything in his power to help them; but at that time they
had a fair wind for Monte Video, only 120 miles distant, and they
therefore determined to run for that port, and do their best to save
the ship, and possibly some of the cargo. In the course of the night,
however, a terrible gale sprang up, the same, no doubt, as the one of
which we had felt the effects on first leaving the River Plate. They
were driven hither and thither, the sea constantly breaking over them
and sweeping the decks, though fortunately without washing any of them
overboard. After forty-eight hours of this rough usage the men were
all exhausted, while the fire was gradually increasing in strength
beneath their feet, and they knew not at what moment it might burst
through the decks and envelope the whole ship in flames. They were
beginning to abandon all hope of a rescue, when a sail was suddenly
discovered; and as soon as the necessary flags could be found, the
same signal which attracted us was displayed. The vessel, now quite
close to them, proved to be a large American steamer, but she merely
hoisted her own ensign and code-pennant, and then coolly steamed away
to the southward. 'I think that captain deserved tarring and
feathering, anyway,' one of the men said to me. Another observed, 'I
wonder what will become of that man; for we had put all our lives in
his hand by signalling as we did; and every seaman knows that right
well.' Another said, 'When we saw that ship go away, we all gave in
and lay down in despair to die. But our captain, who is very good to
his crew, and a religious man too, said, "There is One above who looks
after us all." That was true enough, for, about ten minutes
afterwards, as I was talking to the cook, and telling him it was all
over with us, I saw a sail to leeward, and informed the captain. We
bore down a little, but did not like to go out of our course too much,
fearing you might be a "Portuguese," and play us the same trick as the
American.' (They could not understand our white ensign; for, our
funnel being stowed, we looked like a sailing vessel, while all
gunboats of our size are steamers.) 'When we saw it was an English
vessel, and that you answered our signals and sent a boat off, we were
indeed thankful; though that was nothing to what we feel now at once
more having a really dry ship under our feet. Not that we have really
suffered anything very terrible, for we had a bit of shelter, and
plenty to eat, and the worst part was seeing our things washed
overboard, and thinking perhaps we might go next. We have not had a
dry deck since we left Swansea, and the pumps have been kept going
most of the time. Why, with this sea, ma'am, our decks would be under
water.' (This surprised me; as, though low in the water, the
'Monkshaven' did not appear to be overladen, and the Plimsoll mark was
plainly visible.) 'Our boats were all ready for launching, but we had
no sails, and only one rudder for the three; so we should have had
hard work to fetch anywhere if we had taken to them. We lashed the two
boys--apprentices, fourteen and sixteen years old--in one of the
boats, for fear they should be washed overboard. The youngest of them
is the only son of his mother, a widow; and you could see how she
loved him by the way she had made his clothes, and fitted him out all
through. He was altogether too well found for a ship like ours, but
now most of his things are lost. His chest could not be got up from
below, and though I borrowed an old bread-bag from the steward, it was
not half big enough, and his sea-boots and things his mother had given
him to keep him dry and cover his bed--not oilskins, like
ours.'--'Mackintoshes,' I suggested.--'Yes, that's the name--they were
all lost. It did seem a pity. The boy never thought there was much
danger till this morning, when I told him all hope was gone, as the
American ship had sailed away from us. He said, "Will the ship go to
the bottom?" and I replied, "I fear so; but we have good boats, so
keep up your heart, little man." He made no further remark, but laid
down gently again, and cried a little.'

This poor child was dreadfully frightened in the small boat coming
alongside, and his look of joy and relief, when once he got safely on
board, was a treat to me. Every one on board, including the captain,
seems to have been very kind to him. One of the men had his foot
broken by the sea, and the captain himself had his leg severely
injured; so the Doctor has some cases at last.

It was almost impossible to sleep during the night, owing to the heavy
rolling, by far the most violent that we have yet experienced.

_Friday, September 29th_.--Again a fine morning. A fair breeze sprang
up, and, the dreaded storm having apparently passed over, we ceased
steaming at 6 a.m.

All on board are now settling down into something like order. The
stewards are arranging matters below, and measuring out the stores, to
allowance the men for twelve days. The men belonging respectively to
the port and starboard watches of the 'Monkshaven' have been placed in
the corresponding watches on board the 'Sunbeam.' The cook and steward
are assisting ours below, and the two boys are very happy, helping in
the kitchen, and making themselves generally useful. The deck does not
look quite as neat as usual. Such of the men's sea-chests as have been
saved are lashed round the steam-chest, so that they can be got at
easily, while their bags and other odd things have been stowed on
deck, wherever they can be kept dry; for every inch of available space
below is occupied. Captain Runciman is writing, with tears in his
eyes, the account of the loss of his fine ship. He tells me that he
tried in vain to save sixty pounds' worth of his own private charts
from his cabin, but it was impossible, on account of the stifling
atmosphere, which nearly overpowered him. Fortunately, all his things
are insured. He drowned his favourite dog, a splendid Newfoundland,
just before leaving the ship; for, although a capital watch-dog, and
very faithful, he was rather large and fierce; and when it was known
that the 'Sunbeam' was a yacht, with ladies and children on board, he
feared to introduce him. Poor fellow! I wish I had known about it in
time to save his life!

The great danger of smelting coal, as a ship's cargo, besides its
special liability to spontaneous combustion, appears to be that the
fire may smoulder in the very centre of the mass for so long that,
when the smoke is at last discovered, it is impossible to know how far
the mischief has advanced. It may go on smouldering quietly for days,
or at any moment the gas that has been generated may burst up the
vessel's decks from end to end, without the slightest warning. Or it
may burn downwards, and penetrate some portion of the side of the ship
below water; so that, before any suspicion has been aroused, the water
rushes in, and the unfortunate ship and her crew go to the bottom. On
board the 'Monkshaven' the men dug down into the cargo in many places
on Sunday night, only to find that the heat became more intense the
deeper they went; and several of them had their hands or fingers burnt
in the operation.

This has been about the best day for sailing that we have had since we
left the tropics. The sea has been smooth, and a fair breeze has taken
us steadily along at the rate of nine knots an hour. The sun shone
brightly beneath a blue sky, and the temperature is delightful. The
sunset was grand, though the sky looked threatening; but the moon rose
brilliantly, and until we went to bed, at ten o'clock, the evening was
as perfect as the day had been. At midnight, however, Tom and I were
awakened by a knock at our cabin door, and the gruff voice of Powell,
saying: 'The barometer's going down very fast, please, sir, and it's
lightning awful in the sou'-west. There's a heavy storm coming up.' We
were soon on deck, where we found all hands busily engaged in
preparing for the tempest. Around us a splendid sight presented
itself. On one side a heavy bank of black clouds could be seen rapidly
approaching, while the rest of the heavens were brilliantly
illuminated by forked and sheet lightning, the thunder meanwhile
rolling and rattling without intermission. An ominous calm followed,
during which the men had barely time to lower all the sails on deck,
without waiting to stow them, the foresail and jib only being left
standing, when the squall struck us, not very severely, but with a
blast as hot as that from a furnace. We thought worse was coming, and
continued our preparations; but the storm passed rapidly away to
windward, and was succeeded by torrents of rain, so that it was
evident we could only have had quite the tail of it.

_Saturday, September 30th_.--The morning broke bright and clear, and
was followed by a calm, bright, sunny day, of which I availed myself
to take some photographs of the captain and crew of the 'Monkshaven.'
The wind failed us entirely in the afternoon, and it became necessary
to get up steam. In the ordinary course of things, we should probably
have had sufficient patience to wait for the return of the breeze; but
the recent large addition to our party made it desirable for us to
lose as little time as possible in reaching Sandy Point. Another grand
but wild-looking sunset seemed like the precursor of a storm; but we
experienced nothing worse than a sharp squall of hot wind, accompanied
by thunder and lightning.

_Sunday, October 1st_.--A fine morning, with a fair wind. At eleven we
had a short service, at four a longer one, with an excellent sermon
from Tom, specially adapted to the rescue of the crew of the burning
ship. As usual, the sunset, which was magnificent, was succeeded by a
slight storm, which passed over without doing us any harm.

I have said that it was found impossible to save any provisions from
the 'Monkshaven.' As far as the men are concerned, I think this is
hardly to be regretted, for I am told that the salt beef with which
they were supplied had lain in pickle for so many years that the
saltpetre had eaten all the nourishment out of it, and had made it so
hard that the men, instead of eating it, used to amuse themselves by
carving it into snuff-boxes, little models of ships, &c. I should
not, however, omit to mention that Captain Runciman managed to bring
away with him four excellent York hams, which he presented to us, and
one of which we had to-day at dinner.

_Wednesday, October 4th_.--At 6 a.m., on going on deck I found we were
hove-to under steam and closely-reefed sails, a heavy gale blowing
from the south-west, right ahead. The screw was racing round in the
air every time we encountered an unusually big wave; the spray was
dashing over the vessel, and the water was rushing along the
deck--altogether an uncomfortable morning. As the sun rose, the gale
abated, and in the course of the day the reefs were shaken out of the
sails, one by one, until, by sunset, we were once more under whole
canvas, beating to windward. There were several cries of 'land ahead'
during the day, but in each case a closer examination, through a
glass, proved that the fancied coast-line or mountain-top existed only
in cloud-land.

_Thursday, October 5th_.--We made the land early, and most
uninteresting it looked, consisting, as it did, of a low sandy shore,
with a background of light clay-coloured cliffs. Not a vestige of
vegetation was anywhere to be seen, and I am quite at a loss to
imagine what the guanacos and ostriches, with which the chart tells us
the country hereabouts abounds, find to live upon. About twelve
o'clock we made Cape Virgins, looking very like Berry Head to the
north of Torbay, and a long spit of low sandy land, stretching out to
the southward, appropriately called Dungeness.

Some of the charts brought on board by Captain Runciman were published
by Messrs. Imray, of London, and in one of them it is represented that
a fine fixed light has been established on Cape Virgins.[2] This we
knew to be an impossibility, not only on account of the general
character of the country, but because no indication is given of the
light in our newest Admiralty charts. Captain Runciman, however, had
more confidence in the correctness of his own chart, and could hardly
believe his eyes when he saw that the light really had no existence on
the bare bleak headland. His faith was terribly shaken, and I hope he
will not omit to call Messrs. Imray's attention to the matter on his
return home; for the mistake is most serious, and one which might lead
to the destruction of many a good ship.

[Footnote 2: I have since received a letter from Messrs. Imray
requesting me to state that the light was inserted on erroneous
information from the hydrographic office at Washington, and has since
been erased from their charts.]

About two o'clock we saw in the far distance what looked at first like
an island, and then like smoke, but gradually shaped itself into the
masts, funnel, and hull of a large steamer. From her rig we at once
guessed her to be the Pacific Company's mail boat, homeward bound.
When near enough, we accordingly hoisted our number, and signalled 'We
wish to communicate,' whereupon she bore down upon us and ceased
steaming. We then rounded up under her lee and lowered a boat, and
Tom, Mabelle, and I, with Captain Runciman and four or five of the
shipwrecked crew, went on board. Our advent caused great excitement,
and seamen and passengers all crowded into the bows to watch us. As we
approached the ladder the passengers ran aft, and directly we reached
the deck the captain took possession of Tom, the first and second
officers of Mabelle and myself, while Captain Runciman and each of his
crew were surrounded by a little audience eager to know what had
happened, and all about it. At first it was thought that we all wanted
a passage, but when we explained matters Captain Thomas, the commander
of the 'Illimani,' very kindly undertook to receive all our refugees
and convey them to England. We therefore sent the gig back for the
rest of the men and the chests of the whole party, and then availed
ourselves of the opportunity afforded by the delay to walk round the
ship. It was most amusing to see the interest with which we were
regarded by all on board. Passengers who had never been seen out of
their berths since leaving Valparaiso, and others who were indulging,
at the time of our visit, in the luxury of a 'day sleep,' between the
twelve o'clock luncheon and four o'clock dinner, suddenly made their
appearance, in dressing-gowns and wraps, with dishevelled hair and
wide-opened eyes, gazing in mute astonishment at us, quite unable to
account for our mysterious arrival on board in this out-of-the-way
spot. A mail steamer does not stop for a light cause, and it was
therefore evident to them that the present was no ordinary occurrence.
The captain told us that the last time he passed through the Straits
he picked up two boats' crews, who had escaped from a burning ship,
and who had suffered indescribable hardships before they were rescued.

Captain Runciman is convinced, after comparing notes with the chief
officer of the 'Illimani,' that the vessel which refused to notice his
signal of distress was the 'Wilmington,' sent down from New York, with
a party of forty wreckers, to try and get the steamer 'Georgia' off
the rocks near Port Famine, in the Straits of Magellan. If this be so,
it is the more surprising that no attempt was made to render
assistance to the 'Monkshaven,' provided her signals were understood,
as the 'Wilmington' had plenty of spare hands, and could not have been
in a particular hurry. Moreover, one would think that, with her
powerful engines, she might have made an attempt to tow the distressed
vessel into Monte Video, and so secure three or four thousand pounds
of salvage money.

The captain of the 'Illimani' kindly gave us half a bullock, killed
this morning, a dozen live ducks and chickens, and the latest
newspapers. Thus supplied with food for body and mind, we said
farewell, and returned to the 'Sunbeam;' our ensigns were duly dipped,
we steamed away on our respective courses, and in less than an hour we
were out of sight of each other. It is a sudden change for the
'Monkshaven' men, who were all very reluctant to leave the yacht. Many
of them broke down at the last moment, particularly when it came to
saying good-bye to Tom and me, at the gangway of the steamer. They had
seemed thoroughly to appreciate any kindnesses they received while
with us, and were anxious to show their gratitude in every possible
way. The two boys, especially, were in great grief at their departure,
and were very loth to part with their boatswain, who remains with us
to make up our complement.[3]

[Footnote 3: After our return to England the following letter reached
us from Messrs. Smales:--

                                       'Whitby, June 30th, 1877.
'THOMAS BRASSEY, Esq.

'DEAR SIR,--Observing by the newspapers that you have returned home
after your cruise, we take this opportunity of thanking you most
heartily for the valuable assistance you rendered to the crew of our
late barque "Monkshaven," in lat. 43 28 S., lon. 62 21 W., after she
proved to be on fire and beyond saving. Your kind favour of October 1
last duly reached us, and it was very satisfactory to know from an
authority like your own, that all was done under the trying
circumstances that was possible, to save the ship and cargo. The
inconvenience of having so many extra hands for the time on board your
vessel, must have tried your resources; but you will be probably aware
that the Board of Trade willingly compensate for loss sustained in
rescuing a crew, when a claim is made. You will be glad to learn that
the master and crew arrived all well, in due course, at Liverpool, by
the "Illimani," and were very grateful for your kindness to them. Our
ill-fated vessel must have sunk very soon after you took off the crew,
as nothing more has been heard of her, and it was a most fortunate
circumstance that you were so near at hand, more especially as the
captain reported to us, that a vessel carrying the American colours
took no notice of his signal of distress. As shipowners, we generally
find that our own countrymen are more heroic, and always ready to lend
a helping hand to brother mariners in distress, so that, as you say,
we do not doubt you experienced some satisfaction in rendering this
service.--Trusting that you have enjoyed your trip, we beg to remain
yours, truly obliged,

                                                'SMALES Brothers.']

About 8 p.m. we anchored for the night in Possession Bay. It was thick
at sunset, but afterwards clear and cold, with a splendid moon.

_Friday, October 6th_.--We got under way at 5.30 a.m., and steamed
past the low sandy coast of Patagonia and the rugged mountains of
Tierra del Fuego, and through the First and Second Narrows, to Cape
Negro, where the character of the scenery began to improve a little,
the vegetation gradually changing from low scrubby brushwood to
respectable-sized trees. When passing between Elizabeth Island, so
named by Sir Francis Drake, and the island of Santa Madalena, we
looked in vain for the myriads of seals, otters, and sea-lions with
which this portion of the Straits is said to abound; but we saw only
seven or eight little black spots on the shore, in the distance, which
disappeared into the sea as we approached.

At 3 p.m. we reached Sandy Point, the only civilised place in the
Straits. It is a Chilian settlement, and a large convict establishment
has been formed here by the Government. Almost before we had dropped
our anchor, the harbour-master came on board, closely followed by the
officers of the two Chilian men-of-war lying in the harbour. The rain,
which had been threatening all day, now descended in torrents, and we
landed in a perfect downpour. We thought the pier at Buenos Ayres
unsafe and rickety, but here matters were still worse, for the head of
the structure had been completely washed away by a gale, and no little
care was necessary in order to step across the broken timbers in
safety. The town, which contains between 1,200 and 1,300 inhabitants,
is composed entirely of one-storied log huts, with slate or tile
roofs, and with or without verandahs. They are all arranged in
squares, separated from each other by wide roads; and the whole
settlement is surrounded by stockades. At the further end of the town
stands the convict prison, distinguished by its tower, and the
Governor's house, which, though built of wood, is the most
pretentious-looking edifice in the place. There is a nice little
church close by, and some tidy-looking barracks.

We went straight to the house of the British Vice-Consul, who received
us very kindly, and promised to do what he could to assist us in
obtaining supplies; but the resources of the place are limited, and
eggs, ship's beef and biscuits, and water, will, I expect, be the sum
total of what we shall be able to procure. In fact, it is rather
doubtful whether we shall even be able to renew our stock of coal. In
the meantime we started off to potter about the town, finding,
however, very little to amuse us. There were some new-laid ostrich
eggs to be bought, and some queer-looking worked Patagonian
saddle-bags.

I fear we shall not see any of the Patagonians themselves, for they
come to the colony only three or four times a year, to purchase
supplies, and to sell skins and ostrich eggs. They are a mounted tribe
of Indians, living on the northern plains, and are now on their way
down here, to pay one of their periodical visits; but, being
encumbered with their families, they move very slowly, and are not
expected to arrive for another ten days. They will no doubt bring a
splendid supply of skins, just too late for us, which is rather
disappointing, particularly as we are not likely to have another
opportunity of meeting with them at any of the places we touch at.
They live so far in the interior of the country that they very seldom
visit the coast.

We went to see three Fuegian females, who are living in a house
belonging to the medical officer of the colony. They were picked up a
short time since by a passing steamer from a canoe, in which they had
evidently sought refuge from some kind of cruelty or oppression. The
biggest of them, a stout fine-looking woman, had a terrible gash in
her leg, quite recently inflicted, and the youngest was not more than
eight years old. They appeared cheerful and happy, but we were told
that they are not likely to live long. After the free life and the
exposure to which they have been accustomed, civilisation--in the
shape of clothing and hot houses--almost always kills them. Their
lungs become diseased, and they die miserably. Their skin is slightly
copper-coloured, their complexions high-coloured, their hair thick and
black; and, though certainly not handsome, they are by no means so
repulsive as I had expected from the descriptions of Cook, Dampier,
Darwin, and other more recent travellers.

[Illustration: Fuegian Weapons.]

_Saturday, October 7th_.--My birthday. Tom gave me a beautiful
guanaco-skin robe, and the children presented me with two ostrich
rugs. The guanaco is a kind of large deer, and it is said that the
robes made from its skin are the warmest in the world. People here
assure me that, with the hair turned inside, these robes have afforded
them sufficient protection to enable them to sleep in comfort in the
open air, exposed to snow, frost, and rain. They are made from the
skin of the young fawns, killed before they are thirteen days old, or,
better still, from the skins of those which have never had an
independent existence. In colour, the animals are a yellowish brown on
the back, and white underneath, and they are so small that when each
skin is split up it produces only two triangular patches, about the
size of one's hand. A number of these are then, with infinite trouble,
sewed neatly together by the Indian women, who use the fine leg-sinews
of the ostrich as thread. Those worn by the caciques, or chiefs, have
generally a pattern in the centre, a brown edging, and spots of red
and blue paint on the part which is worn outwards. Such robes are
particularly difficult to obtain, on account of the labour and time
necessary to produce them. Each cacique keeps several wives constantly
employed in making them, of the best as well as of the ordinary
description. The ostrich rugs, which are made here, are more
ornamental, though not so warm and light as the guanaco robes. They
are made of the entire skin of the ostrich, from which the long
wing-feathers have been pulled out. Mabelle has been given a beautiful
little rug composed of the skins of thirty little ostriches, all from
one nest, killed when they were a fortnight old, each skin resembling
a prettily marked ball of fluff.

At eleven o'clock we went ashore. The Governor had kindly provided
horses for all the party, and while they were being saddled I took
some photographs. There are plenty of horses here, but the only
saddles and bridles to be had are those used by the natives. The
saddles are very cumbrous and clumsy to look at, though rather
picturesque. They are formed of two bits of wood, covered with about a
dozen sheepskins and ponchos; not at all uncomfortable to ride in, and
very suitable for a night's bivouac in the open. 'Plenty of nice soft
rugs to lie upon and cover yourself with, instead of a hard English
saddle for your bed and stirrups for blankets,' as a native once said,
when asked which he preferred. About one o'clock we started,
accompanied by the officers commanding the garrison and two attendant
cavaliers, equipped in Chilian style, with enormous carved modern
stirrups, heavy bits and spurs much bigger than those whose size
struck us so much in the Argentine Republic. We had a pleasant ride,
first across a sandy plain and through one or two small rivers, to a
saw-mill, situated on the edge of an extensive forest, through which
we proceeded for some miles. The road was a difficult one, and our
progress was but slow, being often impeded by a morass or by the trunk
of a tree which had fallen right across the path, and was now rapidly
rotting into touchwood under the influence of the damp atmosphere and
incessant rain. Lichens of every colour and shape abounded, and
clothed the trunks gracefully, contrasting with the tender spring
tints of the leaves, while the long hairy tillandsia, like an old
man's beard, three or four feet long, hung down from the topmost
branches. The ground was carpeted with moss, interspersed with a few
early spring flowers, and the whole scene, though utterly unlike that
presented by any English forest, had a strange weird beauty of its
own. Not a sound could be heard; not a bird, beast, or insect was to
be seen. The larger trees were principally a peculiar sort of beech
and red cedar, but all kinds of evergreens, known to us at home as
shrubs, such as laurestine, and various firs, here attain the
proportions of forest-trees. There is also a tree called Winter's Bark
(_Drimys Winteri_), the leaves and bark of which are hot and bitter,
and form an excellent substitute for quinine. But the most striking
objects were the evergreen berberis and mahonia, and the Darwinia, the
larger sort of which was covered with brilliant orange, almost
scarlet, flowers, which hung down in bunches, of the shape and size of
small outdoor grapes.

[Illustration: Fuegian Bow and Arrows.]

On our way back we took a sharp turn leading to the sea-shore, to
which the forest extends in places, and rode along the beach towards
the town. It was low water, or this would not have been possible, and
as it was, we often had considerable difficulty in making our way
between wood and water. The day was bright and clear, with a bitterly
cold wind and occasional heavy showers of rain; a fair average day
for Sandy Point. It is further west, they say, that the weather is so
hopeless. Lieutenant Byron, in his terribly interesting account of the
wreck of the 'Wager,' says that one fine day in three months is the
most that can be expected. I wonder, not without misgivings, if we
really shall encounter all the bad weather we not only read of but
hear of from every one we meet. Though very anxious to see the
celebrated Straits, I shall not be sorry when we are safely through,
and I trust that the passage may not occupy the whole of the three
weeks which Tom has been advised to allow for it.

We saw a few sea-birds, specially some 'steamer-ducks,' so called from
their peculiar mode of progression through the water. They neither
swim nor fly, but use their wings like the paddles of a steamer, with
a great noise and splutter, and go along very fast. On reaching the
plains we had an opportunity of testing the speed of our horses, which
warmed us up a little after our slow progress by the water's edge in
the bitter wind. We rode all round the stockades, outside the town,
before dismounting; but I saw nothing of special interest. Before the
party broke up, arrangements were made for us to go to morrow to one
of the Government corrals, to see the cattle lassoed and branded--an
operation which is always performed twice a year.

We reached the yacht again at half-past five. Dr. Fenton came on board
to dinner, and from him we heard a great deal about the colony, the
Patagonians or Horse Indians, and the Fuegians or Canoe Indians. The
former inhabit, or rather roam over, a vast tract of country. They are
almost constantly on horseback, and their only shelter consists of
toldos, or tents, made of the skins of the old guanacos, stretched
across a few poles. They are tall and strong, averaging six feet in
height, and are bulky in proportion; but their size is nothing like so
great as old travellers have represented. Both men and women wear a
long flowing mantle of skins, reaching from the waist to the ankle,
with a large loose piece hanging down on one side, ready to be thrown
over their heads whenever necessary, which is fastened by a large flat
pin hammered out either from the rough silver or from a dollar. This,
their sole garment, has the effect of adding greatly in appearance to
their height. They never wash, but daub their bodies with paint and
grease, especially the women. Their only weapons are knives and bolas,
the latter of which they throw with unerring precision. During their
visits to the Sandy Point settlement their arms are always taken from
them, for they are extremely quarrelsome, particularly when drunk.
Nobody has been able to ascertain that they possess any form of sacred
belief, or that they perform any religious ceremonies. Their food
consists principally of the flesh of mares, troops of which animals
always accompany them on their excursions. They also eat
ostrich-flesh, which is considered a great delicacy, as well as the
fish the women catch, and the birds' eggs they find. Vegetable food is
almost unknown to them, and bread is never used, though they do
sometimes purchase a little flour, rice, and a few biscuits, on the
occasion of their visits to the colony.

[Illustration: Pin for fastening Cloak, made from a Dollar, beaten
out.]

The Fuegians, or Canoe Indians, as they are generally called, from
their living so much on the water, and having no settled habitations
on shore, are a much smaller race of savages, inhabiting Tierra del
Fuego--literally Land of Fire--so called from the custom the
inhabitants have of lighting fires on prominent points as signals of
assembly. The English residents here invariably call it Fireland--a
name I had never heard before, and which rather puzzled me at first.
Whenever it is observed that a ship is in distress, or that
shipwrecked mariners have been cast ashore, the signal-fires appear as
if by magic, and the natives flock together like vultures round a
carcase. On the other hand, if all goes well, vessels often pass
through the Straits without seeing a single human being, the savages
and their canoes lying concealed beneath the overhanging branches of
trees on the shore. They are cannibals, and are placed by Darwin in
the lowest scale of humanity. An old author describes them as 'magpies
in chatter, baboons in countenance, and imps in treachery.' Those
frequenting the eastern end of the Straits wear--if they wear anything
at all--a deerskin mantle, descending to the waist: those at the
western end wear cloaks made from the skin of the sea-otter. But most
of them are quite naked. Their food is of the most meagre description,
and consists mainly of shell-fish, sea-eggs, for which the women dive
with much dexterity, and fish, which they train their dogs to assist
them in catching. These dogs are sent into the water at the entrance
to a narrow creek or small bay, and they then bark and flounder about
and drive the fish before them into shallow water, where they are
caught.

[Illustration: Fuegian Boat and Oars.]

Bishop Stirling, of the Falkland Islands, has been cruising about
these parts in a small schooner, and visiting the natives, for the
last twelve years, and the Governor here tells us that he has done
much good in promoting their civilisation; while the hardships he has
endured, and the difficulties and dangers he has surmounted, have
required almost superhuman energy and fortitude on his part. The
Fuegians, as far as is known, have no religion of their own.

The 'Wilmington' came in this morning. Her captain declares that as
the 'Monkshaven' was not hove-to, he never thought that there could be
anything seriously amiss with her. His glass was not good enough to
enable him to make out the union-jack reversed, or the signal of
distress, which he therefore supposed to be merely the ship's number.
It was satisfactory to hear this explanation; and as not only the
interests of humanity, but his own, were involved, there is every
reason to believe that his account of the transaction is perfectly
true.




CHAPTER IX.

SANDY POINT TO LOTA BAY.

    _And far abroad the canvas wings extend,_
    _Along the glassy plain the vessel glides,_
    _While azure radiance trembles on her sides._
    _The lunar rays in long reflection gleam,_
    _With silver deluging the fluid stream._


_Sunday, October 8th_.--At 6 a.m. we weighed anchor, and proceeded on
our voyage. At first there was not much to admire in the way of
scenery, the shores being low and sandy, with occasional patches of
scrubby brushwood, and a background of granite rocks and mountains.

Soon after passing Port Famine we saw the bold outline of Cape
Froward, the southernmost point of South America, stretching into the
Straits. It is a fine headland, and Tom ordered the engines to be
stopped in order to enable Mr. Bingham to sketch, and me to
photograph, both it and the splendid view back through the channel we
had just traversed to the snowy range of mountains in the distance,
crowned by Mount Sarmiento, not unlike the Matterhorn in appearance.

At this point the weather generally changes, and I suppose we must
look forward to living in mackintoshes for some little time to come.

In the afternoon, when in English Reach, where many vessels have been
lost, great excitement was caused on board by the appearance of a
canoe on our port bow. She was stealing out from the Barbara Channel,
and as she appeared to be making direct for us, Tom ordered the
engines to be slowed. Her occupants thereupon redoubled their
efforts, and came paddling towards us, shouting and making the most
frantic gesticulations, one man waving a skin round his head with an
amount of energy that threatened to upset the canoe. This frail craft,
upon a nearer inspection, proved to be made only of rough planks,
rudely tied together with the sinews of animals; in fact, one of the
party had to bale constantly, in order to keep her afloat. We flung
them a rope, and they came alongside, shouting 'Tabaco, galleta'
(biscuit), a supply of which we threw down to them, in exchange for
the skins they had been waving; whereupon the two men stripped
themselves of the skin mantles they were wearing, made of eight or ten
sea-otter skins sewed together with finer sinews than those used for
the boat, and handed them up, clamouring for more tobacco, which we
gave them, together with some beads and knives.[4] Finally, the woman,
influenced by this example, parted with her sole garment, in return
for a little more tobacco, some beads, and some looking-glasses I had
thrown into the canoe.

[Illustration: Bartering with Fuegians]

[Footnote 4: These skins proved to be the very finest quality ever
plucked, and each separate skin was valued in England at from 4_l_. to
5_l_.]

The party consisted of a man, a woman, and a lad; and I think I never
saw delight more strongly depicted than it was on the faces of the two
latter, when they handled, for the first time in their lives probably,
some strings of blue, red, and green glass beads. They had two rough
pots, made of bark, in the boat, which they also sold, after which
they reluctantly departed, quite naked but very happy, shouting and
jabbering away in the most inarticulate language imaginable. It was
with great difficulty we could make them let go the rope, when we went
ahead, and I was quite afraid they would be upset. They were all fat
and healthy-looking, and, though not handsome, their appearance was by
no means repulsive; the countenance of the woman, especially, wore
quite a pleasing expression, when lighted up with smiles at the sight
of the beads and looking-glasses. The bottom of their canoe was
covered with branches, amongst which the ashes of a recent fire were
distinguishable. Their paddles were of the very roughest description,
consisting simply of split branches of trees, with wider pieces tied
on at one end with the sinews of birds or beasts.

Steaming ahead, past Port Gallant, we had a glorious view over Carlos
III. Island and Thornton Peaks, until, at about seven o clock, we
anchored in the little harbour of Borja Bay. This place is encircled
by luxuriant vegetation, overhanging the water, and is set like a gem
amid the granite rocks close at hand, and the far-distant snowy
mountains.

[Illustration: Thornton Peaks]

Our carpenter had prepared a board, on which the name of the yacht and
the date had been painted, to be fixed on shore, as a record of our
visit; and as soon as the anchor was down we all landed, the gentlemen
with their guns, and the crew fully armed with pistols and rifles, in
case of accident. The water was quite deep close to the shore, and we
had no difficulty in landing, near a small waterfall. To penetrate far
inland, however, was not so easy, owing to the denseness of the
vegetation. Large trees had fallen, and, rotting where they lay, under
the influence of the humid atmosphere, had become the birthplace of
thousands of other trees, shrubs, plants, ferns, mosses, and lichens.
In fact, in some places we might almost be said to be walking on the
tops of the trees, and first one and then another of the party found
his feet suddenly slipping through into unknown depths below. Under
these circumstances we were contented with a very short ramble, and
having filled our baskets with a varied collection of mosses and
ferns, we returned to the shore, where we found many curious shells
and some excellent mussels. While we had been thus engaged, the
carpenter and some of the crew were employed in nailing up our board
on a tree we had selected for the purpose. It was in company with the
names of many good ships, a portion of which only were still legible,
many of the boards having fallen to the ground and become quite
rotten.

Near the beach we found the remains of a recent fire, and in the
course of the night the watch on deck, which was doubled and
well-armed, heard shouts and hoots proceeding from the neighbourhood
of the shore. Towards morning, too, the fire was relighted, from which
it was evident that the natives were not far off, though they did not
actually put in an appearance. I suppose they think there is a
probability of making something out of us by fair means, and that,
unlike a sealing schooner, with only four or five hands on board, and
no motive power but her sails, we are rather too formidable to attack.

_Monday, October 9th_.--We are indeed most fortunate in having another
fine day. At 6 a.m. the anchor was weighed, and we resumed our
journey. It was very cold; but that was not to be wondered at,
surrounded as we are on every side by magnificent snow-clad mountains
and superb glaciers. First we passed Snowy Sound, in Tierra del Fuego,
at the head of which is an immense blue glacier. Then came Cape Notch,
so called from its looking as if it had had a piece chopped out of it.
Within a few yards of the surrounding glaciers, and close to the sea,
the vegetation is abundant, and in many places semi-tropical, a fact
which is due to the comparatively mild winters, the temperate summers,
the moist climate, and the rich soil of these parts. Passing up
English Reach, we now caught our first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean,
between Cape Pillar on one side, and Westminster Hall, Shell Bay, and
Lecky Point, on the other. Steering to the north, and leaving these on
our left hand, we issued from the Straits of Magellan, and entered
Smyth's Channel, first passing Glacier Bay and Ice Sound, names which
speak for themselves. Mount Joy, Mount Burney, with its round
snow-covered summit, rising six thousand feet from the water, and
several unnamed peaks, were gradually left behind; until, at last,
after threading a labyrinth of small islands, we anchored for the
night in Otter Bay, a snug little cove, at the entrance to the
intricacies of the Mayne Channel.

[Illustration: Glaciers. Snowy Sound.]

It was almost dark when we arrived, but the children, Captain Brown,
and I, went on shore for a short time, and gathered a few ferns and
mosses. We also found the embers of a fire, which showed that the
natives were not far off, and we therefore thought it prudent to hurry
on board again before nightfall. No names of ships were to be seen;
but, in our search for ferns, we may possibly have overlooked them. We
have not come across any Fuegians to-day, though in two of the places
we have passed--Shell Bay and Deep Harbour, where a few wigwams are
left standing as a sort of head-quarters--they are generally to be met
with. During the night the watch again heard the natives shouting; but
no attempt was made to re-light the fire we had noticed, until we were
steaming out of the bay the next morning.

_Tuesday, October 10th_.--In the early morning, when we resumed our
voyage, the weather was still fine; but a few light clouds were here
and there visible, and an icy wind, sweeping down from the mountains,
made it appear very cold, though the thermometer--which averages, I
think, 40 deg. to 50 deg. all the year round--was not really low. The line of
perpetual snow commences here at an elevation of from 2,500 to 3,500
feet only, which adds greatly to the beauty of the scene; and as it is
now early spring the snow is still unmelted, 500 feet, and even less,
from the shore. The stupendous glaciers run right down into the sea,
and immense masses of ice, sometimes larger than a ship, are
continually breaking off, with a noise like thunder, and falling into
the water, sending huge waves across to the opposite shore, and
sometimes completely blocking up the channels. Some of these glaciers,
composed entirely of blue and green ice and the purest snow, are
fifteen and twenty miles in length. They are by far the finest we
have, any of us, ever seen; and even those of Norway and Switzerland
sink into comparative insignificance beside them. The mountains here
are not so high as those of Europe, but they really appear more lofty,
as their entire surface, from the water's edge to the extreme summit,
is clearly visible. At this end of the Straits they terminate in
peaks, resembling Gothic spires, carved in the purest snow; truly
'virgin peaks,' on which the eye of man has but seldom rested, and
which his foot has never touched. They are generally veiled in clouds
of snow, mist, and driving rain, and it is quite the exception to see
them as distinctly as we now do.

After leaving Mayne's Channel, and passing through Union and
Collingwood Sounds, we found ourselves beneath the shadow of the
splendid Cordilleras of Sarmiento--quite distinct from Mount
Sarmiento, already referred to--along the foot of which extended the
largest glacier we have yet seen.[5] With Tarleton Pass on our right
hand, and Childer's Pass on the left, we came in sight of Owen's
Island, one extremity of which is called Mayne Head, and the other
Cape Brassey, these places having all been so named by Captain Mayne,
during his survey in the 'Nassau,' in 1869. Near the island of
Esperanza, the clouds having by that time completely cleared away, and
the sun shining brightly, we had a splendid view of another range of
snowy mountains, with Stoke's Monument towering high in their midst.
The numerous floating icebergs added greatly to the exquisite beauty
of the scene. Some loomed high as mountains, while others had melted
into the most fanciful and fairy-like shapes--huge swans, full-rigged
ships, schooners under full sail, and a hundred other fantastic forms
and devices. The children were in ecstasies at the sight of them.

[Footnote 5: I should explain that the names of places in these
Straits frequently occur in duplicate, and even triplicate, which is
rather confusing.]

As we gradually opened out our anchorage--Puerto Bueno--we found a
steamer already lying there, which proved to be the 'Dacia,' telegraph
ship, just in from the Pacific coast. Having dropped our anchor at
about 5 p.m., we all went on shore, armed as before, some of the
gentlemen hoping to find a stray duck or two, at a fresh-water lake,
a little way inland. We met several of the officers of the 'Dacia,'
who, being the first comers, did the honours of the place, and told us
all they knew about it. The vegetation was as luxuriant and beautiful
as usual--in fact, rather more so; for we are now advancing northwards
at the rate of about a hundred miles a day. There were no ducks in the
lake, but we enjoyed the scramble alongside it, to the point where it
falls over some rocks into the sea. The gig was drawn under this
waterfall, and having been loaded to her thwarts, with about three
tons and a half of excellent water, she was then towed off to the
yacht, where the water was emptied into our tanks, which were thus
filled to the brim. A small iceberg, also towed alongside, afforded us
a supply of ice; and we were thus cheaply provided with a portion of
the requisite supplies for our voyage. The 'Dacia' had an iceberg half
as big as herself lying alongside her, and all hands were at work
until late at night, aided by the light of lanterns and torches,
chopping the ice up and stowing it away.

Our boat being thus engaged, we were obliged to wait on shore until
long past dark; but as we were a large and strong party, it did not
much matter. Our men amused themselves by collecting a number of large
and excellent mussels, some of which, distinguishable by the peculiar
appearance of their shells, arising from a diseased condition of the
fish, contained from ten to thirty very small seed pearls. The captain
of the 'Dacia' came to dinner, and the officers in the evening; and
they gave us much valuable information about the anchorages further up
the Straits, and many other things. The captain kindly gave Tom all
his Chilian charts of the Darien Channel, which has not yet been fully
surveyed by the English Government, though the 'Nassau' passed through
in 1869.

_Wednesday, October 11th_.--I never in my life saw anything so
beautiful as the view when I came on deck this morning, at a quarter
to five. The moon was shining, large and golden, high in the heavens;
the rosy streaks of dawn were just tinging the virgin snow on the
highest peaks with faint but ever-deepening colour; whilst all around,
the foliage, rocks, and icebergs were still wrapped in the deepest
shade. As the sun rose, the pink summits of the mountains changed to
gold and yellow, and then to dazzling white, as the light crept down
into the valleys, illuminating all the dark places, and bringing out
the shades of olive-greens, greys, and purples, in the most wonderful
contrasts and combinations of colour. The grandeur of the scene
increased with every revolution of the screw, and when fairly in the
Guia narrows we were able to stop and admire it a little more at our
leisure, Mr. Bingham making some sketches, while I took some
photographs. To describe the prospect in detail is quite impossible.
Imagine the grandest Alpine scene you ever saw, with tall snowy peaks
and pinnacles rising from huge domed tops, and vast fields of unbroken
snow; glaciers, running down _into_ the sea, at the heads of the
various bays; each bank and promontory richly clothed with vegetation
of every shade of green; bold rocks and noble cliffs, covered with
many-hued lichens; the floating icebergs; the narrow channel itself,
blue as the sky above, dotted with small islands, each a mass of
verdure, and reflecting on its glassy surface every object with such
distinctness that it was difficult to say where the reality ended and
the image began. I have seen a photograph of the Mirror Lake, in
California, which, as far as I know, is the only thing that could
possibly give one an idea of the marvellous effect of these
reflections. Unfit Bay, on Chatham Island, looking towards the
mountains near Pill Channel, and Ladder Hill, which looks as if a
flight of steps had been cut upon its face, were perhaps two of the
most striking points amid all this loveliness.

All too soon came the inevitable order to steam ahead; and once more
resuming our course, we passed through Innocents and Conception
Channels, and entered Wide Channel, which is frequently blocked up
with ice at this time of year, though to-day we only met with a few
icebergs on their way down from Eyre Sound.

[Illustration: Unfit Bay]

I have already referred to the extraordinary shapes assumed by some of
the mountain peaks. That appropriately called Singular Peak--on
Chatham Island--and Two-peak Mountain and Cathedral Mountain--both on
Wellington Island--specially attracted our attention to-day. The
first-named presents a wonderful appearance, from whichever side you
view it; the second reminds one of the beautiful double spires at
Tours; while the last resembles the tapering spire of a cathedral,
rising from a long roof, covered with delicate towers, fret-work, and
angles. In Wide Channel we felt really compelled to stop again to
admire some of the unnamed mountains. One we christened Spire
Mountain, to distinguish it from the rest; it consisted of a single
needle-like point, piercing deep into the blue vault of heaven, and
surrounded by a cluster of less lofty but equally sharp pinnacles.
This group rose from a vast chain of exquisitely tinted snow-peaks,
that looked almost as if they rested on the vast glacier beneath,
seamed with dark blue and green crevasses and fissures.

[Illustration: Two-peaked Mountain.]

All this time the weather continued perfect. Not a cloud was to be
seen, the sun was hot and bright, and the sky was blue enough to rival
that of classic Italy. If we could but be sure that this delightful
state of things would continue, how pleasant it would be, to stop and
explore some of these places. We have, however, been so frequently
warned of the possibility of detention for days and even weeks at
anchor, owing to bad weather, that we are hurrying on as fast as we
can, expecting that every day will bring the much-dreaded deluge,
gale, or fog. In thick weather it is simply impossible to proceed; and
if it comes on suddenly, as it generally does, and finds you far from
an anchorage, there is nothing to be done but to heave-to and wait
till it clears, sending a party ashore if possible to light a fire, to
serve as a landmark, and so enable you to maintain your position. How
thankful I am that we have been hitherto able to make the passage
under such favourable circumstances! It has been a vision of beauty
and variety, the recollection of which can never be effaced.

Europe Inlet, on our right, going up Wide Channel, was full of ice.
Husband's Inlet looked as if it was frozen over at the farther end,
and Penguin Inlet seemed quite choked up with huge hummocks and blocks
of ice. Tom therefore decided not to attempt the passage of Icy Reach,
for fear of being stopped, but to go round Saumarez Island to Port
Grappler by way of Chasm Reach, rather a longer route. It was a happy
decision; for nothing could exceed the weird impressive splendour of
this portion of the Straits. We were passing through a deep gloomy
mountain gorge, with high perpendicular cliffs on either side. Below,
all was wrapped in the deepest shade. Far above, the sun gilded the
snowy peaks and many-tinted foliage with his departing light, that
slowly turned to rose-colour ere the shades of evening crept over all,
and the stars began to peep out, one by one. We could trace from the
summit to the base of a lofty mountain the course of a stupendous
avalanche, which had recently rushed down into the sea, crushing and
destroying everything in its way, and leaving a broad track of
desolation behind it. It must for a time have completely filled up the
narrow channel; and woe to any unfortunate vessel that might happen to
be there at such a moment!

Port Grappler is rather a difficult place to make in the dark; but
Tom managed it with much dexterity, and by eight o'clock we were
safely anchored for the night. We all wanted Tom to stay here
to-morrow to get some rest, which he much needs, but he has determined
to start at five o'clock in the morning as usual, for fear of being
caught by bad weather. Even I, who have of course had no anxiety as to
the navigation, felt so fatigued from having been on the bridge the
whole day since very early this morning, that I went straight to bed
before dinner, in order to be ready for to-morrow.

[Illustration: Indian Reach]

_Thursday, October 12th_.--A day as perfect as yesterday succeeded a
clear cold night. We weighed anchor at 5.15 a.m., and, retracing our
course for a few miles, passed round the end of Saumarez Island, and
entered the narrow channel leading to Indian Reach. The greatest care
is here necessary, to avoid several sunken rocks, which have already
proved fatal to many ships, a large German steamer having been wrecked
as recently as last year. The smooth but treacherous surface of the
channel reflected sharply the cliffs and foliage, and its mirror-like
stillness was only broken at rare intervals, by the sudden appearance
of a seal in search of a fresh supply of air, or by the efforts,
delayed until the very last moment, of a few steamer-ducks, gannets,
or cormorants, to get out of our way.

Having accomplished the passage of Indian Reach in safety, we were
just passing Eden Harbour, when the cry of 'Canoe ahead!' was raised.
A boat was seen paddling out towards us from behind Moreton Island,
containing about half-a-dozen people, apparently armed with bows and
arrows and spears, and provided with fishing-rods, which projected on
either side. One man was standing up and waving, in a very excited
manner, something which turned out ultimately to be a piece of
cotton-waste. Our engines having been stopped, the canoe came
alongside, and we beheld six wild-looking half-naked creatures--two
men, three women, and a very small boy, who was crouching over a fire
at the bottom of the boat. There were also four sharp, cheery-looking
little dogs, rather like Esquimaux dogs, only smaller, with prick ears
and curly tails, who were looking over the side and barking vigorously
in response to the salutations of our pugs. One man had on a square
robe of sea-otter skins, thrown over his shoulders, and laced together
in front, two of the women wore sheepskins, and the rest of the party
were absolutely naked. Their black hair was long and shaggy, and they
all clamoured loudly in harsh guttural tones, accompanied by violent
gesticulations, for 'tabaco' and 'galleta.' We got some ready for
them, and also some beads, knives, and looking-glasses, but through
some mistake they did not manage to get hold of our rope in time, and
as our way carried us ahead they were left behind. The passage was
narrow, and the current strong, and Tom was anxious to save the tide
in the dangerous English Narrows. We could not, therefore, give them
another chance of communicating with us, and accordingly we went on
our way, followed by what were, I have no doubt, the curses--not only
deep, but loud--of the whole party, who indulged at the same time in
the most furious and threatening gestures. I was quite sorry for their
disappointment at losing their hoped-for luxuries, to say nothing of
our own at missing the opportunity of bargaining for some more furs
and curiosities.

Shortly afterwards there were seen from the masthead crowds of natives
among the trees armed with long spears, bows, and arrows, busily
engaged pushing off their canoes from their hiding-places in creeks
and hollows; so perhaps it was just as well we did not stop, or we
might have been surrounded. Not far from here are the English Narrows,
a passage which is a ticklish but interesting piece of navigation. A
strong current prevails, and, to avoid a shoal, it is necessary at one
point to steer so close to the western shore that the bowsprit almost
projects over the land, the branches of the trees almost sweep the
rigging, and the rocks almost scrape the side of the vessel. Two men
were placed at the wheel, as a matter of precaution, and we appeared
to be steering straight for the shore, at full speed, till Tom
suddenly gave the order 'Hard a-port!' and the 'Sunbeam' instantly
flew round and rushed swiftly past the dangerous spot into wider
waters. It is just here that Captain Trivett was knocked off the
bridge of his vessel by the boughs--a mishap he warned Tom against
before we left England.

Whilst in the Narrows we looked back, to see everything bright and
cheerful, but ahead all was black and dismal: the sky and sun were
obscured, the tops of the mountains hidden, and the valleys filled up
with thick fog and clouds--all which seemed to indicate the approach
of a storm of rain, although the glass was still very high. We went up
South Reach and North Reach, in the Messier Channel, till, just as we
were off Liberta Bay, in lat. 48 deg. 50' S., long. 74 deg. 25' W., the
blackest of the black clouds came suddenly down upon us, and descended
upon the deck in a tremendous shower--not of rain, but of _dust_ and
_ashes_. Windows, hatches, and doors were shut as soon as we
discovered the nature of this strange visitation, and in about half
an hour we were through the worst of it: whereupon dustpans, brooms,
and dusters came into great requisition. It took us completely by
surprise, for we had no reason to expect anything of the sort.
Assuming the dust to be of volcanic origin, it must have travelled an
immense distance; the nearest volcano, as far as we know, being that
of Corcovado, in the island of Chiloe, nearly 300 miles off. We had
heard from Sir Woodbine Parish, and others at Buenos Ayres, of the
terrible blinding dust-storms which occur _there_, causing utter
darkness for a space of ten or fifteen minutes; but Buenos Ayres is on
the edge of a river, with hundreds and thousands of leagues of sandy
plains behind it, the soil of which is only kept together by the roots
of the wiry pampas grass. For this dust to reach the Messier Channel,
where we now are, it would have to surmount two chains of snowy
mountains, six or seven thousand feet in height, and in many places
hundreds of miles in width, and traverse a vast extent of country
besides.

The weather was still so fine, and the barometer so high--30.52
inches--that Tom determined to go to sea to-day, instead of stopping
at Hale Cove for the night, as we had originally intended. Directly we
got through the English Narrows, therefore, all hands were busily
engaged in once more sending up the square-yards, top-masts, &c., and
in making ready for sea. Just before sunset, as we were quitting the
narrow channels, the sun pierced through the clouds and lightened up
the lonely landscape as well as the broad waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Its surface was scarcely rippled by the gentle breeze that wafted us
on our course; the light of the setting sun rested, in soft and varied
tints, on the fast-fading mountains and peaks; and thus, under the
most favourable and encouraging circumstances, we have fairly entered
upon a new and important section of our long voyage.

Although perhaps I ought not to say so, I cannot help admiring the
manner in which Tom has piloted his yacht through the Straits, for it
would do credit, not only to any amateur, but to a professional
seaman. He has never hesitated or been at a loss for a moment, however
intricate the part or complicated the directions; but having
thoroughly studied and mastered the subject beforehand, he has been
able to go steadily on at full speed the whole way. It has, however,
been very fatiguing work for him, as he hardly ever left the bridge
whilst we were under way.

We steamed the whole distance from Cape Virgins to the Gulf of Penas,
659 knots, in 76 hours, anchoring six times. This gives seven days'
steaming, of an average length of eleven hours each; and as we stopped
two or three hours, at different times, for Fuegians, photographs, and
sketches, our average speed was nine and a half knots, though
sometimes, when going with strong currents, it was twelve or fourteen,
and, when going against them, barely six knots.

Just at dark, we passed between Wager Island and Cheape Channel, where
H.M.S. 'Wager,' commanded by Captain Cheape, was wrecked, and we spent
the night in the Gulf of Penas, almost becalmed.

_Friday, October 13th_.--We ceased steaming at 7.30 a.m., and made
every effort throughout the rest of the day, by endless changes of
sail, to catch each fleeting breath of wind. We did not, however, make
much progress, owing to the extreme lightness of the breeze.

Sorry as we are to lose the scenery of the Straits, it is pleasant to
find the weather getting gradually warmer, day by day, and to be able
to regard the morning bath once more as a luxury instead of a terror.
The change is also thoroughly appreciated by the various animals we
have on board, especially the monkeys and parrots, who may now be seen
sunning themselves in every warm corner of the deck. In the Straits,
though the sun was hot, there was always an icy feeling in the wind,
owing to the presence of enormous masses of snow and ice on every
side.

_Saturday, October 14th_.--Light winds and calms prevailed the whole
day. About 2 p.m. we were off the island of Socorro. In the afternoon
a large shoal of whales came round the yacht. I was below when they
first made their appearance, and when I came on deck they were
spouting up great jets of water in all directions, suggestive of the
fountains at the Crystal Palace. We were lying so still that they did
not seem to be in the least afraid of us, and came quite close,
swimming alongside, round us, across our bows, and even diving down
under our keel. There was a shoal of small fish about, and the whales,
most of which were about fifty or sixty feet in length, constantly
opened their huge pink whalebone-fringed mouths so wide that we could
see right down their capacious throats. The children were especially
delighted with this performance, and baby has learned quite a new
trick. When asked, 'What do the whales do?' she opens her mouth as
wide as she can, stretches out her arms to their fullest extent, then
blows, and finishes up with a look round for applause.

Soon after 8 p.m. the wind completely died away, and, fearing further
detention, we once more got up steam.

_Sunday, October 15th_.--Still calm. We had the litany and hymns at 11
a.m.; prayers and hymns and a sermon at 5 p.m. In the course of the
afternoon we were again surrounded by a shoal of whales. We passed the
island of Chiloe to-day, where it always rains, and where the
vegetation is proportionately dense and luxuriant. It is inhabited by
a tribe of peculiarly gentle Indians, who till the ground, and who are
said to be kind to strangers thrown amongst them. Darwin and Byron
speak well of the island and its inhabitants, who are probably more
civilised since their time, for a steamer now runs regularly once a
week from Valparaiso to San Carlos and back for garden produce. The
potato is indigenous to the island.

[Illustration: Catching Cape Pigeons in the Gulf of Penas]

_Tuesday, October 17th_.--At 6 a.m., there being still no wind, Tom,
in despair of ever reaching our destination under sail alone, again
ordered steam to be raised. Two hours later a nice sailing breeze
sprang up; but we had been so often disappointed that we determined to
continue steaming. Just before sunset we saw the island of Mocha in
the distance. It is said to have been inhabited at one time by herds
of wild horses and hogs, but I think they have now become extinct.

One of our principal amusements during the calm weather has been to
fish for cape-pigeons, cape-hens, gulls, and albatrosses, with a hook
and line. We have caught a good many in this way, and several
entangled themselves in the threads left floating for the purpose over
the stern. The cape-pigeons were so tame that they came almost on
board, and numbers of them were caught in butterfly-nets. Their
plumage is not unlike grebe, and I mean to have some muffs and
trimmings for the children made out of it. Allen, the coxswain of the
gig, skins them very well, having had some lessons from Ward before we
left England. I want very much to catch an albatross, in order to have
it skinned, and to make tobacco-pouches of its feet and pipe-stems of
the wing-bones, for presents.




CHAPTER X.

CHILI.

    _Sunbeam of summer, oh what is like thee,_
    _Hope of the wilderness, joy of the sea._


_Wednesday, October 18th_.--At 3.30 a.m. we were close to the land
lying south of the Bay of Lota; at 4 a.m. the engines were stopped on
account of the mist; and at 6 a.m. we began to go slowly ahead again,
though it was still not very easy to make out the distance and bearing
of the coast. The passage into the bay, between the island of Santa
Maria and Lavapie Point, is narrow and difficult, and abounds with
sunken rocks and other hidden dangers, not yet fully surveyed. Tom
said it was the most arduous piece of navigation he ever undertook on
a misty morning; but happily he accomplished it successfully. Just as
he entered the sun broke through the mist, displaying a beautiful bay,
surrounded on three sides by well-wooded hills, and sheltered from all
winds except the north. One corner is completely occupied by the huge
establishment belonging to Madame Cousino, consisting of coal-mines,
enormous smelting-works, and extensive potteries. The hill just at the
back is completely bare of vegetation, which has all been poisoned by
the sulphurous vapours from the furnaces. This spot, from its
contiguity to the works, has been selected as the site of a village
for the accommodation of the numerous labourers and their families. It
is therefore to be hoped that sulphur fumes are not as injurious to
animal as they evidently are to vegetable life. As we drew nearer to
the shore we could distinguish Madame Cousino's house, in the midst of
a park on the summit of a hill, and surrounded on all sides by
beautiful gardens. Every prominent point had a little summer-house
perched upon it, and some of the trees had circular seats built round
their trunks half-way up, approached by spiral staircases, and
thatched like wigwams. The general aspect of the coast, which is a
combination of rich red earth, granite cliffs, and trees to the
water's edge, is very like that of Cornwall and Devonshire.

We had scarcely dropped our anchor before the captain of the port came
on board, and told us we were too far from the shore to coal, which
was our special object in coming here; so up went the anchor again,
and we steamed a few hundred yards further in, and then let go close
to the shore, in deep water. Captain Moeller waited to go ashore with
us, introduced our steward to the butcher and postmaster of the place,
and then accompanied us to Madame Cousino's gardens.

It was a steep climb up the hill, but we were well rewarded for our
labour. Tended by over a hundred men, whose efforts are directed by
highly paid and thoroughly experienced Scotch gardeners, these grounds
contain a collection of plants from all the four quarters of the
globe, and from New Zealand, Polynesia, and Australia. Amid them were
scattered all kinds of fantastic grottoes, fountains, statues, and
ferneries; flights of steps, leading downwards to the beach, and
upwards to sylvan nooks; arcades, arched over with bamboos, and
containing trellis-work from Derbyshire, and Minton tiles from
Staffordshire; seats of all sorts and shapes, _under_ trees, _in_
trees, and _over_ trees; besides summer-houses and pagodas, at every
corner where there was a pretty view over land or sea.

One of the heads of the establishment, a great friend of Madame
Cousino's, was unfortunately very ill, and as she was nursing him, she
could not come out to see us; but she kindly gave orders to her
gardener to send some cut flowers and some ferns on board the yacht,
to decorate the saloon; and as she was unable to invite us to luncheon
at the big house, she sent some champagne and refreshments down to the
Casa de la Administracion, where we were most hospitably entertained.
She has had the latter place comfortably fitted up for the use of the
principal employes on the works, and has provided it with a
billiard-table, a very fair library, and several spare bed-rooms for
the accommodation of visitors.

After luncheon we went to see the copper-smelting works, which were
very interesting. The manager walked through with us, and explained
the processes very clearly. He could tell at once, on taking up a
piece of rough ore, fresh from the mine, what percentage of copper or
iron it contained, the amount varying from ten to seventy-five per
cent, of the gross weight. The furnaces are kept burning night and
day, and are worked by three gangs of men; and the quantity of copper
produced annually is enormous. In fact, three parts of the copper used
in Europe comes from here. The ore is brought from various parts of
Chili and Peru, generally in Madame Cousino's ships; and coal is found
in such abundance, and so near the surface, that the operation of
smelting is a profitable one. Our afternoon, spent amid smoke, and
heat, and dirt, and half-naked workmen, manipulating with dexterous
skill the glowing streams of molten ore, was a great contrast to our
morning ramble.

Having seen the works, and received a curious and interesting
collection of copper ore, as a remembrance of our visit, we started in
a little car, lined with crimson cloth, and drawn by a locomotive, to
visit the various coal-mines. First we went through the park, and then
along a valley near the sea, full of wild flowers and ferns, and trees
festooned with 'copigue,' the Chilian name for a creeper which is a
speciality of this country, and which imparts a character of its own
to the landscape during the month of May, when its wreaths of
scarlet, cherry, or pink flowers are in full bloom. We went to the
mouths of three coal-pits, and looked down into their grimy depths,
but did not descend, as it would have occupied too much time. They are
mostly about 1,000 yards in depth, and extend for some distance under
the sea.

We next visited a point of land whence we could see an island which
closely resembles St. Michael's Mount. It is quite uninhabited, except
by a few wild goats and rabbits. The sea-shore is lined with trees to
the water's edge, and there are many bold rocks and fine white sandy
caves in different parts of it. Some boats were drawn up high and dry
on the beach, along which several picturesque-looking groups of
shell-fish collectors were scattered. The mussels that are found here
are enormous--from five to eight inches in length--and they, together
with cockles and limpets, form a staple article of food.

A steam-launch had been sent to meet us, but it could not get near
enough to the shore for us to embark. A rickety, leaky small boat,
half full of water, was therefore, after some delay, procured, and in
this we were sculled out, two by two, till the whole party were safely
on board. Outside there was quite a swell, and a north wind and rain
are prophesied for to-morrow. Mr. Mackay returned with us to the
yacht, and stayed to dinner. Before he left, the prognostications of
bad weather were to some extent justified; for the wind changed, and
rain, the first we have felt for some time, began to fall.

_Thursday, October 19th_.--We have been persuaded by our friends here
to try and see a little more of the interior of Chili than we should
do if we were to carry out our original intention of going on to
Valparaiso in the yacht, and then merely making an excursion to
Santiago from that place. We have therefore arranged to proceed at
once overland to Santiago, by a route which will enable us to see
something of the Cordillera of the Andes, to have a peep at the
Araucanian Indians on the frontier, and to visit the baths of
Cauquenes. Tom, however, does not like to leave the yacht, and has
decided to take her up to Valparaiso, and then come on to Santiago and
meet us, in about five or six days' time. The anchor was accordingly
hove short, and the mizen hoisted, when we landed this morning, in a
drenching rain.

A coach runs daily from Lota to Concepcion, the first stage of our
journey, but a special vehicle was engaged for our accommodation, and
a curious affair it was to look at. It seemed to be simply a huge
wooden box, suspended, by means of thick leather straps, from C
springs, without windows or doors, but provided with two long, narrow
openings, through which you squeezed yourself in or out, and which
could be closed at pleasure by roll-up leather blinds. Inside, it was
roomy, well-padded, and comfortable.

The rain had made the road terribly greasy, and several times the
carriage slewed half-way round and slid four or five feet sideways
down the hill, causing us to hold on, in expectation of a spill. At
last we reached the bottom in safety, and, crossing a small river,
emerged upon the sea-shore at Playa Negra, or Black Beach, along which
we drove for some distance through the deep, loose sand, the horses
being up to their fetlocks in water most of the time. Then we forded
another little river, and, leaving the beach, proceeded up a steep
road, not more than three yards wide, with a ditch on one side and a
steep precipice on the other, to the little village of Coronel,
overlooking the bay of the same name. While the horses were being
changed, we walked down to the little wooden pier, on the sea-shore,
and saw the 'Sunbeam' just coming out of Lota Bay.

Drawn up by the side of the pier was a picturesque-looking
market-boat, full of many sorts of vegetables, and little piles of
sea-eggs, with their spines removed, and neatly tied up with rushes in
parcels of three. The people seemed to enjoy them raw, in which state
they are considered to be most nutritious; and when roasted in their
shells, or made into omelettes, they are a favourite article of food
with all classes. Coronel is a great coaling station, and the bay,
which is surrounded by tall chimneys, shafts, and piers, connected
with the mines, was full of steamers and colliers.

Our road now ran for some time through undulating pasture-land, in
which were many large trees, the scene resembling a vast park. Masses
of scarlet verbena, yellow calceolaria, and white heath, grew on all
sides, while the numerous myrtle, mimosa, and other bushes, were
entwined with orange-coloured nasturtiums, and a little scarlet
tropaeolum, with a blue edge, whose name I forget. Beneath the trees
the ground was thickly carpeted with adiantum fern. The road over
which we travelled was of the worst description, and our luncheon was
eaten with no small difficulty, but with a considerable amount of
merriment. Once, when we jolted into an unusually big hole, the whole
of our provisions, basket and all, made a sudden plunge towards one
side of the coach, and very nearly escaped us altogether.

Half-way between Coronel and Concepcion, we met the return
stage-coach, crowded with passengers, and looking as if it had just
come out of the South Kensington Museum or Madame Tussaud's, or like
the pictures of a coach of Queen Elizabeth's time. It was a long low
vehicle, with unglazed windows all round it, painted bright scarlet
decorated with brilliant devices on every panel, and suspended, like
our own, by means of innumerable leather straps, from huge C springs.
The seats on either side held three passengers, and there was a stool
in the middle, like the one in the Lord Mayor's coach, on which four
people sat, back to bask.

Soon after we drew up to rest the horses at a little posada, kept by
two Germans, called 'Half-way House,' and seven miles more brought us
to a rich and well-cultivated farm belonging to Mr. Hermann, where we
stopped to change horses.

It was six o'clock in the evening when we reached the Bio-Bio, a wide
shallow river, at the entrance of the town of Concepcion; it had to be
crossed in a ferry-boat, carriage and all, and as it was after hours,
we had some difficulty in finding any one to take us over. At last, in
consideration of a little extra pay, six men consented to undertake
the job, and having set a square-sail, to keep us from being carried
down the river by the current, they punted us over with long poles.
Sometimes there was nine feet of water beneath us, but oftener not
more than four or five. The boat could not get close to the opposite
shore, and it was a great business to get the carriage out and the
horses harnessed, in some eighteen inches of water. First the carriage
stuck in the sand, and then the horses refused to move, but after a
great deal of splashing, and an immense display of energy in the way
of pulling, jerking, shrieking, shouting--and, I am afraid,
swearing--we reached the bank, emerged from the water, struggled
through some boggy ground, and were taken at full gallop through the
streets of the town, until we reached the Hotel Comercio, where we
found comfortable rooms and a nice little dinner awaiting us.

This was all very well, as far as it went, but when we came to inquire
about our onward route we were disappointed to learn that the line to
Angol was closed, owing to the breaking down of a bridge, and would
remain so until next month, and that, with the exception of a
contractor's train, which runs only once a week, there was nothing by
which we could travel. 'To-morrow is Friday,' added Monsieur
Letellier, 'and that is so near Monday, what can Madame do better than
wait here till then?' By way of consolation, he informed us that there
were no Indians now at Angol, as the Araucanian [6] Indians had
recently all been driven further back from the frontier by the
Chilenos, but that, if we were still bent on trying to get there, we
could go by boat as far as Nacimiento, where we might, with some
difficulty, procure a carriage. The river just now, however, is so
low, that the boat frequently gets aground, and remains for two or
three days; therefore, taking everything into consideration, we have
decided to abandon this part of our programme, for otherwise we shall
not reach Santiago in time. In any case, the journey will be a much
longer one than we expected.

[Footnote 6: I have lately received a letter from a friend in Paris,
who says: 'Strange to tell, it is only a few days ago that poor Orelie
Antoine I., ex-King of Araucania, died at Bordeaux, in a hospital. He
reigned for some years, and then made war upon Chili, which gave him a
warm reception; even captured his Majesty and sent him back to his
native land. I met him here a few years ago, surrounded by a small
court, which treated him with great deference. I found him a
dignified, intelligent sovereign. He attempted to return to his
kingdom, but was captured on the high seas by a Brazilian cruiser, and
sent back to France to die a miserable death.]

_Friday, October 20th_.--We went out for a short stroll round the
Plaza before breakfast, which meal was scarcely over when Mr. Mackay
arrived in a carriage, and took us off to see what there was to see in
the town. The Plaza was full of bright-looking flower-beds, in which
were superb roses, and many English flowers, shaded by oranges,
pomegranates, and deutzias. Each plot belongs to one of the principal
families in the town, and great emulation is displayed as to whose
little garden shall be in the best order and contain the finest
collection of plants and flowers.

Concepcion has suffered, and still suffers, much from earthquakes. The
existing town is only thirty-five years old. The houses are all one
story high only, and the streets, or rather roads, between them are
wide, in order to afford the inhabitants a chance of escape, should
their dwellings be thrown down by a sudden shock. In summer everybody
rushes out into the street, no matter what hour of the day or night it
may be, as soon as the first symptoms of an earthquake are felt; but
during the winter, when the shocks are never so severe, the alarm
caused is not so great. The old town was about two miles distant from
the present site, near a place now called Penco, but after being
demolished in the ordinary way, an immense wave rolled up and
completely destroyed all traces of its existence.

We drove out to Puchacai, Mr. Mackay's hacienda, a pretty little
thatched cottage, surrounded by a verandah, in the midst of a garden,
where laburnums and lilacs bloom side by side with orange-trees and
pomegranates. Round the garden are groves of shady English oaks (the
first we have seen since leaving home) and Norfolk Island pines, the
effect of the whole scene being strangely suggestive of the idea that
a charming little bit of English rural scenery has in some mysterious
manner been transported to this out-of-the-way spot in Chili. The
interior of the house, which is simply but tastefully furnished, and
at the time of our visit was full of fresh flowers, arranged with an
artistic eye to colour, bears the same indescribable _homelike_ air.
We were kindly received and regaled with luncheon, including, amongst
other good things, fried _pejerey_ (king of fish), deservedly so
called.

In the afternoon we strolled about the garden, and looked at the farm
and stable, and were shown the probable winner of one of the prizes at
the forthcoming race-meeting. In the cottages on the estate some
specimens of _minaque_ lace were offered to us--a lace made by most of
the peasants in this part of the country. It varies considerably in
quality, from the coarse kind, used for covering furniture, to the
finest description, used for personal adornment It is very cheap,
wears for ever, and strongly resembles the _torchon_ lace, now so
fashionable in Paris and London for trimming petticoats and children's
frocks. The women also spin, dye, and weave the wool from the fleece
of their own sheep into the bright-coloured ponchos universally worn,
winter and summer, by the men in this country. These ponchos are not
made of nearly such good material as those used in the Argentine
Republic, but they are considerably gayer and more picturesque in
appearance.

After dinner, there was nothing to do except to stroll about the town
and buy photographs. They are extremely good in Chili--both views and
portraits--but proportionately dear, the price being double what would
be charged in London or Paris for the same thing.

[Illustration: Waiting for the Train, Chili.]

_Saturday, October 21st_.--Having wished good-bye to Mr. Mackay, and
taken our seats in the train for Linares, we were now fairly launched
on our own resources in a strange country, I being the only one of the
party who could speak even a little Spanish. At San Romde we stopped
half an hour to allow the train from Chilian to pass. Most of the
passengers took the opportunity of breakfasting, but as we were not
hungry we occupied the time in having a chat with the engine-driver, a
very intelligent Canadian. He told us that, as it happened, we might
have gone to Angol to-day after all, as a special car and engine were
going there to take a doctor to see a patient, returning early
to-morrow morning.

The railroad runs alongside the Bio-Bio all the way to San Romde. On
either bank are low wooded hills, on whose sides vines are cultivated
in considerable quantities. The wild flowers grow luxuriantly
everywhere: calceolarias, especially, in huge bushes of golden bloom,
two or three feet high. At San Romde we left the river, and travelled
through a pretty and well-cultivated country to Chilian, which derives
its name from an Indian word, signifying 'saddle of the sun,' and is
so called from the fact that the sun shines upon it through a
saddle-shaped pass in the chain of the Andes.

Like Concepcion, the existing town has been recently built at a
distance of about a mile from the remains of the old place of the same
name, which was overthrown by an earthquake about thirty years ago.
The destruction was, however, not so complete as in the case of
Concepcion, and some few of the better-conditioned houses are still
inhabited by very poor people, though the walls have great cracks in
them from top to bottom, and they are otherwise in a deplorable state.
A large cattle and horse market is held at Chilian every Saturday, and
it is said that, on these occasions, 100,000 dollars frequently change
hands in the course of the morning, in the open market-place. All the
business of the day was over by the time we got there, and there was
nothing to be seen but a few stray beasts and quaint bullock-carts,
and some peasants selling refreshments, _minaque_ lace, and other
trifles. In several of the old-fashioned shops on the Plaza there were
curious-looking stirrups, bits, spurs, and other horse-gear, all made
of solid silver, roughly worked by the Indians themselves.

Having had our baths, we returned to the hotel, where we found dinner
laid out in my bed-room, which happened to be the largest, for our
host did not approve of our dining at the table-d'hote, as we should
have preferred to do. He gave us an excellent dinner, with good wine,
and attended to us most assiduously himself.

While the gentlemen were smoking, I went to see a poor engine-driver
who had met with a bad accident, and who was lying at this hotel. He
is a fine healthy-looking Englishman, and he told me that, until this
misfortune, he had never known a day's illness in his life. It seems
that, at four o'clock in the afternoon of this day week, he was sent
off with a special engine to convey an important message. Something
going wrong during the journey, he slackened speed, and, in stepping
off the engine to see what was the matter, his foot slipped, and the
wheel of the tender went over it. He had no one with him who could
manage the engine alone, so he was obliged to get up again, and
endeavour to struggle on to Talca; but after going a few miles
further, the engine suddenly ran off the track, at a part of the
unfinished line that had not yet been sufficiently ballasted. They
could not get it on again unaided, and one of the men had to start off
and walk many miles before he could procure assistance. Altogether,
poor Clarke underwent forty-two hours of intense agony from the time
of the accident until he received any medical attention. In spite of
this he is now doing well; and though the foot, which is in a bath of
carbolic acid and water, looks very bad, he is in great spirits,
because the three local doctors, in consultation, have decided that
amputation will not be necessary. He spoke in the highest terms of the
kindness of our French host and his Spanish wife, the latter of whom,
he says, has nursed him like a mother. He certainly has the one large
room in the house, and when I saw him his bed was comfortably made and
arranged, flowers and fruit were on a table by his side, and
everything looked as neat and snug as possible. It was a treat to him
to see some one fresh from the old country, and to hear all the news,
and our voyage appeared to interest him greatly. While I was with him
one of his friends came in, who remembered me quite well, and who knew
one or two people with whom we are acquainted, including the manager
of Messrs. Bowdler and Chaffers' yard, where the 'Sunbeam' was built.

[Illustration: A Fellow Passenger]

_Sunday, October 22nd_.--Though it was Sunday, we had no choice but to
travel on, or we should not have been able to start until Tuesday. We
were therefore up at five o'clock, and at the station before seven.
From San Carlos, where we arrived at 8.15 a.m., we started for
Linares, which was reached a couple of hours later. It is a much
smaller town than Chilian, but is built on exactly the same
plan--Plaza, cathedral, and all. To-day the streets were crowded with
men on horseback, who had brought their wives in, seated
pillion-fashion on the crupper behind them, to attend mass.

Our road lay through a rich country, intersected by small rivers; with
the distant snowy chain of the Andes as a background, and through
thickly planted groves of poplars, growing in long shady avenues,
fragrant with perfume from the magnificent roses which blossomed
beneath their shade. In the course of our four hours' drive, we
crossed a great many streams, in some of which the water was deep
enough to come in at the bottom of the carriage, and cause us to tuck
ourselves up on the seats; there was always a little pleasing
excitement and doubt, as we approached one of these rivulets, as to
whether we were to be inundated or not. We met a good many people
riding and walking about in their holiday clothes, and at all the
cabarets groups of talkers, drinkers, and players were assembled.

The cottages we have seen by the roadside have been picturesque but
wretched-looking edifices, generally composed of the branches of trees
stuck in the ground, plastered with mud and thatched with reeds. Two
outhouses, or arbours, consisting of a few posts and sticks, fastened
together and overgrown with roses and other flowers, serve
respectively as a cool sitting-room and a kitchen, the oven being
invariably built on the ground outside the latter, for the sake of
coolness. The women, when young, are singularly good-looking, with
dark complexions, bright eyes, and luxuriant tresses, which they wear
in two plaits, hanging down their backs far below the waist. The men
are also, as a rule, fine-looking. In fact, the land is good, and
everybody and everything looks prosperous. The beasts are up to their
knees in rich pasture, are fat and sleek, and lie down to chew the cud
of contentment, instead of searching anxiously for a scanty
sustenance. The horses are well fed, and their coats are fine and
glossy, and the sheep, pigs, and other animals are in equally good
condition. It is therefore a cheery country to travel through, and at
this spring-time of the year one sees it in its highest perfection.

Before reaching Talca we had to cross the Maule, a wide, deep river,
with a swift current. The carriage was first put on board a large
flat-bottomed boat, into which the horses then jumped, one by one, the
last to embark tumbling down and rolling among the legs of the others.
With a large oar the boat was steered across the stream, down which it
drifted about 200 yards into shallow water, where the boatmen jumped
out and towed us to a convenient landing-place. Here we found several
people waiting to be ferried over. A troop of mules having been driven
into the water, which they seemed rather to enjoy, swam across safely,
though they were carried some distance down the river.

About five o'clock we arrived at Talca, and went straight to the Hotel
Colon, kept by Gassaroni. Every Italian who starts an hotel in this
part of the world calls it, as a matter of course, 'The Columbus
Hotel;' for they are very anxious to claim the great navigator as a
countryman, though the Spaniards dispute their right to do so, on the
ground that Genoa, where he was really born, was at that time an
independent State. While we were waiting for dinner we walked about
the town, which so exactly resembles Concepcion and Chilian in the
arrangement of its streets, buildings, and trees, that I doubt whether
any one familiar with the three places could tell immediately which
town he was in, if transported suddenly to the middle of the Plaza,
though I believe Talca is rather the largest. It still retains its old
Indian name, meaning 'thunder,' doubtless on account of the frequency
and violence of the thunder-storms by which it is visited.

_Monday, October 23rd_.--Soon after midnight I was aroused by a great
noise. At first I thought I was dreaming, but a very brief reflection
convinced me of the existence of an energetically played big-drum,
somewhere in the immediate neighbourhood of my bed-room. I at once got
up and, peeping through the window in the door, saw a military band of
twenty-five performers, standing on the other side of the courtyard,
blowing and hitting their hardest. It must be confessed that they
played well, and that their selection of music was good, but it was,
nevertheless, rather annoying, after a long and fatiguing day, and
with the prospect of an early start, to be kept awake until half-past
three in the morning, while they serenaded and toasted the _prima
donna_, and each of the other members of the theatrical company who
are staying here. The noise was, of course, increased by the
reverberation from the walls of the courtyard, and, finding it
impossible to sleep, I abandoned the attempt, and took to writing
instead. At last the welcome notes of the Chilian national air gave me
hope that the entertainment was over for the night--or rather
morning--and soon afterwards all was once more quiet.

We left Talca by the 7.30 train, Mr. Budge, who had business at
Curico, accompanying us. All the engines and rolling stock this side
of Santiago are of American make and pattern. Mr. Budge had secured
one of the long cars, with a passage down the centre, and a saloon at
each end, for us, so we were very comfortable, and he told us a great
deal about the country as we went along. Like all Chilenos, he is
very patriotic, and is especially proud of the financial stability of
his country. He often said,' If English people would only invest their
money here, instead of in Peru or the Argentine Republic, they would
get eight per cent, on good security.' We heard the same thing from
many other sources; and it certainly does seem that this country is
the most settled, and the least liable to be disturbed by revolutions,
of any in South America. At Curico[7] we breakfasted at a little
restaurant on Chilian dishes and the wine of the country. The latter
is excellent and of various kinds, but it is so cheap that none of the
innkeepers can be persuaded to supply it to travellers, whose only
chance of tasting it, therefore, is at some small inn.

[Footnote 7: An Indian name, signifying 'black waters,' having
reference to the mineral springs in the neighbouring mountains.]

Mr. Budge left us at Pelequen, the next station to San Fernando,
having put us in charge of the conductor, who promised to see after us
at Cauquenes, but who wofully betrayed his trust. There was no regular
station at the latter place, but as the train stopped, and we saw
'Bains de Cauquenes' on an hotel close by, we jumped out just in time
to see it go on again. Luckily the other passengers were kind enough
to interest themselves on our behalf, and shrieked and hallooed to
such good purpose that the engine was once more brought to a
standstill, and our luggage was put out. Half-a-dozen little boys
carried it to the inn, where I had to explain to the _patron_, in my
best Spanish, that we wanted a carriage to go to the baths, seven
leagues off. In a wonderfully short space of time, four good horses
were harnessed to a queer sort of vehicle, which held four inside and
one out, besides the driver, and which had to be entered by means of a
ladder. Having all packed in, and paid our fare beforehand, we were
rattled off at a merry pace towards the Andes. The road went up and
down and round about, and crossed many rivers, but was fairly good
throughout. We changed once at a large hacienda, where a man went into
a large yard, containing about sixty horses, and dexterously lassoed
the particular four required for our use. Several horsemen were
waiting about, and I looked at their saddles, which were made of a
dozen or more sheepskins, laid one on the top of the other, forming a
soft seat to ride in by day and a comfortable bed to sleep on at
night.

[Illustration: Baths of Cauquenes]

Early in the afternoon we saw some buildings in the distance, which we
rightly guessed to be the baths, and soon afterwards we passed in at
the entrance gate of the establishment, by the side of which was a
rock with the word 'Welcome' painted upon its face. The whole distance
from the station was twenty-three miles, which we had accomplished in
a little over two hours. Driving between hedgerows of roses in full
bloom, we were not long in reaching the door of the hotel, where we
were received by the proprietor. He told us he was very full, but he
managed to find us some small rooms, and then conducted us to the
luxuriously fitted bathing establishment. After this came the
table-d'hote, to which about seventy sat down, though many of the
visitors were dining in their own rooms. In the evening we walked
about the garden and chatted with several people, who all seemed to
have heard of us and our voyage, and to be anxious to know what we
thought of the Straits. We saw some English papers too, which was a
great treat, though there did not seem to be much news in them.

_Tuesday, October 24th_.--This is a wonderful place, built entirely of
wood. The centre part is a square, seventy yards in extent, surrounded
by a single row of one-storied rooms, with doors opening into the
courtyard, and windows looking over the river or up into the
mountains. In the middle of the square are a pavilion containing two
billiard-tables, a boot-blacking arbour, covered with white and yellow
jessamine and scarlet and cream-coloured honeysuckle, plenty of
flower-beds, full of roses and orange-trees, and a monkey on a pole,
who must, poor creature, have a sorry life of it, as it is his
business to afford amusement to all the visitors to the baths. He is
very good-tempered, does several tricks, and is tormented 'from early
dawn to dewy eve.' I remonstrated with our host on his behalf; but he
merely shrugged his shoulders and said, 'Mais il faut que le monde se
divertisse, Madame.' From the centre square, marble steps lead to a
large hall, with marble baths on either side, for ladies and gentlemen
respectively. A few steps further bring one to a delightful
swimming-bath, about forty feet square, filled with tepid water. The
water, as it springs from the rock, is boiling hot, and contains, I
believe, a good deal of magnesia and other salts, beneficial in cases
of rheumatism and gout; but the high temperature of the water makes
the air very muggy, and we all found the place relaxing, though
perhaps it was because we indulged too freely in the baths, which are
a great temptation.

[Illustration: Up the Valley towards the Andes.]

In the afternoon we went for a ride, to see a celebrated view of the
Andes. Unfortunately it was rather misty, but we could see enough to
enable us to imagine the rest. Some condors were soaring round the
rocky peaks, and the landscape, though well clothed with vegetation,
had a weird, dreary character of its own, partly due to the quantity
of large cacti that grew in every nook and corner, singly, or in
groups of ten or twelve, to the height of twenty or thirty feet.
Though they say it hardly ever rains in Chili, a heavy shower fell
this afternoon, and our landlord thoughtfully sent a boy on horseback
after us with umbrellas.

_Wednesday, October 25th_.--The bath was so delightful this morning,
that we felt quite sorry it was to be our last. One could very well
spend a week or two here, and find plenty to do in the way of
excursions into the valleys of the Andes, which look most inviting in
the distance.

At half-past ten, we set out on our return journey to the railway,
changing horses at the same place where we had stopped at coming up,
and which we reached half an hour before the train was due; when it
arrived we were allowed to get in with our belongings in rather a less
hurried fashion than we had alighted. Luncheon was procured at
Rancagua, and we finally reached Santiago at about 4.50 p.m. No sooner
had we got fairly into the station than the car was invaded by a crowd
of Porters touting for employment. They are all dressed in white, and
wear red caps, on which is a brass number, by means of which they are
easily recognised. The landlord from the Hotel Ingles, M. Tellier, met
us, and we at once drove off, leaving our luggage to follow, in charge
of one of the red-capped gentlemen. The drive from the station was
along the Alameda, on either side of which were many fine houses; but
the road was ill-paved and shaky as usual.

[Illustration: Cacti of the Cordillera]

The Grand Hotel, which used to be considered the best in South
America, is now shut up, the company who owned it having recently
failed; so all the smaller hotels, none of which are very good, are
crowded to overflowing. The Hotel Ingles is considered the best,
though I cannot say much in its favour. The rooms are good, but the
situation is noisy, being at the corner of two streets; the servants
are attentive, but the cuisine and arrangements are bad. Independently
of all this, we have great reason to complain of the conduct of the
landlord, for my first question, as soon as he had introduced himself,
was, of course, 'Have Mr. and Miss Brassey arrived?' 'Yes, Madame, and
went away this morning.' 'What! and left no letter?' 'No; but Monsieur
returns to-morrow.' Imagine my surprise and disappointment! But there
was nothing to be done but to go to the hotel and wait patiently. We
afterwards found that _Tom had left a long letter, and that he had
never said a word about returning_. The wretched man would not give me
the letter, because he thought he could detain us, and he never sent
the telegram I handed to him to forward to Tom at once, asking for an
answer.

[Illustration: Huasso Huts.]

Our luggage arrived just in time to enable us to dress for the second
table-d'hote at six o'clock, after which we went for a walk through
some arcades, paved with marble, and full of fine shops, past the
Grand Hotel, which was situated at the end of the Alameda, and is
built over an arcade of shops. It is a handsome building, and must
command a fine view. The cathedral and the archbishop's palace, large
but rather dull-looking brick buildings, are close by. The surrounding
gardens looked pretty by gaslight, and the scent of roses pervaded the
evening air.

[Illustration: Huasso of Chili]




CHAPTER XI.

SANTIAGO AND VALPARAISO.

    _Gems of the changing autumn, how beautiful you are,_
    _Shining from your glassy stems, like many a golden star._


_Thursday, October 26th_.--Our kind hostess at Lota had given us a
letter of introduction to her manager at Santiago, who called this
morning to inquire what arrangements he could make which would be most
agreeable to us during our stay. She had also given orders that her
carriages and horses should be placed at our disposal, and at about
ten o'clock we all started in an open break, drawn by a pair of
good-looking half-bred brown horses, bigger than any we had seen
before in this country.

[Illustration: Morning Mass at Santiago]

We went first to the Compania, a large open square, planted with
flowers, the site of the old Jesuit Church, which was burnt down on
December 8th, 1863. Well known as the story is, I may here recall the
tragic details, standing on the very spot where they took place. It
was the Feast of the Virgin, and the church was densely crowded with a
congregation composed almost entirely of women, principally young,
many of whom were servant-girls. Some of the draperies used in the
decoration of the building caught fire, the flames spread rapidly,
destroying in their course the cords by which the numerous paraffin
and oil lamps were suspended across the nave and aisles, and
precipitating their burning contents upon the people beneath. The
great doors opened inwards; the crowd, trying to press out, closed
them, and kept them hermetically sealed. The priests, anxious to save
the church properties and sacred relics, shut the large iron gates
across the chancel and kept them fastened, notwithstanding the
agonising shrieks of the unhappy victims, many of whom might otherwise
have escaped. Their conduct on this terrible occasion created at the
time a feeling of bitter and universal indignation, and caused a shock
to the popularity and authority of the priesthood in this country,
from which it will take them a long time to recover.

Mr. Long told us that, between seven and eight o'clock on the evening
of the catastrophe, he was walking with some friends on the Alameda,
when he saw smoke rising in dense volumes from the quarter of the city
where the house in which he resided was situated. He and his friends
ran quickly in the direction of the fire, giving the alarm as they
went, and on reaching the church they found the doors closely shut,
while fearful screams were issuing from the interior, and smoke and
flames pouring from the windows. They got a party of men together
accustomed to the use of the lasso--no difficult task here--and with
them climbed from the neighbouring houses to the top of the church.
Making a hole in the roof, they then dropped their lassoes over some
of the women beneath, and so dragged them out of the building; but the
number thus saved was necessarily very small, and it happened too
often that many of the poor creatures below, in their eagerness to
escape, hung on to the legs or body of the one they saw lassoed, and
by their weight literally dragged her to pieces. Sometimes even a
lasso broke, and those clinging to it, when almost within reach of
safety, were again precipitated into the burning mass below. Any one
who has seen a raw hide lasso, capable of withstanding the sudden rush
of the fiercest bull ever captured, will be able to realise the
immense strain which would be required to cause one to give way. The
next morning at daybreak, the interior of the church presented a
terrible spectacle. Mr. Long described it as being full of women,
standing up, tightly wedged together, their hands stretched out as if
in an attitude of supplication, their faces and the upper part of
their bodies charred beyond recognition, the lower part, from the
waist downwards, completely untouched.

Their remains were buried in one large grave, in the cemetery of the
Recoleta, and the spot is now marked by a square piece of ground, full
of bright flowers, enclosed by iron railings, almost hidden by the
creepers that entwine them, and shaded by willows, orange-trees,
cypresses, and pomegranates. In the centre is a large cross, and on
either side of the iron railings there is a marble tablet with the
simple but touching inscription, in Spanish--

'Incendio de la Iglesia
  de la Compania,
8 de Diciembre, 1863.
Restos de las Victimas;
  2000, mas o menos.'

(Burning of the Church of the Compania, December 8th, 1863
Remains of the victims. 2,000, more or less.)

Almost every household in Santiago had lost one of its members. One
lovely girl of seventeen was pulled out through the roof and taken to
Madame Cousino's residence, where she lay for nearly a fortnight. She
suffered the greatest agonies, but was sensible to the last, and gave
a graphic account of the whole harrowing scene. The site of the
church, hallowed by such sad memories, has never been built upon, but
is preserved as an open space, surrounded by a strip of garden, and
having in its centre a finely carved monument.

The Houses of Congress were the next thing we went to see, after which
we drove through a great part of the city and over a handsome bridge
with statues and small niches on either side. Beneath it, however,
there is little more than a dry torrent bed; and it is said that an
American, when visiting this spot with a Santiago friend, who was
showing him round, remarked, 'I guess you ought either to buy a river
or sell this here bridge.' We also went to the Church of La Recoleta.
From the church we went to the cemetery of the same name, which is
prettily laid out, and well stocked with flowers and trees.

It being now past eleven o'clock, we began to think about breakfast,
and accordingly returned to the hotel, where I was disappointed to
find no news from Tom and no answer to the telegram I sent last night.

At one o'clock we started again, and had a pleasant but rather dusty
drive of eight miles to Macul, the stud-farm established by the late
Don Luis Cousino.

We had some luncheon at Mr. Canning's house, in a room that had
recently been split from top to bottom by an earthquake, and
afterwards sat in the verandah to see the horses and some of the
cattle, which were brought round for our inspection. Amongst them were
Fanfaron, Fandango, and other beautiful thoroughbreds, three fine
Cleveland coach-horses, Suffolk cart-horses and percherons, and some
of the young stock. We saw only a few of the beasts, as at this time
they are away feeding on the hills, but I believe they are as good as
the horses. Mr. Long had arranged for us all to ride round the farm,
and I was mounted on a lovely chestnut mare, sixteen hands high,
daughter of Fanfaron, and niece to Kettledrum. I should have liked to
have bought her and sent her home, but she was not for sale, though
her value was 400_l_. English horses here are as dear, in proportion,
as native horses are cheap. The latter may be bought for from twenty
to sixty dollars apiece; and some of them make capital little hacks.

We rode all over the farm, attended by half-a-dozen peones, who drove
the young thoroughbred stock together, in the enormous fields, for us
to see, and afterwards did the same thing with some of the cattle. We
also went through the farm buildings, in one part of which we saw the
operation of making lassoes. The best are composed of neatly plaited
strips of cured hide, about a quarter of an inch wide, the commoner
sort being made from an undressed cow's hide, with the hair on, cut
from the centre in an ever-increasing circle, so that they are in one
piece, many yards in length. In another part of the farm there were a
few acres more of flower-gardens, orange-trees, and kitchen-gardens.

[Illustration: What makes Horses go in Chili]

Beautiful as the whole place is, it loses much in interest from its
vastness. You never seem to know where you are, or when you have come
to an end. I hear that Madame Cousino talks of extending the park
still further, right up into the mountains, which seems almost a pity,
as it is already too big to be kept in really perfect order, even with
a hundred and twenty men employed upon it. Everything is completely
surrounded and overgrown with flowers. Even the fields are separated
by hedges of sweet-smelling double pink roses, and these hedges are
larger than many a 'bull-finch' in the old country.

After a delightful gallop of about two hours, we returned to the
farmhouse, where we found a fresh pair of horses waiting for us in the
break, and drove back to Santiago by moonlight.

It was eight o'clock when we reached the hotel, and as the
table-d'hote dinner only lasts from five till half-past seven, I
asked for a private dinner in our own room or in the general
dining-room, for our own party and two guests in addition. But the
landlord said he was not at all sure about giving us dinner; he must
see what there was in the kitchen first. We then declared we would go
and dine at a cafe, and in less than half an hour managed to get an
excellent little dinner at the Cafe Santiago, though even Mr. Long,
who ordered it for us, could not induce them to give us native wine. I
am bound to confess, however, that we punished ourselves at least as
much as the landlord, for as we paid so much a day for board and
lodging, he was of course bound to provide us with dinner, and we had
thus to pay for our food twice over.

_Friday, October 27th_.--Still no news from Tom. Mr. Long called at
half-past eight, to take me to the market, and my first step was to
send another telegram, this time taking care to see that it really was
despatched.

We then walked through the streets to the market-hall, a handsome iron
building, commodiously arranged, which was sent out from England in
pieces, and put together here. All round it are stalls, where you can
get a capital breakfast, generally consisting of coffee, tender
beef-steak, buttered toast, and boiled beans, for a small sum. One of
our party, who had been at the market since half-past five, tried one,
and fully confirmed the report we had heard as to their excellence and
cleanliness. At the time of our visit all these refreshment stalls
were crowded, and I felt rather tempted to join one of the hungry
merry-looking groups myself. The market was well supplied with meat,
fish, vegetables, fruit, and flowers of all kinds, green peas, French
beans, and strawberries being specially abundant. There were
quantities of queer-looking baskets to be seen, and some curious
pottery, made by the nuns from a kind of cement. Outside the building
there were men and women hanging about with ponchos, of their own
manufacture, which they had brought in from the country, for sale. We
bought some bright specimens as presents for the children, but it took
some time to collect them, as each individual had only one to offer.
They are the work of the women, in the intervals of household labour,
and as soon as one is completed it is sold, in order that materials
for a fresh one may be purchased. We also bought some of the carved
wooden stirrups, made in the country, and used by all the natives.
They are rather like a small coalscuttle in shape, and must be heavy
and cumbersome.

From the market we went to hear high mass at the cathedral. This is a
fine building, though the interior seemed very dark. The high altar
was illuminated by hundreds of candles, whose light shone on a crowd
of kneeling women, all dressed in black, and with black veils over
their heads, the contrast between their sombre appearance and the
gilding and paintings on the walls--handsome at a distance, but tawdry
on a closer examination--being very striking. The organ is of splendid
tone and quality and reverberated grandly through the aisles, and the
whole scene was not without a certain impressiveness. I had not
thought of paying a visit to the cathedral when I went out this
morning, and it was not until I saw every one staring at me that I
remembered I had committed the terrible mistake of going to church in
a hat, and without any veil; but we remained in a dark corner most of
the time, and emerged into open daylight again before any of the
authorities of the place had time to observe or remonstrate with me.
My wearing a hat was, however, quite as much against all church rules
as a similar proceeding on the part of a man would have been. The
women of this city are almost always good-looking when young, and they
glide gracefully about the streets in their long black clinging gowns
and _mantos_, by which they are completely enveloped from head to
foot.

In the afternoon we went for a drive in the park, and to see Santa
Lucia, of which, as the only hill in Santiago, the inhabitants of the
city are very proud, and from thence drove to the Cousino Park, an
extensive piece of ground near the Alameda, laid out and arranged
under the direction of the late Don Luis Cousino, and presented by him
to the city of Santiago.

After a stroll round the park, Mr. Long took us to an emporium for
Panama hats, which are made in Lima, Guayaquil, and other states of
Chili, as well as in Panama, from a special kind of grass, split very
fine, and worn by almost everybody on this coast. The best made cost
340 dollars, or about sixty guineas, and fifty pounds is not at all an
uncommon price to pay, though the inferior kind may be had for two
pounds. Those ordinarily worn by the gentlemen here cost from twenty
to thirty pounds each, but they are so light, pliable, and elastic
that they will wear for ever, wash like a pocket-handkerchief, do not
get burnt by the sun, and can be rolled up and sat upon--in fact,
ill-treated in any way you like--without fear of their breaking,
tearing, or getting out of shape. For the yacht, however, where so
many hats are lost overboard, they would, I fear, prove a rather
unprofitable investment.

We now drove back to the hotel, past the Mint, a handsome building,
guarded by soldiers, and with windows protected by iron gratings. On
our return I found that one of the valuable ponchos, given to me in
the Argentine Republic, had been taken from our room. The landlord
declined to trouble himself about its recovery, as he said it was
'most unlikely that any one would take a thing of no value to him
here;' the real truth being that the guanaco ponchos are worth nearly
double as much in Chili as they are on the other side of the Andes.

After dinner we walked to the theatre, where we saw _La Sonnambula_
well put on the stage, and well sung and acted by an Italian opera
company. The _prima donna_, contralto, baritone, and bass were all
good, but the scenery was occasionally somewhat deficient. The house,
which is highly decorated--perhaps too much so for the ladies'
dresses--looked well by night, though if it had been full the effect
would have been still better. The box-tiers are not divided into
pigeon-holes, as they are with us, and everybody can therefore see
equally well. The Presidential box seemed commodious and handsome, and
had the Chilian coat of arms in front of it, making it look very much
like a Royal box.

The walk back by moonlight was delightful. Some of our party
afterwards went to the Union Club, where they met several English
gentlemen, who were most kind and pressing in their invitations to
them to stay a few days longer, and go up the mountains to see the
views and to have some guanaco shooting. About twenty-four hours from
here they say you can have your first shot, and a little further on
you meet them in herds which may be counted by thousands. There are
also wild horses and wild donkeys. Quaggas and huemuls used to be
found, but are now extinct. The last named is a rare animal, exactly
resembling a horse in every particular, except that its hoofs are
cloven. It used only to be found in the mountains of Chili, and it is
one of the supporters of the national coat of arms.

_Saturday, October 28th_.--At 5 a.m. we were called, and soon
afterwards parting gifts of flowers began to arrive, and even I was
obliged to confess that four large clothes-baskets full of rosebuds
were more than I quite knew what to do with. At seven Mr. Long came to
know if he could help us in any way, and a little later Madame
Cousino's coachman appeared with the carriage, to take us to the
station.

We had a pleasant drive down the Alameda, the sun shining brilliantly
in a bright blue sky, and the distant mountains for the first time
being clearly visible. The station was crowded with vendors of
pottery, curious things in buffalo horn, sweetmeats, &c. The rolling
stock on this line is of English manufacture, and we were therefore
put into the too familiar, close, stuffy, first-class carriage, and
duly locked up for the journey down to Valparaiso. The line, running
as it does through mountain gorges for a great portion of the way,
must have been a difficult one to make.

Just now the whole country wears a golden tint from the bloom of the
espinosa, which seems to grow everywhere, and which is now in
perfection. The branches of this shrub are so completely covered with
little yellow balls of flowers, which come before the leaves, and
which have no separate stalk, but grow along the shiny, horny
branches, that they look as if they were made of gold. It is called
the 'burning bush' here, and its wood is said to be the hardest in the
country. The flowers are often plucked off and dried, in which state
they are most fragrant and are used for scenting linen and for keeping
away moths. The thorns, however, are a terrible nuisance to the
shepherds and owners of cattle, catching their clothes and tearing
them as they gallop swiftly across over the plains. If I bore you by
saying too much about the flowers, forgive me. I want to make you all
realise, if possible, what a lovely flowery land Chili is. The whole
air is quite perfumed with roses, principally large double pink roses,
something like the old-fashioned cabbage rose, though there are a good
many of the monthly kind and a few white and deep scarlet ones. They
formed hedgerows on either side of the road, and in many places
climbed thirty or forty feet up the trees, and then threw down long
brambles laden with bloom, almost producing the effect of a wall of
pink. There were also plenty of wild flowers of other sorts, such as
scarlet and white lilies, larkspurs, eschscholtzias, evening
primroses, and many others whose names I do not know.

At Llaillai we stopped for breakfast, procured at a small restaurant
at the station. While waiting for the train for Santiago to come in,
we had plenty of time to observe the half-Indian girls selling fruit,
flowers, cakes, &c., and jabbering away in a sort of _patois_ Spanish,
in recommendation of their wares. Some of them were really pretty,
and all were picturesquely dressed in bright-coloured stuffs, their
hair neatly done up and decorated with flowers, their faces clean and
smiling. At 11.15 a.m. we reached Quillota, where the train was
literally besieged by men, women, and children, offering bouquets for
sale--two or three of which were thrust in at every carriage
window--and baskets of strawberries, cherimoyas, nisperos, melons,
oranges, sugar-cane, plantain, bananas, asparagus, green peas, French
beans, eggs, chickens, and even fish--nice little pejereyes, fresh
from the stream close by. It must evidently be the custom of the
Chilenos to visit by rail these fertile districts, for the purpose of
doing their marketing; for the occupants of the train soon absorbed
the entire stock of the vendors, who were left with empty baskets.

I never saw such a country as this is for eggs and chickens. A hen
seems never to have a smaller brood than ten, and I have often counted
from seventeen to twenty-one chickens with the mother, and, more than
once, as many as twenty-four. However well you may have breakfasted or
dined, the waiters always come at the end of the meal to ask, not
_whether_ you will have any eggs, but _how_ you will have them--fried,
boiled, poached, or in some sort of omelette. If you refuse
altogether, the chances are that two very lightly boiled eggs will be
placed by your side, with the suggestion that you should beat them up
and drink them. The inhabitants of the country always seem to finish
their meals with eggs in some form or another.

The celebrated 'Bell of Quillota,' a mountain which derives its name
from its peculiar shape, and which serves as a good landmark in
entering the harbour of Valparaiso, is well seen from the railway, a
little below Quillota Station. We stopped again at Limache, a little
village, situated in the midst of a fertile country, about twenty-five
miles from Valparaiso, where fruit, flowers, &c., were as freely
offered for sale as before, and again at Vina del Mar, the next
station to Valparaiso. There is a good hotel here, in the midst of a
pretty garden, where you can get an excellent breakfast or dinner.

From this spot the line runs close along the edge of the sea, and we
strained our eyes in vain, trying to discover the yacht. At the
station we were assailed by porters and touts of every description,
but, seeing no one to meet us, and not knowing where to go, we
contented ourselves with collecting our luggage in a little heap,
while a fight went on close by between a policeman and a coachman, who
had been too persistent in his endeavours to obtain a fare. They
knocked one another about a good deal, and broke one or two windows,
after which they appeared quite satisfied, shook hands, and were good
friends again. Tom, Mabelle, and Muriel arrived before it was over,
and we were very glad to meet again after our short absence.

A long, dusty drive brought us to the mole, and while the luggage was
being packed into the boat, Tom and I went to call on the British
Consul, where we found some letters. We were on board in time for two
o'clock luncheon, after which, amid many interruptions from visitors,
we devoured our news from home and other parts--for amongst our
letters were some from Natal, India, Japan, Canada, Teneriffe, South
American ports, St. Petersburg, Constantinople, and several other
places, besides those from dear old England.

About four o'clock Tom and I went ashore. We had intended going alone
in the 'Flash' (our lightest boat), but a strong southerly wind had
sprung up, which at once made the sea so rough that we went in the
'Gleam' (the gig) instead, with six oars. It took the men all their
time to get us ashore, though we had not far to go, for wind, tide,
and waves were all against us.

Valparaiso consists mainly of two interminable streets, running along
the edge of the sea, at the foot of the hills, which rise immediately
behind them, and on which are built all the residences and villas of
the gentlemen of the place. Very few live in the town itself, which is
composed almost entirely of large warehouses and fine shops, where you
can get almost anything you want by paying between three and four
times as much for it as you would do in England. For instance, the
charge for hair-cutting is a dollar and a half (4s.), a
three-and-sixpenny Letts's Diary costs two dollars and a half (10s.),
a tall hat costs fifty-eight shillings, you must pay sixpence each for
parchment luggage-labels, threepence apiece for quill pens, four
shillings for a quire of common notepaper, and so on in proportion.

We had, as I have said, seen the yacht leave Lota Bay, with a strong
head-wind blowing, on Thursday, the 19th instant. In a few hours the
wind fell to a calm, which then changed to a light favourable breeze,
and the 'Sunbeam' reached Valparaiso on the following Saturday
afternoon, anchoring out in the bay, not far from H.M.S. 'Opal.' Here
they rolled and tumbled about even more than if they had been at sea,
the swinging capacities of the saloon tables and lamps being tried to
the utmost. On Sunday half the men went ashore for a few hours' leave,
but neither they nor the boat returned until the next morning, as they
had not been allowed to leave the shore after nine o'clock. In the
meantime Tom had been told that small-pox was raging in the town, and
he was much annoyed at their having to pass the night on shore, owing
to proper inquiries as to the regulations of the port not having been
made by them on landing. The next day the doctor went to see some
medical _confreres_ at the hospital, and found that the reports were
much exaggerated, the reality being that small-pox is always more or
less prevalent both here and at Santiago. Three months ago it was very
bad, but at the present time it is not worse than usual. Tom and
Mabelle started for Santiago on Monday, but unfortunately left their
letters of introduction behind; and as they did not like the hotel,
they found it rather dull. We could not telegraph to them from
Cauquenes, or anywhere _en route_, for there were no wires; so on
Wednesday morning, not hearing or seeing anything of us, they returned
to Valparaiso. Tom left a long letter for me, with enclosures (which I
never received), in the innkeeper's hands, asking for a telegraphic
reply as to our plans and intentions, and, as I have already
mentioned, never said a word about coming back. Thursday was spent in
seeing what little there is to see in Valparaiso, and in visiting the
'Opal.' On Friday Tom went for a sail, moved the yacht close inshore,
had a dinner-party on board, and went to a pleasant ball afterwards,
given by the Philharmonic Society, an association of the same sort as
the one at Rio. It was not, however, called a regular ball, but a
_teriulia_, so the ladies were in _demi-toilette_. Tom described the
room as good, the floor first-rate, the music excellent, the ladies
good-looking, and the men agreeable. To-day he met us at the station
with the children; and now, therefore, one account will describe the
movements of the whole reunited party.

_Sunday, October 29th_.--We all went ashore to church, having been
told it was only five minutes' walk from the landing-place, instead of
which it took us at least a quarter of an hour, in an intensely hot
sun, to climb up a steep hill. The building itself was large, airy,
and cool, and there is a good organ and choir, but most of the
choristers had gone away to-day to a picnic in the country. During the
Litany our attention was suddenly drawn to the fact that earthquakes
are matters of frequent occurrence in this country, by a special
prayer being offered up for preservation from them and their
destructive effects.

At four o'clock we went ashore for a ride, and having climbed the
hills at the back of the town, which command extensive views over land
and sea, we galloped across the downs and through some villages on to
the old high road from Valparaiso to Santiago, along which we rode
only for a few yards, turning off into a romantic valley, where the
path was so narrow that we could barely squeeze through between the
thickly growing shrubs and trees. At last we went up a steep hill on
to another high road, and re-entered the town quite at the opposite
end to that at which we had left it, after which a ride of two miles
along the stony, ill-paved streets brought us to the landing-place.

_Monday, October 30th_.--We were to be off directly the sea-breeze
sprang up, at about eleven o'clock, and as I had many letters to
write, I was called at 4 a.m., and finished them all before breakfast
at eight. But first one visitor and then another arrived, and it was
nearly eleven o'clock when we landed to make the final preparations
for starting on our long voyage of eleven thousand miles across the
Pacific.

Our route, as at present, arranged, will be via the Society, Friendly,
and Sandwich Islands. Juan Fernandez (Robinson Crusoe's Island), which
we at first thought of visiting, we have been obliged, I am sorry to
say, to give up, not on account of its distance from Valparaiso, as it
is only 270 miles off, but because it lies too far to the southward,
and is consequently quite out of the track of the trade wind, which we
ought to pick up, according to the charts and sailing directions,
about 500 miles to the northward and westward of this place. I have
been trying to persuade Tom to steam out five or six hundred miles, so
that we may make a quick passage and economise our time as much as
possible, but he is anxious to do _the whole_ voyage under sail, and
we are therefore taking very little coal on board, in order to be in
the best trim. If we do not pick up a wind, however, there is no
knowing how long we may lollop about. I suppose till we are short of
water and fresh provisions, when the fires will be lighted and we
shall steam away to the nearest island--uninhabited, we will hope, or
at any rate peopled by friendly natives, which is rather the
exception than the rule in the south-east corner of the Low
Archipelago. There we shall fill up with fresh water, bananas,
bread-fruit, and perhaps a wild hog or two, and resume our voyage to
Tahiti. But this is the least favourable view of the matter, and we
must hope to fall in with the trades soon, and that they will blow
strong and true.

The island of Juan Fernandez now belongs to the Chilian government,
but is let on a long lease to a man who, they say here, is somewhat of
a robber. He was very desirous that we should give him a passage in
the yacht, and another man wanted to come too, with some pointers, to
show us the best spots for game, goats, turtle, crayfish, and
sea-fish, with all of which the place abounds. Some cattle have also
been introduced, and the island is much frequented by whalers, who go
there for fresh provisions and water. There is nothing particular to
be seen, however, and the scenery of the island is not remarkable; at
least, so people who have been there tell us, and the photographs I
have bought quite confirm their report. Admiral Simpson, who stayed
there once for a fortnight, told us a good deal about the place, and
strongly recommended us not to go there unless we had plenty of time
to spare, as we should not be repaid for our trouble, which would
probably only result in the dissipation of all our childish illusions.

Our first step on landing this morning was to go to the Consul's to
post our letters. By the bye, I hope people in England will appreciate
them, for they cost between nine and ten pounds to send home. For our
outward letters, although prepaid in England, we had to pay over eight
pounds before we were allowed to have them from the office.
Twenty-nine cases of stores, provisions, wine, &c., which had also
been sent out, all arrived safely, and cost comparatively little.
There are very good French hair-dressers here, a tempting hat-shop,
and a well-stocked book-shop; but everything, as I have said, is
frightfully dear.

It was half-past three when the harbour-tug arrived to tow us out of
the harbour and so save our getting up steam. There was not a breath
of air stirring, but Tom hoped we should find more outside when the
tug cast us off. As we dropped slowly out, we had a good view of the
harbour and town; and we soon found ourselves once more fairly
embarked on the bosom of the wide ocean.




CHAPTER XII.

VALPARAISO TO TAHITI.

    _The western sea was all aflame,_
    _The day was well nigh done!_
    _Almost upon the western wave_
    _Rested the broad bright sun._


_Tuesday, October 31st_.--Throughout the night a flat calm prevailed.
The morning was wet and foggy, or we might still have seen Valparaiso,
and perhaps have had a peep at Aconcagua. There was a light contrary
wind from the N.W. throughout the day. In the afternoon we saw two
whales blowing in the distance.

_Wednesday, November 1st_.--An almost calm day, with a few light
showers, and fitful but unfavourable breezes. Some thirty or forty
little birds, which the sailors called Mother Carey's chickens, but
which were smaller and more graceful than any I have seen of that
name, followed closely in our wake. I was never tired of watching the
dainty way in which they just touched the tips of the waves with their
feet, and then started off afresh, like a little maiden skipping and
hopping along, from sheer exuberance of spirit.

_Thursday, November 2nd_.--A bright sunny morning, with a heavy swell
and light contrary wind, but the sea became more tranquil towards the
evening. The sunset was superb, and the afterglow, as is often the
case in these latitudes, lighted up sky and sea with an indescribable
beauty, which attained its greatest magnificence about five minutes
after the sun had disappeared, reminding one of the glorious sunsets
of the African deserts, so often described by travellers.

_Friday, November 3rd_.--Still a blue sky, bright sunshine, smooth
sea, and light head-wind. The crew have all turned tailors, and are
making themselves new suits from some dungaree we bought at
Valparaiso, the clothes we expected for them not having met us there.

[Illustration: Juvenile Scrubbers.]

_Saturday, November 4th_.--As fine as ever. This is certainly sailing
luxuriously, if not swiftly. We have now settled down into our regular
sea-ways, and have plenty to do on board; so the delay does not much
signify. Still, our time is limited, and we all hope to fall in with
the trades shortly to carry us to Tahiti or some of the South Sea
islands. We caught half-a-dozen of the little petrels, for stuffing,
by floating lines of black cotton astern, in which they became
entangled.

To-night's sunset was more superb than ever. Each moment produced a
new and ever increasingly grand effect. I mean to try and take an
instantaneous photograph of one. It would not, of course, reproduce
all the marvellous shades of colouring, but it would perhaps give some
idea of the forms of the masses of cloud, which are finer than any I
ever saw before. This ocean seems to give one, in a strange way, a
sense of solemn vastness, which was not produced to the same extent by
the Atlantic. Whether this results from our knowledge of its size, or
whether it is only fancy, I cannot say, but it is an impression which
we all share.

_Sunday, November 5th_.--Fine, and considerably hotter, though not
unpleasantly so. We had the Litany at eleven, and evening prayers and
a sermon at four o'clock. Not a single ship has passed within sight
since we left Valparaiso, and the only living creatures we have seen
are some albatrosses, a few white boobies, a cape-hen, the little
petrels already mentioned, a shoal of porpoises, and two whales.

_Monday, November 6th_.--Passed, at 3 a.m. to-day, a large barque,
steering south, and at 8 a.m. a full-rigged ship, steering the same
course. We held--as we do with every ship we pass--a short
conversation with her through the means of the mercantile code of
signals. (This habit of exchanging signals afterwards proved to have
been a most useful practice, for when the report that the 'Sunbeam'
had gone down with all hands was widely circulated through England, I
might almost say the world,--for we found the report had preceded us
by telegram to almost all the later ports we touched at,--the anxiety
of our friends was relieved many days sooner than it would otherwise
have been by the fact of our having spoken the German steamer
'Sakhara,' in the Magellan Straits, Oct. 13, four days after we were
supposed to have gone to the bottom.) The weather continues fine, and
we have the same light baffling winds. We hoped, when we started, to
average at least 200 miles a day, but now we have been a week at sea,
and have only made good a little more than 700 miles altogether,
though we have sailed over 800 miles through the water. It is,
however, wonderful, in the opinion of the navigators, that we have
made even as much progress as this, considering the very adverse
circumstances under which the voyage has so far been performed, and we
must endeavour to console ourselves with the reflection that the
sailing qualities of the yacht have undergone another severe test in a
satisfactory manner. How the provisions and water will last out, and
what time we shall leave ourselves to see anything of Japan, are
questions which, nevertheless, occasionally present themselves to our
minds. Independently of such considerations, nothing could be more
luxurious and delightful than our present mode of existence. With
perfect weather, plenty of books to read and writing to do, no
possibility of interruptions, one can map out one's day and dispose of
one's time exactly as one pleases, until the half-past six o'clock
dressing-bell--which always seems to come long before it is
wanted--recalls one to the duties and necessities of life.

[Illustration: Conversation at Sea.]

_Wednesday, November 8th_.--A grey cloudy morning and a flat calm. At
twelve o'clock, to the great joy of everybody on board, Tom decided to
get up steam, as we have now been becalmed quite twenty-four hours,
and have made but little progress in the right direction for some
days. The alacrity with which the order to stow sails and raise the
funnel was obeyed--every one lending a hand--and the delight expressed
on every countenance, must have assured him of at least the popularity
of his decision.

Whilst we were waiting for steam to be got up, Tom took Muriel and me
for a row in the 'Flash,' his own particular little boat, with about
four inches of freeboard. The possibility of doing this will give you
a better idea of the tranquillity of this vast ocean than any
description I can write. At the same time, when we wanted to get into
the boat, we found there was a considerable roll on, and that it was
no easy matter without the aid of a gangway or ladder. We rowed a
little way from the yacht, and, considering how quiet it had seemed to
us when on board, it was wonderful to observe how she rolled in the
trough of the sea, without sails to steady her or motive power to
guide her. The Lota coals, though black and dirty beyond description,
burn up very quickly, and in about an hour we were steaming merrily
along, the Arabian horseshoe on our bowsprit's end being now pointed
direct for the island of Tahiti, instead of for wherever the wind
chose to blow us.

_Thursday, November 9th_.--A flat calm at 6 a.m.; a very light fair
wind at 9 a.m. In spite of my remonstrances, Tom determined, at
half-past nine, to cease steaming and try sailing again. About twelve
o'clock a puff came that sent us along at the rate of 10-1/2 knots for
a short time; but it soon dropped, and during the rest of the
afternoon and evening, our average speed was only three or four knots
an hour. This is very poor work for the trades, but I don't believe we
are really in them yet, in spite of the wind charts. It is possible
that they may vary in different years; besides which it is now the
height of summer, with the sun south of the line, which would
naturally make them lighter.

_Saturday, November 11th_.--At last we seem to be feeling the
influence of the trades, as the wind continues to blow from the same
direction, though it varies much in force. Sometimes we are going
along at the rate of 11-3/4 knots, sometimes barely five. In the
afternoon we had the usual Saturday singing practice.

_Sunday, November 12th_.--Another lovely day. We had the Litany and
hymns at eleven, evening service and sermon at four.

Just before morning church some one turned on the water in the nursery
bath, and forgot to turn it off again, so that when we came aft from
the saloon we had the pleasure of finding everything in the children's
cabins afloat, and that a good deal of water had got down into the
hold. It was rather annoying at the time, but, I dare say, like many
other present troubles, it was a good thing in the end. It obliged us,
at any rate, to have all the stores brought up on deck, and led to our
taking an inventory of our resources sooner than we should otherwise
have done. I am sorry to say we found that, owing to the departure of
our head steward and the illness of his successor, they have not been
husbanded as carefully as they should have been, especially those
provided for use forward. Sailors are more like children than grown-up
men, and require as much looking after. While there is water in the
tanks, for instance, they will use it in the most extravagant manner,
without thought for the morrow; and they are quite as reckless with
their other stores.

I find, however, that one of the drawbacks to taking a very close
personal interest in the housekeeping arrangements on board is the too
intimate acquaintance one makes with the various individuals composing
the live stock, the result being that the private particular history
of every chicken, duck, turkey, and joint of mutton is apt to be
remembered with a damaging effect to appetite.

In the afternoon two boobies, the first birds we have seen for some
days, paid us a visit. I suppose we are too far out to see anything
more of our pretty little friends, the petrels.

_Monday, November 13th_.--We had a regular turn-out and re-arrangement
of our stores to-day, and discovered that the waste and mismanagement
have been greater even than we at first supposed. Fortunately, we
found some spare tins of provisions stowed away under the nursery
floor and forgotten, and which will now come in very opportunely. But
I fear that, even as it is, we may be seriously inconvenienced before
getting to the end of our voyage. Of the six sheep, sixty chickens,
thirty ducks, and four dozen pigeons, brought on board alive at
Valparaiso, we have comparatively few left, and not a great deal to
give those few to eat; so we must depend mainly on our potted meats
and vegetables, which happen to be excellent. We often wonder how the
earlier navigators got on, when there were no such things as tinned
provisions, and when the facilities for carrying water were of the
poorest description, while they were often months and months at sea,
without an opportunity of replenishing their stores, and with no
steam-power to fall back upon in case they were becalmed. Still more
wonderful, in my opinion, is the successful manner in which the
Spaniards managed to convey their hordes in tiny vessels, together
with a sufficient quantity of forage for them, to the New World,
where, according to all accounts, they generally arrived in good
condition, fit to go to work or to war immediately.

The wind increased in the evening and blew dead aft. In the middle of
the night the mizen-halyards broke, and blocks and all came down with
a tremendous crash, which caused both Tom and me to rush up on deck.
About an hour and a half's work put everything straight again,
however, though it looked a sad mess at first. We had been remarking
at dinner how lucky we had been, with all this rolling about in calms
and running before the wind, not to have had anything carried away or
any of the ropes chafed. Personally, I think the accident is not to be
regretted, for now all the fore and aft canvas is stowed, and we are
running under square canvas alone, which is much steadier work, though
we still roll considerably.

_Tuesday, November 14th_.--Fine, with a strong fair wind. I have been
laid up for a few days with a touch of my old enemy, Syrian fever, but
am gradually recovering, and enjoy very much lying on deck and
reading.

Our victualling arrangements have now been satisfactorily settled, and
everybody has been put on an allowance of water, our supply of which
will last the whole ship's company of forty persons for five weeks,
leaving one tank still in reserve in case of accidents. As we expect
to reach our destination in about three weeks from the present time,
we have therefore, I hope, an ample supply for all our requirements.

_Wednesday, November 15th_.--Pleasant as we have found life at sea in
the South Pacific hitherto, it is, I fear, monotonous to read about,
and I dare say you will find it difficult to realise how quickly the
days fly past, and how sorry we are when each one comes to an end. I
am afraid they are among those things which do not repeat themselves.
At any rate, they afford a golden opportunity for reading, such as we
are not likely to have again often, if ever, in our busy lives; and
Tom and I are endeavouring to make the best use of it by getting
through as many of the seven hundred volumes we brought with us as
possible. The weather favours us in our endeavours to be industrious;
for, while it is sufficiently warm to indispose one for a very severe
course of study, it has never been so hot as to compel us to lie down
and do nothing but gasp for breath--which is what we were warned to
expect. There is indeed one slight drawback to the perfect enjoyment
of our present state of existence, and that is the incessant motion of
the vessel. When she rolls as quickly as she has done to-day, it is
difficult to settle down steadily to any occupation, and at last one
cannot help feeling aggravated at the persistent manner in which
everything, including one's self, refuses to be still for a single
instant.

_Thursday, November 16th_.--To-day it is really warm--not to say
hot--with a bright cloudless sky, which renders an awning acceptable.
We saw some 'bo's'n' birds for the first time, and more shoals of
flying-fish. I wish a few of the latter would come on board; they
would be an agreeable addition to our breakfast-table.

The rolling still continues, the wind being dead aft, and nothing but
our square canvas being set. The effect is rather wearisome, and one
longs to be able to say 'Catch hold of her head and keep her still, if
only for five minutes' peace and quietness!' Cooking is difficult, and
even eating is a hazardous occupation; and at our evening game of
cards we have to pocket our counters and markers and hold on as best
we can.

_Friday, November 17th_.--At 8 a.m. the course was altered, our
fore-and-aft canvas was set again, and we were once more gliding along
swiftly and smoothly through the water, to the great relief of every
one on board. The day was lovely, and though it was warm, a pleasant
breeze throughout the ship prevented our feeling uncomfortably hot.

_Saturday, November 18th_.--The days are so much alike that it is
difficult to find anything special to say about them. They fly so
quickly that I was surprised to be reminded by the usual
singing-practice this afternoon that another week had gone by.

The two green paroquets, 'Coco' and 'Meta,' given to me by Mr. Fisher
at Rosario, have turned out dear little pets, with the most amusing
ways. They are terrible thieves, especially of sugar, pencils, pens,
and paper, and being nearly always at liberty, they follow me about
just like dogs, and coax and caress me with great affection. They do
not care much for any one else, though they are civil to all and
good-tempered even to the children, who, I am afraid, rather bore them
with their attempts at petting. The other foreign birds, of which I
have a large collection, are doing well, and I begin to hope I shall
get them home safely after all. We had at one time about twenty
parrots, belonging to the men, on board, all running about on deck
forward, with their wings clipped, but about half of them have been
lost overboard. The dogs keep their health and spirits wonderfully.
Felise is quite young again, and she and Lulu have great games,
tearing up and down and around the decks as hard as they can go.

_Sunday, November 19th_.--I am convalescent at last, and appeared at
breakfast this morning for the first time for ten days.

The wind was very variable throughout the day. Between 6 and 7 a.m. we
were going twelve knots; between 7 and 8 only three; but as we never
stop, we manage to make up a fair average on the whole.

At eleven o'clock we had the Communion Service and two hymns. At
midday the week's work was made up, with the following result. Our
position was in lat. 15 deg. 38' S., long. 117 deg. 52' W.; we were 3,057
miles from Valparaiso,--1,335 of which had been accomplished since
last Sunday,--and 1,818 miles from Tahiti.

To-day we were not far from Easter Island, the southernmost island of
Polynesia. Here as in the Ladrones, far away in the north-west quarter
of the Pacific, most curious inscriptions are sometimes found carved
in stone. Annexed is a photograph taken from one I saw at a later
stage of the voyage.

[Illustration: Inscription from Easter Island]

The sails had been flapping, more or less, all day, and at the change
of the dog-watches, at six o'clock, Tom ordered the men aft to stow
the mizen. This they had scarcely begun to do when a light breeze
sprang up, and in a few minutes increased to a strong one, before
which we bowled along at the rate of nine knots. These sudden changes
are of constant occurrence, and, coming as they do without the
slightest warning, are quite inexplicable. If only we had our old
square sails, and our bigger yards and topmast, we should have saved a
good deal of time already; for one or two knots an hour extra amount
to from 25 to 50 miles a day, and in a month's run the difference
would not be far short of 1,500 miles. But we heard so much from
people in England, who had visited these parts, of squalls and
hurricanes, that Tom did not like to run the risk of being
over-sparred, especially with a wife and children as passengers.

_Monday, November 20th_.--The fore-and-aft sails were taken in, as
they were doing no good and the square canvas was drawing. This
allowed the mizen-awning to be spread, making a pleasant place to sit
in and a capital playground for the children, who scamper about all
day long, and do not appear to feel the heat a bit.

_Tuesday, November 21st_.--Certainly a _very_ hot day. We made steady
progress under the same canvas as yesterday.

_Wednesday, November 22nd_.--Between 2 and 3 a.m. a nice breeze sprang
up, and between 3 and 4.30 a.m. all the fore-and-aft sails were again
set. It was deliciously cool on deck at that time; but the sun rose
fierce and hot, and more or less killed the breeze as the day wore on.

_Thursday, November 23rd_.--Twenty-four days out. We had hoped to
reach Tahiti to-day, and Tom begins to regret that he did not steam
some distance out from Valparaiso, so as to pick up the trades sooner.
Still it is satisfactory to know how well the 'Sunbeam' can and does
sail against light contrary winds, and to have an opportunity of
developing some of her good points, of which we were previously hardly
aware. How she manages to slip along as she does, four or five knots
an hour, with not sufficient wind to blow a candle out, is a marvel to
every one on board. More than once, when the hand-log has shown that
we were going five knots, I have carried a naked light from one end of
the deck to the other without its being extinguished.

The sunrise was magnificent, and a splendid albatross, the largest we
have yet seen, was at the same time visible in mid-air, floating
against the rose-coloured clouds. He looked so grand, and calm, and
majestic, that one could almost fancy him the bird of Jove himself,
descending direct from the sun. Where do these birds rest? How far and
how fast do they really fly? are questions for the naturalist. We have
seen them many times at a distance of at least two thousand miles from
the nearest land.

About nine o'clock there was a slight breeze, but it fell as the sun
rose, and the day was intensely hot.

_Friday, November 24th_.--A fine breeze in the early morning, which,
however, gradually died away. Having now quitted the regular track of
the trade winds and got into the variables, we lighted fires at two
o'clock. Then another light breeze sprang up for a few minutes, only
to fall away again immediately, and at six o'clock we commenced to
steam.

_Saturday, November 25th_.--A very wet morning, the sky clearing at
about ten, but the weather remaining dull, heavy, hot, and oppressive,
throughout the day. But we were making good progress under steam,
which rendered the state of things more endurable than it would
otherwise have been.

Whilst I was standing on deck at night a flying-fish flew against my
throat and hung there, caught in the lace of my dress. He is a pretty
specimen, but only his wings are to be preserved, for Muriel will have
his body for breakfast to-morrow.

_Sunday, November 26th_.--Our fourth consecutive Sunday at sea, and
out of sight of land. At 4 a.m. the sails were spread to a good
breeze. At 7 we stopped steaming, but at 10 the wind again fell light.
The Litany was read on deck this morning on account of the heat. The
observations at noon showed that we were in lat. 15 deg. 47' S., long.
135 deg. 20' W., the distance accomplished during the last twenty-four
hours being 181 miles. We have now made good 4,067 miles from
Valparaiso, and are 815 miles distant from Tahiti. At 5 p.m. we had
prayers and a sermon, also on deck. It was then almost calm, and at
eight o'clock we again began steaming, in order to insure our making
the island of Tatakotoroa, 200 miles off, before dark to-morrow.

_Monday, November 27th_.--I was on deck at 3.30 a.m. Everybody on
board was more or less excited at the prospect of making land, after
twenty-eight days at sea. It was a delicious morning, with a
favourable breeze, and under steam and sail we progressed at the rate
of from 10 to 11-1/2 knots an hour. Several birds flew on board,
amongst whom were two boobies, who hovered round us and appeared to
examine everything with great curiosity, especially the little
wind-vanes at the extremity of the masts. At last they settled on the
foretopmast, whereupon one of the sailors went up to try and catch
them. They observed his movements closely, and appeared to be
specially interested in his cap; but as he approached, first one and
then the other flew away for a few yards, and then returned to his
former position. At last the man, watching his opportunity, managed to
seize one of them by his legs and bring him down in triumph, despite
flapping wings and pecks from a sharp beak. He was shut up in the
fowl-pen--now, alas, empty of its proper denizens--where we had an
opportunity of examining him before he was killed. He was a fine,
handsome, grey bird, with large blue eyes, and a wild hawk-like look.

At one o'clock we were almost sailing over the spot marked by Findlay
as the situation of Tatakotopoto, or Anonymous Island; but there was
nothing whatever visible in the shape of land, even from the masthead,
where a man was stationed, and from which it was possible to see a
distance of ten or fifteen miles. Tom went up himself several times
and scanned the horizon carefully, but in vain. It is therefore
evident either that the position of the island is incorrectly stated,
or that it has become submerged. I believe that in these seas there
are many islands marked that have no existence, and that several that
do exist are not marked, which renders it necessary to keep a constant
good look-out. What a charming task it would be thoroughly to survey
these parts, and to correct the present charts where necessary, and
how much I should like to be one of the officers appointed for the
service!

[Illustration: Tatakotoroa or Clarke Island]

At 1.30 p.m. land was sighted from the mast-head, and at two o'clock I
saw from the deck what looked like plumes of dark ostrich feathers
rising from the sea. This was the island of Tatakotoroa--also known as
Narcissus, or Clarke Island--to the eastward of the Paumotu or Low
Archipelago of the South Seas. The sailing directions describe the
inhabitants as 'hostile,' and Sir Edward Belcher mentions that some of
them tried to cut off the boats sent from a man-of-war for water. We
were therefore afraid to attempt a landing, but sailed as near as we
could to the shore, which, surrounded by a rampart of snow-white
coral, and clothed almost to the water's edge with feathery palms,
cocoa-nut trees, and luxuriant vegetation of various kinds, looked
very tempting. A few canoes were drawn up on the beach near a large
hut, out of which three or four natives came, and, having looked at us
for some time, ran off into the woods. Blue smoke could be seen
curling up from several points of the forest, no doubt indicating the
presence of more natives, whose dwellings were concealed by the trees.

[Illustration: Going up the Mast in a Chair.]

[Illustration: Children looking up]

After lunch, Tom had me hoisted up to the foretopmast-head in a
'boatswain's chair,' which is simply a small plank, suspended by ropes
at the four corners, and used by the men to sit on when they scrape
the masts. I was very carefully secured with a rope tied round my
petticoats, and, knocking against the various ropes on my way, was
then gently hoisted up to what seemed at first a giddy height; but
when once I got accustomed to the smallness of the seat, the airiness
of my perch, and the increased roll of the vessel, I found my position
by no means an unpleasant one. Tom climbed up the rigging and joined
me shortly afterwards. From our elevated post we could see plainly the
formation of the island, and the lagoon in the centre, encircled by a
band of coral, in some places white, bare, and narrow, in others wide
and covered with palm-trees and rich vegetation; it was moreover
possible to understand better the theory of the formation of these
coral islands. I was so happy up aloft that I did not care to descend;
and it was almost as interesting to observe what a strange and
disproportioned appearance everything and everybody on board the yacht
presented from my novel position, as it was to examine the island we
were passing. The two younger children and the dogs took the greatest
interest in my aerial expedition, and never ceased calling to me and
barking, until I was once more let down safely into their midst. As
soon as we had seen all we could of the island, fires were banked, and
we proceeded under sail alone throughout the evening and night.




CHAPTER XIII.

THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS.

    _And all throughout the air there reigned the sense_
    _Of waking dream with luscious thoughts o'erladen,_
    _Of joy too conscious made and too intense_
    _By the swift advent of excessive Aiden,_
    _Bewilderment of beauty's affluence._


_Tuesday, November 28th_.--We passed Anaa, or Chain Island, in the
morning watch, before daybreak. I came on deck to try and get a
glimpse of it, and was rewarded by a glorious sunrise. We had a nice
eight-knot breeze and a strong current in our favour, and just before
breakfast Tom descried from the masthead Amanu, or Moeller Island,
which we had hardly expected to make before ten or eleven o'clock.
Some one remarked that it seemed almost as if it had come out to meet
us. The reef encircling this island varies much in height and
vegetation. In some places it supports a noble grove of trees, in
others the sea breaks over the half-submerged coral-bed, the first
obstacle it has met for 4,000 miles, with a roar like thunder.

Before we had lost sight of Amanu, the island of Hao Harpe, or Bow
Island, was visible on our port bow. I wished very much to land, and
at last persuaded Tom, who was rather anxious on the score of the
natives, to allow some of us to make the attempt, us cautioning to
turn away from the shore directly, in case the islanders looked at all
doubtful in their attitude and intentions. After lunch, therefore, we
hove to, and the gig's crew were ordered to arm themselves with
revolvers and rifles, which they were not to show unless required to
do so. All the gentlemen had revolvers, and Mabelle and I were also
provided with two small ones, Phillips and Muriel being the only
unarmed members of the party. I took a bag full of beads, knives,
looking-glasses, and pictures, for barter and presents, and with these
preparations we set off to make our first personal acquaintance with
the islanders of the South Pacific. Tom gave us a tow to windward, and
we then rowed direct to a point on one side of the entrance to the
lagoon, where we saw some natives waving something white. As we
approached we could distinguish several figures standing on the point,
under the shade of some cocoa-nut trees, and on the opposite side of
the entrance some canoes were drawn up on the beach, by the side of a
hut, close to a large clump of low trees. We were by this time
surrounded by breakers, and it required no little skill to steer the
boat safely through the broken water, between the race of the tide on
one side, and the overfall from the coral reef on the other. It was
successfully done, however, and, having rounded the point, we found
ourselves at once in the waters of the tranquil lagoon. We should have
preferred to land at the point, had it been possible, as it was
doubtful whether it would be safe to go round the corner, and so lose
sight of the yacht; but the intentions of the natives seemed
peaceable, several of them running into the water up to their waists
to meet us, while others could be seen hurrying along the beach, the
women carrying what looked like bunches of fruit.

It is really impossible to describe the beauty of the scene before us.
Submarine coral forests, of every colour, studded with sea-flowers,
anemones, and echinidae, of a brilliancy only to be seen in dreamland,
shoals of the brightest and swiftest fish darting and flashing in and
out; shells, everyone of which was fit to hold the place of honour in
a conchologist's collection, moving slowly along with their living
inmates: this is what we saw when we looked down, from the side of the
boat, into the depths below. The surface of the water glittered with
every imaginable tint, from the palest aquamarine to the brightest
emerald, from the pure light blue of the turquoise to the deep dark
blue of the sapphire, and was dotted here and there with patches of
red, brown, and green coral, rising from the mass below. Before us, on
the shore, there spread the rich growth of tropical vegetation, shaded
by palms and cocoa-nuts, and enlivened by the presence of native women
in red, blue, and green garments, and men in motley costumes, bringing
fish, fowls, and bunches of cocoa-nuts, borne, like the grapes brought
back from the land of Canaan by the spies, on poles.

As soon as we touched the shore the men rushed forward to meet us, and
to shake hands, and, having left the muskets and revolvers judiciously
out of sight in the boat, we were conducted to a cluster of huts, made
of branches, or rather leaves, of the palm-tree, tied by their
foot-stalks across two poles, and hanging down to the ground. Here we
were met by the women and children, who, likewise, all went through
the ceremony of shaking hands with us, after which the head-woman, who
was very good-looking, and was dressed in a cherry-coloured calico
gown, with two long plaits of black hair hanging down her back, spread
a mat for me to sit upon just outside the hut. By this time there was
quite a little crowd of people assembled round, amongst whom I noticed
one woman with a baby, who had her hair sticking straight out all
round her head, and another who held a portion of her dress constantly
before her face. After the gentlemen had walked away she removed the
cloth, and I then saw that her nose had been cut off. Most of the
women were good-looking, with dark complexions and quantities of
well-greased, neatly-plaited black hair, but we did not see a single
young girl, though there were plenty of children and babies, and lots
of boys, the latter of whom, like some of the older women, had only a
piece of palm matting round their loins. We therefore came to the
conclusion that the girls must have been sent away intentionally when
the approach of the yacht was observed.

[Illustration: Our First Landing in the South Pacific, Hao or Bow
Island.]

As soon as I was seated, the head-woman told one of the men to knock
down some cocoa-nuts from the trees close by, and after cutting off
the ends she offered us a drink of the fresh cool milk, which was all
the sweeter and better for the fact that the nuts were not nearly
ripe. While this was going on, the natives brought piles of
cocoa-nuts, fish, and fowls, and laid them at our feet as a present.
Some of the fish were of a dark brown colour, like bream, others were
long and thin, with a pipe-like nose and four fins, somewhat
resembling the wings of a flying-fish.

Seeing smoke in the distance, rising from under some high palm-trees,
we thought we should like to go and see whence it proceeded, and
accordingly set off to walk through a sort of bush, over sharp coral
that cut one's boots terribly, the sun blazing down upon us fiercely
all the time, until we reached a little settlement, consisting of
several huts, the inhabitants of which were absent. Fine plaited mats
for beds, cocoa-nut shells for cups, mother-of-pearl shells for
plates, and coral, of various kinds and shapes, for dishes and cooking
utensils, formed their only furniture. We saw three women, one very
old, with nothing but a palm-leaf mat as a covering, the others
dressed in the apparently universal costume, consisting of a long
bright-coloured gown, put into a yoke at the shoulders, and flowing
thence loosely to the ground, which completely conceals the wearer's
form, even to the tips of her toes. I think these dresses must come
from England or America, for they are evidently machine-made, and the
cotton-stuft of which they are composed has the most extraordinary
patterns printed on it I ever saw. Cherry and white, dark blue and
yellow or white stripes, red with yellow spots, and blue with yellow
crosses, appear to be the favourite designs. The women seemed gentle
and kind, and were delighted with some beads, looking-glasses, and
knives I gave them, in return for which they brought us quantities of
beautiful shells.

We saw the large iron knee of a vessel in one spot during our walk,
and wondered how it came there. In another place we saw a canoe in
process of construction, ingeniously made of boards, sewed together
with plaited palm-leaves. The canoes in use here are very high, long,
and narrow, and are only kept from upsetting by means of a tremendous
outrigger, consisting of a log fastened to the extremity of two bent
pieces of wood, projecting sideways from each end of the boat. The
only animals we met with in our ramble were four pigs and a few
chickens, and no other live stock of any kind was visible. No attempt
seemed to be made at the cultivation of the ground; and I think, if
there had been, we must have observed it, for our party separated and
walked a good distance in various directions.

The natives made us understand that on the other side of the entrance
to the lagoon, in the better sort of house we had noticed, there
resided a white man. He did not, however, make his appearance during
our visit, and I imagine he must have been one of those individuals
called 'beach-combers,' referred to in so many of the books that treat
of the South Sea Islands,--a sort of ne'er-do-well Englishman or
American, rather afraid of meeting any of his own countrymen, but very
clever at making a bargain between a ship's crew and the natives, with
considerable profit to himself.

Among the bushes we found numbers of large hermit-crabs, crawling, or
rather running, about in whelk shells, half a dozen of them
occasionally having a grand fight amongst themselves. We picked up at
least twenty different sorts of gracefully shaped pieces of coral, and
quantities of shells of an infinite variety of form and colour;
cowries, helmet-shells, the shells from which cameos are sometimes
cut; mother-of-pearl shells, and a large spiral univalve, nearly a
foot long, with dark brown spots and stripes on a delicate
cream-coloured ground, like the skin of a tiger or leopard. On our way
back to the huts we peeped into several of the canoes drawn up on the
beach, in which were some fish-spears and a fish-hook, nearly three
inches long, made of solid mother-of-pearl, the natural curve of the
shell from which it was cut being preserved. A piece of bone was
securely fastened to it by means of some pig's hair, but there was no
bait, and it seems that the glitter of the mother-of-pearl alone
serves as a sufficient allurement to the fish.

In nearly all accounts of voyages in the South Seas much space is
devoted to the description of the purchase, or rather barter, of
hogs. We thought we could not do better than follow as far as possible
the example of our predecessors, and accordingly bought two little
pigs for two shillings each. They were evidently quite pets, lying on
the mats outside the huts, and coming when called, just like dogs. The
one I first bought appeared to be quite happy and content to be
carried under my arm. The natives seemed quite to understand the value
of money, and did not hesitate to ask for it in return for the
cocoa-nuts full of shells which they brought us. I fancy some of the
Tahiti schooners trade here for pearl, shells, and beche-de-mer.

The cocoa-nuts, fowls, fish, coral, &c., having been put into our
boat, we shook hands with the friendly islanders and embarked, and
having rounded the point we soon found ourselves again in the broken
water outside the lagoon, where the race of the tide and the overfall
were now much more violent than they had been when we landed. If we
had once been drawn into the current, we should have stood a good
chance of being knocked to pieces on the coral reefs, strong as our
boat was; but the danger was happily avoided, and we reached the yacht
safely, much to Tom's relief.

The natives did not exhibit the slightest curiosity about us during
our visit to the island, and though they received us with courtesy,
and assisted us as far as they could on our arrival and departure,
they did not follow us about while on shore, nor, with the exception
of one or two of them, did they take the trouble to walk across the
point to see us get into the open sea and join the yacht. In this
respect they might have given a lesson to many civilised people, so
gentle, genial, and graceful, yet dignified, were their manners.

The screw having been feathered and the sails set, our voyage was at
once resumed. A few miles from where we had landed, we saw, high and
dry on the coral reef skirting the island, a large square-built
schooner, of about 500 tons, her masts gone, her hull bleached white
by the sun, and a great hole in her side. She was on the inside of the
reef, and must therefore either have drifted there from the lagoon, or
else have been lifted bodily across by one of the big Pacific rollers,
in some terrible storm. No doubt the iron knee we had seen on the
island originally formed part of this vessel.

_Wednesday, November 29th_.--We seem to have got into the real
south-east trades, just as the chart tells us we ought to expect to
lose them; for there was a strong fair breeze all day, which made it
very pleasant on deck in the shade of the sails. But it was
exceedingly hot in the saloon, where some of the woodwork has been
pulled down, in order to secure better ventilation for the galley and
the berths of some of the men, who, I hope, appreciate the alteration,
for it is a source of considerable discomfort to us.

We had the bigger of our two little pigs for dinner to-day, and a
welcome change it was from the salt and potted meats. He was most
excellent, and fully corroborated Captain Cook's statement as to the
superiority of South Sea Island pork to any other--a fact which is
doubtless due to the pigs being fed entirely on cocoa-nuts and
bread-fruit. Still it seemed a pity to eat such a tame creature, and I
mean to try and preserve the other one's life, unless we are much
longer than we expect in reaching Tahiti. He is only about ten inches
long, but looks at least a hundred years old, and is altogether the
most quaint, old-fashioned little object you ever saw. He has taken a
great fancy to the dogs, and trots about after me with them
everywhere, on the tips of his little toes, even up and down the steep
cabin stairs. I call him Agag, because he walks so delicately, whilst
others accost him as Beau, not only on account of his elegant manners,
but as being the name of his former home.

The moon was more brilliant this evening than we have yet seen her
during our voyage, and we could enjoy sitting on deck reading, and
even doing some coarse needlework, without any other light. One
splendid meteor flashed across the sky. It was of a light orange
colour, with a fiery tail about two degrees in extent, and described
in its course an arc of about sixty degrees, from S.S.E. to N.N.W.,
before it disappeared into space, far above the horizon. If the night
had been darker, the spectacle would have been finer; but even as it
was, the moon seemed quite paled for a few minutes afterwards. We have
seen many meteors, falling-stars, and shooting-stars since we left
Valparaiso, but none so fine as the one this evening.

_Friday, December 1st_.--The sun rose grandly, but the heavy black and
red clouds, looking like flames and smoke from a furnace, gave promise
of more rain. The heat was greater to-day than any we have yet felt;
and it is now nearly mid-winter at home.

[Illustration: Maitea.]

At 5 a.m. we made the island of Maitea, and expected to reach it in
about an hour and a half; but the wind fell light, and it was a
quarter to ten before we got into the gig and set out for the shore.
There are not many instructions about landing, either in Captain Cook
or Findlay, but the latter mentions that houses are to be found on the
south side of the island. We thought, however, we could distinguish
from the yacht a little cove, close to some huts, at another part of
the shore, where the surf did not break so heavily. We accordingly
rowed straight for it, and as we approached we could see the natives
coming down from all parts to meet us, the women dressed in the same
sort of long, bright, flowing garments we had seen at Hao Harpe, with
the addition of garlands round their necks and heads, the men wearing
gay-coloured loin-cloths, shirts of Manchester cotton stuff, flying
loose in the wind, and sailors' hats with garlands round them, or
coloured silk handkerchiefs--red and orange evidently having the
preference--tied over their heads and jauntily knotted on one side.
Several of the men waded out into the surf to meet us, sometimes
standing on a rock two feet above the water, sometimes buried up to
their necks by a sudden wave. But the rocks were sharp, the only
available passage was narrow, and the rollers long and high; and
altogether it looked, upon a closer inspection, too unpromising a
place to attempt a landing. Much to the disappointment of the natives,
therefore, we decided to go round and try the other side of the
island. Seeing us prepare to depart, the people on shore immediately
launched a tiny canoe, with an enormous outrigger, and a man dressed
in a pale green shirt, dark blue and yellow under garment, and with a
silk handkerchief and garland on his head, came alongside and made
signs that he would take us ashore one by one in his frail-looking
craft. But the heavy Pacific rollers and the sharp rocks daunted us,
and we declined his offer with thanks, and rowed off to the southward.
Anything more enticing than the cove we were quitting can hardly be
imagined. A fringe of cocoa-nuts and bread-fruit trees, overhanging an
undergrowth of bright glossy foliage and flowers, a few half-hidden
palm-leaf covered huts, from one of which--I suppose the chief's--a
tattered Tahitian flag floated in the breeze, a small schooner drawn
up among the trees and carefully covered with mats, the steep
sugar-loaf point, at the entrance to the cove, clothed to its summit
with grass and vegetation: these were the objects which attracted our
attention in our hurried survey of the scene.

[Illustration: Our Boatman]

We had to give the island a wide berth in rowing round it, on account
of the heavy rollers, which seemed to come from every side, breaking
in surf against the dark brown cliffs, and throwing columns of white
spray, from which the brilliant sunshine was reflected in rainbow
hues, high into the air. As we proceeded matters looked worse and
worse, and the motion of the boat became so disagreeable that both
Muriel and I were very ill. At last we came to a spot where we could
see some people sitting on the shore, and several others, who had
probably come over from the other side to meet us, running swiftly
down the sides of the cliffs to the beach. The island was of a
different character from the one we had already visited, and was
evidently of volcanic origin. No coral was anywhere to be seen, but
there were big rocks jutting out at intervals into the sea all round
it, one of which seemed large enough to afford us a sort of shelter in
landing. The natives waved and pointed towards the channel beyond this
rock, and one or two swam out to meet us; but we soon found that the
channel would not be wide enough to admit our big boat, though it was
no doubt sufficient for a light canoe, drawing some two inches of
water. We therefore reluctantly turned away and resumed our uneasy
coasting voyage, in the course of which we passed some nearly leafless
trees, full of white patches, too large for flowers, which afterwards
turned out to be booby-birds, who here find a resting-place. They are
so numerous that it is hardly possible to walk beneath the trees
without treading on their eggs.

Having completed the circuit of the island, we found ourselves once
more opposite the spot where we had first thought of landing, and the
tide being by this time a little higher, we decided to make another
attempt. Some of the natives, seeing us approach, plunged into the
water as before, and seized the gunwale of the boat, while others, on
shore, brought down rollers to put beneath our keel. We went in on the
top of a big wave, and thus at last found ourselves--boat and
all--high and dry on the beach of Maitea.

The people came down to meet us, and conducted us to the house of the
chief, who, with his pretty wife, received us kindly, but with much
gravity and dignity. Mats were placed for me to sit upon, wreaths were
offered me for my head and neck, and cocoa-nut milk to drink. We
wished for some bananas, and they immediately cut down a tree in order
to obtain a bunch. Cocoa-nuts were at the same time thrown down from
the trees, and a collection of fruit, poultry, and meat--the latter
consisting of the immemorial hog--was laid at our feet, as a present
from the chief. The rest of the natives brought us pearls, shells,
mother-of-pearl, small canoes, fish-hooks, young boobies, and all
sorts of things, for barter; but the chief himself refused any return
for his gift. Perhaps the greatest curiosity they offered us was about
six fathoms of fine twine, made from human hair. Before these islands
were visited by Europeans, this was the material from which
fishing-lines were made; but it is now rarely used, and is
consequently very difficult to procure. The young boobies they brought
us looked just like a white powder-puff, and were covered with down
far thicker and softer than any swan's down I ever saw.

The natives seemed quite _au fait_ in the matter of monetary
transactions and exchanges. For an English sovereign they would give
you change at the rate of five dollars. Chilian or United States'
dollars they accepted readily, but Brazilian currency they would not
look at. They were pleased with knives, beads, looking-glasses, and
picture papers I had brought on shore, and we did a brisk trade. We
experienced great difficulty in explaining to them that we wanted some
fresh eggs, Muriel's especial fancy, and a luxury which we have been
without for some time. At last, by pointing to the fowls and picking
up some small egg-shaped stones, we managed to procure a few, though,
from the time it took to collect them, I should think the island must
have been scoured in the search for them.

Most of the natives seemed puzzled to comprehend why we had visited
the island at all. 'No sell brandy?'--'No.' 'No stealy men?'--'No.'
'No do what then?' Their knowledge of English was too limited to
enable us to make them understand that we were only making a voyage of
circumnavigation in a yacht.

It was now time to bid farewell to our amiable hosts and their
beautiful island. As we reached the landing-place, a small schooner,
which we had previously noticed in the distance, came close to the
shore, and a canoe put off from the island to meet it. We found that
the vessel was bringing back from Tahiti and other places some of the
inhabitants of the island, who had been away on a visit or in search
of work. The meeting of the reunited friends and relatives was in
some cases quite touching. Two women, in particular, sat and embraced
each other for nearly a quarter of an hour, without moving, but with
tears running down their faces.

All our gifts and purchases having been placed in the boat, and one or
two of us having embarked, she was shoved out over the wooden rollers
into the narrow channel, where she lay-to while the rest of the party
were brought alongside, one by one, in a frail canoe--an operation
which occupied some time, during which we had leisure once more to
admire the little bay I have already attempted to describe. We asked
the captain of the schooner, who spoke French, to give us a tow off to
the yacht, which he willingly consented to do, chatting cheerfully all
the time, but evidently fearful of approaching too close to the yacht,
and positively refusing our invitation to him to come on board. There
can be little doubt that he mistrusted our intentions, and feared we
might attempt to kidnap him and his crew; for the whites have, in too
many cases, behaved in a most villanous manner to the inhabitants of
these islands, who are, as a rule--to which there are of course
exceptions--a kind and gentle people. I think if the many instances of
the murder of ships' and boats' crews could be thoroughly sifted to
the bottom, it would be found that most of them were acts of reprisal
and revenge for brutal atrocities committed on the defenceless
natives, who have been kidnapped, plundered, and murdered by
unscrupulous traders and adventurers. Unfortunately, the good suffer
for the bad, and such lives as those of Captain Goodenough and Bishop
Patteson are sacrificed through the unpardonable misconduct of
others--perhaps their own countrymen. It is still quite a chance how
you may be received in some of the islands; for if the visit of the
last ship was the occasion of the murder, plunder, and ill-treatment
of the inhabitants, it is not to be wondered at that the next comers
should be received with distrust, if not with treachery and violence.

We reached the yacht at four o'clock, rather exhausted by so many
hours' exposure to the broiling sun, having had nothing to eat since
breakfast, at 7 a.m., except cocoa-nuts and bananas. The ship was put
about, the sails filled, and, continuing steadily on our course
throughout the evening, we made the smaller of the two peninsulas that
form the island of Tahiti at 10.30 p.m.

_Saturday, December 2nd_. We were dodging on and off all night, and at
daybreak the weather was thick and rainy. At 4.30 a.m. we made the
land again, and crept slowly along it, past Point Venus and the
lighthouse in Matavai Bay (Captain Cook's first anchorage), until we
were off the harbour of Papeete.[8] The rain was now descending in
torrents, and we lay-to outside the reef for a short time, until a
French pilot came on board and took us in through the narrow entrance.
It was curious, while we were tumbling about in the rough sea outside,
to see the natives placidly fishing in the tiniest of canoes on the
lagoon inside the reef, the waves beating all the time furiously on
the outer surface of the coral breakwater, as if anxious to seize and
engulf them.

[Footnote 8: 'Papiete' or 'Papeete,' _a bag of water_.]

At nine o'clock we were safely anchored in the chief port of the
island of Tahiti.

Perhaps I cannot better bring this account of our long voyage from
Valparaiso to a conclusion than by a quotation from a charming book,
given to me at Rio, which I have lately been reading Baron de Hubner's
'Promenade autour du Monde:'--'Les jours se suivent et se ressemblent.
Sauf le court episode du mauvais temps, ces trois semaines me font
l'effet d'un charmant reve, d'un conte de fee, d'une promenade
imaginaire a travers une salle immense, tout or et lapis-lazuli. Pas
un moment d'ennui ou d'impatience. Si vous voulez abreger les
longueurs d'une grande traversee, distribuez bien votre temps, et
observez le reglement que vous vous etes impose. C'est un moyen sur de
se faire promptement a la vie claustrale et meme d'en jouir.'

We have been five weeks at sea, and have enjoyed them quite as much as
the Baron did his three. We saw but two ships between Valparaiso and
Tatakotoroa: he saw only one between San Francisco and Yokohama. It is
indeed a vast and lonely ocean that we have traversed.

[Illustration: Quarantine Island, Papeete]




CHAPTER XIV.

AT TAHITI.

    _The cava feast, the yam, the cocoa's root,_
    _Which bears at once the cup, and milk, and fruit,_
    _The bread-tree which, without the ploughshare, yields_
    _The unreap'd harvest of unfurrowed fields._

           *       *       *       *       *

    _These, with the luxuries of seas and woods,_
    _The airy joys of social solitudes,_
    _Tamed each rude wanderer._


[Illustration: Under the Trees, Papeete]

_Saturday, December 2nd_.--The anchor was dropped in the harbour of
Papeete at nine o'clock, and a couple of hours later, by which time
the weather had cleared, we went ashore, and at once found ourselves
in the midst of a fairy-like scene, to describe which is almost
impossible, so bewildering is it in the brightness and variety of its
colouring. The magnolias and yellow and scarlet hibiscus,
overshadowing the water, the velvety turf, on to which one steps from
the boat, the white road running between rows of wooden houses, whose
little gardens are a mass of flowers, the men and women clad in the
gayest robes and decked with flowers, the piles of unfamiliar fruit
lying on the grass, waiting to be transported to the coasting vessels
in the harbour, the wide-spreading background of hills clad in verdure
to their summits--these are but a few of the objects which greet the
new-comer in his first contact with the shore.

We strolled about, and left our letters of introduction; but the
people to whom they were addressed were at breakfast, and we were
deliberating how best to dispose of our time, when a gentleman
accosted us, and, seeing how new it all was to us strangers, offered
to show us round the town.

The streets of Papeete, running back at right angles with the beach,
seem to have wonderfully grand names, such as the Rue de Rivoli, Rue
de Paris, &c. Every street is shaded by an avenue of high trees, whose
branches meet and interlace overhead, forming a sort of leafy tunnel,
through which the sea-breeze passes refreshingly. There is also what
is called the Chinamen's quarter, through which we walked, and which
consists of a collection of regular Chinese-built bamboo houses, whose
occupants all wore their national costume, pigtail included. The
French commandant lives in a charming residence, surrounded by
gardens, just opposite the palace of Queen Pomare, who is at present
at the island of Bola-Bola, taking care of her little grandchild, aged
five, the queen of the island. She went down in a French man-of-war,
the 'Limier,' ten days ago, and has been obliged to remain, owing to
some disturbances amongst the natives. I am rather disappointed that
she is absent, as I should like to see a person of whom I have heard
so much.

Having completed our tour, we next went to call on the British Consul,
who received us kindly, and entertained us with an interesting account
of the island and its inhabitants, its pearl-fisheries and trade, the
French policy, the missionaries, &c., on all of which subjects he is
well informed. He has just completed an exhaustive consular report on
the condition of the island, which will, no doubt, appear in due
course in the form of a blue-book.

On our return to Messrs. Brander's office, where we had left one of
our letters of introduction, we found the manager, with whom we had a
long chat before returning on board.

[Illustration: Chaetodon Tricolor.]

At 5 p.m. we went for a row in the 'Glance' and the 'Flash' to the
coral reef, now illumined by the rays of the setting sun. Who can
describe these wonderful gardens of the deep, on which we now gazed
through ten and twenty fathoms of crystal water? Who can enumerate or
describe the strange creatures moving about and darting hither and
thither, amid the masses of coral forming their submarine home? There
were shells of rare shape, brighter than if they had been polished by
the hand of the most skilful artist; crabs of all sizes, scuttling and
sidling along; sea-anemones, spreading their delicate feelers in
search of prey; and many other kinds of zoophytes, crawling slowly
over the reef; and scarlet, blue, yellow, gold, violet, spotted,
striped, and winged fish, short, long, pointed, and blunt, of the
most varied shapes, were darting about like birds among the coral
trees.

At last, after frequent stoppages, to allow time for admiration, we
reached the outer reef, hauled the boat up and made her fast, and, in
bathing shoes, started on a paddling expedition. Such a paddle it was,
too, over the coral, the surf breaking far above our heads, and the
underflow, though only a few inches deep, nearly carrying me and the
children off our legs! There were one or two native fishermen walking
along the reef, whipping the water; but they appeared to have caught
only a few small rock-fish, pretty enough to look at, but not
apparently good to eat.

The shades of night compelled us to return to the yacht, laden with
corals of many different species. After dinner the bay was illuminated
by the torches of the native fishermen, in canoes, on the reef. Tom
and I went to look at them, but did not see them catch anything. Each
canoe contained at least three people, one of whom propelled the boat,
another stood up waving about a torch dipped in some resinous
substance, which threw a strong light on the water, while the third
stood in the bows, armed with a spear, made of a bundle of wires, tied
to a long pole, not at all unlike a gigantic egg-whip, with all its
loops cut into points. This is aimed with great dexterity at the fish,
who are either transfixed or jammed between the prongs. The fine
figures of the natives, lighted up by the flickering torches, and
standing out in bold relief against the dark blue starlit sky, would
have served as models for the sculptors of ancient Greece.

_Sunday, December 3rd_.--At a quarter to five this morning some of us
landed to see the market, this being the great day when the natives
come in from the country and surrounding villages, by sea and by land,
in boats, or on horseback, to sell their produce, and buy necessaries
for the coming week. We walked through the shady streets to the two
covered market buildings, partitioned across with great bunches of
oranges, plantains, and many-coloured vegetables, hung on strings. The
mats, beds, and pillows still lying about suggested the idea that the
salesmen and women had passed the night amongst their wares. The gaily
attired, good-looking, flower-decorated crowd, of some seven or eight
hundred people, all chatting and laughing, and some staring at us--but
not rudely--looked much more like a chorus of opera-singers, dressed
for their parts in some grand spectacle, than ordinary market-going
peasants. Whichever way one turned, the prospect was an animated and
attractive one. Here, beneath the shade of large, smooth, light-green
banana leaves, was a group of earnest bargainers for mysterious-looking
fish, luscious fruit, and vegetables; there, sheltered by a drooping
mango, whose rich clusters of purple and orange fruit hung in tempting
proximity to lips and hands, another little crowd was similarly
engaged. Orange-trees were evidently favourite _rendezvous_; and a row
of flower-sellers had established themselves in front of a hedge of
scarlet hibiscus and double Cape jasmine. Every vendor carried his
stock-in-trade, however small the articles composing it might be, on a
bamboo pole, across his shoulder, occasionally with rather ludicrous
effect, as, for instance, when the thick but light pole supported only
a tiny fish six inches long at one end, and two mangoes at the other.
Everybody seemed to have brought to market just what he or she
happened to have on hand, however small the quantity. The women would
have one, two, or three new-laid eggs in a leaf basket, one crab or
lobster, three or four prawns, or one little trout. Under these
circumstances, marketing for so large a party as ours was a somewhat
lengthy operation, and I was much amused in watching our _proveedor_,
as he went about collecting things by ones and twos, until he had
piled a little cart quite full, and had had it pushed off to the shady
quay.

[Illustration: Chaetodon Plagmance]

We strolled about until six o'clock, at which hour the purchasers
began to disperse, and were just preparing to depart likewise, when an
old man, carrying half-a-dozen little fish, and followed by a small
boy laden with vegetables and fruit, introduced himself to us as the
brother-in-law of Queen Pomare IV. and chief of Papeete, and, after a
short talk, invited us to visit him at his house. We consented, and,
following him, presently reached a break in the hedge and ditch that
ran along the side of the road, beyond which was a track, bordered by
pineapples and dracaenas, leading to a superior sort of house, built in
the native style, and surrounded, as usual, by bread-fruit, cocoa-nut,
banana, mango, and guava trees. We were conducted into the one large
room, which contained two four-post bedsteads and four mattresses,
laid on the floor, two or three trunks, and a table in the corner, on
which were writing materials and a few books. The chief himself spoke
a very little English, his son an equally small amount of French; so
the conversation languished, and after a decent interval we rose to
depart. Our host asked if he might 'come and see my ship,' and
procured pen, ink, and paper--not of the best quality--for me to write
an order for him do so, 'in case lady not at home.' He also presented
me with some pictures of soldiers, drawn by his son--a boy about
eleven years old, of whom he seemed very proud, and expressed his
regret that we could not prolong our stay, at the same time placing at
our disposal the whole house and garden, including a fat sow and
eleven little pigs.

Several other visitors had arrived by this time, one of whom was on
horseback, and, as I was rather tired, he was asked if he would kindly
allow me to ride down to the landing place. He replied that he would
lend the horse to a gentleman, but not to me, as the saddle was not
suitable. I explained that this made no difference to me, and mounted,
though I did not attempt to follow the fashion of the native ladies
here, who ride like men. Our new friend was quite delighted at this,
and volunteered himself to show us something of the neighbourhood.
Accordingly, leading my--or rather his--horse, and guiding him
carefully over all the rough places, he took us through groves and
gardens to the grounds belonging to the royal family, in which were
plantations of various kinds of trees, and a thick undergrowth of
guava. After an enjoyable little expedition we returned to the yacht
at about half-past seven, accompanied by the small boy who had been
carrying our special purchases from the market all this time, and by a
little tail of followers.

At half-past eight we breakfasted, so as to be ready for the service
at the native church at ten o'clock; but several visitors arrived in
the interval, and we had rather a bustle to get off in time, after
all. We landed close to the church, under the shade of an hibiscus,
whose yellow and orange flowers dropped off into the sea and floated
away amongst the coral rocks, peeping out of the water here and there.
The building appeared to be full to overflowing. The windows and doors
were all wide open, and many members of the congregation were seated
on the steps, on the lawn, and on the grassy slope beyond, listening
to a discourse in the native language. Most of the people wore the
native costume, which, especially when made of black stuff and
surmounted by a little sailor's hat, decorated with a bandana
handkerchief or a wreath of flowers, was very becoming. Sailors' hats
are universally worn, and are generally made by the natives themselves
from plantain or palm leaves, or from the inside fibre of the
arrowroot. Some rather elderly men and women in the front rows were
taking notes of the sermon. I found afterwards that they belonged to
the Bible class, and that their great pride was to meet after the
service and repeat by heart nearly all they had heard. This seems to
show at least a desire to profit by the minister's efforts.

After the usual service there were two christenings. The babies were
held at the font by the men, who looked extremely sheepish. One baby
was grandly attired in a book-muslin dress, with flounces, a tail at
least six feet long dragging on the ground, and a lace cap with
cherry-coloured bows; the other was nearly as smart, in a white-worked
long frock and cap, trimmed with blue bows. The christenings over,
there was a hymn, somewhat monotonous as to time and tune, but sung
with much fervour, followed by the administration of the sacrament, in
which cocoa-nut milk took the place of wine, and bread-fruit that of
bread. The proper elements were originally used, but experience proved
that, although the bread went round pretty well, the cup was almost
invariably emptied by the first two or three communicants, sometimes
with unfortunate results.

After service we drove through the shady avenues of the town into the
open country, past trim little villas and sugar-cane plantations,
until we turned off the main road, and entered an avenue of mangoes,
whence a rough road, cut through a guava thicket, leads to the main
gate of Faataua[9]--a regular square Indian bungalow, with thatched
roofs, verandahs covered with creepers, windows opening to the ground,
and steps leading to the gardens on every side, ample accommodation
for stables, kitchens, servants, being provided in numerous
outbuildings.

[Footnote 9: 'Fuatawah' or 'Faataua,' _to make friends_.]

Soon after breakfast, Mrs. Brander dressed me in one of her own native
costumes, and we drove to the outskirts of a dense forest, through
which a footpath leads to the waterfall and fort of Faataua. Here we
found horses waiting for us, on which we rode, accompanied by the
gentlemen on foot, through a thick growth of palms, orange-trees,
guavas, and other tropical trees, some of which were overhung and
almost choked by luxuriant creepers. Specially noticeable among the
latter was a gorgeous purple passion-flower, with orange-coloured
fruit as big as pumpkins, that covered everything with its vigorous
growth. The path was always narrow and sometimes steep, and we had
frequently almost to creep under the overhanging boughs, or to turn
aside to avoid a more than usually dense mass of creepers. We crossed
several small rivers, and at last reached a spot that commanded a view
of the waterfall, on the other side of a deep ravine. Just below the
fort that crowns the height, a river issues from a narrow cleft in the
rock, and falls at a single bound from the edge of an almost
perpendicular cliff, 600 feet high, into the valley beneath. First one
sees the rush of blue water, gradually changing in its descent to a
cloud of white spray, which in its turn is lost in a rainbow of mist.
Imagine that from beneath the shade of feathery palms and broad-leaved
bananas through a network of ferns and creepers you are looking upon
the Staubbach, in Switzerland, magnified in height, and with a
background of verdure-clad mountains, and you will have some idea of
the fall of Faataua as we beheld it.

[Illustration: Waterfall at Faataua]

After resting a little while and taking some sketches, we climbed up
to the fort itself, a place of considerable interest, where the
natives held out to the very last against the French. On the bank
opposite the fort, the last islander killed during the struggle for
independence was shot while trying to escape. Situated in the centre
of a group of mountains, with valleys branching off in all directions,
the fort could hold communication with every part of the coast, and
there can be little doubt that it would have held out much longer than
it did, but for the treachery of one of the garrison, who led the
invaders, under cover of the night, and by devious paths, to the top
of a hill commanding the position. Now the ramparts and earthworks are
overrun and almost hidden by roses. Originally planted, I suppose, by
the new-comers, they have spread rapidly in all directions, till the
hill-sides and summits are quite a-blush with the fragrant bloom.

Having enjoyed some strawberries and some icy cold water from a
spring, and heard a long account of the war from the _gardiens_, we
found it was time to commence our return journey, as it was now
getting late. We descended much more quickly than we had come up, but
daylight had faded into the brief tropical twilight, and that again
into the shades of night, ere we reached the carriage.

Dinner and evening service brought the day to a conclusion, and I
retired, not unwillingly, to bed, to dream of the charms of Tahiti.

Sometimes I think that all I have seen must be only a long vision, and
that too soon I shall awaken to the cold reality; the flowers, the
fruit, the colours worn by every one, the whole scene and its
surroundings, seem almost too fairylike to have an actual existence. I
am in despair when I attempt to describe all these things. I feel that
I cannot do anything like justice to their merits, and yet I fear all
the time that what I say may be looked upon as an exaggeration.

    Long dreamy lawns, and birds on happy wings,
      Keeping their homes in never-rifled bowers;
    Cool fountains filling with their murmurings
      The sunny silence 'twixt the chiming hours.

At daybreak next morning, when I went on deck, it was a dead calm. The
sea-breeze had not yet come in, and there was not a ripple on the
surface of the harbour. Outside, two little white trading schooners
lay becalmed; inside, the harbour-tug was getting up steam. On shore,
a few gaily dressed natives were hurrying home with their early market
produce, and others were stretched lazily on the grass at the water's
edge or on the benches under the trees. Our stores for the day, a
picturesque-looking heap of fish, fruit, vegetables, and flowers, were
on the steps, waiting to be brought off, and guarded in the meantime
by natives in costumes of pink, blue, orange, and a delicate pale
green they specially affect. The light mists rolled gradually away
from the mountain tops, and there was every prospect of a fine day for
a projected excursion.

I went ashore to fetch some of the fresh gathered fruit, and soon we
had a feast of luscious pineapples, juicy mangoes, bananas, and
oranges, with the dew still upon them. The mango is certainly the king
of fruit. Its flavour is a combination of apricot and pineapple, with
the slightest possible suspicion of turpentine thrown in, to give a
piquancy to the whole. I dare say it sounds a strange mixture, but I
can only say that the result is delicious. To enjoy mangoes thoroughly
you ought not to eat them in company, but leaning over the side of the
ship, in the early morning, with your sleeves tucked up to your
elbows, using no knife and fork, but tearing off the skin with your
teeth, and sucking the abundant juice.

We breakfasted at half-past six, and, at a little before eight, went
ashore, where we were met by a sort of _char-a-bancs_, or American
wagon, with three seats, one behind the other, all facing the horses,
and roomy and comfortable enough for two persons. Our Transatlantic
cousins certainly understand thoroughly, and do their best to improve
everything connected with, the locomotion they love so well. A Chinese
coachman and a thin but active pair of little horses completed the
turn-out. Mabelle sat beside the coachman, and we four packed into,
the other two seats, with all our belongings.

The sun was certainly _very_ powerful when we emerged from the shady
groves of Papeete, but there was a nice breeze, and sometimes we got
under the shade of cocoa-nut trees. We reached Punauia at about
half-past nine, and changed horses there. While waiting, hot and
thirsty, under the shelter of some trees, we asked for a cocoa-nut,
whereupon a man standing by immediately tied a withy of banana leaves
round his feet and proceeded to climb, or rather hop, up the nearest
tree, raising himself with his two hands and his feet alternately,
with an exactly similar action to that of our old friend the monkey on
the stick. People who have tasted the cocoa-nut only in England can
have no idea what a delicious fruit it really is when nearly ripe and
freshly plucked. The natives remove the outer husk, just leaving a
little piece to serve as a foot for the pale brown cup to rest on.
They then smooth off the top, and you have an elegant vase, something
like a mounted ostrich egg in appearance, lined with the snowiest
ivory, and containing about three pints of cool sweet water. Why it is
called milk I cannot understand, for it is as clear as crystal, and is
always cool and refreshing, though the nut in which it is contained
has generally been exposed to the fiercest sun. In many of the coral
islands, where the water is brackish, the natives drink scarcely
anything but cocoa-nut milk; and even here, if you are thirsty and ask
for a glass of water, you are almost always presented with a cocoa-nut
instead.

From Punauia onwards the scenery increased in beauty, and the foliage
was, if possible, more luxuriant than ever. The road ran through
extensive coffee, sugar-cane, Indian corn, orange, cocoa-nut, and
cotton plantations, and vanilla, carefully trained on bamboos, growing
in the thick shade. Near Atimaono we passed the house of a great
cotton planter, and, shortly afterwards, the curious huts, raised on
platforms, built by some islanders he has imported from the Kingsmill
group to work his plantations. They are a wild, savage-looking set,
very inferior to the Tahitians in appearance. The cotton-mills, which
formerly belonged to a company, are now all falling to ruin; and in
many other parts of the island we passed cotton plantations uncleaned
and neglected, and fast running to seed and waste. So long as the
American war lasted, a slight profit could be made upon Tahitian
cotton, but now it is hopeless to attempt to cultivate it with any
prospect of adequate return.

The sun was now at its height, and we longed to stop and bathe in one
of the many fresh-water streams we crossed, and afterwards to eat our
lunch by the wayside; but our Chinese coachman always pointed onwards,
and said, 'Eatee much presently; horses eatee too.' At last we arrived
at a little house, shaded by cocoa-nut trees, and built in an
enclosure near the sea-shore, with 'Restaurant' written up over the
door. We drove in, and were met by the proprietor, with what must have
been rather an embarrassing multiplicity of women and children about
his heels. The cloth was not laid, but the rooms looked clean, and
there was a heap of tempting-looking fish and fruit in a corner. We
assured him we were starving, and begged for luncheon as soon as
possible; and, in the meantime, went for a dip in the sea. But the
water was shallow, and the sun made the temperature at least 90 deg., so
that our bath was not very refreshing. On our return we found the
table most enticingly laid out, with little scarlet crayfish, embedded
in cool green lettuce leaves, fruit of various kinds, good wine and
fair bread, all arranged on a clean though coarse tablecloth. There
was also a savoury omelette, so good that Tom asked for a second;
when, to our astonishment, there appeared a plump roast fowl, with
most artistic gravy and fried potatoes. Then came a _biftek aux
champignons_, and some excellent coffee to wind up with. On making the
host our compliments, he said, 'Je fais la cuisine moi-meme, Madame.'
In the course of our repast we again tasted the bread-fruit, but did
not much appreciate it, though it was this time cooked in the native
fashion--roasted underground by means of hot stones.

Our coachman was becoming impatient, so we bade farewell to our host,
and resumed our journey. We crossed innumerable streams on our way,
generally full not only of water, but also of bathers; for the
Tahitians are very fond of water, and always bathe once or twice a day
in the fresh streams, even after having been in the sea.

In many places along the road people were making hay from short grass,
and in others they were weighing it preparatory to sending it into
town. But they say the grass grown here is not at all nourishing for
horses, and some people import it from Valparaiso.

The road round the island is called the Broom Road. Convicts were
employed in its original formation, and now it is the punishment for
any one getting drunk in any part of the island to be set to work to
sweep, repair, and keep in order a piece of the road in the
neighbourhood of his dwelling. It is the one good road of Tahiti,
encircling the larger of the two peninsulas close to the sea-shore,
and surmounting the low mountain range in the centre of the isthmus.

Before long we found ourselves close to Taravao, the narrow strip of
land connecting the two peninsulas into which Tahiti is divided, and
commenced to ascend the hills that form the backbone of the island. We
climbed up and up, reaching the summit at last, to behold a
magnificent prospect on all sides. Then a short sharp descent, a long
drive over grass roads through a rich forest, and again a brief
ascent, brought us to our sleeping-quarters for the night, the Hotel
de l'Isthme, situated in a valley in the midst of a dense grove of
cocoa-nuts and bananas, kept by two retired French sailors, who came
out to meet us, and conducted us up a flight of steps on the side of a
mud bank to the four rooms forming the hotel. These were two sleeping
apartments, a _salon_, and a _salle a manger_, the walls of which
consisted of flat pieces of wood, their own width apart, something
like Venetian shutters, with unglazed windows and doors opening into
the garden.

We walked about four hundred yards along a grassy road to the sea,
where Mabelle and I paddled about in shallow water and amused
ourselves by picking up coral, shells, and _beche-de-mer_, and
watching the blue and yellow fish darting in and out among the rocks,
until at last we found a place in the coral which made a capital
deep-water bath. Dressing again was not such a pleasant affair, owing
to the mosquitoes biting us in the most provoking manner. Afterwards
we strolled along the shore, which was covered with cocoa-nuts and
driftwood, washed thither, I suppose, from some of the adjacent
islands, and on our way back to the hotel we gathered a handful of
choice exotics and graceful ferns, with which to decorate the table.

The dinner itself really deserves a detailed description, if only to
show that one may make the tour of Tahiti without necessarily having
to rough it in the matter of food. We had crayfish and salad as a
preliminary, and next, an excellent soup followed by delicious little
oysters, that cling to the boughs and roots of the guava and mangrove
trees overhanging the sea. Then came a large fish, name unknown, the
inevitable _bouilli_ and cabbage, _cotelettes aux pommes, biftek aux
champignons_, succeeded by crabs and other shellfish, including
_wurrali_, a delicate-flavoured kind of lobster, an _omelette aux
abricots_, and dessert of tropical fruits. We were also supplied with
good wine, both red and white, and bottled beer.

I ought, in truth, to add that the cockroaches were rather lively and
plentiful, but they did not form a serious drawback to our enjoyment.
After dinner, however, when I went to see Mabelle to bed, hundreds of
these creatures, about three inches long, and broad in proportion,
scuttled away as I lighted the candle; and while we were sitting
outside we could see troops of them marching up and down in rows
between the crevices of the walls. Then there were the mosquitoes, who
hummed and buzzed about us, and with whom, alas! we were doomed to
make a closer acquaintance. Our bed was fitted with the very thickest
calico mosquito curtains, impervious to the air, but not to the
venomous little insects, who found their way in through every tiny
opening in spite of all our efforts to exclude them.

_Tuesday, December 5th_.--The heat in the night was suffocating, and
soon after twelve o'clock we both woke up, feeling half-stifled. There
was a dim light shining into the room, and Tom said, 'Thank goodness,
it's getting daylight;' but on striking my repeater we found to our
regret that this was a mistake. In the moonlight I could see columns
of nasty brown cockroaches ascending the bedposts, crawling along the
top of the curtains, dropping with a thud on to the bed, and then
descending over the side to the ground. At last I could stand it no
longer, and opening the curtains cautiously, I seized my slippers,
knocked half-a-dozen brown beasts out of each, wrapped myself in a
poncho--previously well shaken--gathered my garments around me,
surmounted a barricade I had constructed overnight to keep the pigs
and chickens out of our doorless room, and fled to the garden. All was
still, the only sign of life being a light in a neighbouring hut, and
I sat out in the open air in comparative comfort, until driven indoors
again by torrents of rain, at about half-past two o'clock.

I plunged into bed again, taking several mosquitoes with me, which
hummed and buzzed and devoured us to their hearts' content till dawn.
Then I got up and walked down to the beach to bathe, and returned to
breakfast at six o'clock, refreshed but still disfigured.

It is now the depth of winter and the middle of the rainy season in
Tahiti; but, luckily for us, it is nearly always fine in the daytime.
At night, however, there is often a perfect deluge, which floods the
houses and gardens, turns the streams into torrents, but washes and
refreshes the vegetation, and leaves the landscape brighter and
greener than before.

At half-past seven the horses were put to, and we were just ready for
a start, when down came the rain again, more heavily than before. It
was some little time before it ceased enough to allow us to start,
driving along grassy roads and through forests, but progressing rather
slowly, owing to the soaked condition of the ground. If you can
imagine the Kew hot-houses magnified and multiplied to an indefinite
extent, and laid out as a gentleman's park, traversed by numerous
grassy roads fringed with cocoa-nut palms, and commanding occasional
glimpses of sea, and beach, and coral reefs, you will have some faint
idea of the scene through which our road lay.

Many rivers we crossed, and many we stuck in, the gentlemen having
more than once to take off their shoes and stockings, tuck up their
trousers, jump into the water, and literally put their shoulders to
the wheel. Sometimes we drove out into the shallow sea, till it seemed
doubtful when and where we should make the land again. Sometimes we
climbed up a solid road, blasted out of the face of the black cliffs,
or crept along the shore of the tranquil lagoon, frightening the
land-crabs into their holes as they felt the shake of the approaching
carriage. Palms and passiflora abounded, the latter being specially
magnificent. It seems wonderful how their thin steins can support, at
a height of thirty or forty feet from the ground, the masses of huge
orange-coloured fruit which depend in strings from their summits.

At the third river, not far from where it fell into the sea, we
thought it was time to lunch; so we stopped the carriage, gave the
horses their provender, and sat down to enjoy ourselves after our long
drive. It was early in the afternoon before we started again, and soon
after this we were met by fresh horses, sent out from Papenoo;[10] so
it was not long before we found ourselves near Point Venus, where we
once more came upon a good piece of road, down which we rattled to the
plains outside Papeete.

[Footnote 10: From 'pape,' _water_, and 'noo,' _abundance_.]

We reached the quay at about seven o'clock, and, our arrival having
been observed, several friends came to see us and to inquire how we
had fared. Before we started on our excursion, instructions had been
given that the 'Sunbeam' should be painted _white_, for the sake of
coolness, and we were all very curious to see how she would look in
her new dress; but unfortunately the wet weather has delayed the work,
and there is still a good deal to do.

_Wednesday, December 6th_.--It was raining fast at half-past four this
morning, which was rather provoking, as I wanted to take some
photographs from the yacht's deck before the sea-breeze sprang up. But
the weather cleared while I was choosing my position and fixing my
camera, and I was enabled to take what I hope may prove to be some
successful photographs.

Messrs. Brander's mail-ship, a sailing vessel of about 600 tons, was
to leave for San Francisco at eight o'clock, and at seven Tom started
in the 'Flash' to take our letters on board. The passage to San
Francisco occupies twenty-five days on an average, and is performed
with great regularity once a month each way. The vessels employed on
this line, three in number, are well built, and have good
accommodation for passengers, and they generally carry a full cargo.
In the present instance it consists of fungus and tripang
(_beche-de-mer_) for China, oranges for San Francisco, a good many
packages of sundries, and a large consignment of pearls, entrusted to
the captain at the last moment.

So brisk is the trade carried on between Tahiti and the United States,
that the cost of this vessel was more than covered by the freights the
first year after she was built. In addition to these ships, there are
those which run backwards and forwards to Valparaiso, and the little
island trading schooners; so that the Tahitians can boast of quite a
respectable fleet of vessels, not imposing perhaps in point of
tonnage, but as smart and serviceable-looking as could be desired. The
trading schooners are really beautiful little craft, and I am sure
that, if well kept and properly manned, they would show to no
discredit among our smart yachts at Cowes. Not a day passes without
one or more entering or leaving the harbour, returning from or bound
to the lonely isles with which the south-west portion of the Pacific
is studded. They are provided with a patent log, but their captains,
who are intelligent men, do not care much about a chronometer, as the
distances to be run are comparatively short and are easily judged.

Mr. Godeffroy gave us rather an amusing account of the manner in which
their negotiations with the natives are conducted. The more civilised
islanders have got beyond barter, and prefer hard cash in American
dollars for their pearls, shells, cocoa-nuts, sandal-wood, &c. When
they have received the money, they remain on deck for some time
discussing their bargains among themselves. Then they peep down
through the open skylights into the cabin below, where the most
attractive prints and the gaudiest articles of apparel are temptingly
displayed, alongside a few bottles of rum and brandy and a supply of
tobacco. It is not long before the bait is swallowed; down go the
natives, the goods are sold, and the dollars have once more found
their way back into the captain's hands.

I had a long talk with one of the natives, who arrived to-day from
Flint Island--a most picturesque-looking individual, dressed in
scarlet and orange-coloured flannel, and a mass of black, shiny, curly
hair. Flint Island is a place whose existence has been disputed, it
having been more than once searched for by ships in vain. It was,
therefore, particularly interesting to meet some one who had actually
visited, and had just returned from, the spot in question. That
islands do occasionally disappear entirely in these parts there can be
little doubt. The Tahitian schooners were formerly in the habit of
trading with a small island close to Rarotonga, whose name I forget;
but about four years ago, when proceeding thither with the usual
three-monthly cargo of provisions, prints, &c., they failed to find
the island, of which no trace has since been seen. Two missionaries
from Rarotonga are believed to have been on it at the time of its
disappearance, and to have shared its mysterious fate.

_Thursday, December 7th_.--At eight o'clock I took Mabelle and Muriel
for a drive in a pony-carriage which had been kindly lent me, but with
a hint that the horse was rather _mechant_ sometimes. He behaved well
on the present occasion, however, and we had a pleasant drive in the
outskirts of the town for a couple of hours.

Just as we returned, a gentleman came and asked me if I should like to
see some remarkably fine pearls, and on my gladly consenting, he took
me to his house, where I saw some pearls certainly worth going to look
at, but too expensive for me, one pear-shaped gem alone having been
valued at 1,000_l_. I was told they came from a neighbouring island,
and I was given two shells containing pearls in various stages of
formation.

It was now time to go on board to receive some friends whom we had
invited to breakfast, and who arrived at about half-past eleven.

[Illustration: A Tahitian Lady.]

After breakfast, and a chat, and an examination of the photograph
books, &c., we all landed, and went to see Messrs. Brander's stores,
where all sorts of requisites for fitting out ships and their crews
can be procured. It is surprising to find how plentiful are the
supplies of the necessaries and even the luxuries of civilised life in
this far-away corner of the globe. You can even get _ice_ here, for
the manufacture of which a retired English infantry officer has set up
an establishment with great success. But what interested me most were
the products of this and the neighbouring islands. There were tons of
exquisitely tinted pearl shells, six or eight inches in diameter,
formerly a valuable article of commerce, but now worth comparatively
little. The pearls that came out of them had unfortunately been sent
away to Liverpool--1,000_l_. worth by this morning's, and 5,000_l_ by
the last mail-ship. Then there was vanilla, a most precarious crop,
which needs to be carefully watered and shaded from the first moment
it is planted, and which must be gathered before it is ripe, and dried
and matured in a moist heat, between blankets and feather-beds, in
order that the pods may not crack and allow the essence to escape. We
saw also edible fungus, exported to San Francisco, and thence to Hong
Kong, solely for the use of the Chinese; tripang, or _beche-de-mer_, a
sort of sea-slug or holothuria, which, either living or dead, fresh or
dried, looks equally untempting, but is highly esteemed by the
Celestials; coprah, or dried cocoa-nut kernels, broken into small
pieces in order that they may stow better, and exported to England and
other parts, where the oil is expressed and oil-cake formed; and
various other articles of commerce. The trade of the island is fast
increasing, the average invoice value of the exports having risen from
8,400_l_ in 1845 to 98,000_l_ in 1874. These totals are exclusive of
the value of the pearls, which would increase it by at least another
3,000_l_ or 4,000_l_.

I speak from personal experience when I say that every necessary of
life on board ship, and many luxuries, can be procured at Tahiti.
American tinned fruits and vegetables beat English ones hollow.
Preserved milk is uncertain--sometimes better, sometimes worse, than
what one buys at home. Tinned salmon is much better. Australian
mutton, New Zealand beef, and South Sea pork, leave nothing to be
desired in the way of preserved meat. Fresh beef, mutton, and butter
are hardly procurable, and the latter, when preserved, is uneatable. I
can never understand why they don't take to potting and salting down
for export the _best_ butter, at some large Irish or Devonshire farm,
instead of reserving that process for butter which is just on the turn
and is already almost unfit to eat; the result being that, long before
it has reached a hot climate, it is only fit to grease carriage-wheels
with. It could be done, and I feel sure it would pay, as good butter
would fetch almost any price in many places. Some Devonshire butter,
which we brought with us from England, is as good now, after ten
thousand miles in the tropics, as it was when first put on board; but
a considerable proportion is very bad, and was evidently not in proper
condition in the first instance.

We had intended going afterwards to the coral reef with the children
to have a picnic there, and had accordingly given the servants leave
to go ashore for the evening; but it came on to rain heavily, and we
were obliged to return to the yacht instead. The servants had,
however, already availed themselves of the permission they had
received, and there was therefore no one on board in their department;
so we had to unpack our basket and have our picnic on deck, under the
awning, instead of on the reef, which I think was almost as great a
treat to the children.

We have, I am sorry to say, had a good deal of trouble with some of
our men here. One disappeared directly we arrived, and has never been
seen since. Another came off suffering from delirium tremens and
epileptic fits, brought on by drink. His cries and struggles were
horrible to hear and witness. It took four strong men to hold him, and
the doctor was up with him all last night. Nearly all the ships that
come here have been at sea for a long time, and the men are simply
wild when they get ashore. Some of the people know only too well how
to take advantage of this state of things, and the consequence is that
it is hardly safe for a sailor to drink a glass of grog, for fear that
it should be drugged. No doubt there are respectable places to which
the men could resort, but it is not easy for a stranger to find them
out, and our men seem to have been particularly unfortunate in this
respect. Tom talks of leaving two of them behind, and shipping four
fresh hands, as our number is already rather short.

_Friday, December 8th_.--I persuaded Tom to make another excursion to
the coral reef this morning, and at five o'clock he and Mabelle and I
set off in the 'Flash,' just as the sun was rising. We had a
delightful row, past the Quarantine Island[11], to the portion of the
reef on the other side of the harbour, where we had not yet been, and
where I think the coral plants and flowers and bushes showed to
greater advantage than ever, as they were less crowded, and the
occasional patches of sandy bottom enabled one to see them better. We
were so engrossed in our examination of these marvels of the deep, and
of the fish with which the water abounded, that we found ourselves
aground several times, and our return to the yacht was consequently
delayed.

[Footnote 11: The native name is 'Motu-iti,' i.e. _little island_.]

After breakfast I had another visit from a man with war-cloaks,
shell-belts, _tapa_, and _reva reva_, which he brought on board for my
inspection. It was a difficult task to make him understand what I
meant, but at last I thought I had succeeded in impressing on his mind
the fact that I wished to buy them, and that they would be paid for at
the store. The sequel unfortunately proved that I was mistaken. At
nine o'clock we set out for the shore, and after landing drove along
the same road by which we had returned from our excursion round the
island.[12] After seeing as much of the place as our limited time
would allow, we drove over to Faataua, where we found the children and
maids. The grand piano, every table, and the drawing-room floor, were
spread with the presents we were expected to take away with us. There
were bunches of scarlet feathers, two or three hundred in number, from
the tail of the tropic bird, which are only allowed to be possessed
and worn by chiefs, and which are of great value, as each bird
produces only two feathers; pearl shells, with corals growing on them,
red coral from the islands on the Equator, curious sponges and
sea-weed, _tapa_ cloth and _reva-reva_ fringe, arrowroot and palm-leaf
hats, cocoa-nut drinking vessels, fine mats plaited in many patterns,
and other specimens of the products of the island.

[Footnote 12: We paid a brief visit to Point Venus, whence Captain
Cook observed the transit of Venus on November 9th, 1769, and we saw
the lighthouse and tamarind tree, which now mark the spot. The latter,
from which we brought away some seed, was undoubtedly planted by
Captain Cook with his own hand.]

[Illustration: Tropic Feathers]

All the members of the royal family at present in Tahiti had been
invited to meet us, and arrived in due course, including the
heir-apparent and his brother and sister. All the guests were dressed
in the native costume, with wreaths on their heads and necks, and even
the servants--including our own, whom I hardly recognised--were
similarly decorated. Wreaths had also been prepared for us, three of
fragrant yellow flowers for Mabelle, Muriel, and myself, and others of
a different kind for the gentlemen.

When the feast was ready the Prince offered me his arm, and we all
walked in a procession to a grove of bananas in the garden through two
lines of native servants, who, at a given signal, saluted us with
three hearty English cheers. We then continued our walk till we
arrived at a house, built in the native style, by the side of a rocky
stream, like a Scotch burn. The uprights of the house were banana
trees, transplanted with their leaves on, so as to shade the roof,
which was formed of plaited cocoa-nut palm-leaves, each about fifteen
feet long, laid transversely across bamboo rafters. From these
light-green supports and the dark green roof depended the yellow and
brown leaves of the _theve_, woven into graceful garlands and elegant
festoons. The floor was covered with the finest mats, with black and
white borders, and the centre strewn with broad green plantain leaves,
to form the tablecloth, on which were laid baskets and dishes, made of
leaves sewed together, and containing all sorts of native delicacies.
There were oysters, lobsters, wurrali, and crawfish, stewed chicken,
boiled sucking-pig, plantains, bread-fruit, melons, bananas, oranges,
and strawberries. Before each guest was placed a half cocoa-nut full
of salt water, another full of chopped cocoa-nut, a third full of
fresh water, and another full of milk, two pieces of bamboo, a basket
of _poi_, half a bread-fruit, and a platter of green leaves, the
latter being changed with each course. We took our seats on the ground
round the green table. An address was first delivered in the native
language, grace was then said, and we commenced. The first operation
was to mix the salt water and the chopped cocoa-nut together, so as to
make an appetising sauce, into which we were supposed to dip each
morsel we ate, the empty salt-water bowl being filled up with fresh
water with which to wash our fingers and lips. We were tolerably
successful in the use of our fingers as substitutes for knives and
forks. The only drawback was that the dinner had to be eaten amid such
a scene of novelty and beauty, that our attention was continually
distracted: there was so much to admire, both in the house itself and
outside it. After we had finished, all the servants sat down to
dinner, and from a dais at one end of the room we surveyed the bright
and animated scene, the gentlemen--and some of the ladies
too--meanwhile enjoying their cigarettes.

When we got down to Papeete, at about half-past four, so many things
had to be done that it seemed impossible to accomplish a start this
evening. First of all the two Princes came on board, and were shown
round, after which there were accounts to be paid, linen to be got on
board; and various other preparations to be made. Presently it was
discovered that the cloaks I had purchased--or thought I had
purchased--this morning had not turned up, and that our saddles had
been left at Faataua on Sunday and had been forgotten. The latter were
immediately sent for, but although some one went on shore to look
after the cloaks nothing could be heard of them; so I suppose I failed
after all in making the man understand that he was to take them to the
store and be paid for them there.

[Illustration: Chaetodon Besantii]

At six o'clock the pilot sent word that it was no longer safe to go
out; but steam was already up, and Tom therefore decided to go outside
the reef and there wait for the people and goods that were still on
shore. At this moment the saddles appeared in one direction, and the
rest of the party in another. They were soon on board, the anchor was
raised, and we began to steam slowly ahead, taking a last regretful
look at Papeete as we left the harbour. By the time we were outside it
was dark, the pilot went ashore, and we steamed full speed ahead.
After dinner, and indeed until we went to bed, at half-past eleven,
the lights along the shore were clearly visible, and the form of the
high mountains behind could be distinguished.

Good-bye, lovely Tahiti! I wonder if I shall ever see you again; it
makes me quite sad to think how small is the chance of my doing so.




CHAPTER XV.

TAHITI TO SANDWICH ISLANDS.--KILAUEA BY DAY AND BY NIGHT.

    _Methinks it should have been impossible_
    _Not to love all things in a world so filled,_
    _Where the breeze warbles, and the mute still air_
    _Is music, slumbering on her instrument._


_Saturday, December 9th_.--After leaving the harbour of Papeete we
passed close to the island of Eimeo, on which we have gazed so often
and with so much pleasure during the past week. It is considered the
most beautiful island of the Georgian group, and we all regretted that
we were unable to spare the time to visit it. From afar it is rather
like the dolomite mountains in the Tyrol, and it is said that the
resemblance is even more striking on a near approach. The harbour is a
long narrow gorge between high mountains, clothed with palms, oranges,
and plantains, and is one of the most remarkable features of the
place. Huahine is the island of which the Earl and the Doctor speak,
in 'South Sea Bubbles,' in terms of such enthusiasm, and Rarotonga is
the head and centre of all the missionary efforts of the present time
in these parts.

The weather to-day was fine, though we had occasional squalls of wind
and rain. We were close-hauled, and the motion of the vessel was
violent and disagreeable. I was very sea-sick, and was consoled to
find that several of the men were so too. A head sea--or nearly so--is
quite a novel experience for us of late, and we none of us like the
change.

_Sunday, December 10th_.--Another squally day. Still close-hauled,
and even then not on our course. We had a short service at eleven, but
it was as much as I could do to remain on deck.

_Monday, December 11th_.--Very like yesterday. We passed close to
Flint and Vostok Islands, at the former of which I should have much
liked to land. But it was a good deal to leeward of us; there is no
anchorage, and the landing, which is always difficult and sometimes
impossible, has to be effected in native surf-boats. It would have
been interesting to see a guano island, of which this is a perfect
specimen.

We had hoped to make the Caroline Islands before dark (not the
Caroline Islands proper, but a group of low islets, whose position is
very uncertainly indicated in the different charts and books); but the
wind fell light, and as we could see nothing of them at sunset,
although the view from the masthead extended at least fifteen miles in
every direction, it was decided at eight o'clock to put the ship
about, to insure not running on them or any of the surrounding reefs
in the night. The currents run very swiftly between these islands, and
it is impossible to tell your exact position, even a few hours after
having taken an observation.

_Tuesday, December 12th_.--The wind freshened immediately after we had
changed our course last night, and fell light directly we had put
about again this morning, so that it was fully 9 a.m. before we had
regained our position of yesterday evening.

Our compass-cards were getting worn out, and Tom gave out new ones
before leaving Tahiti. I was very much amused to-night, when, as
usual, just before going to bed, I went to have a look at the compass
and see how the yacht was lying, and asked the man at the wheel what
course he was steering. 'North and by west, half-east, ma'am,' he
replied. 'That's a funny course,' I said; 'tell me again.' He
repeated his statement; whereupon I remarked that the course was quite
a new one to me. 'Oh, yes, ma'am,' he answered, 'but them's the new
compass-cards.' This man is one of the best helmsmen in the ship, but
certainly seems to be an indifferent scholar.

_Friday, December 15th_.--We crossed the line at half-past four this
morning. Father Neptune was to have paid us another visit in the
evening, but the crew were busy, and there were some difficulties
about arranging the details of the ceremony. The children were
obliged, therefore, to be content with their usual game of drilling
every one that they were able to muster for soldiers, after the
fashion of Captain Brown's 'rifle practice,' or marching up and down
the decks to the strains of Jem Butt's fiddle playing 'Tommy make room
for your Uncle,' accompanied by the somewhat discordant noise of their
own drums. These amusements after sunset, and scrubbing decks and
working at the pumps before sunrise, give us all the much-needed
exercise it is impossible to take in the heat of the daytime.

[Illustration: Tattoo in the Tropics]

_Saturday, December 16th_.--At 1.30 a.m. I was awoke by the strains
of sweet music, and could not at first imagine where I could be, or
whence the sounds came. It proved to be the performance of some
'waits' on board. I do not know who originated the idea, but it was a
very good one, and was excellently carried out. Everybody assembled on
deck by degrees, and the songsters enjoyed a glass of grog when their
labours were finished, after which we all went to bed again.

It had fallen calm yesterday evening, and the funnel was raised at
midnight, but the breeze sprang up again to-day, and at noon the fires
were banked and the sails were set. Of course it then fell calm again,
and at six o'clock we were once more proceeding under steam. There was
one squall in the night, accompanied by the most tremendous rain I
ever saw or heard. We talk of tropical rain in England, but the real
thing is very different. It seemed just as if the bottom of an
enormous cistern overhead had suddenly been removed, allowing the
contents to fall exactly on the spot where we were. The water came
down in sheets, and was soon three or four inches deep on the deck,
though it was pouring out of the scuppers all the time as fast as
possible.

_Sunday, December 17th_.--A showery morning. We had Communion Service
and hymns at eleven. In the afternoon it was too rough for 'church,'
and Tom was unable to deliver his intended address to the men.

_Monday, December 18th_.--We were close-hauled, with a strong
north-east wind, and heavy squalls and showers at intervals. We saw
several flying-fish and a good many birds, apparently hovering over a
shoal of whales or grampuses. It is wonderful how little life we have
seen on this portion of our voyage.

_Tuesday, December 19th_.--A fine day--wind rather more fair--sea
still rough and disagreeable. I tried to work hard all day, but found
it very difficult.

_Thursday, December 21st_.--Wind variable and baffling--sometimes
calm, sometimes squally, sometimes a nice breeze. Sails were hoisted
and lowered at least a dozen times, and fires were banked more than
once.

_Friday, December 22nd_.--At 6.30 a.m. we made the island of Hawaii,
rather too much to leeward, as we had been carried by the strong
current at least eighteen miles out of our course. We were therefore
obliged to beat up to windward, in the course of which operation we
passed a large barque running before the wind--the first ship we had
seen since leaving Tahiti--and also a fine whale, blowing, close to
us. We could not see the high land in the centre of the island, owing
to the mist in which it was enveloped, and there was great excitement
and much speculation on board as to the principal points which were
visible. At noon the observations taken proved that Tom was right in
his opinion as to our exact position. The wind dropped as we
approached the coast, where we could see the heavy surf dashing
against the black lava cliffs, rushing up the little creeks, and
throwing its spray in huge fountain-like jets high above the tall
cocoa-nut trees far inland.

We sailed along close to the shore, and by two o'clock were near the
entrance to the Bay of Hilo. In answer to our signal for a pilot a
boat came off with a man who said he knew the entrance to the harbour,
but informed us that the proper pilot had gone to Honolulu on a
pleasure trip.

It was a clear afternoon. The mountains, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa,
could be plainly seen from top to bottom, their giant crests rising
nearly 14,000 feet above our heads, their tree and fern clad slopes
seamed with deep gulches or ravines, down each of which a fertilising
river ran into the sea. Inside the reef, the white coral shore, on
which the waves seemed too lazy to break, is fringed with a belt of
cocoa-nut palms, amongst which, as well as on the hill-sides, the
little white houses are prettily dotted. All are surrounded by
gardens, so full of flowers that the bright patches of colour were
plainly visible even from the deck of the yacht. The harbour is large,
and is exposed only to one bad wind, which is most prevalent during
the winter months. Still, with good ground-tackle, there is not much
to be feared, and there is one particular spot, sheltered by the
Blonde reef, which is almost always safe. Here, accordingly, we have
taken up our station, though it is rather far from the town. Sometimes
it is impossible to land at Hilo itself for days together, but there
is fortunately a little creek behind Cocoa-nut Island which is always
accessible.

This afternoon the weather was all that could be desired, and at three
o'clock we landed and went straight to Mr. Conway's store to make
arrangements for going to the volcano of Kilauea to-morrow. Mr. Conway
sent a man off at once on horseback to warn the people at the
'Half-way House' and at 'Volcano House' to make preparations to
receive our party--a necessary precaution, as visitors to the island
are not numerous, and can only arrive by the monthly steamer from
Honolulu.

Having arranged this matter, we went for a stroll, among neat houses
and pretty gardens, to the suspension-bridge over the river, followed
by a crowd of girls, all decorated with wreaths and garlands, and
wearing almost the same dress that we had seen at Tahiti--a coloured
long-sleeved loose gown reaching to the feet. The natives here appear
to affect duller colours than those we have lately been accustomed to,
lilac, drab, brown, and other dark prints being the favourite tints.
Whenever I stopped to look at a view, one of the girls would come
behind me and throw a _lei_ of flowers over my head, fasten it round
my neck, and then run away laughing, to a distance, to judge of
effect. The consequence was that, before the end of our walk, I had
about a dozen wreaths, of various colours and lengths, hanging round
me, till I felt almost as if I had a fur tippet on, they made me so
hot; and yet I did not like to take them off for fear of hurting the
poor girls' feelings.

We walked along the river bank, and crossed to the other side just
below the rapids, jumping over the narrow channels through which the
water hurried and rushed. Some of our attendant girls carried Muriel
and the dogs, and, springing barefooted from rock to rock, led us
across the stream and up the precipitous banks on the other side.
There is a sort of hotel here, kept by a Chinaman, where everything is
scrupulously clean, and the food good though plain. It is rather more
like a lodging-house than an hotel, however. You hire your rooms, and
are expected to make special arrangements for board. Before we got
back to the yacht it had become dark, the moon had risen, and we could
see the reflection in the sky of the fires in the crater of Kilauea. I
do hope the volcano will be active to-morrow. It is never two days in
the same condition, and visitors have frequently remained in the
neighbourhood of the crater for a week without seeing an eruption.

The starlit sky, the bright young moon, and the red cloud from
Kilauea, floating far above our heads, made up a most beautiful scene
from the deck of the 'Sunbeam.'

_Saturday, December 23rd_.--The boatman who brought us off last night
had told us that Saturday was market-day at Hilo, and that at five
o'clock the natives would come in from the surrounding country in
crowds to buy their Sunday and Christmas Day provisions, and to bring
their own produce for sale. We accordingly gave orders that the boat
should come for us at a quarter to five, shortly before which we got
up and went on deck. We waited patiently in the dark until half-past
five, when, no boat appearing from the shore, the dingy was manned and
we landed. The lights in the town were all out, the day had hardly
dawned, and there were no signs of life to be seen. At last we met two
men, who told us we should find the market near the river, and offered
to show us the way; but when we arrived at the spot they had indicated
we found only a large butcher's shop, and were informed that the
regular market for fish, fruit, and other things was held at five
o'clock _in the afternoon_ instead of in the morning. We had thus had
all our trouble for nothing, and the non-appearance of the boat was
fully explained.

Presently we met a friend who took us to his home. It was a pretty
walk, by the side of the river and through numerous gardens, fresh
with the morning dew. He gave us the latest news from the United
States, and presented us with oranges and flowers, with which we
returned to the yacht. We were on board again by seven, and, having
packed up our things and sent them ashore, had an early breakfast, and
landed, in readiness for our excursion to Kilauea. The baggage animals
ought already to have started, but we found they had been kept back,
in case we should happen to forget anything. Quite a crowd assembled
to see us off, and a good deal of gossip had to be got through, so
that it was half-past nine before we were all mounted and fairly off.

The first part of our way lay along the flat ground, gay with bright
scarlet Guernsey lilies, and shaded by cocoa-nut trees, between the
town and the sea. Then we struck off to the right, and soon left the
town behind us, emerging into the open country. At a distance from the
sea, Hilo looks as green as the Emerald Isle itself; but on a closer
inspection the grass turns out to be coarse and dry, and many of the
trees look scrubby and half dead. Except in the 'gulches' and the deep
holes between the hills, the island is covered with lava, in many
places of so recent a deposit that it has not yet had time to
decompose, and there is consequently only a thin layer of soil on its
surface. This soil being, however, very rich, vegetation flourishes
luxuriantly for a time; but as soon as the roots have penetrated a
certain depth, and have come into contact with the lava, the trees
wither up and perish, like the seed that fell on stony ground.

The _ohia_ trees form a handsome feature in the landscape, with their
thick tall stems, glossy foliage, and light crimson flowers. The fruit
is a small pink waxy-looking apple, slightly acid, pleasant to the
taste when you are thirsty. The candle-nut trees attain to a large
size, and their light green foliage and white flowers have a very
graceful appearance. Most of the foliage, however, is spoiled by a
deposit of black dust, not unlike what one sees on the leaves in a
London garden. I do not know whether this is caused by the fumes of
the not far-distant volcano, or whether it is some kind of mould or
fungus.

After riding about ten miles in the blazing sun we reached a forest,
where the vegetation was quite tropical, though not so varied in its
beauties as that of Brazil, or of the still more lovely South Sea
Islands. There were ferns of various descriptions in the forest, and
many fine trees, entwined, supported, or suffocated by numerous
climbing plants, amongst which were blue and lilac convolvulus, and
magnificent passion-flowers. The protection from the sun afforded by
this dense mass of foliage was extremely grateful; but the air of the
forest was close and stifling, and at the end of five miles we were
glad to emerge once more into the open. The rest of the way lay over
the hard lava, through a sort of desert of scrubby vegetation,
occasionally relieved by clumps of trees in hollows. More than once we
had a fine view of the sea, stretching away into the far distance,
though it was sometimes mistaken for the bright blue sky, until the
surf could be seen breaking upon the black rocks, amid the encircling
groves of cocoa-nut trees.

The sun shone fiercely at intervals, and the rain came down several
times in torrents. The pace was slow, the road was dull and dreary,
and many were the inquiries made for the 'Half-way House,' long before
we reached it. We had still two miles farther to go, in the course of
which we were drenched by a heavy shower. At last we came to a native
house, crowded with people, where they were making _tappa_ or
_kapa_--the cloth made from the bark of the paper-mulberry. Here we
stopped for a few minutes until our guide hurried us on, pointing out
the church and the 'Half-way House' just ahead.

We were indeed glad to dismount after our weary ride, and rest in the
comfortable rocking-chairs under the verandah. It is a small white
wooden building, overhung with orange-trees, with a pond full of ducks
and geese outside it, and a few scattered outbuildings, including a
cooking hut, close by. A good-looking man was busy broiling
beef-steaks, stewing chickens, and boiling _taro_, and we had soon a
plentiful repast set before us, with the very weakest of weak tea as a
beverage. The woman of the house, which contained some finely worked
mats and clean-looking beds, showed us some _tappa cloth_, together
with the mallets and other instruments used in its manufacture, and a
beautiful orange-coloured _lei_, or feather necklace, which she had
made herself. The cloth and mallets were for sale, but no inducement
would persuade her to part with the necklace. It was the first she had
ever made, and I was afterwards told that the natives are
superstitiously careful to preserve the first specimen of their
handiwork, of whatever kind it may be.

A woman dressed in a pink _holoku_ and a light green apron had
followed us hither from the cottages we had first stopped at, and I
noticed at the time that, though she was chatting and laughing with a
female companion, she did not seem very well. Whilst we were at lunch
a sudden increase to her family took place, and before we were ready
to start I paid her and her infant a visit. She was then sitting up,
apparently as well as ever, and seemed to look upon the recent event
as a very light matter.

Directly we had finished our meal--about three o'clock--the guide came
and tried to persuade us that, as the baggage-mules had not yet
arrived, it would be too late for us to go on to-day, and that we had
better spend the night where we were, and start early in the morning.
We did not, however, approve of this arrangement, so the horses were
saddled, and, leaving word that the baggage-mules were to follow on as
soon as possible, we mounted, and set off for the 'Volcano House.' We
had not gone far before we were again overtaken by a shower, which
once more drenched us to the skin.

The scene was certainly one of extreme beauty. The moon was hidden by
a cloud, and the prospect lighted only by the red glare of the
volcano, which hovered before and above us like the Israelites' pillar
of fire, giving us hopes of a splendid spectacle when we should at
last reach the long-wished-for crater. Presently the moon shone forth
again, and gleamed and glistened on the rain-drops and silver-grasses
till they looked like fireflies and glowworms. At last, becoming
impatient, we proceeded slowly on our way, until we met a man on
horseback, who hailed us in a cheery voice with an unmistakable
American accent. It was the landlord of the 'Volcano House,' Mr. Kane,
who, fearing from the delay that we had met with some mishap, had
started to look for us. He explained that he thought it was only his
duty to look after and help ladies visiting the volcano, and added
that he had intended going down as far as the 'Half-way House' in
search of us. It was a great relief to know that we were in the right
track, and I quite enjoyed the gallop through the dark forest, though
there was barely sufficient light to enable me to discern the horse
immediately in front of me. When we emerged from the wood, we found
ourselves at the very edge of the old crater, the bed of which, three
or four hundred feet beneath us, was surrounded by steep and in many
places overhanging sides. It looked like an enormous cauldron, four or
five miles in width, full of a mass of cooled pitch. In the centre was
the still glowing stream of dark red lava, flowing slowly towards us,
and in every direction were red-hot patches, and flames and smoke
issuing from the ground. A bit of the 'black country' at night, with
all the coal-heaps on fire, would give you some idea of the scene. Yet
the first sensation is rather one of disappointment, as one expects
greater activity on the part of the volcano; but the new crater was
still to be seen, containing the lake of fire, with steep walls rising
up in the midst of the sea of lava.

Twenty minutes' hard riding brought us to the door of the 'Volcano
House,' from which issued the comforting light of a large wood fire,
reaching halfway up the chimney. Native garments replaced Mabelle's
and my dripping habits, and we sat before the fire in luxury until the
rest of the party arrived. After some delay supper was served, cooked
by our host, and accompanied by excellent Bass's beer, no wine or
spirits being procurable on the premises. Mr. Kane made many apologies
for shortcomings, explaining that his cook had run away that morning,
and that his wife was not able to do much to assist him, as her first
baby was only a week old.

Everything at this inn is most comfortable, though the style is rough
and ready. The interior is just now decorated for Christmas, with
wreaths, and evergreens, and ferns, and bunches of white plumes, not
unlike _reva-reva_, made from the pith of the silver-grass. The beds
and bedrooms are clean, but limited in number, there being only three
of the latter altogether. The rooms are separated only by partitions
of grass, seven feet high, so that there is plenty of ventilation, and
the heat of the fire permeates the whole building. But you must not
talk secrets in these dormitories or be too restless. I was amused to
find, in the morning, that I had unconsciously poked my hand through
the wall of our room during the night.

The grandeur of the view in the direction of the volcano increased as
the evening wore on. The fiery cloud above the present crater
augmented in size and depth of colour; the extinct crater glowed red
in thirty or forty different places; and clouds of white vapour
issued from every crack and crevice in the ground, adding to the
sulphurous smell with which the atmosphere was laden. Our room faced
the volcano: there were no blinds, and I drew back the curtains and
lay watching the splendid scene until I fell asleep.

_Sunday, December 24th (Christmas Eve)_.--I was up at four o'clock, to
gaze once more on the wondrous spectacle that lay before me. The
molten lava still flowed in many places, the red cloud over the fiery
lake was bright as ever, and steam was slowly ascending in every
direction, over hill and valley, till, as the sun rose, it became
difficult to distinguish clearly the sulphurous vapours from the
morning mists. We walked down to the Sulphur Banks, about a quarter of
a mile from the 'Volcano House,' and burnt our gloves and boots in our
endeavours to procure crystals, the beauty of which generally
disappeared after a very short exposure to the air. We succeeded,
however, in finding a few good specimens, and, by wrapping them at
once in paper and cotton-wool and putting them into a bottle, hope to
bring them home uninjured.

On our return we found a gentleman who had just arrived from Kau, and
who proposed to join us in our expedition to the crater, and at three
o'clock in the afternoon we set out, a party of eight, with two
guides, and three porters to carry our wraps and provisions, and to
bring back specimens. Before leaving the inn the landlord came to us
and begged us in an earnest and confidential manner to be very
careful, to do exactly what our guides told us, and especially to
follow in their footsteps exactly when returning in the dark. He
added, 'There never has been an accident happen to anybody from my
house, and I should feel real mean if one did: but there have been a
power of narrow escapes.'

First of all we descended the precipice, 300 feet in depth, forming
the wall of the old crater, but now thickly covered with vegetation.
It is so steep in many places that flights of zig-zag wooden steps
have been inserted in the face of the cliff in some places, in order
to render the descent practicable. At the bottom we stepped straight
on to the surface of cold boiled lava, which we had seen from above
last night. Even here, in every crevice where a few grains of soil had
collected, delicate little ferns might be seen struggling for life,
and thrusting out their green fronds towards the light. It was the
most extraordinary walk imaginable over that vast plain of lava,
twisted and distorted into every conceivable shape and form, according
to the temperature it had originally attained, and the rapidity with
which it had cooled, its surface, like half-molten glass, cracking and
breaking beneath our feet. Sometimes we came to a patch that looked
like the contents of a pot, suddenly petrified in the act of boiling;
sometimes the black iridescent lava had assumed the form of waves, or
more frequently of huge masses of rope, twisted and coiled together;
sometimes it was piled up like a collection of organ-pipes, or had
gathered into mounds and cones of various dimensions. As we proceeded
the lava became hotter and hotter, and from every crack arose gaseous
fumes, affecting our noses and throats in a painful manner; till at
last, when we had to pass to leeward of the molten stream flowing from
the lake, the vapours almost choked us, and it was with difficulty we
continued to advance. The lava was more glassy and transparent-looking,
as if it had been fused at a higher temperature than usual; and the
crystals of sulphur, alum, and other minerals, with which it abounded,
reflected the light in bright prismatic colours. In places it was quite
transparent, and we could see beneath it the long streaks of a stringy
kind of lava, like brown spun glass, called 'Pele's hair.'

At last we reached the foot of the present crater, and commenced the
ascent of the outer wall. Many times the thin crust gave way beneath
our guide, and he had to retire quickly from the hot, blinding,
choking fumes that immediately burst forth. But we succeeded in
reaching the top; and then what a sight presented itself to our
astonished eyes! I could neither speak nor move at first, but could
only stand and gaze at the horrible grandeur of the scene.

We were standing on the extreme edge of a precipice, overhanging a
lake of molten fire, a hundred feet below us, and nearly a mile
across. Dashing against the cliffs on the opposite side, with a noise
like the roar of a stormy ocean, waves of blood-red, fiery, liquid
lava hurled their billows upon an iron-bound headland, and then rushed
up the face of the cliffs to toss their gory spray high in the air.
The restless, heaving lake boiled and bubbled, never remaining the
same for two minutes together. Its normal colour seemed to be a dull
dark red, covered with a thin grey scum, which every moment and in
every part swelled and cracked, and emitted fountains, cascades, and
whirlpools of yellow and red fire, while sometimes one big golden
river, sometimes four or five, flowed across it. There was an island
on one side of the lake, which the fiery waves seemed to attack
unceasingly with relentless fury, as if bent on hurling it from its
base. On the other side was a large cavern, into which the burning
mass rushed with a loud roar, breaking down in its impetuous headlong
career the gigantic stalactites that overhung the mouth of the cave,
and flinging up the liquid material for the formation of fresh ones.

It was all terribly grand, magnificently sublime; but no words could
adequately describe such a scene. The precipice on which we were
standing overhung the crater so much that it was impossible to see
what was going on immediately beneath; but from the columns of smoke
and vapour that arose, the flames and sparks that constantly drove us
back from the edge, it was easy to imagine that there must have been
two or three grand fiery fountains below. As the sun set, and darkness
enveloped the scene, it became more awful than ever. We retired a
little way from the brink, to breathe some fresh air, and to try and
eat the food we had brought with us; but this was an impossibility.
Every instant a fresh explosion or glare made us jump up to survey the
stupendous scene. The violent struggles of the lava to escape from its
fiery bed, and the loud and awful noises by which they were at times
accompanied, suggested the idea that some imprisoned monsters were
trying to release themselves from their bondage, with shrieks and
groans, and cries of agony and despair, at the futility of their
efforts.

Sometimes there were at least seven spots on the borders of the lake
where the molten lava dashed up furiously against the rocks--seven
fire-fountains playing simultaneously. With the increasing darkness
the colours emitted by the glowing mass became more and more
wonderful, varying from the deepest jet black to the palest grey, from
darkest maroon, through cherry and scarlet, to the most delicate pink,
violet, and blue; from the richest brown, through orange and yellow,
to the lightest straw-colour. And there was yet another shade, only
describable by the term 'molten-lava colour.' Even the smokes and
vapours were rendered beautiful by their borrowed lights and tints,
and the black peaks, pinnacles, and crags, which surrounded the
amphitheatre, formed a splendid and appropriate background. Sometimes
great pieces broke off and tumbled with a crash into the burning lake,
only to be remelted and thrown up anew. I had for some time been
feeling very hot and uncomfortable, and on looking round the cause was
at once apparent. Not two inches beneath the surface, the grey lava on
which we were standing and sitting was red-hot. A stick thrust through
it caught fire, a piece of paper was immediately destroyed, and the
gentlemen found the heat from the crevices so great that they could
not approach near enough to light their pipes.

One more long last look, and then we turned our faces away from the
scene that had enthralled us for so many hours. The whole of the lava
we had crossed, in the extinct crater, was now aglow in many patches,
and in all directions flames were bursting forth, fresh lava was
flowing, and steam and smoke were issuing from the surface. It was a
toilsome journey back again, walking as we did in single file, and
obeying the strict injunctions of our head guide to follow him
closely, and to tread exactly in his footsteps. On the whole it was
easier by night than by day to distinguish the route to be taken, as
we could now see the dangers that before we could only feel; and many
were the fiery crevices we stepped over or jumped across. Once I
slipped, and my foot sank through the thin crust. Sparks issued from
the ground, and the stick on which I leant caught fire before I could
fairly recover myself.

Either from the effects of the unaccustomed exercise after our long
voyage, or from the intense excitement of the novel scene, combined
with the gaseous exhalations from the lava, my strength began to fail,
and before reaching the side of the crater I felt quite exhausted. I
struggled on at short intervals, however, collapsing several times and
fainting away twice; but at last I had fairly to give in, and to allow
myself to be ignominiously carried up the steep precipice to the
'Volcano House' on a chair, which the guides went to fetch for me.

It was half-past eleven when we once more found ourselves beneath Mr.
Kane's hospitable roof; he had expected us to return at nine o'clock,
and was beginning to feel anxious about us.

_Monday, December 25th (Christmas Day)_.--Turning in last night was
the work of a very few minutes, and this morning I awoke perfectly
refreshed and ready to appreciate anew the wonders of the prospect
that met my eyes. The pillar of fire was still distinctly visible when
I looked out from my window, though it was not so bright as when I
had last seen it; but even as I looked it began to fade, and gradually
disappeared. At the same moment a river of glowing lava issued from
the side of the bank we had climbed with so much difficulty yesterday,
and slowly but surely overflowed the ground we had walked over. I woke
Tom, and you may imagine the feelings with which we gazed upon this
startling phenomenon, which, had it occurred a few hours earlier,
might have caused the destruction of the whole party. If our
expedition had been made to-day instead of yesterday, we should
certainly have had to proceed by a different route to the crater, and
should have looked down on the lake of fire from a different spot.

I cannot hope that in my attempt to give you some idea of Kilauea as
we beheld it, I shall be successful in conveying more than a very
faint impression of its glories. I feel that my description is so
utterly inadequate, that, were it not for the space, I should be
tempted to send you in full the experiences of previous visitors, as
narrated in Miss Bird's 'Six Months in the Sandwich Islands,' and Mr.
Bodham Whetham's 'Pearls of the Pacific.' The account contained in the
former work I had read before arriving here; the latter I enjoyed at
the 'Volcano House.' Both are well worth reading by any one who feels
an interest in the subject.

It would, I think, be difficult to imagine a more interesting and
exciting mode of spending Christmas Eve than yesterday has taught us,
or a stranger situation in which to exchange our Christmas greetings
than beneath the grass roof of an inn on the edge of a volcano in the
remote Sandwich Islands. They were certainly rendered none the less
cordial and sincere by the novelty of our position, and I think we are
all rather glad not to have in prospect the inevitable feastings and
ceremonies, without which it seems to be impossible to commemorate
this season in England. If we had seen nothing but Kilauea since we
left home, we should have been well rewarded for our long voyage.

At six o'clock we were dressed and packed. Breakfast followed at
half-past, and at seven we were prepared for a start. Our kind, active
host, and his wife and baby, all came out to see us off. The canter
over the dewy grass, in the fresh morning air, was most invigorating.
It was evident that no one had passed along the road since Saturday
night, for we picked up several waifs and strays dropped in the dark
on our way up--a whip, a stirrup, mackintosh hood, &c.

By half-past ten we had reached the 'Half-way House,' where we were
not expected so early, and where we had ample opportunity to observe
the native ways of living, while waiting for our midday meal--an
uninteresting mess of stewed fowl and _taro_, washed down with weak
tea. After it was over I made an unsuccessful attempt to induce the
woman of the house to part with her orange-coloured _lei_. I bought
some _tappa_ and mallets, however, with some of the markers used in
colouring the cloth, and a few gourds and calabashes, forming part of
the household furniture. While the horses were being saddled
preparatory to our departure, Mabelle and I went to another cottage
close by, to see the mother of the baby that had been born while we
were here on Saturday. She was not at home; but we afterwards found
her playing cards with some of her friends in a neighbouring hut.
Quite a large party of many natives were gathered together, not the
least cheerful of whom was the young mother whose case had interested
me so much.

The rest of the ride down to Hilo was as dull and monotonous as our
upward journey had been, although, in order to enable us to get over
it as quickly as possible, fresh horses had been sent to meet us. At
last we reached the pier, where we found the usual little crowd
waiting to see us off. The girls who had followed us when we first
landed came forward shyly when they thought they were unobserved, and
again encircled me with _leis_ of gay and fragrant flowers. The custom
of decorating themselves with wreaths on every possible occasion is in
my eyes a charming one, and I like the inhabitants of Polynesia for
their love of flowers. They are as necessary to them as the air they
breathe, and I think the missionaries make a mistake in endeavouring
to repress so innocent and natural a taste.

The whole town was _en fete_ to-day. Natives were riding about in
pairs, in the cleanest of bright cotton dresses and the freshest of
_leis_ and garlands. Our own men from the yacht contributed not a
little to the gaiety of the scene. They were all on shore, and the
greater part of them were galloping about on horseback, tumbling off,
scrambling on again, laughing, flirting, joking, and enjoying
themselves generally after a fashion peculiar to English sailors. As
far as we know the only evil result of all this merriment was that the
doctor received a good many applications for diachylon plaster in the
course of the evening, to repair various 'abrasions of the cuticle,'
as he expressed it.

I think at least half the population of Hilo had been on board the
yacht in the course of the day, as a Christmas treat. At last we took
a boat and went off too, accompanied by Mr. Lyman. The appearance of
the 'Sunbeam' from the shore was very gay, and as we approached it
became more festive still. All her masts were tipped with sugar-canes
in bloom. Her stern was adorned with flowers, and in the arms of the
figure-head was a large bouquet. She was surrounded with boats, the
occupants of which cheered us heartily as we rowed alongside. The
gangway was decorated with flowers, and surmounted by a triumphal
arch, on which were inscribed 'Welcome Home,' 'A Merry Christmas,' 'A
Happy New Year,' and other good wishes. The whole deck was festooned
with tropical plants and flowers, and the decorations of the cabins
were even more beautiful and elaborate. I believe all hands had been
hard at work ever since we left to produce this wonderful effect, and
every garden in Hilo had furnished a contribution to please and
surprise us on our return.

The choir from Hilo came out in boats in the evening, sang all sorts
of songs, sacred and secular, and cheered everybody till they were
hoarse. After this, having had a cold dinner, in order to save
trouble, and having duly drunk the health of our friends at home, we
all adjourned to the saloon, to assist in the distribution of some
Christmas presents, a ceremony which afforded great delight to the
children, and which was equally pleasing to the elder people and to
the crew, if one may judge from their behaviour on the occasion.

Then we sat on deck, gazing at the cloud of fire over Kilauea, and
wondering if the appearance of the crater could ever be grander than
it was last night, when we were standing on its brim.

So ended Christmas Day, 1876, at Hilo, in Hawaii. God grant that there
may be many more as pleasant for us in store in the future!




CHAPTER XVI.

HAWAIIAN SPORTS.

    _In wrestling nimble, and in running swift,_
    _In shooting steady, and in swimming strong,_
    _Well made to strike, to leap, to throw, to lift,_
    _And all the sports that shepherds are among._


_Tuesday, December 26th_.--We went ashore at eight o'clock, after an
early cup of coffee, and found Mr. Lyman already waiting for us. Two
baggage-mules were sent off with the photographic apparatus, and all
the materials for breakfast, to the Rainbow Falls, where the children
are looking forward with intense glee to boiling their own kettle,
poaching eggs, and trying other cooking experiments.

Before setting out for the Falls ourselves, we went to see the
national sport of surf-swimming, for their skill in which the
Hawaiians are so justly famed.

The natives have many other games of which they are very fond, and
which they play with great skill, including spear-throwing,
transfixing an object with a dart, _kona_, an elaborate kind of
draughts, and _talu_, which consists in hiding a small stone under one
of five pieces of cloth, placed in front of the players. One hides the
stone, and the others have to guess where it is; and it generally
happens that, however dexterously the hider may put his arm beneath
the cloth, and dodge about from one piece to another, a clever player
will be able to tell, by the movement of the muscles of the upper part
of his arm, when his fingers relax their hold of the stone. Another
game, called _parua_, is very like the Canadian sport of 'tobogging,'
only that it is carried on on the grass instead of on the snow. The
performers stand bolt upright on a narrow plank, turned up in front,
and steered with a sort of long paddle. They go to the top of a hill
or mountain, and rush down the steep, grassy, sunburnt slopes at a
tremendous pace, keeping their balance in a wonderful manner. There is
also a very popular amusement, called _pahe_, requiring a specially
prepared smooth floor, along which the javelins of the players glide
like snakes. On the same floor they also play at another game, called
_maita_, or _uru maita_. Two sticks, only a few inches apart, are
stuck into the ground, and at a distance of thirty or forty yards the
players strive to throw a stone between them. The _uru_ which they use
for the purpose is a hard circular stone, three or four inches in
diameter, and an inch in thickness at the edge, but thicker in the
middle.

Mr. Ellis, in his 'Polynesian Researches,' states that 'these stones
are finely polished, highly valued, and carefully preserved, being
always oiled or wrapped up in native cloth after having been used. The
people are, if possible, more fond of this game than of the _pahe_,
and the inhabitants of a district not unfrequently challenge the
people of the whole island, or the natives of one island those of all
the others, to bring a man who shall try his skill with some favourite
player of their own district or island. On such occasions seven or
eight thousand people, men and women, with their chiefs and
chiefesses, assemble to witness the sport, which, as well as the
_pahe_, is often continued for hours together.'

With bows and arrows they are as clever as all savages, and
wonderfully good shots, attempting many wonderful feats. They are
swift as deer, when they choose, though somewhat lazy and indolent.
All the kings and chiefs have been special adepts in the invigorating
pastime of surf-swimming, and the present king's sisters are
considered first-rate hands at it. The performers begin by swimming
out into the bay, and diving under the huge Pacific rollers, pushing
their surf-boards--flat pieces of wood, about four feet long by two
wide, pointed at each end--edgewise before them. For the return
journey they select a large wave; and then, either sitting, kneeling,
or standing on their boards, rush in shorewards with the speed of a
racehorse, on the curling crest of the monster, enveloped in foarn and
spray, and holding on, as it were, by the milk-white manes of their
furious coursers. It looked a most enjoyable amusement, and I should
think that, to a powerful swimmer, with plenty of pluck, the feat is
not difficult of accomplishment. The natives here are almost
amphibious. They played all sorts of tricks in the water, some of the
performers being quite tiny boys. Four strong rowers took a whale-boat
out into the worst surf, and then, steering her by means of a large
oar, brought her safely back to the shore on the top of a huge wave.

After the conclusion of this novel entertainment, we all proceeded on
horseback to the Falls, Baby going in front of Tom, and Muriel riding
with Mr. Freer. After a couple of miles we dismounted, and had a short
walk through grass and ferns to a pretty double waterfall, tumbling
over a cliff, about 100 feet high, into a glassy pool of the river
beneath. It fell in front of a fern-filled black lava cavern, over
which a rainbow generally hangs. As it was too wet to sit on the grass
after the rain, we took possession of the verandah of a native house,
commanding a fine view of the bay and town of Hilo. The hot coffee and
eggs were a great success eventually, though the smoke from the wood
fire nearly suffocated us in the process of cooking. Excellent also
was some grey mullet, brought to us alive, and cooked native
fashion,--wrapped up in _ti_ leaves, and put into a hole in the
ground.

After taking a few photographs it was time to return; and we next went
to a pretty garden, which we had seen on the night of our arrival,
and, tying up our horses outside, walked across it to the banks of the
river. Here we found a large party assembled, watching half the
population of Hilo disporting themselves in, upon, and beneath the
water. They climbed the almost perpendicular rocks on the opposite
side of the stream, took headers, and footers, and siders from any
height under five-and-twenty feet, dived, swam in every conceivable
attitude, and without any apparent exertion, deep under the water, or
upon its surface. But all this was only a preparation for the special
sight we had come to see. Two natives were to jump from a precipice,
100 feet high, into the river below, clearing on their way a rock
which projected some twenty feet from the face of the cliff, at about
the same distance from the summit. The two men, tall, strong, and
sinewy, suddenly appeared against the sky-line, far above our heads,
their long hair bound back by a wreath of leaves and flowers, while
another garland encircled their waists. Having measured their distance
with an eagle's glance, they disappeared from our sight, in order to
take a run and acquire the necessary impetus. Every breath was held
for a moment, till one of the men reappeared, took a bound from the
edge of the rock, turned over in mid-air, and disappeared feet
foremost into the pool beneath, to emerge almost immediately, and to
climb the sunny bank as quietly as if he had done nothing very
wonderful. His companion followed, and then the two clambered up to
the twenty-feet projection, to clear which they had had to take such a
run the first time, and once more plunged into the pool below. The
feat was of course an easier one than the first; but still a leap of
eighty feet is no light matter. A third native, who joined them in
this exploit, gave one quite a turn as he twisted in his downward
jump; but he also alighted in the water feet foremost, and bobbed up
again directly, like a cork. He was quite a young man, and we
afterwards heard that he had broken several ribs not more than a year
ago, and had been laid up for six months in the hospital.

We now moved our position a little higher up the river, to the Falls,
over which the men, gliding down the shallow rapids above, in a
sitting posture, allowed themselves to be carried. It looked a
pleasant and easy feat, and was afterwards performed by many of the
natives in all sorts of ways. Two or three of them would hold each
other's shoulders, forming a child's train, or some would get on the
backs of their companions, while others descended singly in a variety
of attitudes. At last a young girl was also persuaded to attempt the
feat. She looked very pretty as she started, in her white chemise and
bright garland, and prettier still when she emerged from the white
foam beneath the fall, and swam along far below the surface of the
clear water, with her long black hair streaming out behind her.

No description can give you any idea what an animated and
extraordinary scene it was altogether. While our accounts were being
settled, preparatory to our departure, I occupied myself in looking at
some _kahilis_ and feather _leis._ The yellow ones, either of Oo or
Mamo feathers, only found in this island, are always scarce, as the
use of them is a prerogative of royalty and nobility. Just now it is
almost impossible to obtain one, all the feathers being '_tabu_,' to
make a royal cloak for Ruth, half-sister of Kamehameha V., and
governess of Hawaii. Mamo feathers are generally worth a dollar a
piece, and a good _lei_ or loose necklace costs about five hundred
dollars. _Kahilis_ are also an emblem of rank, though many people use
them as ornaments in their houses. They are rather like
feather-brooms, two or three feet long, and three or four inches
across, made of all sorts of feathers, tastefully interwoven. I bought
one, and a couple of ordinary _leis_, which were all I could procure.
But, alas! too soon all was over, and time for us to go on board.

[Illustration: Feather Necklace]

On our way off to the yacht we met one of the large double canoes
coming in under sail from a neighbouring island. It consisted of two
canoes lashed together, with a sort of basket dropped into the water
between them, to enable them to carry their fish alive. They are not
very common now, and we were therefore fortunate in meeting with one.
Mr. Lyman made the men in charge turn her round, so as to afford us an
opportunity of thoroughly examining her. In the time of Kamehameha
there was a fleet of 10,000 of these canoes, and the king used to send
them out in the roughest weather, and make them perform all sorts of
manoeuvres.

We found the yacht in the usual state of confusion incidental to a
fresh departure, but everything was soon reduced to order, and off we
started to steam and sail round the north end of the island, but we
could not afford time to visit the place of Captain Cook's death and
burial in Keelakeakua Bay. I believe there is not a great deal to see,
however, and the spot is chiefly interesting from its associations.
For many years a copper plate, fixed to a cocoa-nut tree, marked the
spot where Cook fell, but this has now been replaced by a monument,
the cost of which was defrayed by subscriptions at Honolulu. Maui is,
I believe, a charming place, containing many fine plantations, and
several gentlemen's estates, laid out in the English style.
Unfortunately, time forbids our accepting some invitations we have
received to visit the island, where a great many interesting
excursions may be made.

At Kahoolaue there does not seem much to be seen. It was purchased
some years ago, and pays well as a sheep-run. Lauai, the next island,
is scarcely inhabited, and its scenery is not remarkable.

A sad interest attaches to the island of Molokai, which is situated
midway between Maui and Oahu. It is the leper settlement, and to it
all the victims of this terrible, loathsome, and incurable disease,
unhappily so prevalent in the Hawaiian archipelago, are sent, in order
to prevent the spread of the contagion. They are well cared for and
looked after in every way; but their life, separated as they
inevitably are from all they hold most dear, and with no prospect
before them but that of a slow and cruel death, must indeed be a
miserable one. In Molokai there are many tiny children, fatherless and
motherless, parents without children, husbands without wives, wives
without husbands, 'all condemned.' as Miss Bird says, 'to watch the
repulsive steps by which each of their doomed fellows goes down to a
loathsome death, knowing that by the same they too must pass.' A
French priest has nobly devoted himself to the religious and secular
instruction of the lepers, and up to the present time has enjoyed
complete immunity from the disease; but even if he escapes this
danger, he can _never_ return to his country and friends. When one
thinks what that implies, and to what a death in life he has condemned
himself for the sake of others, it seems impossible to doubt that he
will indeed reap a rich reward hereafter.

At two o'clock we saw Diamond Head, the easternmost headland of Oahu,
rising from the sea. By four o'clock we were abreast of it, and
steaming along the coast. The cape itself rises grandly from the midst
of a grove of cocoa-nuts, and the shore all along, with the sharp high
mountains of the Pali as a background, is fine and picturesque. A
coral reef stretches far into the sea, and outside this we lay waiting
for a pilot to take us into Honolulu Harbour.

It was a long business mooring us by hawsers, from our stem and stern,
but we were at last safely secured in a convenient place, a short
distance from the shore, and where we should be refreshed by the sea
breeze and the land breeze alternately. It was six o'clock, and nearly
dark, when we reached the shore; the town seemed entirely deserted;
all the little wooden houses were shut up, and there were no lights
visible. The post-office was closed, but it was a terrible blow to
hear there were no letters for us, though we still hoped that there
might be some at the British Consulate.

After a short time we returned on board the yacht in time for a late
dinner. The first lieutenant of H.M.S. 'Fantome' came on board to pay
us a visit during the evening, and told us all the latest English and
American news, lending us some files of English papers--a great treat,
but no compensation for our disappointment about the letters.

_Thursday, December 28th_.--Tom and I went ashore at seven o'clock to
make arrangements for repairing our mizen-sail. We soon found a
sailmaker, who promised to set all hands to work and complete the job
as quickly as possible. Being detained by a heavy shower of rain, we
occupied the time in a gossip about Honolulu and its sayings and
doings. When the shower was over, we walked through the town, which is
clean and tidy, being laid out in squares, after the American style.
The houses are all of wood, and generally have verandahs overhanging
the street. They are seldom more than one story high, and nearly all
have a little greenery about them.

We returned to the yacht for breakfast, and, having heard that no
sharks ever came into the long, narrow bay, were able to enjoy, in
perfect peace of mind, the luxury of a bath overboard. It is a great
pity that in the tropics, where bathing is such a delightful
occupation, and where one might swim and paddle about for hours
without fear of getting cold, it is often impossible even to enter the
water for fear of the sharks. The natives are such expert swimmers
that they do not seem to think much of this danger. As the shark turns
on his back to take a bite at them, they dive underneath him, and he
snaps his jaws on emptiness. In fact, sometimes the swimmer will take
advantage of the opportunity to stab his enemy as he passes beneath
him.

Scarcely was breakfast over when we were inundated with visitors, who
kindly came to see what they could do for us to make our stay
agreeable. We lunched on shore, and afterwards went to the new
Government buildings and museum. From thence we strolled to the
various shops where 'curios' and photographs are to be bought, and
collected a goodly store, returning on board the yacht to find more
visitors.

[Illustration: War Necklace[13]]

[Footnote 13: The accompanying sketch is from a necklace that belonged
to King Kamehameha I., and was given to me by one of his descendants.]

We lunched on shore, and afterwards went with Mr. Chambre,
navigating-lieutenant of the 'Fantome,' to the new Government
buildings. There we found an excellent English library, and an
interesting collection of books printed in English and Hawaiian, on
alternate pages, including alphabets, grammars, the old familiar
nursery tales, &c. There is also a good, though small museum,
containing specimens of beautiful corals, shells, seaweeds, and
fossils; all the ancient native weapons, such as bows, arrows, swords,
and spears--now, alas! no longer procurable--sling-stones, and stones
used in games, back-scratchers, hair-ornaments made of sharks' teeth,
tortoise-shell cups and spoons, calabashes and bowls. There were some
most interesting though somewhat horrible necklaces made of hundreds
of braids of human hair cut from the heads of victims slain by the
chiefs themselves; from these braids was suspended a monstrous hook
carved from a large whale's tooth, called a Paloola, regarded by the
natives as a sort of idol. There are models of ancient and modern
canoes--the difference between which is not very great,--paddles,
inlaid with mother-of-pearl, old war-masks, and dresses still in use
in the less frequented islands, anklets of human teeth, and many other
things far too numerous to mention. The most interesting of all were,
perhaps, the old feather war cloaks, like the ancient _togas_ of the
Romans. They are made of thousands of yellow, red, and black feathers,
of the _oo, niamo,_ and _eine_, taken singly and fastened into a sort
of network of string, so as to form a solid fabric, like the richest
velvet or plush, that glitters like gold in the sunlight. The helmets,
made of the same feathers, but worked on to a frame of perfect Grecian
shape, similar to those seen in the oldest statuary or on the Elgin
marbles, are even more artistic and elegant. Whence came the idea and
design? Untutored savages could scarcely have evolved them out of
their own heads. Some element of civilisation, and of highly artistic
civilisation too, must surely have existed among them at some remote
period of their history.

[Illustration: Ancient War Masks and Costumes from the Museum at
Honolulu]

_Friday, December 29th_.--We had a bathe overboard early this morning.
The children were ashore at half-past nine, to go and spend the day at
a friend's, at the top of the Nuuanu Avenue, on the road to the Pali.

The King's two sisters came to call on us in the morning with their
respective husbands. We had a great many visitors all the morning,
till it was time to go to lunch; after which we went to call on the
Princess Likelike, who drove me to Waikiki, to see her sister, the
Princess Kamakaeha, at her country residence, a very large native
grass house, with an enormous verandah. Both ladies are married to
Englishmen, and live partly in English style. Inside there is a
spacious drawing-room, well furnished, with pictures and nick-nacks,
where we spent a pleasant half-hour in the gloaming. The sunset, over
Diamond Head, and the sea, which was just visible through the
cocoa-nut trees, was splendid. Both the Princesses were as kind as
they could be. The royal family have formed quite a little colony
here. The King's house is next door, and that of the Prince Leleiohoku
is not far off. They all come here in the most unpretending way
possible, and amuse themselves by fishing and bathing.

It had been quite dark for some time, when the Princess Likelike
dropped me at the hotel at half-past seven, where I found Tom and Mr.
Freer waiting for me. We had a quiet dinner, and then went for a
stroll. It was a fine clear night, with an almost full moon. The
streets were full of equestrians, riding about in pairs, for there was
to be a great riding party up to the Pali to-night, the _rendezvous_
for which was in Emma Square. Every lady had to select and bring with
her an attendant cavalier.[14]

[Footnote 14: The event was thus announced in the 'Hawaiian
Gazette:'--'THE LAST CHANCE.--We are informed that a riding party will
come off on Friday evening, when all the young ladies who desire to
participate are expected to be on hand, each with the cavalier whom
she may invite. As leap-year is drawing to a close it is expected that
this opportunity will be extensively embraced. Place of rendezvous,
Emma Square: time, seven-thirty; Luminary for the occasion, a full
moon.']

There are no side-saddles in any of these islands; all the ladies
ride like men, and sit their horses very well. They wear long
riding-dresses, cleverly and elegantly adapted to the exigencies of
the situation, generally of some light material, and of _very_ bright
colours. The effect of a large party galloping along, with wreaths and
garlands in their hats and necks, and with their long skirts floating
in the wind, is therefore picturesque and strange in the extreme.

_Saturday, December 30th_.--Mabelle, Muriel, and I, were up early, and
went off to the coral-reef before seven in the 'Flash.' It is very
beautiful, but not so fine as those we have already seen at Tahiti and
other South Sea Islands. We collected four or the distinct varieties
of coral, and saw many marvellous creatures swimming about or sticking
to the rocks. There were several canoes full of natives fishing, who
appeared highly amused when we ran aground on a coral tree, as
happened more than once. It was a pleasant way of spending the early
morning in the bright sunshine, peering into the dark blue and light
green depths below.

Breakfast was ready by the time we returned on board, and soon
afterwards I went on shore to pay some visits and to do some shopping.
We went first to the fish-market, which presented a most animated
scene, owing not only to the abundance of the dead produce of air,
earth, and sea, which it contained, but to the large number of gaily
attired purchasers.

Saturday is a half-holiday in Oahu, and all the plantation and mill
hands came galloping into Honolulu on horseback, chattering and
laughing, dressed in the brightest colours, and covered with flowers.
The latter are not so plentiful nor so beautiful as in Tahiti, but
still, to our English eyes, they appear very choice. For fruit, too,
we have been spoilt in the South Seas. The fish-market here, however,
is unrivalled.

Fish--raw or cooked--is the staple food of the inhabitants, and almost
everybody we saw had half-a-dozen or more brilliant members of the
finny tribe, wrapped up in fresh green banana leaves, ready to carry
home. Shrimps are abundant and good. They are caught both in salt and
fresh water, and the natives generally eat them alive, putting them
into their mouths, ana either letting them hop down their throats, or
crushing them between their teeth while they are still wriggling
about. It looks a very nasty thing to do, but, after all, it is not
much worse than our eating oysters alive.

[Illustration: Chalcedon Imperator.]

From the fish-market we went to the prison, a large and apparently
admirably managed establishment, built of stone, and overlooking the
harbour. After a pleasant drive along shady fragrant roads, we
returned to Emma Square, to hear the excellent performance of the
Saturday afternoon band. There was a good assemblage of people, on
horseback, in carriages, and on foot, and crowds of children, all more
or less white, languid, and sickly-looking. Poor mites! I suppose the
climate is too hot for European constitutions. Still, they abound
among the foreigners, while the natives are gradually, but surely,
dying out. Among the whole royal family there is only one