' THE JOURNALS AND LETTERS OF HUGH STANLEY HEAD. EDITED BY HIS MOTHER LONDON, 1892: RANKEN, ELLIS & CO., LTD., DRURY HOUSE, DRURY COURT, STRAND. Stack Annex G- H35-S" IN Hugh's last illness he gave me the journals he had written during his long journey, saying, " You may be able to make something of them." I hope I have arranged them as he wished ; I have copied them just as I found them, with the exception of the omission of a few descriptions of people and details of conversations, &c., of no interest to anyone but himself. I have retained his accounts of visits to friends in country houses ; they were very hospitable to him ; many times he has talked to me of their kindness, and I knew he would like it to be recorded. He left England a boy of eighteen ; he was very delicate, and the journey was arranged too quickly for him to have any time to read of the places he visited, consequently his impressions have the merit of freshness if they lack that of experience. Buckingham, Shoreham. March 13th, 1892. 1663232 v CHAPTER I. s.s. " NIZAM." MY DEAR MOTHER, Nothing very eventful happened after we left you the other day ; we had a very calm time down to the Island, but it was very rainy and cold ; I was very glad of my great coat. I slept very well that night and woke to find a very nasty choppy sea ; I ate a good breakfast and went on deck. Passengers went down one after another; I went down shortly after lunch, very seedy but not nearly so bad as I expected : there was a very nasty sea on, we shipped seas every minute ; I lay on my sofa and had my dinner in my cabin. I slept a good deal. About 9 p.m. we entered the Bay, and my first experience was frightful ; I was not ill, but the ship rolled till we nearly went into the water. Nobody in the ship slept; all the officers were up; all our things were flying about the cabin, crockery breaking everywhere, I had to cling to my bunk by a pipe near the port-hole, it battered against a tin under a tank near the hatch outside my cabin, and made a most diabolical noise, finally stoving it in. Next morning I did not feel as well as I might have been, and was ill again. I got up about twelve. There were very long sweeping waves but no wind ; it was a very dull, dismal day. I thought I should like a little dinner, but had to come out ; felt like James looked in the " Overland Route," but still can't see any fun in it. When once in bed I felt very comfortable and cheerful, and all my sea sickness went from that time. I had a very good night, and being very sleepy did not get up till twelve on Sunday morning. Beautiful day. It was still very rough, but I did not feel it at all. We just saw Cape Finisterre in the distance. Towards night it began to get rougher, and we shipped several heavy seas ; we had a bad night, the ship rolling tremendously. When I was up to breakfast it was a most miserable day, raw and cold, the waves were like great mountains sweeping down upon us ; it was all very well for Uncle William to talk of keeping your eye on the horizon, but there was no horizon, you could see nothing but a huge wave coming at us on one side, that we S.S.NIZAM. January, 18S3. had just passed on the other. We could sit nowhere on deck except in the tent on the port side which the Captain had rigged up to take the place of a smoking room. During lunch it got worse and as the ports in the saloon were open a tremendous sea came in. Whilst we were sitting in the tent a huge wave came right at us, it swept clean over the ship, as we did not quite rise to it, it came down on the top of the tent, we clung on as hard as we could but the tent went under the weight of the water, and we all thought we should be taken bodily over the port side into the sea, the water was up to our knees ; some of the crew who were attending to the awning on the starboard were sent swimming down to the port, and the old gunner went flying on his back and has been bad ever since. The water went right down the companion into the saloon, the whole ship was in a most disgusting state, all the passages were converted into young rivers, mats were floating about in all directions, and it was not safe to go on deck. I had another try after some time, and slid from the companion to the tent, and came down hard on a seat, I hurt myself, and I felt angry but the two parsons were sitting there. I did not stop much longer as it was so disgusting, but lay on my sofa and read. Mr. Kite kept me amused and awake by singing and making a noise generally. This very bad weather came on off Lisbon, which we sighted about twelve. I am told we had a very bad night, but I slept like a top and grumbled at having to get up. There was still a great swell on, and at breakfast it was all I could do to get anything to eat, the cover went a different way, my plate ran away from me, and my roll lodged in my opposite neighbour's lap, in spite of the fiddles. It was another disgusting day, a perfect drizzle and very misty ; it began to get calmer as we entered the Straits. We passed Gibraltar at half-past two, but could see nothing but a huge grey form standing out in the mist. Towards night it became very calm, and the next day was glorious, though there was still a little swell on ; we had the coast of Africa in sight most of the afternoon, I tried to make a sketch of Cape Tenez, it is very uninteresting at a distance and much resembles the sand banks at Parkstone on a larger scale. Though uninteresting by day it became beautiful at sunset the sky to the East changing from the deep blue to a cold grey as the sun went down, the little pink clouds deepening into a purple tint until they finally merged into the greyness of the sky, the land gradually becoming darker and darker till you began to see the lights in the small villages along the January, 1833. S.S. NIZAM. coast, and the pure yellow of the sky where the sun has just disappeared and the reflected light on the water. It was all very beautiful and I enjoyed it immensely. Yesterday was a very fine day and the sun was almost too hot, I felt it, as I have not yet left off my winter clothes. We passed Algiers in the night and kept in sight of land most of the day. I must give you some account of my fellow-passengers. To begin with, they are nearly all related, the most important is decidedly Mr. K., a J.P. of Sydney, and the most amusing man I ever came across. He is large, just turning grey, about father's age, he sings " Nancy Lee " before going to sleep, and has a loud, very loud laugh. He has a very nice-looking motherly daughter about nineteen, who has to take the place of a mother, as he is a widower ; he has a a younger daughter and two sons, the younger of whom is a remarkably clever boy ; they are all very decent but decidedly Colonial. Next comes Mrs. F., a thin, pale, speechless, good natured, quiet, motherly sort of a woman ; she has two sons, Harry remarked that one had a dirty collar, I thought at first they were cads, but now I find they are very fair specimens of the Colonial style, they have a little sister and brother, and all the family talk with a cockney accent this I am told is also Colonial. Then there is Mrs. A., who is their uncle's sister but not their aunt ; shs has two girls, one speaks with a cockney accent, but the other very decently ; the latter is a pretty girl, very composed. Mrs. A., herself is a very stout, noisy kind of woman, very tall, more like a large sack of meal, tied up a little in the middle. Then there are the Miss D's., one is an awkward, smirking girl with glasses. Then Mr. and Mrs. G., the parson and his wife, Mrs. G. has a mouth rolled up with much talking; at first I thought Mrs. G. common, but I found it was only her piety, she looks as though there was nothing more for her to do by way of being pious than to sign the pledge. I have half a mind to try and convert her, but I think she would die without wine as she looks ghastly. Their friend, Mr. S. L., is a person of renown in Melbourne, a portly, shaven, bald-headed, monkish-looking old man, who intones every word he utters and looks as though he had taken care of his stomach. The fourth of their party is a Mr. P., a melancholy looking individual. Then Mr. S., a grand old Scotchman ; he believes everything, in that he believes nothing. He is a spiritualist and has just shown me some photographs of spirits ; they are very curious, they were taken by a friend of his. Lastly, there are the S's., the S.S. NIZAM. January, 1883. nicest people on board, they consist of an invalid mother and her daughters. The elder is very nice, I sit next her, the sister is pretty, but the elder is my great friend. The Captain is a delightful, little man. The officers are also nice, especially the chief, I go into his cabin very often and have a smoke. Mr. K. has with him, five thorough-bred grey- hounds, three other dogs, prize fowls and ducks, and he tells me he wishes he had brought his thorough-bred horses, pigs, sheep, &c. ; they are coming by a sailer. I don't know when I have enjoyed myself so much as I do now, I think the sea delightful, I hope I shall be a good sailor when I come back. The time goes too quickly, we don't seem to have time for anything, I have not got through half a volume of " Les Miserables." I expect I shall enjoy myself in Australia tremendously, the people seem very hospitable and jolly. I have forgotten to tell you that the food is excellent and well-cooked. I am feeling splendidly well and eat like five. Love to all at home, Your affectionate son, HUGH STANLEY HEAD. s.s. " NIZAM," SUEZ, January 18/t, 1883. MY DEAR MOTHER, When I last wrote we were approaching Malta, so I suppose I must now tell you something about the place. On Saturday morning I was woke by a great noise on deck ; it was four o'clock, and we were just outside the harbour waiting for our pilot. We fired off five blue lights, and whistled continually, but the pilot being comfortably asleep neither heard the whistles nor saw the lights. We almost ran down a sailing ship, and we had nearly all the pilots in Malta round us. When our pilot did turn up (which he did after keeping us waiting an hour and a half) he caught it pretty well from the captain. We were moored and ready to coal about six. I got up and went on deck. We were lying along side of the " Volta," a cable steamer ; the " Yerona ' : had only left two hours before us. (She started a day ahead but she had to put into Gibraltar for a whole clay owing to the bad weather.) The sunshine was very lovely ; the curious flat-roofed stone houses glowing with pink and purple, the most beautiful pink clouds above, and 18th January, 1883. S.S. NIZAM. the sea sparkling with gold as the sun rose over the horizon. Malta is a thoroughly Eastern looking town, all the houses are white stone and flat-roofed, but the people are Italians for the most part, and their picturesque costumes of many colours relieve the monotony of the white stone of the buildings. The little harbour was full of small boats painted with various devices, and rising at the bows and stern ; they looked very picturesque on the green water. Hawkers had already boarded us and pestered us to buy their wares ; they ask exorbitant prices, but you can always beat them down to half the original price, and even then you know you have been swindled. The Captain and I landed about eight. We took a carriage at the landing place and told the man to drive to the catacombs, where we understood the Capuchin Mon- astery was, but after driving for seven miles along a very white and monotonous road we thought it advisable to turn back as it was getting very late. We found the monks were not at Civita Vecchia, but in the town of Valetta. I should have liked to have gone on to Civita Vecchia, as it is the old city and there is a fine Cathedral there. However, we saw something of the Island which was interesting ; it has scarcely any vegetation, and is a most dreary place to look at one vast glaring rock ; here and there a huge cactus gives relief to the white houses. The Governor's country house (San Antonio) is quite an oasis, it stands in a most beautiful garden of cypresses and orange trees. We got back to Malta in time to go to the Capuchin Monastery, where we saw the dried monks every monk after death goes through a baking process, after which he is placed in a niche in the habit of the order, his stole round his neck. He is in the position in which he died, unless he has fallen away. What a mockery ! falling to pieces in a niche, a source of amuse- ment to the vulgar sightseers, a source of gain to the monastery ! There was an old monk standing at the door ; one wondered which niche he would fill It is a ghastly sight ; I shall never go and see it again. After the dried monks we made our way to the Church of San Giovanni. It is the church where formerly all the knights of St. John, of Malta, were installed. It is a very fine church, standing in a large open piazza, crowded with beggars they infest Malta as they do Italy. It has a most beautiful marble floor, inlaid with the arms of all the knights. There is the throne of the English king who was Grand Master, and there are the silver fites and some quaint pictures ; but it is a gaudy place, f ter going to the post-office we made our way down to the S.S. NIZAM. 18th January, 1883. landing-place. The town is built on the side of the rock, so you have to walk down a great number of steps under houses and arches, getting every now and then a glimpse of the water through the arches. The glare in the town was something fearful, and though it was not a hot day it gave me a headache. We got off about eleven ; there was a heavy swell on and a strong head-wind. Everybody had been upset by Malta ; there was a very small number at dinner. I was not ill, but as my headache was rather bad I lay down and Mr. K. sang me to sleep with two lines of nearly every song in existence. It was a very nasty day ; I slept very well and did not wake till nine. I got up to lunch feeling quite well ; it was very rough, and the ship was rolling tremendously. On Tuesday I woke up with a lurch and found the ship was rolling as much as she did in the Bay, we nearly got washed out of our tent. Those sitting on the port side found their legs in the air and their heads in the canvass, there was no safe place but the com- panion, so we had to crowd there. The water on the port side was up to the level of the deck when the ship lurched. We had lots of squalls, and then it came on to blow tremendously, and they took down a good deal of sail. It improved greatly in the afternoon, and we had a beautiful evening. We arrived outside the harbour of Port Said at eight and soon got a pilot. We entered shortly after and moored a few yards in front of the " Verona," which had only just made fast as we arrived. We had the option of landing or trying to sleep with coals shooting through our cabins. I chose to land. We first spent about half an hour in a shop buying a helmet for Mr. K., and then walked about looking at one or two of the cafes. I never expect to see such a miserable place again. Vice at every step, gambling at every corner, dirt, moral and physical. The place swarms with Arabs of the worst kind, always ready to rob or attack you ; the rest are French. The houses are hideous wooden buildings ; the streets, rubbish heaps. It is not safe to walk in the streets after dark. When we got back to the ship we found it disgustingly dirty ; they had finished coaling in my cabin, but I was able to sleep in spite of my bed being covered with coal dust. Port Said is nothing but a hell upon earth. I got up at eight the next morning and had a look at it by daylight; it was teeming with Arabs all standing by the landing-place; they looked very picturesque with their turbans and tunics. I made several small sketches. We started at ten, the " Verona " in front of us. As we entered the canal 18th January, 1883. S.S. NIZAM. we passed two English ironclads one the " Invincible " and a Spanish man-of-war. The " ditch" was most uninteresting. After lunch we had to make fast to let five steamers pass. I began a sketch of the station on board, but finding that some were going to land I did likewise and began my sketch from the shore, which was much prettier. I sat by the ferry on the highway to Damascus. There were lots of Bedouins with camels, they all wanted me to draw them and I sketched some of them. I had not time to paint my sketches as I was afraid of being left behind ; then I found I had plenty of time, so I tried to catch a good-looking Arab boy to sketch but he bolted. I gave chase and caught him, but he made such hideous faces that I gave him twopence to be still he ran away I never finished him. Then I tried a little baby, but he began to cry. They told me I looked much like Dr. Livingstone, my sketching bag and water bottle round my body and surrounded by Bedouin Arabs and negroes and blacks of all descriptions all wanting bakhshish and their portraits taken. At last we got off. We had a regular Eastern sunset, it was just like the old pictures of Arabs in the desert a glowing sun and the whole place a deep red, there was nothing but desett on either side. We moored for the night about ten yards from the bank ; some of the " Verona " passengers went on shore and sat and talked to us. One sang * Wrap me up in my Tarpaulin Jacket " very well. We turned in about eleven. To-day we passed Ismailia, the canal widens there and is very pretty; the ironclads were lying there. Then we had a most dreary piece till we reached the Bitter Lakes, where it is very calm and beautiful in its way a large expanse of perfectly smooth water with a burning desert beyond, and in the far distance the Ataka Mountains. This canal is a most dreary place, though the stations are sometimes interesting. We hope to get to Suez by five o'clock to-day, when I shall post this and hope to find a letter from home. We think we must have a Jonah on board as we have had disgusting weather the whole way from England ; we think it is Mr. S., the spiritualist, and we are going to throw him overboard. He is a man who will swallow anything, so let's hope the whale will swallow him and not he the whale. I have not left off my winter things yet and am shivering though in my lamb's wools, so you can imagine how cold it is. Love to all at home, Your affectionate son, H. S. H. 8. P. NIZAM. January, 1883. s.s. " NIZAM," COLOMBO. MY DEAR MOTHER, I was very glad to have your long interesting letter. . . . . I wrote last on Thursday, the day of your dance; I thought of you and wondered how it was getting on. As we approached Suez we could see nothing but a few white houses in the far distance and a few masts to the left of the houses, backed by deep purple mountains and between us a long strip of water. We got to our moorings at five, just as the sun was beginning to set. We could scarcely see anything of the town, as we were anchored some three miles and a half from it. The "Verona" left us there and went into the wharf no sooner had we arrived than we were boarded by the usual hawkers. Nobody went ashore before dinner. After dinner, it being a glorious night, the Captain landed thirteen of us in the P. and O. steam launch. Three went up to Suez. I preferred to stay with the rest a.t the wharf (which is about two miles off), knowing Suez is rather dan- gerous at night. We went out to a sort of long plain by the railway where we were beset on all sides by donkey boys, calling out " Mrs. Langtry, a devil to go," " De Bishop of London is de best " (he was a seedy, broken-kneed moke). The man who owns all the donkeys is old Bob, he talks English amusingly. He had got "Mrs. Cornwallis West," " Mrs. Newman Hall," " Willy Gladstone," " Sir Garden Wolsey," and " Sir 'Odger Tichborne," besides heaps of other celebrities. They nearly carry you off your legs, and you have to abuse them or they won't leave you a second. I tried "Mrs. Langtry," she was "a devil to go," and had a nasty way of kicking up behind. I could not stand the saddle at all, there is no place for your knees, they are most uncomfortable. Every time the man sneaked up behind me and gave the beast a hit, I felt like Mr. Langtry, not able to keep her in hand. However, I got on very well and did not come off, though the shaking was enough to last me till I get to New Zealand. After I had been riding about some time I heard someone calling out " Mr. Head." I found it was old Bob, who had asked my name. He wanted to have a yarn and a cigar. The passengers who had been to Suez came back safely, after having had rather a rowdy time, nearly getting turned out of a mosque. We left Suez soon after the passengers had arrived. I woke on Friday morn- ing and found myself in the Gulf of Suez, bordered on the port side by the Sinai Range and on the starboard by January, 1883. S.S. NIZAM. another range of mountains. It was rather warm, though not too warm for my lamb's wools. Just fancy lamb's wool in the Red Sea! One of the new passengers had got all the English papers, so I read the whole day. The new passengers are a very seedy-looking lot a Mr. and Mrs. B. and infant ; he has spent all his life on " stations," is very rough and has no pretensions to being a gentleman. He has been through a number of curious experiences. Mr. G. is a gentlemanly man, he is connected with a Melbourne bank, and lives in London. Mr. B., a German, seldom speaks and when he does we can't understand him. He has sandy whiskers, no moustache, a flat face, and wears German boots. Mr. K., a Yankee looking man, was born in America and lives at Greenhithe. He ran the blockade three times, has played every practical joke he can think of, has a bad liver, a short beard, tells stories splendidly, and can snub anyone. I felt rather seedy in the evening, probably the effects of Mrs. Langtry's jolting. The next day I began my summer things, and we had the Punkahs for the first time, it was really rather warm and we had a double awning. I went to bed feeling very seedy and very sleepy, but was all right by six the next morning. I got up and went on deck, and had a run with Mr. K.'s dogs, one of the greyhounds killed two rabbits, and the fox terrier fastened on an old sheep. We went through some exercise with clubs and dumb-bells. The sea was very smooth and the heat stifling. We had service at 10.30. I understood Mr. L. preached an excellent sermon, but most of us were overcome by the heat and dozed. In the afternoon we passed H.M.S. " Iron Duke," homeward bound from China. On Monday I got up again before the decks were washed, and exercised the dogs and myself. It was a fine day, there was a fresh breeze and it was not nearly so hot, in fact, we felt quite cold at first. Nothing very eventful happened ; we passed the " Twelve Apostles " at half-past five, they look very dreary, barren places. On Wednesday we passed through the Straits of Bab-el-Mandeb at about half-past six in the morning, the land looked very desolate nothing but rock, with here and there a little rough grass. We saw the " Hutton " lying on the rocks where she was wrecked, and the " Gulf of Finland " close to her, but you can only seen the bows and masts of the latter. We had the coast in sight the whole way to Aden, it is most uninteresting the same glaring rock everywhere lit up by the sun no wonder English people go mad there ! It was very much calmer in the evening, and there was a most beautiful 10 S.S. NIZAM. January, 1883. sunset ; the only time the ragged coast looks well is in the sunset. One of the Sediboys died, they literally kill them- selves as they refuse to eat if they are at all ill. He had been ill a week. However, his place is taken by an Arab who, after loading us with cargo at Suez, fell asleep, and did not wake up till we were in the Gulf of Suez. Wednesday morning was the stillest we have had, there was no wind, and the water was like glass, it made us all feel very lazy. Miss S. has promised me an Australian wife with 300,000, so I shall go straight to Adelaide ; she wants twenty-five per cent, commission. They buried the Sediboy who had died in the morning. Thursday was very cloudy, and a N.'E. monsoon was blowing hard, so we had to close the ports. In the evening the ship rolled a great deal, and people were ill again. We tried to get up some theatricals, but it all fell through, as there are not enough people on board. On Friday the ship was still rolling, but I did a good deal of sketching, though it was very hard to keep steady. In the evening, the Australians got very rowdy and sang all sorts of vulgar songs. I sat with Miss S., who is the only person who does not agree with them, they kept it up till half-past ten. I saw the first flying fish to-day, they are veiy pretty skimming along the edge of the waves, their bodies glistening in the sun. On Saturday it was still blowing hard, we tried a dance in the evening, but found it very difficult. I read some heraldry in the afternoon, and fell asleep, and in my sleep I dreamed a jumble of all the technical terms. As I walked proper down a street per pale ar. and or, I met a child gules, I tried to stab it proper with a dagger of the second, hilted of the third, thereon inscribed with a sun in its splendour proper. A talbot passant guardant tenue hit me proper, and made me bleed of the fourth. I awoke and thought I was in the Guildhall Library. I was not, I was in my cabin. We made a very good run of 293 miles, and hope to get to Colombo on Tuesday night. On Sunday we had a very fluent sermon from Mr. G. I finished the second volume of "Les Miserables " in the afternoon; I think it a splendid book, and like it better than " Ninety Three." Tuesday. We hope to arrive at Colombo to-night. It is very hot ; there is no wind, and we are all sitting in the fore saloon. Mr. S., a veritable Diogenes, is sitting on his cabin step in " disability," mopping his chest with all the stewards standing round and laughing at him, while an old wind-sail is playing on his head through the fore-hatch. The spirit of the Tub-man has fallen on him, though he is not as contented January, 1883. R.M.S.S. NIZAM. 11 as his late master. I am feeling very well now, and am enjoying myself very much, though I shall not be sorry when the voyage is over. Our passengers are not a very lively lot. Love to all at home, Your affectionate son, H. S. H. K.M.S.S. " NIZAM," KING GEORGE'S SOUND, Vdth February, 1883. MY DEAR MOTHER, We have taken the mails on board and are now a " Royal Mail." I feel obliged to head my letter thus as I understand the Australians feel offended if the ship does not receive its full title, they like to be under Koyal patronage like a hospital or bazaar. This wretched P. & O. screw is jerking about most furiously, it is almost impossible to write, it has a very decided movement as though it meant business. The children running about shrieking, make the saloon almost unbearable, so you must excuse my wandering thoughts. On Tuesday, the 30th, we arrived at Colombo, we reached the harbour by six, soon got a pilot and were moored by sunset. The Captain, Mr. G. and myself went ashore after dinner, the night was dark and we could see nothing of the town. The " Oriental " is a splendid hotel and looks very cool, the servants are most amusing, they all wear petticoats and fringes of hair with a little knot behind, a great many wear combs just like women, their voices are very feminine. The Captain and I went off to the ship soon after ten. All was ready for coaling, but as nothing was going on down my shaft I slept well. At five o'clock next morning after coffee and biscuits, I started off with the Captain and some of our party for Kandy. At the landing place we found two carriages waiting for us in which we drove through the town to the station. The town looked very picturesque by daylight ; just past the Custom House there is a quaint old Dutch archway set in the wall of some building. The lake is exceedingly pretty, men and women making their way to their work with their gorgeous coloured petticoats (which later in the day are thrown over their heads), harmonize with the brilliant green of the palms, and the bright yellow of the roads and houses. We passed a lot of convicts lazily at work in their brown and black striped 12 R.M.S.S. NIZAM. 13th February, 1883. rugs. The train did not go till seven. Mr. G., whom we picked up at the hotel, had a saloon carriage reserved for us, so we were very comfortable. The railway is very fine, huge cocoa-nut palms and other splendid trees (the names of which I do not know), rose on each side of us. We gradually ascended till \ve reached " Sensation Rock," where the railway is hewn out of the mountain side ; you look down fifteen hundred feet into the plains beneath, where here and there small patches of rice can be seen growing on terraces, and the long dusty road winding through palm trees, with, now and then, bungalows just visible through the trees ; beyond, mountains rising range on range till they fade away in the distance. The whole journey is wonderfully grand the jungle, the trees, and, at intervals long marshy plains lying fallow, preparatory to growing the rice, where the lazy water buffaloes lie wallowing in the mud, buried all but their horns. The little stations are very pretty, their wooden walls covered with flowers ; we picked a great many, and I hoped to send you some, but they die almost as soon as you pick them. At all the stations we were beset by hawkers wanting us to buy oranges, bananas, cocoa-nuts, pines, and other fruit one had a petticoat the colour of Harry's Moorish curtains. We arrived at Kandy soon after eleven, we had telegraphed for lunch, and were ravenous, as we had not eaten at all. What was our disappointment when we found a most disgusting meal of cold curry, tough chops, and some filth they called Irish stew ! However, we were very hungry, and managed to eat something ; then we sent out for carriages. We first went to the side of the Lake where there is a Temple ; it is a fine building, covered with grotesque frescoes which seemed to represent Heaven and Hell. We could not see Buddha's tooth, as the inner Temple is not open till sunset. The steps were crowded with beggars, some hump-backed, some with deformed legs, and a great variety of other deformities. After the Temple we drove through the long streets of the village, the houses are low and red roofed, and the women and children were loafing about their doors dressed very much in the costume which nature gave them. We made our way to the Peradeniya Gardens, where there is to be seen every kind of tropical vegetation, but I feel it impossible to describe it, I have been all the morning writing and can't get on at all. I will tell you all about it when I come home. We travelled back to Colombo with a very yellow man in the Indian Civil Service, who said he knew George. The journey down was 13th February, 1883. R.M.S.S. NIZAM. 13 very tedious. I hoped for rest when I got on board ship, but on arriving I found the whole place one mass of dirt and coal coal everywhere ; my cabin was covered up so I had to sleep on deck. I really feel so awfully stupid to-day that I cannot write any more, any how this will let you know I am alive. I have a great deal to tell you. Love to all, Your affectionate son, H. S. H. P.S. We are all at sixes and sevens, but I will tell you in my next ; it is most amusing. 14 CHAPTER II. BAIRNSDALE, GIPPSLAND, 28th February, 1883. MY DEAR MOTHER, I was very sorry to send you such a meagre letter from the Sound, but I will try to make up for it this time. I cannot tell you all our doings since we left Colombo, as I find they have taken up sixty-two pages of closely written diary, but here we are safe and sound, after the most disgusting voyage, as regards weather, that we could possibly have made. We have not really had any dangerous weather, but every day was colder and rougher than the last; the captain was quite disheartened. He says he has never made such a miserable voyage, and he used to come up in the morning looking ready for any crime. There were a great many complaints about the ship ; it was her first voyage to Australia, and people say they ought not to have sent an old tub like the " Nizam " on such a long voyage. I found her very comfortable until we got crowded. At Colombo we took fifty more passengers, and at the Sound twenty more. I was unfortunate enough to have a very bad sailor in my cabin ; he was seedy the whole time. The only fair wind we had during the voyage was between Adelaide and Cape Otway, and then it blew a gale. We had a beastly night of it. I slept very well at first, and then I was woke up by my fellow-passenger, who was very seedy, and I could not go to sleep again. Every time the old ship rolled to the port my clothes fell on the floor, and I had to hang on with might and main to prevent following them ; and every time she rolled to the starboard I bumped my head violently against the side, but as it is pretty hard I survived it. The saloon passengers seem to have fared much worse : none of them slept, and most of them disappeared under their bunks the noise was not conducive to sleep. The captain, who was up higher, said the waves were tremendous ; they were certainly mountains high in the morning, and the sea had then gone 28th February, 1883. MELBOURNE. 15 down considerably. The ship rolled tremendously, but shipped very little water. She seems a first-rate sea boat, but some people grumble at everything. It had been squally all day, and about half -past ten I was sitting with Mr. K., and the chief engineer was just spinning an old yarn about one very rough night, when they had to hold each other's hair on, the chief officer holding the captain's, the second officer the chief's, &c., the boatswain held the last man's, as he was bald and had none to blow off. Just as he finished his yarn he saw Mr. G., who was asleep in his chair, come sliding down to the side, and about five long chairs came whizzing past us some standing up on end ; a minute after- wards all the lights went out, and it came on to pelt and blow and hail like fury. We were under canvass, which brought us down almost level with the water on the port side. We bolted for the companion, as it was scarcely safe outside. Another night we were pitching tremendously; I woke up with a sort of dreamy idea that we were near the bottom, I heard the water pouring down the forehatch just outside my cabin, and I found the stewards, who were sleep- ing near the hatch, wandering about like so many drowned rats you will see by my letters what a beastly time we had as far as Colombo ; well, the rest of the voyage was twice as bad ; it was fearfully cold we were all wearing winter clothes and great coats. I fortunately escaped cold ; the voyage did me a tremendous deal of good. You would laugh if you could see me : I am as brown and as fat as I was before white and thin ; everybody notices the difference. I have enjoyed the voyage, though the people were not as nice as they might have been. A Miss J. and Mrs. L., who came on at Colombo (aunt and niece), were very nice ; the former, an elderly spinster, was rather to my mind ; I used to sit with her often of an afternoon gossiping. The last ten days on board the ship we began to wake up. First of all we had a spelling-bee, which caused a great deal of ill-feeling, and showed what sort of people our passengers were. Mrs. A., the widow, spelt " paraffin " " parafine," and then said the man who sold it her spelt it like that : so Mr. K., the Yankee, spelt "groundsel" "grunsel," and said the man who sold it him spelt it so. We then had a concert. The programmes took me two whole days to do, working seven and a half hours. It was, on the whole, a success, and we had a nice little stage. The chief engineer was got up as a policeman, and " ran in " people all round ; another fellow was got up as an orange girl. The two best performers were the ship's 16 MELBOURNE. 28th February, 1883. stewards. Then we had two love affairs, which caused a little amusement ; one between Miss D. and the chief officer, another between the younger Miss S. and the fifth officer. The officers are not allowed to " spoon " on board, and so the fifth was put in guard for three days. The chief was refused. By the end of the voyage we were all, as I said in my last letter, at sixes and sevens ; they all objected to me because I would not be generally sociable, one of the fellows, Harry thought looked such a cad, quarrelled with me and said he would teach me manners, but where he got them from I don't know. I took no notice of him, and never spoke to him again. Mrs. A. was the cause of all the quarrelling ; if she had not been ill the last week W T C should have had a regular "bust up." Sir William Robinson came on with us from the Sound. Lady Robinson is very nice; they have asked me to visit them. At Adelaide the Governor was met by the Premier and all the notables ; some were looking extremely uncomfortable in uniform. The sight of the Premier gave me hope. If he can become a great man, there is a chance for me. The S.'s went off at Adelaide ; I was very dull when they had gone. The elder one is a particularly nice girl, thoroughly unselfish ; her one idea is duty. She was a long way the nicest of all the passengers. The coast of Western Australia is very dreary, very much like the Scotch Coast. We arrived at Melbourne on the morning of Tuesday, the 24th. The third officer had his arm blown up the night before by a blue-light ; he was very much hurt. I went straight to the club with Mr. G., where I found a very comfortable room ready for me. I could not call on any of the people to whom 1 had introductions for the first few days, as the elections were on. I went down to see the old " Nizam " off on Wednesday. I was sorry to see the last of her, after seven weeks on board her. I don't think the time was wasted ; I learnt a lot on female education, which I mean to apply to Hester. I shall also write a book on it, like old Dyson in the " Golden Butterfly." Melbourne is a very curious place ; it is very like our City. The one thing you hear is " money," " money ; " the one thing you see is " drink," " drink " men in a good position drinking hard. I always refuse it. It is a very nice well-built city, with wide streets all at right angles. Of course, it seems very small after London. The people one meets are very much the same type as you would see in the inner room of a city restaurant. They are fearful snobs ; every man who cannot sport a grandfather has his coat of ten quarterings, 28th February, 1883. MELBOURNE. 17 but this is democracy ! Parliament is one mass of bribery and corruption ; ministers think nothing of a bribe. None of the best people will have anything to do with Parliament ; they have universal suffrage, and the members are paid 300 per annum. It reminds me of what Lord Beaconsfield said of the English Parliament, " They will go in by accident, they will go out by accident, and the end will be that you will have a Parliament that you despise." It strikes me it is almost democratic enough for Harry, though in ten years' time he will be about as red-hot a Tory as I shall be a rabid " Racl." The town can be described as Tottenham Court Road, Euston Road, and part of New Oxford Street. Lord Charles Scott was married on Friday to Miss Ryan ; Mel- bourne was over-joyed at one of her daughters having caught a title. Ivo Bligh got engaged on the same day. Everything is very expensive here ; at the present moment I am not really in Melbourne, but have been put up in Gippsland bush for nearly a week by Judge McFarland. He is very kind to me, and has paid all my expenses. He is a very gentlemanly man ; he is not an Australian. Love to all, Your affectionate son, H. S. H. There was a great deal more excitement over the cricket than over the elections here. AUSTRALIAN CLUB, Wednesday, March 4th, 1883. MY DEAR MOTHER, You may wonder why I am still here, but my trip to Gippsland delayed me a week, so here I am still waiting for next Friday's steamer to New Zealand. I suppose you will want to know something about my adventures in a place peopled by horrible savages, as you will suppose this is by the photograph I sent you I should think you would be surprised to hear I am quite well and minus nothing. There are very few aborigines left and they don't inhabit the civilized parts, so I escaped whole. On Saturday night we travelled seven hours by train up to a small village (or town- 18 MELBOURNE. 4th March, 1 883. ship I beg its pardon) called Sale ; we spent the night there and went on the next clay in a ramshackle buggy with a pair of wiry horses, for a seven hours' drive through the thick bush. The road was good as far as Stratford-on-Avon, and then it became little more than a rough dusty track. Here and there we rolled over the trunk of a tree, and now and then nearly got thrown out. The scenery on the outskirts of the bush is dreary and monotonous, long wild belts of dead trees looking like ghosts of their old selves, the grass was parched and burned, those trees which lived were brown with the heat. Once in the bush the scenery began to get grand, huge trees on either side, their branches lit up with the bright plumage of parrots and cockatoos, while magpies darted about in all directions. Here or there we saw a hawk or a woodpigeon, and once or twice we roused a wallaby, who, disturbed by the noise of the buggy, beat a hasty retreat. We passed several herds of cattle, driven by wild bushmen in big hats and long beards, using their stock- whips with great skill. Towards evening the sun's last rays flared from out the wood and flooded all around with a crimson glow, until it sank fading into the calm twilight, then came night, and, as we beat our way across the track, it seemed a dream; behind, the dark dank death-like dreariness, in front, a blood red moon piercing the thickest foliage and glaring forth like some foul murder which must out and show itself. So we moved on until we cleared the scrub and bush and once more touched a solid road. We had not much farther to go, for, in a quarter of an hour we halted, tired, dusty, and shaken (though still with good appetites), at a small inn looking into a wide street. We found, to our disgust, that they had only one bed in the house, so after a decent meal I had to turn in on a sofa. In the morning the Judge discovered that he had left an im- portant portion of his "get up" behind; I could only comfort him by saying "He would have to do without 'em, couldn't have them any more ; He would have to do without 'em as he'd never done before ; He would have to be a judge quite ou a novel plan, And Bairnsdale-folk no more would say ' Oh what a grand old man!"' There were a good many cases to be heard so we stayed at this little bush town for two days. One day I rowed a long way up the back-water of the River Mitchell ; it is very pretty. Hops are the great produce there, and the banks of 4th March, 1883. MELBOURNE. 19 the river in some parts reminded me of the old country, though it is impossible to lose sight of the everlasting gum trees which, as yet, I have always seen unpeopled by the proverbial " possum." We returned to Sale by the Gippsland lakes, which, 1 believe, are very lovely in fine weather, but the day happened to be windy and very rough so we saw none of their boasted charms. Nearly everyone was ill. The steamers are very small and uncomfortable, and it was impossible to stand on the bridge on account of the wind and cold. I, having stood seven weeks of bad weather at sea, felt quite at home and spent most of the time in eating a most wholesome dinner. The Judge lost his hat and had to borrow one from a rough bushman. There was not much business at Sale so we left the following morning. I don't think I have given you any account of these small bush towns. They consist chiefly of one very long main street some hundred feet in width, bordered with low wooden houses of one storey backed by gum trees. There are smaller streets crossing and intersecting them at right angles. In the day- time they have a busy appearance men driving furiously ; labourers and shepherds, dogs, sheep, oxen, and horses, the men stopping to have a " nip " and a gossip at the corner house. The animals stop as their forefathers have before them, led by an instinct to the " pub." The last night at Bairnsdale the attorneys and barristers entertained us, and a very nice dinner we had. They are a very decent lot, mostly young English fellows just out. There is a great opening for a man here as a lawyer if he has only brains. We returned to Melbourne on Thursday evening. On Saturday I lunched with Mrs. M., the Bishop's wife. She is a nice- looking middle-aged woman. She told me a lot of gossip who was going to marry who. who had broken it off, why A. couldn't marry B., &c., &c., these varied with stories of bishops, priests, and deacons, I heard enough to last me a month, and I had serious thoughts of turning an honest penny by corresponding with Truth. She told me also all about our cricketers and whom they were engaged to be married to. After lunch I went to the races and met my ship's friends, the D.'s. The Fleamington race-course is an exceedingly good one and the people turn out in great numbers. The girls dress well though I think they rather overdo it ; wearing light colours makes them look flashy, and a great many make it worse by wearing painfully bright colours. I am spending almost all my time with the D.'s, they are very kind to me. I dragged old K. up to see them, 20 MELBOURNE. 4th March, 1 883. lie was very funny, and the effort improved his liver (for his liver, as usual, was bad). On Monday I went out for a drive with the Judge to Heidelburg ; it is a very pretty suburb, by far the most English of the lot. He also took me to his home in East Melbourne where I looked at some more of his art treasures. I would give worlds to have his collection. Paintings by Gainsborough, Turner, Teniers, Prout, Linnell, Bouget, Rubens, Bonnington, and many other artists. His mezzotints and engravings are lovely, and he has a lovely miniature of the Empress Josephine. His books are also very fine. He gave me a charming little edition of " La Fontaine," of 1830, with woodcuts like Bewick. I went to some theatricals in the evening. I suddenly recognised the man sitting behind me ; it was Cockshott, our old schoolfellow he is a fine, tall, good-looking fellow, and I remembered him by his hair. They are very hard up for young men here, the sisters are nice, but the brothers Oh, preserve us! Couldn't you raise some old title-deeds for me ? as with an acre of inherited land I could get an heiress of 80,000 ; I should be off your hands, what a blessing for you ! It is amusing to see all the English "chappies" out for the benefit of their health, i.e. heiress hunting. I had another day at the races, at the Fleamington course ; you see none of the blackguard element, everyone enjoys himself without getting drunk. We had one of the famous north winds, and it really was more unendurable than a London fog ; clouds of hot dust in your eyes, ears, and mouth the heat, which was very great, I did not mind. I dined at the T.'s ; we had a delightful dinner, such a soup, delicious ! oyster, the most delicious oyster ! I have been in a good temper ever since. On Friday we set off early for the cricket match Mrs. D. has made us honorary members of the M.C.C., so we had the run of the pavilion. The Victorians made a good score of 286 ; we saw some very good cricket and had very pleasant society, so between the two we enjoyed ourselves. The English, especially C. T. Studd, fielded remarkably well. The next day Ave saw the cricket again ; our men went in, and I am sorry to say very soon came out ; they could do nothing with Cooper's bowling, Steel simply stood in front of his wicket and " poked." We had one or two heavy showers and at last it came on to pour in earnest, the rain was quite as bad as when the Australians played the M.C.C. in London. The effect after the rain was splendid, but all the cricket for the day was over as the ground was sopping. On Monday we saw them play again ; we were all out for the ignominious 4th March, 1883. MELBOURNE. 21 score of 55, so we had to follow on. In the second innings Steel played a capital innings of 76, and Barlow a very careful 27 ; he was two hours making eight runs. There is no excuse to offer, our men could do nothing with Cooper and Palmer. I suppose father was very pleased to hear of the splendid way in which the " Austral " was raised, the machinery is very little damaged and is able to be used. There is a very good public library here with some good heraldic books, and a picture gallery with one or two things worth looking at. I am enjoying myself immensely and only wish you were here too. I have just come in from a most delightful evening at the Cockshott's. Mrs. Cockshott is a perfectly charming woman, she is a widow, very handsome, with lovely hair, a thorough lady and very English ; she is very clever, and one of those people it does one good to know and talk to. Her room is furnished in excellent taste and full of pretty things. We talked a great deal on spiritualism, and I was able to tell her something about Professor de Morgan they have his " Life " over here this is a tremendous place for spiritualism ! The son has grown into a fine, tall, handsome man ; he is going to be a barrister ; he asked affectionately after Mr. and Mrs. Davies of Charterhouse, so I wish you would let them know I have seen them. If you get hold of the right people here they are very nice. I have been to the office to try and get father a description of the raising of the "Austral"; the divers seem to have worked well. Very much love to all, Your affectionate son, H. S. H. Easter Day, 1883. CUKRIE'S HOTEL, HOBART, TASMANIA. MY DEAR OLD MOTHER, I don't know whether I told you in my last of the pleasant afternoon I spent with the D's. on board the R.M.S. " Nizam " the day before she left port. The next day we saw the old tub off, there was a good-bye com- pany, as it is the " correct thing " in Melbourne to see the mail boat off. The cricketers were there with their respective fiancees. (Ivo Bligh has got hold of a remarkably 22 TASMANIA. Easter Day, 1883. nice, pretty girl). Sir W. and Lady C. in red poppies, women in green, red, white, black and mixtures, overdressed and underdressed, in fact, all the " haut ton " of Victoria. At one time the quarter-deck much resembled the ' c Achilles statue " on a fine day in the season. The poor little skipper was using the most unparliamentary language on discovering that he had English Priests, seven Roman Catholics and one Bishop; he wanted me to insure his life doubly for him. Old K. has gone in the u Nizam," I am sorry to say ; he has a great big heart, which is a recommendation. I asked him if he would mind showing Father the photograph of the "Austral" if he happened to be in 85, Gracechurch Street, so very likely he will turn up. The quiet way he has of telling his yarns quite puts you off your guard, so probably Father will be taken in quite as much as we were. The last we saw of the old ship as she steamed out of port was Mr. K. waving his old sugar-loaf hat, and Mr. B. (the little chief officer), who was standing on the bows, his coat tails flying as he waved his " lily (?) hand," to his fair one who was standing with the rest of us on the quay. I felt very sorry to see the last of the old boat, it felt like parting from an old friend. The next day Lewis and I set sail by the " Flinders " for Launceston, in Tasmania. We had a fine though rather cold passage and arrived the next morning at eight. As we steamed slowly up the pretty river, the sun rose behind the hills and reddened all around, it was all very quiet and peaceful, more like an English scene than anything I have yet come across. In the afternoon we went up to the cataract, but had a great scramble to get there, as we had to pass through thick scrub and over stones and rocks. The river is girt on either side by thick wooded hills glowing in luxuriance of colour, the graceful gum trees casting their reflections into the foaming water. On our way back we saw a glorious sunset, the distant hills glowing with crimson and purple, at our feet the peaceful little town, while the river rolled past, catching the reflection on its way. The sun w r ent down leaving those exquisitely tinted clouds that gradually deepen and deepen till they are lost in the twilight. " Emblem, methought, of the departed soul, To whose white robe the dream of bliss is given ; And by the breath of mercy made to roll Right onward to the golden gates of Heaven. Where, to the eye of Faith it peaceful lies And tells to man his glorious destinies." Easter Day, 1883. TASMANIA. 23 Monday. I have just come in very tired from a long day's sketching at Kangaroo Point, I can't write to-night as I am too tired to write sense. I longed for you yesterday, this is a most lovely place, and I wish I could have had Hester here, she would have enjoyed the shells. I leave for New Zealand on Friday, I am well on the way now. I am splendidly well and have already put on five pounds, the waiters stare with open mouths when they see me eat. The air here reminds me of the Engadine, it is the Sanatorium of the Colonies, a most perfect place. I am awfully sorry for sending you such a very miserable note by this mail. Very much love to all, Your affectionate son, H. S. H. Tuesday , March 27th) CURRIE'S HOTEL, HOBART, TASMANIA. MY DEAR MOTHER, I find the mail does not close here till five this afternoon, and as I have sent the short note I wrote yester- day by Lewis who has just left for Melbourne, I will finish now. Launceston is a very small place, though on account of its nearness to Melbourne, it is more busy than Hobart. The streets are narrower than in most Colonial towns, and it has a much older appearance, which makes it look more English. It is situated in a large basin where the North and South Esk join the Tamar. The people are most amusing, they do their business in a very slovenly way, money seems to be no object, and they let you off the coppers, as they never have anything so common as change for a shilling. The ladies walk about the town of an afternoon and stare horribly, it made me positively blush ! We asked our landlord (a quaint old man), who they mostly were. He said they were some of the best people in the town, daughters of magistrates and members, and that we did not want an introduction, if we spoke to them it would be quite sufficient; we did not try, but coming in the train to Hobart, we got very friendly with a family, the female portion especially. It rather astonishes one until you get used to it. The com- pany at the Inn consisted mostly of " Travellers," not that 24 TASMANIA. 27th March, 1883. class who seek the world for pleasure's sake, but the other class who carry small parcels of goods for the sake of commerce. On Sunday afternoon it was very hot, we strolled about the garden and knocked ourselves up by laughing too much at a laughing Jackass, it is most infectious. On our way home our fit of laughter was aggravated by a very curiously marked white greyhound, on approaching we read "Assure your life, why not 1 ? do not delay," this was in red letters with the name of the agent ! It is certainly the most novel way of doing things. On Monday we went to Corra Lynn, which is about ten miles from Launceston, we went part of the way by train to St. Leonard's where we fed, and then had a delightful walk of three miles. The country is very pretty. It is so pleasant to look once more on green fields and hedge-rows, after the parched plains and wire or log fences of Victoria. The hedges are one mass of sweet briar. An old fashioned wooden bridge spans the deep gorge, where the water rushes down over boulders and rock, eddying and whirling. The high walls of stone are overgrown with creepers and small trees, which give light and colour to the scene, under the high bridge you catch a glimpse of trees and sky, altogether it forms one of the prettiest pictures one can imagine. I sketched the whole afternoon and got a good deal done. We are very much troubled by mosquitoes and other insects. We had to smear our pillows with peppermint, our faces with tobacco juice and smoke, and then Lewis used to be up half the night hiding behind doors and chairs to catch them when they were not looking. I always used to go to sleep and lump the consequences, as was seen the next morning, but Lewis with all his care, came out one mass of bites which quite disfigured him. The next day we had a pleasant though very dirty walk to the Devil's Punch Bowl. Through much struggling and climbing we discovered the Bowl and came upon it like Moses in the bulrushes, though to our disappointment, a landslip the day before had actually spoiled the waterfall. However it was very pretty, but we were driven away by mosquitoes and flies. We called on an old character at Launceston, a Mr. Ackermann, who imagines he has got perpetual motion and a great many other things, which he keeps in an old curiosity shop. "Perpetual motion " (to quote from his bill) " is supplied by me in glass vessels with printed instructions, I do not intend to patent it, as I am not in want, nor am I in haste to be rich, nor do I intend to kill myself for the sake of living, nor will I go out of the world without leaving some token of my gratitude to the 27th March, 1883. TASMANIA. 25 Author of my being. Anyone who finds it not at work will receive one guinea, those who think night the best time to see it will have to pay ten shillings first, for waking me up." It is a remarkable show, he has every kind of machine on the place, but not one that is useful. He has made everything himself and imagines that he is a genius. On Wednesday we had to leave as the Governor wanted our room ; we started mid-day for Hobart in a saloon carriage. The railway reminded me of the St. Gothard, the curves are frightful and the shaking worse ; it is downhill most of the way, and goes in and out between the mountains. We were glad when it was over, two of our party were sick and the rest headachy. Hobart is a much larger, though quieter, town than Laun- ceston. It lies at the foot of Mount Wellington, and about fourteen miles from the mouth of the Harbour, which, like Sydney Harbour, is formed by numerous small bays. Some say it is the prettier of the two, though if you ventured to suggest it to a native of N.S.W. he would jump upon you. The first thing a Sydney man or woman says is " Have you seen our Harbour ? " H.M.S. " Nelson " on arriving at that port, pasted up a large placard, " We have seen your harbour and think it beautiful." The Derwent, which is a large river compared to the Tamar, bounds Hobart in the West. On Good Friday, Lewis, a bushman, and myself went up to the Cataract Gorge, which turned out a delusion, as the Cataract was nothing but a brewery, however the Gorge was very fine. In the afternoon we drove to a place some nine miles off called Brown's River. We drove in and out of the pretty little bays and under the shade of the wooded hills. In a small bay we picked up some beautiful shells, with an exquisite metallic lustre. I thought how Hester would have enjoyed herself there. We were driven by our friend T., who had two spirits worse than himself, they all got very noisy and sang. One of them was a very large ironmonger, worth 4,000 a year. What a waste of the good things of this world ! Here are men worth thousands who are the most utter fools and have not the faintest idea what to do with their money, whilst we poor wretches hav'n't a penny to our names. The ironmonger was the worst of the whole lot, a horribly stingy sort of fellow. The drive home was more lovely than the drive there ; the mist had risen, and with the hazy pinkness thrown over the opposite shore and the light on the clear smooth water, it would have been perfect, had it not been for the company. The people one 26 TASMANIA. 27th March, 1883. meets out here at the hotels are not the same as one meets at home, they are very rough. I am gradually getting used to it, and by the time I come home you will be ashamed to walk and talk with me. On Saturday we went to Bridgwater, which lies in the opposite direction to Brown's River ; it is miles up the river Derwent. I enjoyed this excursion much more as our companions were less noisy. The mist that has covered Mount Wellington for two days rose, and the mountain stood out clear and bright against the blue sky. We had a perfect Easter day, a clear blue sky and a bright, calm water, save where here and there a shoal of porpoises, turning and twisting, made a ripple. In the afternoon we went up to the Fern Tree Bower ; there are eight huge fern trees which form a sort of avenue. We scrambled up the bush and scrub till we lost our way amongst the fern trees, they seemed impenetrable ; we could not get a glimpse of the sky as the tall gum trees, some rising to 200 feet, completely shut us in. On our return I tried to get into the Cathedral, but there was not even standing room ; it being Bank Holiday every place was crowded. I shall have to wait here two more days for my boat. I am glad I came here, as it is the prettiest place in the Colonies and has the best climate. This place, as compared with Australia, is cheap, but very expensive according to our English ideas. The people here think a man with five thousand a year but poorly off. Rents are particularly high at present. A labourer gets from eight to ten shillings a day. The people who bought land here five years ago have made their fortunes. I must now say good-bye, With love to all, Your affectionate son, H. S. H. March 28