waving
trees, a glorious atmosphere, and dear old Dame Nature smiling a
welcome.--What do you say, Jack?"

The sharp, irritable-looking man had joined them, and his face looked
perplexed, the more so as he noted that the girls were watching him, and
evidently hanging upon his answer.

"Eh?" he cried; "yes; a welcome, of course. She's glad to see our
bonnie lassies fresh from Old England. Here, Ned, give me a cigar."

"Thank you, Jack, old fellow," whispered the captain, as he took out his
case. "For Heaven's sake help me to keep up the poor women's spirits.
I'm afraid it will be very rough for them at first."

"Rough? Scarifying," said Uncle John Munday, puffing away at his cigar.
"No business to have come."

"Jack! And you promised to help me and make the best of things."

"Going to," said Uncle Jack; "but I didn't say I wouldn't pitch into you
for dragging us all away from--"

"Bloomsbury Square, my dears," said Aunt Georgie just then. "Yes, if I
had known, you would not have made me move from Bloomsbury Square."

"Where you said you should die of asthma, you ungrateful old woman.
This climate is glorious."

"Humph!" said Aunt Georgie.

"Well, girls," cried the captain, passing his arms round his daughter
and niece's waists, "what do you think of it?"

"Well, papa, I hardly know," said Ida.

"This can't be all of it, uncle?" said the other girl.

"Every bit of it, my pet, at present; but it will grow like a mushroom.
Why, there's an hotel already. We had better get ashore, Jack, and
secure rooms."

"No," said Uncle Jack, decisively, as he watched a party of
rough-looking idlers loafing out of the place, "we'll arrange with the
captain to let us stay on board till we go up-country. Rather a shabby
lot here, Ned."

"Um! yes," said Captain Bedford, smiling at the appearance of some of
the men as they gathered on the wharf.

"Better stay here, I say; the women will be more comfortable. As we are
going up the country, the sooner we load up and get off the better.
German and I and the boys will camp ashore so as to look after the
tackle."

"Yes, and I'll come too."

"No," said Uncle Jack; "your place is with your wife and the girls."

"Perhaps you are right," said the captain, as he stood watching the
sailors busily lowering a boat to help to moor the great, tall-masted
ship now sitting like a duck on the smooth waters of the river, after
months of a stormy voyage from England, when for da