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 provid