and he never did.

Promptly at the hour set the Guardian-Mother got under way, and the
Cherub's band played its liveliest airs. When it stopped to rest, the
Italian band played, and thus the music was kept up for three hours, when
the steamers were at Diamond Harbor. Here they came alongside each other,
and all the company on board the Cherub were invited to a collation on
board of the Guardian-Mother, at which Captain Ringgold presided, and many
speeches were made by the residents of Calcutta, and by the passengers on
board.

The ship's company on each vessel were not left out in the cold; for, while
their officers were at the collation, Baldy Bickling, the second cook,
regaled them from the abundant stores provided for the occasion, of which
notice had been given to Mr. Melanchthon Sage, the chief steward, the day
before. At this point adieus were exchanged, the Guardian-Mother went to
sea, and the Cherub returned to Calcutta. The passengers were tired out and
retired early.

It was an easy run, from Diamond Harbor to Madras in two days and a half,
for the Guardian-Mother. The weather was favorable, and the tourists used
their time in getting rested. The social occasions, the playing of the
band, and the singing in the music-room, made plenty of variety. But the
commander did not lose sight of what he regarded as one of the principal
objects of the long voyage, the instruction of the young people, and
incidentally of the elder ones.

On the forenoon of the second day out the passengers were called together
in Conference Hall, and they were glad to assemble there again. The
temperature was moderate, the sea was in its most cheerful mood, and, after
their long stay on shore, they were glad to be out of sight of land again.
Mr. Gaskette had been busy during the vacation the ship's company had
obtained at Bombay and Calcutta; had made several new maps, one of which
was the shores of the Bay and Sea of Bengal from Calcutta to the southern
point of Ceylon; and he had enlarged a small map of Ceylon, to be used when
the ship arrived at Colombo, or sooner. It was Sir Modava who mounted the
platform for this occasion; and he was received with the heartiest
applause, for he had become even more popular than at first.

"I am to tell you something, not much, about Madras, where we shall arrive
about this time day after to-morrow," the Hindu gentleman began; and the
usual smile which had fascinated all the ladies was on his fa