, rather prettily for two pipes; and it brought
her before me with an effect scarce short of hallucination. I could hear
her voice in every note; yet I had forgot the air entirely, and began to
pipe it from notes as something new, when I was brought up with a round
turn by this reminiscence. We are now very much installed; the
dining-room is done, and looks lovely. Soon we shall begin to photograph
and send you our circumstances. My room is still a howling wilderness. I
sleep on a platform in a window, and strike my mosquito bar and roll up
my bedclothes every morning, so that the bed becomes by day a divan. A
great part of the floor is knee-deep in books, yet nearly all the
shelves are filled, alas! It is a place to make a pig recoil, yet here
are my interminable labours begun daily by lamp-light, and sometimes not
yet done when the lamp has once more to be lighted. The effect of
pictures in this place is surprising. They give great pleasure.

_June 21st._--A word more. I had my breakfast this morning at 4.30! My
new cook has beaten me and (as Lloyd says) revenged all the cooks in the
world. I have been hunting them to give me breakfast early since I was
twenty; and now here comes Mr. Ratke, and I have to plead for mercy. I
cannot stand 4.30; I am a mere fevered wreck; it is now half-past eight,
and I can no more, and four hours divide me from lunch, the devil take
the man! Yesterday it was about 5.30, which I can stand; day before 5,
which is bad enough; to-day, I give out. It is like a London season, and
as I do not take a siesta once in a month, and then only five minutes, I
am being worn to the bones, and look aged and anxious.

We have Rider Haggard's brother here as a Land Commissioner; a nice kind
of a fellow; indeed, all the three Land Commissioners are very
agreeable.

TO E. L. BURLINGAME

For the result of the suggestion made in the following, see
Scribner's Magazine, October 1893, p. 494.

_Vailima [Summer 1891]._

MY DEAR BURLINGAME,--I find among my grandfather's papers his own
reminiscences of his voyage round the north with Sir Walter, eighty
years ago, _labuntur anni!_ They are not remarkably good, but he was not
a bad observer, and several touches seem to me speaking. It has occurred
to me you might like them to appear in the Magazine. If you would,
kindly let me know, and tell me how you would like it handled. My
grandad's MS. runs to between six and seven thousand words, whic