e filled at an early hour with
officers of the ships and garrison, consuls, and merchants, with a
number of foreign ladies, all in _grand tenu_. It was a pleasant gay
little court, with ecarte tables and conversation, vivacious punch
handed round at intervals, and maybe a little flirting and love-making,
with "music to fill up the pauses," from the regimental orchestras
stationed near the verandas, while the lawns and grounds were crowded by
laughing groups of natives, talking scandal, perhaps, of the
_oui-oui's_.

The next morning, before day had dawned, our frigate was crowded with
canvas, and assisted by a flotilla of boats from the French squadron, we
were quietly towed outside the coral reef, then taking the trade on the
quarter, we went off with a spanking breeze towards Aimeo.

CHAPTER LI.

With easterly winds we sailed away to the southward. In a fortnight the
sky became dull and gloomy--the rain fell, chill and cold--we tumbled
from our warm beds with a shock into the cold air, for we had been a
long time beneath the clear skies and warm suns of the tropics, and
rather magnified our hardships, in a thermometrical sense.

Still we were bound once more to the realms of civilization, which was
in itself consoling--we buttoned our jackets--declared it was fine
dumb-bell weather, and exercised those implements constantly. Doctor
Faustus, too, lighted his jovial lamp when the night closed around us,
and we blew the steam from a tumbler of _italia_ punch with much
thankfulness and gusto; and those of us who had watches, forthwith bent
our steps to the upper regions.

One cold November night, in a hard squall, whilst the topmen were
furling the lofty sails, two men were hurled from the main-top-gallant
yard, and falling through the lubber's hole of the top, were caught at
the junction of the futtock shrouds. One escaped with severe injuries,
but his unfortunate companion died in thirty minutes. He was a handsome,
active, young fellow, who made my acquaintance during the blockade of
Mazatlan, in old Jack's oyster-boat.

In speaking of the accident, the day after, to an old Swedish
quarter-gunner, called Borlan--"Vy, sir," said he, pulling aside his
huge whiskers and disclosing a broad, jagged seam, the whole length of
the face--"Vy, sir, see here! I vonce toombled vrom a brig's
mast-head--top-gallant yard and all--lying to in a gale of vind. Vell,
sir, I broke mine jaws and leg, but managed to get alongsi