a fifty pounder. I think the
nets must be over a hundred fathoms; they were being pulled in for two
hours after I came, and must have been hauled for hours before that,
seven men to each rope! As the ends came near shore, the boys plunged in
and joined their seniors, and all looked like a herd of seals
gambolling. I saw a father drubbing his boy beyond the surf; the boy had
evidently gone out too soon, and got exhausted coming back. It must have
relieved the father's feelings, each thump sent the lad under water. As
the bag of the net came towards the hard sand the silver fish showed;
very few I thought for all the trouble and hands employed; not more than
twenty lbs. weight I'd think, all silvery and sky blue and emerald
green; bream and sand-launces and silver fish like whitebait and
herring, all fresh and shining from the beautiful sea mint--the colour
beyond words--green breakers, white surf, blue swell beyond, and brown
figures with red and variously coloured turbans; young and old, all with
such deep shadows on the sand, a scene Sarolea, the Spaniard, might make
a show of painting. A few outsiders, men with clothes, two policemen and
a satellite appeared as the bag came ashore. Scenting plunder they
sailed down and nailed four of the biggest and best fish--horrid shame,
I thought it, these miserable imps in uniform of our Government, to
steal from my naked fisher friends. I hope someone in authority will
read this and have them tied heel and neck.

... In the afternoon G. and I went again to the Marina; I don't think
anything more unfashionable could have been dreamed of. It was again
exquisite--all changed to evening colours, and the wide drive along the
shore had a few promenaders, and a few carriages were drawn up at the
side with ladies and children eating the air. They appeared to be
unofficial people, white traders, I'd fancy, the rest Eurasians and a
few Europeanised natives. There are pretty drives to the Marina, through
park-like roads beautifully bordered with flowering trees, such a
pleasing place that I wonder the official class does not drive there.

Through the outskirts home; the light fading and forms becoming blurred
in the warm evening twilight, past lines of neat little houses, mostly
open towards the street, belonging to Eurasians. In one a children's
party--pretty children in white, girls with great tails of dark
hair--they were pulling crackers and all wore coloured paper hats--next
door in