ality of its own, no
manufactures or products, unless the wretched coalmines adjacent, with
their dirty output, which is scoffed at by the grimiest tug afloat,
could be dignified by the name.

Remembering, as I did, the beauty, the energy, and prosperity of the
great New Zealand ports, some of them with not a tithe of the natural
advantages of Russell, I felt amazed, almost indignant, at its
dead-and-alive appearance.

Our anchor was no sooner down than the captains of the JAMES ARNOLD,
MATILDA SAYER, and CORAL lowered and came on board, eager to hear or to
tell such news as was going. As we had now grown to expect, all work was
over immediately the sails were fast and decks cleared up, so that we
were free to entertain our visitors. And a high old time we had of it
that afternoon! What with songs, dances, and yarns, the hours flew
by with lightning speed. Our Kanakas, too, were overjoyed to find
compatriots among the visitors, and settled down to a steady stream of
talk which lasted, without intermission, the whole night through. It was
a wonderful exhibition of tongue-wagging, though what it was all about
puzzled me greatly.

Life on board those three ships, though described in glowing terms by
the visitors, was evidently not to be mentioned for comfort in the same
breath as ours. But we found that our late captain's fame as a "hard
citizen" was well known to all; so that it is only ordinary justice to
suppose that such a life as he led us was exceptional for even a Yankee
spouter. Our friends gave us a blood-curdling account of the Solander
whaling ground, which we were about to visit, the JAMES ARNOLD and CORAL
having spent a season there that cruise. I did not, however, pay much
attention to their yarns, feeling sure that, even if they were fact,
it would not help to brood over coming hardships, and inclined to give
liberal discount to most of their statements. The incessant chatter,
got wearisome at last, and I, for one, was not sorry when, at two in the
morning, our visitors departed to their several ships, and left us to
get what sleep still remained left to us.

A pleasant expedition was planned for the next day. Our visit being
principally for wooding and watering, both of which it was necessary
for us to do ourselves, Captain Count showed his usual promptitude in
commencing at once. Permission having been obtained and, I suppose,
paid for, we set out with two boats and a plentiful supply of axes for a
we