g robbed at night. The cabin, to be sure,
was broken into, but it was done in daylight, and the thieves got no
more than a box of smoked herrings before "Tom" Ledson, one of the
port officials, caught them red-handed, as it were, and sent them to
jail. This was discouraging to pilferers, for they feared Ledson more
than they feared Satan himself. Even Mamode Hajee Ayoob, who was the
day-watchman on board,--till an empty box fell over in the cabin and
frightened him out of his wits,--could not be hired to watch nights,
or even till the sun went down. "Sahib," he cried, "there is no need
of it," and what he said was perfectly true.

At Mauritius, where I drew a long breath, the _Spray_ rested her
wings, it being the season of fine weather. The hardships of the
voyage, if there had been any, were now computed by officers of
experience as nine tenths finished, and yet somehow I could not forget
that the United States was still a long way off.

The kind people of Mauritius, to make me richer and happier, rigged up
the opera-house, which they had named the "_Ship Pantai_."[F] All decks
and no bottom was this ship, but she was as stiff as a church. They gave
me free use of it while I talked over the _Spray's_ adventures. His
Honor the mayor introduced me to his Excellency the governor from the
poop-deck of the _Pantai._ In this way I was also introduced again to
our good consul, General John P. Campbell, who had already introduced me
to his Excellency, I was becoming well acquainted, and was in for it now
to sail the voyage over again. How I got through the story I hardly
know. It was a hot night, and I could have choked the tailor who made
the coat I wore for this occasion. The kind governor saw that I had done
my part trying to rig like a man ashore, and he invited me to Government
House at Reduit, where I found myself among friends.

[F] Guinea-hen

It was winter still off stormy Cape of Good Hope, but the storms might
whistle there. I determined to see it out in milder Mauritius,
visiting Rose Hill, Curipepe, and other places on the island. I spent
a day with the elder Mr. Roberts, father of Governor Roberts of
Rodriguez, and with his friends the Very Reverend Fathers O'Loughlin
and McCarthy. Returning to the _Spray_ by way of the great flower
conservatory near Moka, the proprietor, having only that morning
discovered a new and hardy plant, to my great honor named it "Slocum,"
which he said Latinized it at once, saving