e_
of apples, a silver basket full of sweet cakes, of which the Americans
are very fond: bread--alas! always cut in slices whether at the hotels
or in private, fresh butter,--an improvement on the usual salt butter of
the country, and served, as it generally is, in silver perforated dishes
to allow of the water from the ice to drain through, and a large tureen
of cream toast. This is also a common dish, being simply slices of toast
soaked in milk or cream and served hot. It often appears at the hotels,
but there it is milk toast, and is not so good. I thought the cream
toast excellent, and a great improvement on our bread and milk in
England, but papa did not like it. The Governor and his fair daughter
presided at the table, the Governor first saying grace very reverently,
and we had a very pleasant repast.

After this we were conducted to the drawing-room. Such a _bijou_ of a
room! The size was about twenty feet by eighteen, and the walls and
ceiling, including doors, window-frames, and shutters--there were no
curtains, might have been all made of the purest white china. It is a
most peculiar and desirable varnish which is used on their wood-work
that gives this effect. Mr. Tyson told us that it is made of Canada
balsam, and that it comes therefore from our own territory, so that it
is very stupid of Cubitt and others not to make use of it. The effect is
like what the white wood-work of our drawing-room was when it was first
finished, and you may imagine the appearance of the whole room being
done with this fine white polish everywhere. We see it in all the hotels
and railway carriages, so that it cannot be expensive. The windows were
pointed, and the shutters were made to slide into the walls. They were
shut on that evening, and were made, as they often are, with a small
piece of Venetian blind-work let into them, also painted white. If we
had called in the morning we should probably have found the room in
nearly total darkness, as we found to be the case at Mr. Neil's, for the
dear Americans seem too much afraid of their sun. There was a white
marble table in the centre of this drawing-room, and the room was well
lighted with gas. The only ornament was a most lovely ideal head in
marble by Power, the sculptor of the Greek slave. The simplicity and
beauty of the room could not be surpassed, and we spent a most
interesting evening.

The father and daughter we found to be full of intelligence and
knowledge of our best