dent, by the noon hour. Standing
on deck long before it was time for breakfast, we feasted our eyes on
the green hills that were in plain sight, and then fell to wondering
what sort of a welcome awaited us in the New Zealand seaport that we
were rapidly nearing.

While at the breakfast table that morning Capt. Morse was presented by
Gen. Strange, on behalf of the passengers, with a purse of $200 as a
testimonial to his skill, kindness and uniform courtesy. The big Captain
was taken by surprise, but he acknowledged the gift in a brief and manly
speech that brought out a round of applause from the listeners.

The harbor at Auckland is reached by means of a winding passage walled
in by hills of volcanic origin, and the bay itself is second only to
that of Sydney in beauty, the sides of the high hills that wall it in
being dotted here and there by pretty residences of white stone,
surrounded by broad porticos and handsomely arranged grounds. The town
was as quiet as a country funeral and this we marveled at until we were
informed that we had lost a day from our calendar and that instead of
being Saturday as we had thought, it was Sunday. Leigh Lynch, who had
been detained at Sydney, had sent his cousin, Will Lynch, to meet us and
as the steamer was made fast to the dock he came on board with a bouquet
of flowers for the different members of the party. Several newspaper
men, who followed him shortly afterward, expressed their regret that we
had not arrived the day before, as then we could have played to some
eight or ten thousand people. We had expected to remain in Auckland but
a few hours and were therefore agreeably surprised when Capt. Morse
informed us that the Alameda would remain there to coal until 5 o'clock
the next afternoon.

After a good dinner at the Imperial Hotel, Mrs. Anson and myself,
accompanied by others of the party, drove about Auckland and its
environs and though a drizzling rain was falling we found much to admire
and to wonder at in the vicinity of that New Zealand seaport. Soon after
sundown the skies cleared and that evening we enjoyed ourselves in
strolling about the streets, being determined to make the most of the
short time on shore that was allotted to us.

The next day dawned bright and beautiful, and, after paying a visit to
the City Hall, where we received a warm welcome from Mayor Devore, we
proceeded to get into our base-ball uniforms and prepare for the game
that was to take place tha