eputy and his suite, and provided with fowling-pieces and muskets,
landed at the town, where they were received by a few tom-toms, and some
hundreds of spectators. On their arrival at a house which had been
prepared for their reception, they found a splendid breakfast awaiting
them, to which they did as ample justice as a celebrated traveller to
that which welcomed him at New York, although they did not, like him,
revel to satiety, by plunging into oceans of tea and coffee.

Again the talents of the interpreter were called into action, to explain
the reason why her Majesty could not receive them, which he did by
laying his hand across what medical men would term the abdominal region
(or, as Mrs Ramsbottom would have said, "her abominable region") and
informing them that the queen was not well there. The party required no
further explanation. They expressed their regrets, finished their
breakfast, and then stated themselves ready to proceed.

"Game not come yet, sar--game not come till to-morrow."

"Well, then, we must go to it," replied Courtenay.

"Ah, gentleman not understand shoot in this country," continued the
interpreter, who then, with some difficulty, contrived to make them
understand that about four thousand men had been summoned to drive the
game close to the town, and that, to ensure a sufficiency of sport, the
sweep which they had taken was so great, that they would not close in
till the next morning. He added, that as, perhaps, they would like to
see the jungle to which the game was to be driven, horses and elephants
had been prepared, and refreshments would be provided at any spot where
they might wish to alight.

Macallan, who had provided himself with his hammers, and other
implements requisite in the pursuit of his favourite sciences,
mineralogy and geology, was not sorry for the delay, and the remainder
of the party were satisfied with the idea of a pleasant excursion.
Previous to their setting off; a variety of performers were ordered in
to amuse them with feats of juggling and address, which would have been
acknowledged, if seen in England, to have far surpassed those of the
celebrated Ramoo Samee and his associates. Amongst the rest, the
majestic attitudes of the dancing snakes particularly attracted the
attention of Macallan, who expressed to the interpreter his wish to
procure one of the species (the famed cobra di capella), with the fangs
not extracted. The interpreter, after a few word