IN THE PACIFIC. 109 



very merry evening, the difficulty of repaying 

 him for his hospitality, and for the provisions, 

 &c., we had received, was got over by giving 

 him such things as would be useful to him on 

 the island. Money was of no use, but the 

 officers, one and all, contributed such things as 

 they could spare, and the result was a goodly 

 hamper of old clothes, shoes, flannel, serge, 

 knives, scissors, and soap, besides needles and 

 thread, and a looking-glass for the Senorita, 

 The poor girl looked the picture of delight as 

 she sat in my cabin admiring her treasures, 

 with her lap full of gilt uniform buttons, and a 

 " Eeindeer " ribbon in her hair. As for the 

 colonel, words could not express his gratitude ; 

 but what gave him the greatest delight was a 

 bran new revolver and case, and a pair of hand- 

 cuffs for his unruly subjects. The pistol was 

 fingered to such an extent that it went off in 

 my cabin, lodging the ball in a beam overhead, 

 and as for the handcuffs, he sat up all night 

 clinking them together, occasionally chuckling 

 and cracking his fingers, evidently thinking how 



