NEW year's eve. 279 



hearted fellow) mildly expostulated, and our purser 

 blew up until he got red in the face. Our 

 cook was the very worst the old gentleman (we 

 are always civil to the devil in Africa) ever 

 provided ; he could not dress a simple joint 

 properly, even by mistake, and we suffered ac- 

 cordingly. 



We visited the convent of Santa ' Clara and 

 divers shops, where we bought some feather- 

 flowers, embroidered petticoats, handkerchiefs, and 

 such like gear, with sundry inlaid workboxes for 

 " those we had left behind," and some comfortable 

 wicker-work chairs and couches for our better 

 accommodation on board, where even seats were 

 scarce, and then Freeman and I spent New Year's 

 Eve with the charming family of Mr. Blandy, an 

 English merchant proverbial for his hospitality. 



We were a merry party, and the fevy remaining 

 hours of the old year flew rapidly past, as time 

 always does when the heart is light ; still, happy as 

 we were in the circle of bright faces round us, our 

 thoughts ^often veered back over the sea, to the 

 well-remembered firesides, where our seats were 



