80 {SLES oF SUMMER. 
within several rods of the dock when a dozen nearly naked 
little Africans commenced the sport of diving off the dock into 
the deep water after the coins which the passengers threw over- 
board. They seemed to be amphibious and were all expert 
swimmers. They generally succeeded in securing the much 
coveted prizes before the latter reached the bottom. But little, 
in fact no real annoyance, aside from the delay, was experienced 
from the custom house officials, and we soon found ourselves at 
home in the Royal Victoria Hotel, one of the finest buildings of 
the kind in the Western world. 
