222 Letter XVII. 
the authorities have provided instruments, and allowed them to 
form themselves into a band. This band plays every Thursday 
and Sunday afternoons—plays high-class music, and plays it 
well too. Some of the convicts employ their leisure hours in 
carving nautilus and cocoanut shells, producing very pretty re- 
sults, and selling them at very moderate prices. 
The communists, of whom there are now a large number, are 
kept quite separate from the convicts, their quarters being on a 
peninsula of the main island. They have there comparatively 
comfortable habitations, are not made to work, and have plenty 
of food to eat and plenty of time for reflection. Altogether 
they are not badly off. 
About a fortnight after our arrival in Noumea, we were 
obliged to flit. As we were sitting at dinner one day, a gentle- 
man appeared with a servant and portmanteau, and proved to 
be, as I could see at a glance, the owner of the cottage returned 
from the country. He seemed greatly taken aback at the sight 
of a company of strangers seated comfortably in his house, for 
he had received no notice of our occupation. Of course, we 
were in rather a fix too; but after explaining to him how mat- 
ters stood, he very considerately gave us the use of the house 
until his lease was up—this, however, was in two days’ time, so 
that we did not receive very much benefit from his kindness. 
We commenced then to look about for other quarters, and 
would probably have experienced considerable difficulty, had 
not a gentleman come forward and put at our disposal a store 
and offices which he had just built, and which were still stand- 
ing empty. We occupied these buildings as our sleeping apart- 
ments, and went to a hotel for our meals. We now were 
obliged to fall in with French customs. Two meals a day— 
breakfast at ten a.m. and dinner at six p.m. The. latter meal 
could be prolonged over most of the evening if we felt in- 
clined ; and, as we had nothing to do, generally we felt so in- 
clined. Innumerable little courses of meat, &c., dressed in 
