BILLY. 
263 
femme d f explorateur (the history of the discov- 
eries of the Portuguese is very fascinating), but 
she now sees that the life is not all romance 
and perpetual picnicking. 
We saw the guard-ship sailing out of the bay, 
and knew that his Excellency had left with his 
family for a few weeks 1 visit to Bancau, a small 
town about eighty miles round the coast, built 
upon a plateau over 2000 feet, almost sheer up 
from the shore, where they hope to recruit their 
health. Only Monsieur Bento and his wife re- 
main here- — and with the latter I had some 
sympathetic housewifely chat over our domestic 
difficulties. The capable servants are gone with 
the family, and Madame is at the mercy of a 
drunken African. On Saturday He received a 
sum for the week’s housekeeping ; he was invis- 
ible on Sunday, and on Monday morning all he 
had to show for the money was a terrible scar on 
his forehead. We expected to get some one to 
replace Goma, who must go to his own island 
this week.; but there seems small chance for us, 
when there is no respectable servant to be found 
for the Governor's household. The chief object 
of our visit, however, was to urge that men 
might be sent to repair our roof and build the 
drying-house for the plants. With all its happi- 
