X 
JOLLY GOOD FELLOWS 
135 
unhurt, but lost his helmet ; while, with my usual ill 
luck, the line caught me violently across the eyelids 
and nose, quite stunning me for the moment. 
The suggestion that I should be carried back to the 
hotel on a “ lady’s-chair,” made by two pairs of hands, 
however, quickly brought me to my senses ; so I 
managed to walk back, had my face bathed, and my 
nose all plastered up, and, thus repaired, went to the 
dance. You cannot accuse me of vanity, for in an 
hour’s time, when I could no longer endure the pain, 
and had to come back, I was a hideous sight, and next 
morning had two of the blackest of black eyes, which 
will last for many days to come, to say nothing of a 
broken nose. 
The last of the ships left next morning, and a good 
many of those who were at the dance came to the 
hotel at one in the morning to make their final adieux. 
They danced, they sang, and they made speeches ; they 
hip-hip-hoorayed, and sang “ For they are jolly good 
fellows,” and “ We won’t go home till morning ” (they 
certainly did not), and finally, I think, they danced on 
the table, for in the morning its back was broken. 
When they left, I went to stay for a week at the 
Residency, where Mr. Douglas has been untiring in his 
efforts to get me flowers, and whence we have made 
several excursions to the neighbouring islands. We 
spent one delightful day picnicking at Hammond Island, 
starting off early in the morning, and taking our lunch 
with us. We walked to an old mining claim which 
was almost deserted, one man alone believing in its 
fortune, and working steadily on alone. The day had 
become oppressively warm, and the walk there and 
back through the heavy sand was so tiring that (now 
don’t laugh at me) I fell asleep while still walking ! 
We boiled our kettle on the beach and had “ Billy ” 
