X BRILLIANT SEA-FLOWERS 133 
and faces one hears and sees ! Britons, Italians, 
Spaniards, Maltese, Hindus, Cingalese, Negroes, Malays, 
Kanakas ; at least a dozen or more different national- 
ities. A Cingalese, who is on the verandah when we 
get back, comes and exhibits his wares outside my 
sitting-room window, — twenty-guinea cats* -eyes, bad 
pearls, and Colombo-set rings. " Nothing so beautiful 
seen here before," he keeps on telling us. At last, in 
disgust he leaves us, with a parting shot, " This ship no 
good ; no buy.'' It seems so strange in this far-away 
place to hear the bugle-calls. 
Each morning I get up at daylight, and come back 
with a bunch of flowers which are worthy to form a 
gift for our queen. They are truly beautiful here, and 
all new to me. Mr. Savile Kent, the Inspector of 
Fisheries, is staying at this hotel, and each morning, 
at low tide, he goes out hunting on the reefs. The 
verandah is covered with the most beautiful living 
corals and sea anemones of every shape and colour ; 
varying from deepest crimson to pale pink, as well as 
every shade of mauve, purple, blue, yellow, and green ; 
I did not know, before, that such brilliant sea-flowers 
existed. I remember that a diver in Western Australia 
once made me long to go down with him, for he told 
me there were far more beautiful gardens under the sea 
than above it. 
I wish that the nights were days, for there is so much 
to be done. By this post I send you a sketch of a bird's- 
eye view of the town and the warships, taken from the 
site where they have commenced the fortifications. It 
blew a gale up there (it always does), and I was working 
under difficulties when I made my sketch ; first my hat 
went, then my umbrella, and I was glad at last to turn 
my face homewards, for the sun was scorching, and I 
already begin to look like a half-caste. 
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