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CALIFORNIA ILLUSTRATED. 
sure, he, no doubt, dreamed of a canoe of bis own, and a raw 
bide to sleep on ; instead of going naked, as be bad done all 
bis life, be miglit have a red bandana to tie around bis neck; 
he thought of abundance of broiled lizard, with plantain cooked 
in ’possum fat for dessert. With such bright visions in the fu¬ 
ture, it is not astonishing that, in wading swamps and cutting 
through chaparrals, he distanced those under his pilotage. 
Nor was there a want of zeal on the part of Her Britannic 
Majesty’s agent. He too had aspirations. He was on a mission 
which, if successful, must result in incalculable benefit to the 
world in general, and to Her Britannic Majesty’s government in 
'particular. If successful, knighthood was the least he could 
expect, with the prospect of a niche, eventually, in Westminster 
Abbey. 
Never were mortals more eager for immortality, nor was it 
ever more clearly within their reach ; for even now, at this 
point in the drama, the very dogs of his Majesty seemed to 
proclaim it—the royal encampment was in sight. The party 
deployed into a single file, and prepared to approach the presence. 
They took the monarch by surprise; he was stretched out at 
full length, on a “ highly-scented ” raw hide, under the shade 
of a palm-tree, as naked as he came into the world. He was 
amusing himself by trying to “get up” a fight between a parrot 
and a young monkey; his squaw was broiling a couple of lizards 
or guanas , and roasting plantains for dinner. 
The interview was at first embarrassing, but after consulting 
the demijohn, they seemed imbued with a more fraternizing 
spirit, and commenced conversation on the subject of empire, 
and the prerogative of kings. Her Britannic Majesty’s agent 
felt himself a man of importance, and at first seemed somewhat 
patronizing; but the monarch had consulted the demijohn too 
often to be outdone, and, as a proof of his invincibility, he ex¬ 
hibited a huge turtle, which had fallen a victim to his machet; 
he had climbed a tree that none of his men could climb, and 
caught sixteen “’possums,” all hanging by the same tail from 
the same limb; he had taken his biggest dog by the tail, and 
swung him around his head three times, and declared he would 
do it again for their amusement. “ Carlo” was immediately 
seized by the tail, but feeling a little sensitive, he curled up, bit 
