finding that did not succeed, he gave a kick and a rear, and then getting his head down, commenced and sustained a series of jumps straight up and down, with his back hogged and his four feet collected together like the sign of the Golden Fleece. For about five minutes, very long ones to me, this was kept up with great spirit, and not one of the half-dozen farming men around could or would get hold of the brute's head. A little more of this rude exercise would have fairly tired me into a tumble, when luckily for my bones one of the men seized the snaffle by a sudden spring, and the buckjumper, with one entrechat of greater "force" than the rest, concluded the dance. I got from the speculators "kudos" for keeping what is sometimes vacated on such occasions, namely the saddle. The remains of a stout Cape buffalo-hide whip attest the revenge I took on the ribs of my raw-boned steed.

G. F. fared worse, for his horse, after carrying him quietly at first, suddenly became restive, ran among the trees, and finally struck him off by a blow on the face, leaving him stunned and bleeding on the ground. Neither did the already battered Governor escape further mishap; for, getting into a tandem to perform the last twelve miles of the journey, the wheeler fell over the root of a tree, and threw him fairly over the splash-board, adding more bruises to his already liberal share. The travellers, however, reached at sunset the hospitable roof of Lake Innes Cottage, where we recruited ourselves until the 22d. Bruce's bagpipes were in good wind and condition; the same may be said of the eight or nine young ladies in the house, who took

SCHEHERAZADE IN A STEAMBOAT.

45

care that the Sydney gentlemen should not forget how to dance for want of practice. On that day our party, with a numerous cavalcade of the fair and the brave, quitted Lake Innes for Port Macquarie, where at eleven A.M. we embarked once more in the Maitland steamer, for Sydney.

The voyage was nowise remarkable; except that taletelling, by way of killing time, having been suggested, the subjects thereof being restricted to occurrences that had personally happened to the narrators; and further, the lot having fallen on the lively and agreeable Mrs. to tell the first tale; we were all charmed by the inimitably quaint manner in which she related "The Midshipman, a reminiscence of my school days."

"At ten years of age," began the fair story-teller, “I was placed by my parents at Mrs. ———————'s seminary for young ladies, situated in a fashionable suburb of the metropolis. It was the first time I had ever left home. I pass over the ordinary incidents, all of them wretched enough, of a child's initiation into public life; for such indeed may be styled the step from the nursery to the boarding-school. Suffice it to say, that I found myself the junior of some eighteen or twenty pupils, none of whom I had ever seen before.

Supper was over; and at nine o'clock I was conducted by the assistant to the bed-room, where seven others besides myself were to sleep. Accustomed to my home comforts and to a room, if not entirely unshared, at least only by my sisters, I was somewhat shocked by this gregarious arrangement; but I derived some consolation from finding that I had a fellow in misfortune, another

fresh girl, as the phrase was, who had arrived only an hour after myself-a well-grown handsome young lady, of about fourteen, who at the supper table had appeared no less downcast than I-thereby, bringing upon herself the somewhat sarcastic notice of the other pupils. The governess, after ushering our party, whereof the fresh girl' made one, into the dormitory assigned to us, placed a candle on the table in the middle of the room, and said, 'Young ladies, twenty minutes are allowed you to prepare for bed. The pupil who arrived last at the establishment must then put out the light.'

"I had almost forgotten to say that the scholars slept in pairs, and that the 'fresh girl' had been allotted to me. The usual preparations for boarding-school going to bed-the day not being Saturday!—were completed pretty rapidly; when, suddenly, the new young lady, who was undressing behind the bed-curtains, giving a preliminary 'hem!' exclaimed, 'Young ladies, I find it is my duty to put out the light. This is really very awkward in my case-very awkward indeed. But before you proceed further in your night-toilettes I feel bound in honour to tell you that I am-hem!-that I am a Midshipman in disguise. My dress the long and the short of it is, young ladies, that I can't and won't go to the table to 'douse the glim!'

"Conceive, if you can," continued the fair narrator, "the effect of the startling announcement. Six of the girls rolled themselves, according to their several stages of dishabille, in curtains, counterpanes, or the nearest wrapper at hand. No one would move an inch from her refuge; no one, therefore, would or could put out

THE MIDSHIPMAN.

47

the candle. As for me, I screamed out 'I will never sleep with a Midshipman!' and forthwith ensconced myself under the bed. Meanwhile, twenty minutes or half-an-hour elapsed. The mistress of the school appeared: 'Why,' demanded she, 'is the light not extinguished? why, young ladies, are you not in bed?' 'Ma'am,' exclaimed the eldest pupil, a girl of sixteen, all out of breath, 'Oh, Ma'am, there is a Midshipman in the room! the tall, new young lady, he is hiding behind the curtains!' And where is Miss J"And where is Miss J?' asked the

mistress.

Here, Ma'am,' whimpered I from under the bed, 'I won't sleep with a Midshipman, no, I won't!"" The conclusion of this little and literally true story is simple enough. The Honourable Harriett the newcomer, fancying that her schoolfellows seemed inclined to quiz the "Fresh girl;" (for girl, and fine girl, and good and clever girl, she was,) and acting upon the spur of a lively disposition, as well as upon a hint obligingly given her before she left home by her brother, a real Midshipman, had struck out this original method of proving to her sister students that nature had not made her to be the butt of an establishment for young ladies.

CHAPTER III.

[1847.]

VISIT TO NEW ZEALAND-HISTORICAL NOTES-FIRST SETTLERS-MISSIONARIES CONQUEST OF HONGI, THE TRAVELLED MAORI GOVERNMENT

ESTABLISHED-TREATY OF WAITANGI-FIRST COLLISIONS-INADEQUATE RESOURCES OF THE ENGLISH GOVERNMENT-AUGMENTED FORCES-COOPERATION OF FRIENDLY CHIEFS-THE REVOLT CRUSHED.

I HAD long determined to seize the first favourable opportunity of visiting New Zealand-its chief settlements, military posts and battle-fields, and of making such notes as might be useful at the head-quarters of the Australasian Command in case of further warfare. And the Lieutenant-General Commanding the Forces having expressed his approval of the step, and supported it by giving me a mission "on particular service," I considered myself fortunate in receiving from Commander Hoseason, commanding H.M.'s steam-sloop Inflexible, the kind offer of a passage in that ship on her return to Auckland, New Zealand, from Sydney, in the summer of 1847.

At mid-day on the 4th of December, accordingly, H.M.'s sloop got under weigh, and, after clearing the heads of Port Jackson, found the August English mail