we have been running Whitehead torpedoes. Some of us have been away sailing this afternoon.

March 18th.-The Russian corvette Vestnik, which had arrived two days ago, hoisted the Russian flag half-mast high at 8 A.M. and topped her yards on end, on account of the assassination of the Emperor of Russia, the news of which had arrived by telegram on the 14th. By a curious coincidence it was here, August 15th, 1867, that the Duke of Edinburgh in the Galatea received the news of the murder of the Emperor Maximilian of Mexico. At that date, too, the colony was "in indifferent circumstances," a cattle plague, a disease among the sheep, the grape disease, and excessive speculation having more or less involved all classes in distress. In compliment the squadron, with colours at half mast, joined in the funeral salute. The Russian corvette fired a salute of thirty-one guns, beginning at 11 A.M., and each ship of the squadron in succession in order of seniority fired twenty-one minute-guns, as also did the Flora and Tamar. Before the firing our bands played the Dead March in Saul and at the conclusion the Russian hymn. Basset, our new midship

man, joined. He started from England to the Pacific, intending to join the Bacchante there, and had got as far as the West Indies when, hearing that the squadron had been ordered to the Cape, he returned again to England and started afresh.

March 19th.-Cricket-match at Wynberg, Bacchante v. Tourmaline, Carysfort, Cleopatra, the former winning by thirty-five runs. The corvettes in the first innings scored 74, and in the second 65; the Bacchante in the first innings scored 109. Eddy went over to see Mr. Southey, and afterwards rode on the grey horse which the Prince Imperial was trying to mount just before his death, June 1st, 1879; he is a strong, powerful, and very tall animal, and went very well. The uniform worn by the Prince Imperial was found afterwards, in November of the same year, in a kraal near Ulundi, the whole front of it having been pierced by assegais. The Zulu who actually inflicted the death-wound was afterwards killed at Ulundi. He also called on the Bishop of Cape Town at Wynberg. The total bag obtained during our two months' sojourn here was a single hare of the lop-eared species, which was shot to-day by one of our indefatigable shipmates, who had been out after him for many days on the hills above Simon's Bay.

March 23rd. In the afternoon squadron regatta, pulling races. The Governor and suite came on board to see it, and lunched with the captain. The Cleopatra's boats won the majority of the races;

the Bacchante's won three, and the flagship's two. Our launch won the all-comers' race, and the officers' race was also won by a Bacchante's crew which George coxed; they were-bow, Evelyn Le Marchant; 2, A. M.Farquhar; 3, F. B. Henderson; 4, C. H. Moore; stroke, H. Roxby. The course was two and a-half miles; we started from the Cleopatra, pulled round Roman Rock, then under the Bacchante's stern, and finished at the flagship.

March 24th.-The sailing regatta began at 10.30 A.M. For the first six races the boats all started together, quite a swarm of them along the hawser. Our cutter, sailed by Christian, won the cutters' race easily; and our pinnace was winning in the pinnaces' race, but was fouled at the mark-boat. The course was eight miles with nearly three miles dead beat to windward. The boats started from Cleopatra, rounded a mark-boat four cables astern of her, beat up to Noah's Ark, passed it on the port hand, rounded the Roman Rock and Castor Beacon, then back to mark-boat, and round again, finishing off at flagship direct from Castor Rock. The flagship's launch won the all-comers' race. The France, transport, came in from England with troops for the Transvaal, but very likely they will not be landed now, for the war is over with the British defeat at Majuba. Mr. Blake gave a tea-party to the men of the squadron at the Temperance Rooms ashore, to which thirty-two of our ship's company went and much enjoyed themselves.

March 25th. The race for the Admiral's cup for all-comers, any rig (boats handicapped), came off at 11 A.M. There were thirtytwo entries, and the result was that the Inconstant's cutter, sailed by the flag-captain, came in first; the Carysfort's second; and the Bacchante's cutter, sailed by Mr. Farquhar, came in third. The race was over the same eight-mile course as yesterday. At 5 P.M. all the officers and coxswains of boats who had won any prizes went on board the flagship, where Mrs. Wright, the wife of the commander of the Flora, gave them away. I got a very nice little cup. March 26th.-The Squadron played a return match against the Western Province Cricket Club, and won by thirty runs. Squadron, first innings 130; Western Province, first innings 100; second innings 49 and five wickets to fall. The Admiral made a semaphore: "Boer peace signed; Squadron to proceed to Singapore after the arrival of the next mail from England, expected on April 1st." Up to this period speculation had been rife as to whether we should be ordered home, or beat back against the westerlies round Cape Horn, and thus resume our original

cruise. Although this would have been a somewhat lengthy passage, it was held that it would be a capital seasoning for the officers and men of the Training Squadron; and it would have been a fine thing to have done that, which no one is recorded to have done before-sailed straight across from the Cape of Good Hope to the Horn, without first running up the "trades" to the Plate. If unsuccessful at first, the plan was suggested of steering south to latitude 60°, and trying to pick up a south or east wind south of the westerlies. It might have been rather cold, and we should have seen some icebergs and more fog, but it would have hardened us up a bit. Another speculation was that we might have sailed up with the south-east trade and crossed to Monte Video (as Sir Home Popham did) and picked up the lost thread of our cruise, and gone on from there to Valparaiso; then, omitting Vancouver altogether, made straight for the Sandwich Islands, and kept the dates as originally arranged from Honolulu. During the afternoon we went to play lawn tennis at Captain Wright's and had some very good games.

March 27th.-Strong south-easter blowing, and the sea getting up, but, as usual, with it a clear sky and bright sun. Admiral made signal to "prepare for sea on Saturday," in six days' time. Had Sunday services, as usual, on the main deck. In the afternoon many officers came on board from the France, and had a look over the ship.

March 28th.-Watched the sun rise this morning in a clear sky, but full of colour over the Hottentot hills. At 6 A.M. the Tamar went out to try her engines. She was to have taken Sir Hercules. Robinson to Natal. The same drill to-day as on many days in succession crossed royal yards, loosed sails, hauled out to a bowline. We went to school, the men to general quarters. My boat was down, so I had to take the officers on shore and letters on board the Flora and flagship. Then we manned and armed boats and got out stream anchor and cable in the launch. After evening quarters I read for two hours, then had tea.

March 29th.-General Roberts arrived to-day by mail eighteen. days from England-the usual mail to England takes twenty-two days-to take command of the British force for restoring order in the Transvaal; but he returns by the next mail (April 1st) to England, as they have changed their minds since he left home on the 11th, and there is to be no more war; the peace was signed March 21st, while he was at sea. Most of the troops brought out