The party was large, and food drawing to an end. The evening before arrival at Simon’s Bay there had been a dish of roast guinea-fowls; one of which was set aside for the Governor’s breakfast and placed in a safe that hung over the hatchway, abreast of the mids’ berth, under the charge of the cabin-door sentry. Now, when the sentry went forward to strike eight bells, the safe door being partially open, a hungry mid conveyed the tempting bird to his mess-table, where it disappeared without “fork and knife or noise or strife.” After the landing of the Governor came the painful inquiry, “Who stole the guinea-fowl?” Of course, nobody did, and our leave was confined to Simon’s Bay. [Sidenote: Sept. 7.] We arrived in Simon’s Bay, and following day landed the Governor, Sir Lowry Cole, with all due honours. [Illustration: _The Device of Jonas Coaker._] At Simon’s Bay we found that Jonas Coaker had arrived with his schooner-rigged tank. After crossing the “Line” on his way out, he had been becalmed for some hours, when a rakish-looking schooner, that might have been slaver or pirate--most likely both--hove in sight, bringing a light breeze up. Now, Jonas, being unarmed, had no wish to communicate. He assembled his crew, dressed in white frocks and trousers, and having unshipped the cook’s funnel, which was of polished brass, mounted it on an impromptu carriage, and got the muzzle pointed towards the stranger, with the crew ranged on each side, while he paraded the deck in cocked hat and sidearms. He had also a mid and second master. The stranger got near enough to make out that the schooner’s sails were not of cotton; she in studding sails, and, much to Jonas’s relief, hauled to the wind. Jonas was full of information. On arriving in Simon’s Bay, he, in answer to inquiries of his young officers, how the Cape sheep came to have such broad, flat tails, explained that it arose from their invariably feeding uphill! [Sidenote: Sept. 24.] Jonas Coaker commenced building a stone pier and breakwater from the bottom of the Commodore’s garden. With a small rock in position and material at hand, it is a wonder it was not thought of before. [Sidenote: Oct. 20.] The _Undaunted_, 46, Captain Augustus Clifford, C.B., arrived with Lord William Cavendish-Bentinck, appointed Governor-General of India. [Sidenote: Nov. 5.] Fired a royal salute in commemoration of the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot. [Sidenote: Dec.] Leave of so many being stopped, there were an unusual number of mids in Simon’s Bay, which of course made the place unusually lively. Colonel Blake, the kind Commandant, entertained most hospitably, as did Mr. Osmond, better known as “King John.” Colonel Blake had for years been annoyed by baboons which came down from the mountain and stole his figs. After a while he caught one, flogged, and let it go. He lost no more figs.