I must account for being so much away from Lady Gordon. Captain and Mrs Havelock have now joined us, and they were old friends in Mauritius. Latterly Captain H. has been acting as Governor of Seychelles, but Sir Arthur requested that he should be appointed to Fiji, where, I believe, he is to act as treasurer. Mrs Havelock shares Lady Gordon’s taste for remaining quietly at home with the children, so they stay together at Sydney, while I do the sight-seeing. Mrs Havelock has one little girl, Rachel, Lady Gordon’s god-child,—such a quaint, nice, tiny child, whom Jack and Nevil regard as an interesting doll, requiring great care. They are the very nicest little couple possible,—coaxy, loving little things, and most picturesque. They are quite inseparable, and Lady Gordon has never left them for one night. Sir William and Lady Hackett have also arrived from Penang. He is to be judge in Fiji. Mr Maudslay, whom we met at Brisbane, has also joined our party. He is to be Sir Arthur’s extra secretary, and if he finds the country suits him, will perhaps get permanent work in the Isles. He is devoted to botany, natural history, and kindred subjects of interest. Mr Maudslay and another gentleman escorted me to the Blue Mountains last week, where we put up at a very cosy inn and expeditionised. The gorges with great cliffs are very fine, and the valleys densely wooded. Sometimes we went down into deep gullies with tree-ferns far above our heads—very beautiful. When my two companions had to return to Sydney, I went to the tiny cottage where I began this letter. My host was a wood-cutter, with a clean, tidy wife, and a number of very neat children. Such nice people! More independent and outspoken and self-respecting than English of the same class; and the children are all so well brought up. I had spent a long day alone on the verge of a gorge edged with great precipices, and was walking home calmly in the clear moonlight, when I perceived a small regiment coming to meet me. These were all the sturdy youngsters, in age ranging from five to ten, coming in search of my remains! The lion and the mice! They escorted me home cheerily, chatting right out on all subjects! It does seem odd to think of my being so at home, alone in these wild mountains, sitting all day by myself, miles from any human habitation, only seeing a pair of great eagles soaring overhead—no other living thing. * * * * * _August 29, 1875._