By the way, I recently heard a story about a party of such visitants, who boarded the ship Twilight in King George’s Sound. Amongst them were the daughters of one of the most aristocratic families in the town. The steward of the vessel, supposing of course that they were ladies, had gone to considerable pains in preparing a collation, which the guests seemed much to enjoy. After concluding their repast, they stuffed their pockets with the cakes they were unable to eat; indeed, one went so far as to make her bosom a storehouse for provender. They then adjourned to the quarter-deck for a dance; and, as they displayed much activity during its progress, the hidden dainties were dropped: an eclaircissement which much surprised the neophytes of the ship, who were unaccustomed to such practices. The possessors were by no means disconcerted; but, re-collecting their prizes, continued the dance. This relation of New Holland manners may by some be deemed overwrought and extravagant; but, as I have the story from most reliable authority, I can vouch for its correctness. I have seen the participants, and although, as I before said, they belonged to the first circles and affected to be aristocratic, were they arrayed in jacket and trowsers, they would make first-rate man-of-war’s men. And now that the Abrolhas’ are dropping astern, we will contrast the present state of our feelings with what they were when we entered this channel, five weeks since. Then we were pregnant with hope: no doubt existing in our minds as to the preconceived certainty of taking several hundred barrels of oil--the only damper to our ardent expectation being the forethought of our toil in towing. The possibility of there being no whales never struck us; for we had from various testimonies of their presence put this point so far beyond all question, that if any one had started the least misgivings he would have been treated with derision. At that time, too, we firmly expected to leave directly for home on quitting the islands; having only to make a short stoppage at the Island of St. Helena for water. But now we had before us the unpleasant prospect of another cruise; and this still more darkened with the thought of our putting into ports, where the little we had due to us would most likely be foolishly spent. Instead of the hundreds of barrels of oil that we had anticipated to have stowed below, we had two hundred barrels of salt-water; and to counterbalance our other disappointments we had--just nothing at all. Yet, had we not made the attempt, none of us would have been satisfied; and I think the captain perfectly justified, although the result was so disastrous.