"How many of these has he had?" I hear the Doctor say, and I perceived that he was holding up an empty tumbler. I should like to explain that, as we were engaged in composition, there had been 'composing draughts.' I fancy I caught the tone of the Clever Captain's voice in reply, but the next minute I felt myself being lifted up and carried off. I wished to tell them of my strange adventure, and how I had barely escaped with my life, but somehow drowsiness overcame me, and I must have fallen asleep. BUSINESS AS BEFORE. To-day I sit down to write out this strange story. Once I asked the Cautious Captain and the Doubting Doctor "if they had seen anything of my pickaxe and the sack of diamonds." But they only smiled at one another, elevated their eyebrows, then winked, and laughed. What is their little game? No matter. I will lie low. My motto is "Diamonds are trumps." I'm not here as _Aladdin_ for nothing. "Aha!" as the old melodramatic villain used to say, "a time will come! No mattar!" RATHER CURRIE-OUS! I don't know whether it is owing to my voyage in a DONALD CURRIE steamer--'twas the first opportunity that ever I had of tasting a DONALD CURRIE, and excellent it is, as of course, was all our "board" on board--(send this joke to WOLFFY--he'll work it up and make a real _impromptu_ sparkler of it--and I don't grudge him the _kudos_ of it, not one little bit)--or to the change of air, but I am bound to say openly that I do think the G.O.M. has been right about most things, especially about Majuba (who was _Pa_ JUBA? Send this to DRUMMY WOLFFY), and--well, I shall have more to say on this subject. If this meets the eye of any friendly person, will he kindly remember me to my Uncle? Thanks. That's the ticket. More anon. [Illustration: (Signature) Grandolph the Explorer.] * * * * * ROBERT ON THE HEMPERER'S WISIT TO THE CITY. The pore owerworked Committee has gone and got thereselves into a nice mess, and all by their kindness in wanting to let as many people as possibel see the grate show on Friday. They has acshally bin and ordered a grate bilding with rows of seats, out in Gildhall Yard, enuff to hold about a thousand Ladies and Gentlemen, all in their best close, with capital views of ewerybody and ewerythink, and now they are told that it won't be posserbel not to give em nothing to heat or to drink, tho' they must set there quite quiet for at least three hours! I wunder what they will all think of Copperashun Horspitality after that!