a{Air--"Pur dicesti" _Lotti._ b{Song--"Robin Adair" ---- Madame Albani. The White House. February 28, 1883. At the conclusion of the concert a splendid supper was served in the banqueting hall. As I had to attend upon no less than five ladies, the President observed at the close of the feast that I had had nothing to eat myself. He, therefore, gave orders that on the departure of the guests another supper should be served, at which he occupied the chair. The repast was really of the first order. It was interspersed with excellent Veuve Clicquot, and the President afterwards ordered in cigars and related to me some most interesting anecdotes of his earlier career. He also gave me an account of the alarm felt at New York when one Sunday the _Merrimac_ was expected to come up the bay in order to levy contributions on the city; there being no powder in the forts and but few cannon balls, all of the wrong calibre. Fortunately she met the _Monitor_, who soon gave a good account of her. We gave a grand _matinée_ the following day, with Patti as "La Traviata," when people paid even for standing in the passages, where they could only occasionally hear sounds. At the close of the morning performance our special train started for Boston, where we arrived late the next day. Here further calculations were made in the daily papers as to the value of Patti's notes, _Semiramide_ showing 30 cents. for every note she sang, whilst in "Lucia" the rate of 42 1/2 cents. per note was reached. We afterwards performed _Faust_ with Albani, and some of the grand operas, such as _L'Africaine_, _Les Huguenots_, _Lohengrin_, and _Aida_. Towards the close of our engagement Wagner's _Flying Dutchman_ was given for the first time on the Italian stage at Boston. A rather startling event occurred during the first act on the arrival of the Phantom Ship, which, after sweeping gracefully round, broadside to the audience, suddenly capsized, casting the Dutchman and his crew promiscuously on to the stage, the masts going straight across the occupants of the stalls and the sails covering Arditi, who was then at the desk. At this juncture loud screams were heard. They came from the wife of the principal baritone, who, witnessing the accident, had fears for her husband's safety. The choristers, who were thrown pell-mell into the water, and on to their stomachs, began with a great deal of tact to strike out as if swimming, until--as soon as possible--the curtain was lowered. The ship was soon set on its keel again, but nothing could induce Galassi to board the vessel. At the close of the Boston engagement, which was highly successful, we returned to New York, where we remained some five weeks, performing a different opera almost nightly.