like a
description of the coronation-dinner!

You must know that "Ned," the Paganini of the Humboldt, (who, by the
way, is almost an historic, or, better perhaps, naval, character,
inasmuch as he was _cook_ on board of the Somers when her captain
performed his little tragedy, to the horror of an entire nation,) had
been in such a state of ecstasy ever since he had heard of the promised
advent of Mrs. ----, that his _proprietors_, as Ned grandly calls them,
had serious fears of being compelled to strait-jacket him.

"You see, sir," said Ned, "when the queen" (with Ned, as with the rest
of the world, "a substitute shines brightly as a queen until a queen be
by,"--and I am the only petticoated astonishment on this Bar) "arrives,
_she_ will appreciate my culinary efforts. It is really discouraging,
sir, after I have exhausted my skill in preparing a dish, to see the
gentlemen devour it with as much unconcern as though it had been cooked
by a mere bungler in our art"!

When we entered our new home, we found the cloth--it was a piece left
of that which lined the room overhead--already laid. As it was unhemmed
and somewhat tattered at the ends, an imaginative mind might fancy it
fringed on purpose, though, like the poor little Marchioness with her
orange-peel and water, one would have to _make believe_ very hard.
Unfortunately, it was not wide enough for the table, and a dashing
border of white pine banded each side of it. Ned had invested an
unknown quantity of gold-dust in a yard of diaper,--awfully
coarse,--which, divided into four pieces, and fringed to match the
tablecloth, he had placed napkin-wise in the tumblers. He had evidently
ransacked the whole bar to get viands wherewith to decorate the various
dishes, which were as follows.

_First Course_
OYSTER SOUP

_Second Course_
FRIED SALMON CAUGHT FROM THE RIVER

_Third Course_
ROAST BEEF & BOILED HAM

_Fourth Course_
FRIED OYSTERS

_Vegetables_
POTATOES & ONIONS

_Pastry_
MINCE PIE, & PUDDING MADE WITHOUT EGGS OR MILK

_Dessert_
MADEIRA NUTS & RAISINS

_Wines_
CLARET & CHAMPAGNE

_Coffee_

I found that Ned had not overrated his powers. The dinner, when one
considers the materials of which it was composed, was really excellent.
The soup was truly a great work of art; the fried oysters dreamily
delicious; and as to the coffee, Ned must have got the receipt for
making it from the ve