vate. In a few minutes the approaches to
Government House, the lobbies, stairs, and landing were impassably
crowded, so that it was necessary for the police to clear a passage
for His Excellency from his own office to that of the Chief
Secretary. His Excellency, accompanied by Captain Timins, entered
the Chief Secretary's office, and after a short conversation with
Welch, who accompanied King to town, went into the anteroom;
accompanied by Captain Timins, and followed by Dr. Wills, Welch,
and Brahe. When His Excellency entered the room, King and his
sister respectfully stood up, but His Excellency requested them to
be seated, as King was evidently unable to stand on his feet. The
excitement was almost too much for the poor fellow, and it was
thought advisable to get him away as speedily and as privately as
possible to St. Kilda, where his sister resides.

A few days afterwards, at a meeting of the Exploration Committee, a
series of questions, more or less pertinent to the circumstances
under which he appeared before them, were personally put to him by
members of the committee, and which he answered calmly, displaying
considerable intelligence and precision of mind in his replies to
the rather discursive examination he was subjected to. The Herald,
in reference to the interview, had the following observations:
--John King was an object of great and curious interest. Having
come out of such great tribulation--having fasted for so many days
in the desert--having been wasted by privations till he became so
near death that for Death to have overcome him would have been no
triumph--he was regarded with feelings similar to those which made
the people say of Dante, "There goes the man who has been in
Hades." Though only a subordinate, he is a man possessing, we
should say--or, indeed, as we know--good leading qualities, the
attributes of a hero; and though his intellectual powers have not
been highly cultivated, he evidently possesses no small share of
intelligence. A man who would mind his own business, and not given
to ask very many questions, which as things have turned out is to
be regretted; but with a memory capable of retaining everything
that came within his knowledge. His coolness rather took aback
those members of the committee, yesterday, who seemed to have come
loaded to the muzzle with questions, which they proceeded to fire
off indiscriminately. He seemed to know better than those
inquisitors the way in which hi