en shorn of most of its enjoyment. Owing to the severe illness
of His Excellency the Governor he was prevented from being present.
We observed Mrs. Seymour, Mrs. Hills, the Admiral, Sir James Douglas
and family, the Chief Justice, Colonial Secretary, officers of
the fleet and several of the principal officials and families.
A more universal assemblage was never known; clergymen of every
denomination, men of all politics, people of all nations, rich and
poor, in fact, mingled together freely, forgetting the sectional and
social differences which divide them, acted as became the occasion,
that of honoring the monarch whose virtues are an example to
the world. The racing was not so successful as last year, but,
nevertheless, was good, and under the management of Mr. Hastings
and Mr. Kelly gave perfect satisfaction.

"The amusements concluded by a duck hunt, but the men were not seen
by more than a dozen people; it may be considered the only failure of
the day. We must not omit to mention that two new racing gigs were
built for the occasion, respectively by Mr. Trahey and Mr.
Lachapelle, boat builders, who take the greatest interest in the
regattas, and spare nothing to make them successful. These boats were
both defeated in their maiden races, but the design and workmanship
of the _Zealous_ and _Amateur_, it is said, would reflect
credit on any country."

CHAPTER XX.

EVOLUTION OF THE VICTORIA POST-OFFICE.

[Portrait: Henry Wootton.]

I have before me at the present moment the envelope of an old letter.
It was received from England in 1863 by my father. The three stamps
on it show a value of 34 cents--one shilling, one fourpence and one
penny. It is only a single letter, and a small one at that. In fact,
if it were any larger it would have had more postage on it. Just
think of the difference between now and then. The first postmaster I
remember in Victoria was J. D'ewes. Something went wrong with the
finances during his incumbency and he suddenly disappeared with a
large sum for a more congenial clime (Australia, I think). D'ewes had
one clerk to assist him in the work of the post-office, by name J. M.
Morrison. He was succeeded by Mr. Henry Wootton, father of Stephen
Wootton, registrar-general, and Edward Wootton, the barrister. Mrs.
Wootton, senior, is still with us, hale and hearty, I am glad to say.
The late J. M. Sparrow was also connected with the early Victoria
post-office with Mr. Wootton. I well rem