And now might have been witnessed a laughable scene, men rushing and
hurrying about here, there, and everywhere, exclaiming "Have you seen
our Frenchmen?" or "I've lost a Frenchman," and so on. But at length the
lost were found, and were, ere long, contemplating the formidable heap
of indigestible stuff set before them.

Such mountains of pudding, goose, ham, mutton, beef, and pickles--all
packed on one plate--I suppose it rarely falls to the lot of the more
polished Frenchman to behold. Well might they look aghast at the miracle
required of them. It is the proverbial hospitality of the Englishman,
enacted over again, which always imagines its guest starving.
Considering that not one word of the other's language was understood on
either side, a very kindly feeling sprang up between us during the
afternoon, and the time of departure arrived all too soon. After the
tea, which was to all intents and purposes a repetition of the mid-day
meal, the Frenchmen's boats came alongside, the crews invited inboard
and loaded with the debris of the feast. When at length they left us,
the Frenchmen all stood up in their boats, whilst we lined our bridges
and spar deck, and a succession of deafening cheers brought the happy
day to a close--cheers which most of the ships in port took up as the
boats passed their bows. So ended Christmas, 1880.

CHAPTER XIV.

"Each earing to its cringle first they bend--
The reef-band then along the yard extend;
The circling earings round th' extremes entwin'd,
By outer and by inner turns they bind;
The reeflines next from hand to hand received,
Through eyelet-holes and roban legs were reeved;
The folding reefs in plaits unrolled they lay,
Extend the worming lines and ends belay."

THE NEW REGIME.--SOMETHING ABOUT SAIGON.--THE
FIRST CRUISE OF THE CHINA SQUADRON.--AN ALARM
OF FIRE!--ARRIVAL OF THE "FLYING" SQUADRON.

Sunday, January 2nd.--For some time past we have been exercised to know
how we could best signify to the admiral our appreciation of his many
kindnesses to us during the time we have served under him. His
approaching promotion gave us the desired opportunity, and it was
decided that the most fitting present would be a silk flag of the
largest size, to be hoisted at the main on that auspicious occasion.
With this end in view we had purchased some 130 yards of silk at
Nagasaki, which had been made up on board so quietly that few even of
tho