upright by the spirits of the departed--who, so the medicine-man said,
were constantly being sent offerings of food and drink. The Milky Way
was a kind of Paradise of souls; whilst the sun was the centre of the
whole creation.

I had often puzzled my brain for some method whereby I could convey to
these savages some idea of the magnitude of the British Empire. I always
had the _British_ Empire in my mind, not only because my sympathies
inclined that way, but also because I knew that the first friends to
receive me on my return to civilisation must necessarily be British. Over
and over again did I tell the childish savages grouped around me what a
mighty ruler was the Sovereign of the British Empire, which covered the
whole world. Also how that Sovereign _had sent me as a special
ambassador_, to describe to them the greatness of the nation of which
they formed part. Thus you will observe I never let my blacks suspect I
was a mere unfortunate, cast into their midst by a series of strange
chances. I mentioned the whole world because nothing less than this
would have done. Had I endeavoured to distinguish between the British
Empire and, say, the German, I should have again got beyond my hearers'
depth, so to speak, and involved myself in difficulties.

Half instinctively, but without motive, I refrained from mentioning that
the ruler of the British Empire was _a woman_, but this admission dropped
from me accidentally one day, and then--what a falling off was there! I
instantly recognised the mistake I had made from the contemptuous glances
of my blacks. And although I hastened to say that she was a mighty
chieftainess, upon whose dominions the sun never set; and that she was
actually the direct ruler of the blacks themselves, they repudiated her
with scorn, and contemned me for singing the praises of a mere woman. I
had to let this unfortunate matter drop for a time, but the subject was
ever present in my mind, and I wondered how I could retrieve my position
(and her Majesty's) without eating my words. At length one day Yamba and
I came across a curious rugged limestone region, which was full of caves.
Whilst exploring these we came upon a huge, flat, precipitous surface of
rock, and then--how or why, I know not--the idea suddenly occurred to me
to _draw a gigantic portrait of her Most Gracious Majesty Queen
Victoria_! At this period, I should mention, I was a recognised chief,
and periodically--once every new m