mother on all occasions when she could not appear. But as
mention of the Prince of Wales called for a demonstration of _his_
personality also, I determined to make another experiment in
portraiture,--this time in the direction of sculpture. I think it was
having come across a very damp country, abounding in plastic clay, that
put this idea into my head. First of all, then, I cut down a stout young
sapling, which, propped up in the ground, served as the mainstay of my
statue; and from it I fastened projecting branches for the arms and legs.

Round this framework I built up my figure with blocks of clay; and at
length, after, perhaps, three or four weeks' industrious modelling, I
completed a statue of his Royal Highness which measured about seven feet
six inches in height. The body and limbs were of abnormal development,
much on the lines of my representation of his august mother. Fuller
details would be interesting, but hardly edifying. This statue I
"unveiled" at another of my monthly receptions, and, judged by its
effect, it was even a greater success than the colossal portrait of the
Queen. A monster _corroboree_ was held alongside the Prince of Wales's
statue, but, unfortunately, he went to pieces in a day or two, when the
fierce sun beat down upon the clay, and cracked it. This gradual
disintegration of the great ruler's deputy vastly amused the blacks, and
I eventually had to hasten the Prince's end, lest their mirth should
compromise my dignity.

You will hardly be surprised when I tell you that the blacks looked to me
for everything. I was judge, wonder-worker, and arbitrator. Often they
would pick up one of my possessions, and, whilst not exactly coveting it,
they would ask for one like it.

Take, for example, the reed flutes which, when played by me, were such a
source of joy to the blacks and their children. Well, I was soon called
upon to make flutes for the natives, which I did out of long reeds; but
these instruments only had two holes in them at first, as the blacks
could not play them when other holes were added. The great drawback to
these flutes was that the reed dried very quickly and became useless for
musical purposes; so I was kept pretty busy, more especially as I did not
want to create jealousy by refusing some and gratifying others.

Although the immediate country in which I established my home was fertile
and extremely rich in tropical vegetation, the adjoining ranges were in
str