d work upon my Ambulance paper at an early
hour this morning. Not having a secretary to help me, I find the work
really hard; for my arm is often so bad that I can hardly use it. I
had a very busy morning, and after breakfast went to the Zoological
Gardens, where we were met by Sir Thomas Elder and others. I was
amused to see four little leopard cubs crouched in a row on a plank,
looking in their dark corner like owls. From the Zoological Gardens we
drove to the Botanical Gardens, and were met there by Dr. Schonburg,
the director, who showed us all the plants, and especially pointed out
the different species of eucalypti, which I am most anxious to
understand, for they are a large 'family.' Everything here, whether
called banksia or anything else, seems to run to bottle-brush just as
in Western Australia. Antipodean botany is puzzling to the new
arrival. The museum at the Botanical Gardens is excellently arranged,
both for the exhibition of specimens and for the information of
visitors.

Mrs. Hay sent her carriage for us at one o'clock, and we went out to
lunch at her pretty country place, where we met a large party. We had
to hurry back directly afterwards to attend the Ambulance Meeting, at
which the Governor kindly presided. It was held at Government House,
and was well attended. I found it a great effort to read the paper I
had prepared. There were few speakers. Everything, however, went off
well, and I earnestly hope our afternoon's work may bear good, useful
fruit. There was a dinner-party in the evening at Government House,
followed by a small reception and some nice music.

_Tuesday, June 7th._--In spite of my Ambulance meeting being over, the
force of habit was so strong upon me that I awoke before four. At
half-past ten I went to a small gallery of excellent pictures, over
which we were shown by the gentlemen in charge. We afterwards went
through the School of Art and saw the pupils at work.

At half-past eleven Mr. D. Lindsay, the Australian explorer, came with
his aboriginal servant, Cubadjee, whom he had brought from some place
in the interior. This youth, it seems, is considered the short member
of his family; but, although only seventeen years old, he is six feet
five inches in height, while his elder brother, they declare, is seven
feet six inches, and the rest of the family are equally tall. Cubadjee
made fire for us with two pieces of wood (a process of which I had
often heard), by rubbing a piece o