a quick
but stormy passage. Tom remained a couple of days at Melbourne--just
long enough to be present at the opening of the Parliament, and also
at the annual banquet of the Public Service Association, at both of
which functions he was glad to be able to assist. On the 9th he
embarked again, took the yacht on to Geelong, and came by train to
meet us here. We were just in time to receive the Mayor at half-past
eleven, and then we all went together to the town-hall, where the
Corporation, the Mayoress, and a number of ladies were kindly waiting
for us. After looking over the building we drove first to the Albion
Lode Mine; but as no preparation had been made for our descent, we
went on to the Star of the East Mine, where, after putting on real
miners' clothes, we went down in the cage with Mr. Carroll and several
other directors who had come to meet us. The directors asked me to
christen a new lode the 'Lady Brassey,' but I suggested that the name
should be the 'Sunbeam,' and this they eventually adopted. I was
afterwards glad to hear that the next day they struck gold. There was
a good deal of walking to be done in the mine, and I was very tired
when we got to the surface, at about three o'clock, having been
underground more than two hours. But there was still the crushing and
separating machinery to be seen. This proved to be much the same as we
saw in use in Cornwall last year for dealing with the tin ore.

[Illustration: Ballarat]

It was past three before we got back to the hotel, tired and hungry.
Much as we were in need of refreshment, we were not allowed to take
it in peace, for interviewer after interviewer kept coming in. At
last, in despair, we ordered three hansoms and went for a drive round
the town and environs, which looked wonderfully beautiful in spite of
the wintry season and the gloomy day.

We dined at the _table d'hote_. Tom and the doctor arrived later.
Tom's eye was very bad, and had to be bandaged up, and altogether he
looked very unwell.

_Friday, June 10th._--Miss Cornwall, the discoverer and part owner of
the Midas Mine, came early this morning with her father and one or two
other gentlemen--directors of the mine--to take us to see it. The
drive through the town was pleasant, and we admired its fine public
buildings and beautiful avenues of trees. It was a long drive to the
mine through Dowling Forest, a picturesque spot with large trees
growing amid park-like scenery; marred, however, by