tions on
the dais.

For the first few minutes the crowding was tremendous, as everybody
wished to shake hands with the Governor and Lady Loch. In course of
time, however, the throng began to clear away, and for the rest of the
evening it was possible not only to walk about but to dance in perfect
comfort. It was a magnificent spectacle, and the arrangements seemed
admirably conceived and carried out, the Fountain Court, covered in by
a temporary structure, being perhaps the prettiest of all. At one
o'clock the doors of the supper-room were thrown open. Not long after
supper Sir Henry and Lady Loch and I retired; but I believe that many
of the people did not get away until five o'clock. The illuminations
were beautiful, especially among the shipping, both at Williamstown
and Port Melbourne, and the little 'Sunbeam' made herself as gay as
she could with red and blue lights.

_Thursday, June 23rd._--The event of to-day was the christening of the
central hall of the Parliament Houses, to be henceforward known as the
'Queen's Hall.' An immense number of people had assembled. The dais,
to which the Governor, Lady Loch, and we ourselves were led, had been
placed at the foot of Mr. Marshall Wood's fine statue of her Majesty,
and everything was arranged to ensure a splendid _coup d'oeil_; but
all the details of the ceremony have been so fully described in the
newspapers that I need not repeat them here. It was worth coming all
the thousands of miles we have traversed by sea and land to have the
opportunity of witnessing such loyal enthusiasm.

Directly after we left the hall I hurried on board the 'Sunbeam' to
receive a couple of hundred guests, and had only just time to get back
to Government House to dine and dress for the State Concert at the
Exhibition building, which was densely crowded. The combined musical
societies, under the skilful leadership of Mr. Herz, opened the
proceedings by singing the 'Old Hundredth,' in which the audience
joined with great heartiness. This was followed by a grand Jubilee
Ode, composed by Dr. Mackenzie, and by several excellently rendered
solos, among the performers being Mr. Beaumont, the tenor, whose
'Death of Nelson' brought the house down, and Miss Amy Sherwin, 'the
Australian nightingale,' whose rendering of 'The Harp that once,'
'Within a Mile of Edinboro' Town,' and 'Home, Sweet Home' was simply
perfect.

_Friday, June 24th._--To-day a demonstration of schoolchildren, said
to be th