Sunbeam' surrounded by the mosquito fleet, through which she had
considerable difficulty in making her way without doing any damage. It
took some time for all the officers and men to come on board to have
some refreshment and look over the yacht, and it was therefore rather
late before the commanding officer rowed us ashore in his gig. We
landed at the man-of-war steps, close to Government House, where a
large crowd had assembled to give us another welcome. They formed a
little lane for us to pass through, cheering lustily, and smiling and
nodding as if they were glad to see us. There was nothing formal or
obtrusive about their welcome. It was, in truth, a real, warm, honest
greeting from friends across the sea, and it touched both Tom and
myself deeply. All such demonstrations invariably give me a choking
sensation in my throat, and I was not altogether sorry when we had
made our way through the crowd of kindly welcomers and reached the
steep pathway leading to Government House. Halfway up we could stop
and survey the scene, and I was able to partially gratify my wish to
see the yacht from the shore with the boats around it.

After a short rest we had another quiet evening, Tom coming to dinner,
but returning to sleep on board the yacht. I went to bed early to try
and nurse a bad and rapidly increasing cold, caught during the wet
journey between Melbourne and Sydney.

_Monday, July 4th._--I awoke at five, and wrote letters. The doctor
would not hear of my going out as my cold was no better.

It continued foggy all day, and the children had to content themselves
with skating and battledore and shuttlecock in the verandahs. Lord
Carrington, Tom, and Mabelle went for a long walk, calling on Cardinal
Moran, and paying visits to the picture-gallery, the Anglican
cathedral, and other places; and after an early dinner at 6.45 all the
party went to the meeting of the Royal Humane Society. I was bitterly
disappointed at being unable to attend, and perhaps do something to
encourage the friends of the St. John Ambulance Association.

_Tuesday, July 5th._--Awoke early, and had a busy morning. The day
proved lovely, so I was allowed to walk in the garden. After lunch we
started in a carriage-and-four for a long but most delightful drive to
the South Head. We passed through the far-extending suburbs of Sydney
with their good houses and gardens. It was very charming to have the
occasional glimpses of the many inlets and creeks of