who sent him out to make his explorations. Tom had
made an appointment with Captain Hammill to visit the Goodenough
Sailors' Home, but, having a great deal to do on board the 'Sunbeam,'
he asked me to go on his behalf and meet the manager and the committee
of the institution. We had great difficulty in finding the place, and,
after driving half over Sydney without discovering its whereabouts,
went to the town-hall for information, and were there directed to two
houses--Trafalgar House, and the Goodenough Home, established by Sir
Anthony Hoskins when he was out here as Commodore. The houses in both
cases are small, but look beautifully clean.

Mr. Shearston, the manager, seems a perfect enthusiast, and too much
cannot be said in praise of his self-denial. He has given up the whole
of his private house, except one bedroom and the tiniest little scrap
of an office, for the purposes of the Home. Truly the promoters of the
movement deserve every assistance in their good work; and it makes one
feel inclined to help them to secure the new site so urgently
required, when it is seen how earnestly they labour in the good cause
themselves. They not only take in good characters, but go into the
streets at night and pick up sailors, no matter how intoxicated they
may be. They put them to bed, and endeavour to send them back to
their ships in the morning, so far recovered as to escape reprimand
and perhaps dismissal. The inspection of this institution took some
time, and on our way back we passed the proposed new site for the
Home.

Captain Hammill and Mr. Bevan lunched with us on board the 'Sunbeam,'
and later on the yacht was shown to a large number of people. After
Lady Carrington's 'At home' in the afternoon, Tom, Tab, and Captain
Gascoigne went to dine at the Yacht Club, and we had a quiet dinner,
after which I did a good deal more work with Mr. Wright.

_Friday, July 15th._--An early start had to be made this morning in
order to meet Sir Henry Parkes at the station at nine o'clock. Tom,
Baby, and I were the only members of the party who turned up, and we
found that Mr. Salomons and the Chinese Commissioners had been invited
to accompany us. Precisely at nine we left the station in a
comfortable saloon carriage, and, passing through the suburbs of
Sydney, reached Parramatta at 9.30. This is one of the oldest
townships in New South Wales. Conspicuous in the landscape rise the
double spires of its handsome church, which is mor