ding room of the hotel, the boys were
given some information by Mr. Spalding that I was already acquainted
with, viz., that we should continue our trip around the world, returning
home by the way of Egypt, the Mediterranean and Continental Europe. In
spite of the fact that it was Sunday morning, this announcement was
greeted with a burst of applause by the players, many of whom, even in
their wildest dreamings, had never thought that such a trip would be
possible for them.

After giving the players some good advice regarding their habits and
physical health, Mr. Spalding stated that he wished to land every member
of the party in New York sound and well and with only pleasant
recollections of the tour, and that he hoped that all would, co-operate
with him to that end. That morning the proposed trip was about the only
subject of conversation among the members of the party, and pleasant
indeed were the anticipations of one and all concerning it.

There was scarcely a spot of interest in or about Melbourne that we did
not visit, the weather being delightful, while so constantly were we
being entertained that there was scarcely an evening that our dress
suits were given a chance to rest. It was the day before Christmas--not
the night before--that we played our second game of base-ball in
Melbourne, and the crowd, while not so large as that which witnessed the
first game, was still of goodly proportions, some 6,000 people passing
through the gates. Ryan pitched for the Chicagos and Healy and Crane for
the All-Americas on this occasion, and all three of them were pounded in
a lively fashion, there being a perfect fusillade of base hits on both
sides, and the hard hitting seemed to the liking of the spectators, who
cheered every drive to the outfield frantically. In spite of the hard
hitting the game was closely contested, the All-Americas finally bearing
off the honors by a score of 15 to 13. Following the game Prof.
Bartholomew gave his first balloon ascension and parachute drop in
Australia, a performance that was new to the Australians, and that they
watched with almost breathless interest.

Christmas day in Melbourne the weather was terrifically hot and the
lightest sort of summer attire even was uncomfortable. It seemed strange
to us to think that at home on that same day there was probably snow on
the ground and an icy wind blowing. Christmas in a hot country somehow
does not seem like Christmas at all, an opinion that