Tuesday, April 3rd.—­A ten o’clock breakfast afforded us ample opportunity for a delicious rest and letter-writing beforehand.  Afterwards we strolled round the garden, full of English flowers, roses, carnations, mignonette, and sweet peas.  Tom and the gentlemen went for a walk, whilst we ladies rested and chatted and wrote letters.

After lunch we all started—­a large party—­to go to the athletic sports on the racecourse, where an impromptu sort of grand stand had been erected—­literally a stand, for there were no seats.  There were a great many people, and the regimental band played very well.  To us it appeared a warm damp day, although the weather was much cooler than any we have felt lately.  This is the week of the year, and everybody is here from all parts of the island.  People who have been long resident in the tropics seem to find it very cold; for the men wore great-coats and ulsters, and many of the ladies velvet and sables, or sealskin jackets.  On the way back from the sports we drove round to see something of the settlement; it cannot be called a town, for though there are a good many people and houses, no two are within half a mile of one another.  There are two packs of hounds kept here, one to hunt the big elk, the other a pack of harriers.  The land-leeches, which abound in this neighbourhood, are a great plague to horses, men, and hounds.  It rained last night, and I was specially cautioned not to go on the grass or to pick flowers, as these horrid creatures fix on one’s ankle or arm without the slightest warning.  I have only seen one, I am thankful to say, and have escaped a bite; but everybody seems to dread and dislike them.

After dinner we went to a very pleasant ball, given by the Jinkhana Club, at the barracks.  The room was prettily decorated with the racing jackets and caps of the riders in the races, and with scarlet wreaths of geranium and hibiscus mingled with lycopodium ferns and selaginella.  We did not remain very late at the ball, as we had to make an early start next morning; but the drive home in the moonlight was almost as pleasant as any part of the entertainment.

Wednesday, April 4th.—­We were called at four o’clock, and breakfasted at five, everybody appearing either in dressing-gowns or in habits to see us set off.  They all tried to persuade us to stay for the meet of the hounds at the house to-day.  Another ball to-night, and more races, and another ball to-morrow; but we are homeward bound, and must hurry on.  It was a lovely morning, and we waited with great patience at the post-house for at least an hour and a half, and watched the hounds come out, meet, find, and hunt a hare up and down, and across the valley, with merry ringing notes that made us long to be on horseback.