Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/79

 63 Perth, Sept. 3rd.—I must tell you all about the great doings since the last entry in my logbook.

Yesterday I came down here for our market, and meeting of the Agricultural Society, and for the Governor's ball.

The brig had just arrived, bringing the first Indian invalid to our shores. Quartermaster-General Colonel Hanson, and also Lord F. Beauclerk. All Perth was alive; upwards of fifty sat down to the Agricultural dinner, at which we had (as honorary members) Lord F. Beauclerk, Col. Hanson, and Capt. Parker, R.N. And at this dinner a memorial to the Home Government was read and approved of. It is now in course of signature, and will soon be sent home. In the evening, at the Governor's house, we had 180 ladies and gentlemen!!!

The ball was kept up with the greatest spirit until six in the morning; and the dancing almost without interval—contre-dances, quadrilles, Spanish dances, and gallopades. I never before witnessed such gaiety at a ball, nor ever before danced so much in one night; four rooms and an arcade were all filled, and connected with the verandah; a superb tent was fitted up, decorated and festooned with naval flags, and in this we had supper—an elegant and abundant one. The gentlemen from India were astonished, for they had heard the most gloomy reports; and the invalid confessed that when coming ashore he had been considering with the captain, the expediency of sending some provisions from the ship, as a preventive against starvation; his amazement at seeing ample supplies of butter, eggs, vegetables, poultry and butcher's meat, may be guessed at; he purchased freely and paid liberally; has rented a house for some time, and is now recovering; indeed he was actually frolicksome all the evening.