And what hills! They were everywhere ablaze with flowers and the rarest of heaths, that at home in Britain can only be kept alive in the hothouse. Gorgeous geraniums were everywhere, and wherever there was a patch of ground uncovered by these or by heaths, it would be closely overgrown by a compact little flower of inexpressible sweetness, and in shape not unlike a cineraria. These were principally crimson and white.
The only drawback to perfect enjoyment during this long hillside ramble was the constant presence of snakes. The little sand-snake wriggled about where least expected—on damp ground a great black snake lay coiled. Sometimes when stooping down to cull flowers where the grass grew greenest, the long thin dark whip-snake would glide out and away from among their very fingers, very much to their horror. But worse than all was the hooded cobra, the most deadly of all Cape snakes, and of these they saw far more than they desired to.
Nevertheless, on the whole, they enjoyed their visit to the capital of the Cape, and got on board at last, laden with botanical specimens, and quite as hungry as there was any need to be.
. . . . . .
The Fairy Queen was once more at sea, and the weather was all that could be desired.
With the exception, therefore, of a visit to the romantic and beautiful island of St. Helena, the so-called sea-girt rock on which Napoleon was imprisoned and died, the voyage was altogether uneventful.
The last letter received from home reached Sandie and Willie just before they left Sydney. At that time all their friends and relations were well.
Alas! though, in this world of sorrow much may happen in two or three months.
The news of the arrival of the Fairy Queen in Aberdeen docks spread like wildfire, and on the very next morning Sandie’s mother and Elsie came off to welcome him home.