Four Young Explorers; Or, Sight-Seeing in the Tropics

by Oliver Optic

Both of the gentlemen hastened to the gangway to assist the ladies as soon as the commander saw Mrs. Belgrave moving in that direction. Miss Blanche, conducted by Louis, appeared about the same time. Her costume was very neat, though not showy; but she was as beautiful as a fairy, and the Frenchman clasped his hands in ecstasy when he saw her. In a short time they were all seated in the Blanchita, and the gentlemen then took their places.

Precisely at twenty minutes past six Captain Sharp, prompted by Captain Ringgold, gave the order to cast off. A quartermaster of the Blanche was at the wheel, and in five minutes she was alongside the shore. A platform of clean boards, covered with a carpet, had been laid down by the landlord of the Hôtel de l'Europe, and the vehicles were in waiting. The ladies were handed from the boat to the carriages without a spot or a splash on their dresses, though the shore was very muddy.

In ten minutes more the head of the procession reached the governor's palace. There they found an awning over the sidewalk, and carpets laid down for the guests to walk upon. The French, English, and American flags were flying on the building. The ladies were conducted to the grand entrance of the palace, and taken by the servants to the apartments set apart for clothing. There were not less than a thousand natives and French people gathered in the vicinity, but they were kept in admirable order by the Malay police. The pacha's band was admitted to the grounds, and Mr. Frôler was acting as chief marshal; he notified them when the party began to descend the stairs, and the music commenced then. They came down in couples, Captain Ringgold and Mrs. Belgrave leading, followed by the pacha and the princess.

His Excellency stood at the head of the large apartment, and received them as they advanced. He was a widower and childless, so that he had no wife nor daughter to present. Louis and Miss Blanche were the next, though the commander had proposed that Louis should come next to him and his mother; but Louis rebelled, and insisted that he should follow the pacha. The rajah came next, and had Mrs. Blossom on his arm, to the no small amusement of the party; but the deposed sovereign prince could find no other lady disengaged.

Possibly Mr. Woolridge and wife were disconcerted to come next; but their daughter had been properly honored, and both were too fond of Blanche to be troubled about the precedence. Mr. Frôler stood by the governor, and announced the names of the members of the party; for His Excellency could hardly be expected to remember them. But he was very cordial to all of them, speaking in his broken English, except to the pacha and Louis. Some of the gentlemen had to present themselves without ladies; but there were at least twenty ladies and gentlemen seated around the room. After all the party from the ships had been received by the governor, they were introduced to the other visitors. Some of the Saigonians could speak English, and some could not; but the conversation soon became general. The commander and Mrs. Belgrave found enough who could speak English. There were seven persons among the tourists who could converse fluently in French, and Mr. Frôler employed these as interpreters for those who could not speak the polite language.

The scene was quite amusing to all; and even the governor laughed heartily as he looked about him, and saw the struggles in the matter of language. The chief marshal proved to be a very potent functionary, and he was omnipresent in the apartment. When the governor spoke to him in praise of Miss Blanche, he immediately sent Louis with her to His Excellency. The room was the audience chamber of the palace, and the magnate of the occasion invited her to a seat on the dais at his side. She could speak French a little; and it was soon observed that she was enjoying herself very much, and the governor even more.

Mrs. Sharp was passed over to Louis, and he made the grand round with her. The princess was instructed to do the same with Mr. Woolridge, while the professor rendered the same service to Mrs. Woolridge. The rajah escorted Mrs. Blossom around the chamber, and the poor woman was in a flutter all the time. The long robe of the Indian prince bothered her, and she had been nearly tripped up several times; but her new beau was as polite and deferential as though she had been a queen. She had a story to tell the gossips of Von Blonk Park which would last her the rest of her lifetime. It was even a livelier time than that at the hotel, made so by the confusion of tongues, which was not far short of that at the Tower of Babel.

The dinner was announced by the major-domo of the household. Ignoring the houris of the occasion, the polite governor escorted Mrs. Belgrave to the table, and seated her on his right, while the captain of the Guardian-Mother conducted the princess. Those of the gentlemen who could speak French were requested by Mr. Frôler to attend the resident ladies; and the most distinguished was placed in charge of the pacha. The contretemps of language were frequent and laughable; and so much amusement was derived from this source that some of the visitors purposely made bulls to keep up the hilarity.

The dinner was a very elegant as well as a very substantial affair. Monsieur Odervie and other French cooks fraternized as usual on this great occasion; and the table was ornamented with many set pieces, and one from the citadel produced a Buddhist temple in sugar, which was the admiration of the guests; and doubtless all these culinary artists would assist the chef of the Guardian-Mother for the great dinner of the following day. But it would require a considerable volume to detail all the occurrences of the governor's banquet. A speech was made by His Excellency in French, which was replied to by Captain Ringgold, without knowing much of what had been said; but Louis followed him in a few remarks in French, thanking the governor and the residents of the city for their kindness and hospitality.

The pacha made the speech of the evening in the vernacular of the host, which was violently applauded by the residents, especially by the military officers from the citadel, who had been informed that he was the commander-in-chief of the armies of his country. The Italian band had been brought into the palace, feasted, and stationed in the great hall, where they discoursed their finest music, to the great delight of the guests. Dancing followed, and the governor led Mrs. Noury to the floor. The rajah asked Mrs. Blossom to dance with him; but she did not know a step, and if she ever in her life regretted that she could not dance, it was on this occasion. The commander of the citadel and chief officer of the army of Cochin China led out Mrs. Noury, and the next in rank to His Excellency who could speak English was favored by Miss Blanche.