ARMA VIRUMQUE.

Must send you a sketch of some of our B.B.B.'s or the Bold Bobbies of
Basuto all armed. Ha! ha! as dear old WOLFFY would have said, "I was
quite _all-armed_ at seeing this!" Hope to be on the track of TOM
TIDDLER's ground very soon. But anyhow till I am _sur la tache_, "on
the spot," any one of these letters of mine (emphasis on the "mine")
of which all are genuine--"proofs before letters" you have in my
signed promise--is well worth a hundred pounds, and cheap at the
price. It's my note of hand in exchange for the cash,--for the "ready
ay ready!" as we say at sea. Away to the fields of gold!

PROSPECTING POSSIBILITIES.

N.B.--Rather think I am going to call on Queen ZAMBILI this afternoon.
Ahem! Do you remember the ballads of "_My heart is true to Poll_,"
and "_The King of the Owyhees_"? Again, ahem! "Black Queen to mate in
three moves." Of course, can't go in for this sort of thing myself,
but by deputy, eh? Representative Government and King PROXY THE FIRST,
with myself for Prime Minister. How's that Empire?

[Illustration: "Grandolph, the Explorer."]

* * * * *

FROM OUR OWN BEN TROVATO.--Said an artistic collector to Mr. PARNELL,
"Now I'll show you a beautiful specimen of CARLO DOLCI." "I wish you
could have shown it me some days ago," replied the Ex-misleader of the
Irish Party, "when I was presented with a specimen of _Carlow_ without
the _Dolci_."