enter it was the _Athenian_, in which I returned to England, at the
termination of my tour. The whole of the works connected with the
building of the Docks and Breakwater reflect credit upon all who have in
any way been engaged upon their construction. The amount expended on
them up to the end of 1887 was £1,298,103.

Before leaving Cape Town, at the invitation of the Naval
Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Wells, I paid a visit to Simon's Town, the
chief naval station of the colony. The railway runs at present as far
as Kalk Bay, which takes about an hour to get to from Cape Town. Kalk
Bay is a pleasant seaside resort for the inhabitants of the colony, the
air being regarded as particularly invigorating. The remaining distance
of six miles to Simon's Town is performed in a Cape cart, which is a
most comfortable vehicle on two wheels, drawn by two horses with a pole
between them, and covered with a hood, as a protection from the weather.
The scenery from the Kalk Bay station to Simon's Town is very
picturesque. A bold sea stretches out on one side of the road, and the
mountain on the other. Amongst other things which attracted my attention
at Simon's Town was the Dockyard, which embraces about a mile of the
foreshore, and contains appliances for repairing modern war vessels, a
repairing and victualling depôt, and a patent slip, capable of lifting
vessels of about 900 tons displacement. I went with the Admiral, and a
party of ladies to have luncheon on board the Steam Corvette _Archer_.

Simon's Bay is very sheltered, excepting from the south-east, with good
holding anchorage ground. It seems a quiet, secluded spot, well-adapted
for a naval station in this part of the world, although I have heard
that an opinion prevails that the fleet should be at Cape Town instead
of Simon's Bay. The _Raleigh_ is the flag-ship; I saw also some other
vessels of the Royal Navy at anchor in the bay. The fortifications which