* * * * *

Bear's meat for dinner.

This morning toward noon Kuzundam, the second officer, wandered on
ahead of us, and entered a large building in pursuit of a rabbit. He
was about descending to the basement below, when he saw, close before
him, a bear leisurely mounting the marble stairs. Kuzundam is no
coward, but he turned and ran as he never ran before. The bear, who
seemed of a sportive nature, also ran, and in close pursuit. Luckily
for my friend we happened to be near, otherwise instead of our eating
bear's meat, the bear might have lunched quietly off Kuzundam in the
shady corridors of the "FIFTH AVENUE HOTEL."




17th May



To-day a scorching heat that burns the lungs. We started in the
morning prepared to spend the night ashore, and explore the northern
end of the city. It was a pleasant walk through the soft grass of the
shady streets, but in those places unsheltered from the sun we were as
fish upon a frying-pan. Other dwellings we saw, even larger and more
imposing than the one we entered yesterday. We were tempted to explore
them, but Lev-el-Hedyd wisely dissuaded us, saying the day was waxing
hotter each hour and it could be done on our return.