GOSSIPPY NOTES.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 144, 4 December 1877, Page 3

GOSSIPPY NOTES.

(FROM THE EAST.) Heft Tourniere here, and took my pas-

sage to Malta in a smart-looking, but very "Nrdirty steamer, which was commanded by the most comical little Frenchman that I ever met. When the little cuss learnt that I had lived some time on the Island of Mauritius, and close to where he was born, his hospitality prompted him to make me drunk on French brandy and white rum, which latter had been given to him by an old comrade in Alexandria, but as I have foresworn all liquors except light • wines, his goodness of heart did me no injury, and when we parted at Malta he ~-. - would force me to accept a huge packet of Turkish tobacco. I really think that I enjoyed the trip from Alexandria to Malta more than the whole of the other part of the voyage. My first acquaintance with the Turks commenced on board "La Belle Uraine." Some Bey—l forget his name, yet it hangs at the tip of my pen, wns returning from a mission to Egypt, and all his family were on bbardt They occupied the whole of the etern cabins, but with the exception of the son none of them turned up—all 4spu:ffering from sea sickness, I suppose. - They and I were the only passengers, with exception of half a dozen dirty looking : lJta!ians, and one rr two ditto Greeks for- ' "ward. The Bey was a splendid specimen of humanity, nearly six feet in height, and proportionately stout. I think that he must have been born a Frenchman, from bis accent, &c, for when I wa*» chatting ij' with him he several times dropped out fc words and expressions peculiar to the people of the north-Nvest corner of France. His son, who was nearly as tall, but of ' very much slighter frame, was to join the Egyptian contingent under Prince Hassan when he came over. The evening before we reached Malta the Bey did what is a very outre thing for a Turk to do—he had a set-to with the foils with his son on the poop deck. I used to think that I knew something pretty tall about foils, and all that sort of thing, but he beat all that I ever saw; his skill was something marvellous, and our little skipper fairly danced with delight. The performance was brought to an end suddenly, for the old • Bey, seeing our dirty fellow-passengers crowding aft, at once stopped. You should have heard the skipper curse the ..Jtetruders ;' by Jove, I know of some bul-hjek-punchers it would have made faint. I only stopped two days in Malta. (To be continued.)