Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-09
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH
BY GRANT ALLEN.
Copyrishr, 1sss, by the Author.

IIOuSc. 1k was =" CSs AadAuh S'S'A
ing, and the cool sea breeze stole pleasantly
in through the open reaches of the veranda.
Down in the valley below, great palm
trees waved their graceful arms in the twi-
light before each passing gust, AMI plantains
whispered music to the low hum of the
insects. Within all was lamp light, and
flowers, and perfume. A more delicious
tropical night 1 can hardly rcmember-a
night Of soft breaths, faint sounds, sweet
odors
And the talk, too-the talk was most
brilliant and interesting. Our host, the
Governor, Sir Everard Spence, is we'll
known throughout Europe as the man OF
science, par excellence, in the English col
onial service, His bronzsd and sun burnt
face. deep Scared with the lines OF man y
earl- pryations and self-sought hardships,
always rouses a ready cheer Of welcome at
the British Association, and generous
greeting at the Royal Society soiree. His
knowledge of tropical beasts and birds, and
flowers, in particular, is probably un-
equalled among lvisg Englishmen. He
has spent his days in collecting, observing,
arranging, classifying; and has been re-
warded accordingly by q grateful country
with the ill-paid governorship of fourth
rate colony. Yet a more digniied speci-
men of natures own gentlemen you wont
find in the world, than the snowy-haired
author of 'Life and Its Origins"
As we loitered over our wine, carried
away BY the charm of the Governors con-
versstion, a black servant came in with a
scrap of paper for Sir Eversrd. Our host
took it in his spare hands, and glanced at
1t carelessly. "Who is the man, Thomas"
he asked, in his kindly wav. And Thomas
made answer, with a profound bow, "Him
saw him an unfortunate Englishman, sab;
don't got no work; wish to speak with your
E1cellency."
The private secretary smiled a somewhat
cynical smile SIN my experience of the
West Indies" he said, with careless twirl
of his waxed moustache, '1've always
found that an unfortunate Englishman
means in very plain words drunken repro
bate"
But Sir Everard rose at once, and went
out anxiously to the door, can unfortunate
Englishman in the tropics" he answered,
in a very slow voice as he went, ''a!ways
enlists my proioundest sympashies. He
mav he drunken, OF course; he may be idle
and disreputable-most often he is; but the
question remains, even then-who or what
has made him sop
'eThe Governors always too generous to
tramps," the private secretary went on, as
Sir Everard disappeared. "He's qui1otic
in his way, don't you know. Takes Uto-
plan view of things"
tbat ha he a ovpio ~ opou-orod
quietly, as drained the last drops of my
strong black coffee; Tor Sir Everard'srer-
sonality always chained and enthralled
me-
At the end of few minutes the G Governor
returned with very snd lace. ''Wade,
he said, to his secfefary, "take this man
round TO your ruoIns at once, please give
him what foo | he wants, and shelter for
the night; but, mind you. no liquor Cap
tain Mortimer" to the aide-de-camp, "you
can go with him if you like. Pearson" T"
to NE, II wans salf an hours talk with
you"
"Certainly, SIR" I answered (you sir a
colonial Governor every now and again, ex-
sctiy as if 1 he were disobedient man-ser-
vant); aud lighted my cigarette and COM
po ed myself to listen.
The Governor paused and looked steadily
at NE Tor hal Il minute. Pearson" he
began at last, "did I ever tell YOU how I
came to have ideas of my own about tramps
in the tropics.
"Why no 1 think not" I said, gazing
hard at the slim figure in the evening suit
and irreproachable tie, the very picture of
distinguished old colonial satrap.
awe the wonder OF it all is" he went
on refectively, "that didn't take to drink
. - - H. LII ,,kk
was time. believe. when only "a hours
stood betm cen me and that poor peaniless
creature there
Indeed," 1 cried, gag ng still harder at
the grand old head and respecting him all
the more for that candid avOwal.
"Yes, it's true" the Governor went on,
musingly. "True, every word of it, And
this is the way it all came about if you on t
think it egotistical in an old man to talk
about it.
"By no MEANS" with quiet smile, 1 an
swered; ''your "reminiscences are always in
teresting."
He glanced at me curiously "weIl it's
80 years ago, now" he began, ''since my
brother Fred and started on our expedi-
tion to the lower slopes of the Andes.
Fred's Governor of North Australia ut
present, as you know: and I-wcil, I'm
here, at Port of France, as you see me: but
in those days we were a pair of young city
clerks, without friend or a penny, in a
London Office However. even then. we
had our heads stuffed as full OF ideas as an
egg is full of meat; and we were determined
to v ork out our great theories OF life in our
own pet way, if we gave the last drop of our
blood to do it. Those were the days, you
know, when new notions were in air; and
Fred and 1 had grand views of our own
which we sprang ON the world at last in
Lille and its Origins We were as poor as
church mice, to be sure, but we didn't mind
for that; between us we'd laid up E100
out of our joint salaries, by saving here
and scraping there, till we could wait no
longer, and with the 9100 we set off by
ourselves to solve the problems of the un-
iyerse in the tropical forests.
TIT was a bold attempt: but, as Mill said
to me later, the result justified it.
"Our central idea, as you know, was that
equatorial conditional had prevailed over
the world till very late date, in geological
ages: and therefore, we said to ourselves,
whoever would investigate the origins
of lite, must investigate them where the
conditions are still the same, in the euua-
toral region. So off we set by ourselves,
as biithe as Two young bears, 10 look forth
upon our theory from the slopes of the
Andes We thought e100 a lot of money
in those davs; we expected it to last an in
definite period Still, for cheapness sake,
we took passage in a worn-out and RAM
shackle old SLAYER, the Dom Pedro by name,
from Bristol TO Bahia; and in due time, as
you know, landed in South America
'sWithout one days delay, as soon as ever
we landed, we made our way an country BY
boat and on foot to the wild forest of the
Andes. There we made friends with the
Indians OF the place. Our idea was to spend
what remained of our 41O0 slowly as posi-
bic, to live to great extent on the game
we shot and to rely for the future on the
sale Of our collections. which We knew