The floors were painted and covered with rugs, bright
and warm, and the white French curtains hung as in the days of
Napoleon. Mahogany furniture of old fashioned shape added to the
strange furnishing which was very attractive, and I felt at home at
once. About ten o'clock that morning, Walter Campbell came and
escorted me to the cupola of the hotel where we could see the city for
miles, a good-sized place, with several prominent buildings and
churches and a fine sight of Mount Baker in the distance, covered with
snow. After a quarter of an hour we decided to have breakfast and
joined the rest of the company and a stranger who was presented to us
as Commodore Maury, a pleasant and distinguished-looking man who was a
welcome addition to our company and extended us many a courtesy while
we were in the city. After breakfast the company separated. I retired
to my room and practiced an hour before going to try the voices in the
Theater Royal. While in the midst of my practice a queer accident
occurred in front of the hotel. A man in a watering cart, in backing
up to the sidewalk, turned too abruptly and the traces gave way, the
cart turned turtle and the poor horse hung in mid-air. Relief was soon
at hand, a dozen or more of the brawny Englishmen righted the position
of the animal and all was over and no harm done. After a good laugh
everyone went his way. At ten o'clock we strolled to the theater to
look it over.
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