ABSTRACT

IN former days it was supposed to be rather amusing to call Bayswater “Asia Minor,” on account of the number of Anglo-Indians who used to congregate in that particular district of London. Many of Captain North-wood’s own cronies lived near Wellington Street. Johnnie now saw a good deal of gentlemen with different complexions and different manners from most people, gentlemen who had much to say with unusual emphasis about gambier, pepper, and gutta-percha, freights, exchange and piece goods—all of which mysterious things seemed to lend themselves to speculations which evidently were not always successful. Most of the Captain’s friends were in opulent circumstances, but others were clearly “broke” and made no attempt to hide it. Gambier, pepper, or perhaps the two together in combination with guttapercha, had ruined them. One of these fallen heroes would make the most gallant efforts to equip himself with the necessary capital for yet one more battle, whilst another would broken-heartedly accept his doom, which was to live meanly and obscurely for the rest of his life, glad enough if (as happened from time to time) one of his more prosperous brethren from Singapore would assist him to eke out his scanty resources with a handful of sovereigns, or, maybe, two or three bank-notes.