Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/102

 84 this morning, I hope they will make him very bilious, the abominable brute! I learn that during my absence the river rose considerably, and flooded the low ground beside the well; the tremendous floods in winter have ended in this!

27th.—Broke up a considerable quantity of ground at the well, and planted upwards of one hundred yards of potatoes in drills. If these succeed, I shall have had two crops of the same kind within one year. My other vegetable have multiplied so that I know not what to do with them. The walnuts, however, have totally failed, and I have only eight out of fifty almond trees, and but one healthy-looking orange tree; strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, all failures.

28th.—Despatched James this day with potatoes, cauliflowers, turnips, and cabbages, to market. A servant of the Governor passed to-day, and told a fine budget of news, about an attack of the natives on the Government House. I do not believe it; but the natives have undoubtedly made sad havoc among the flocks of sheep in the neighbourhood; they took eleven from Mr. Brown, nay worse, speared his cow, and afterwards being fired at for this offence, came stealthily and killed his shepherd; and as a grand finale, drove away no fewer than sixty-seven sheep, belonging to Mr. Bull, of which, though hotly pursued, they slaughtered forty-seven, en chemin faisant. These wholesale doings must be checked by the presence of a body of yeoman cavalry, when horses can be procured, which it is the intention of the Government to supply to those persons who shall enrol themselves. I intend to serve either as a private or an officer, I care not which. Additional magistrates have been appointed since I was here, in order to act with the military on any sudden emergency; and a party of soldiers has been stationed on the hills at the head of the Swan—as the upper part of the navigable river is called; all these matters have occurred during my absence.

A ship soon goes to Van Diemen's Land, and possibly this