Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/119

 101 and come here." He is seven miles from the nearest visiting neighbour, and he cannot send his flocks out without four men to protect them; neither do they multiply as he expected, owing to mismanagement, casualties, or theft; and the climate he describes as very variable. The thermometer is sometimes 125° in the day, and only 45° at night, and the distance inland very inconvenient. It has quite reconciled Mrs. Tanner to this place, where the society is good and the climate delightful.

23rd.—Would you believe that I have a monkey in my room constantly, and placed on my table at dinner time!!! This name is given here to a sort of earthen jar for holding water, and which from its porousness keeps the water cool by evaporation. * * I was going to bed when a soldier was sent to say that Captain Irwin, Mr. Lewis, Mr. Peel, and his son, had arrived at Captain Irwin's, on the other side of the river, and to know how many beds I could make up. I was able to accommodate two of the party.

25th. The Messrs. Burgess were here this evening on their way from Fremantle; their friends have sent them pork, beef, flour, rum, cheese, butter, and other things; the pork they are selling at eight or nine guineas a cask; flour at l0d. per lb.; cheese, 2s. 6d. per lb.; if a venture had been sent, as I recommended, it would have arrived probably at this time.

A sensation of despondency sometimes comes over me when I think of these high prices, the expense of clothing, and the high wages for servants, who, however, give me to understand, that if at the expiration of their stipulated period of service, I give them as much as another master would do, they will do me the honour of remaining with me! However, perhaps, by that time you may be able to supply me with a fresh importation. I should willingly pay the expenses of passage, &c.; but it will be time enough at the end of this year to arrange this matter.

27th.—What have I been doing all day? Sowing seeds of