Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/136

 118 15th.—The Sulphur has arrived; the cause of the delay was the impossibility of procuring wheat—a right good reason. On Friday last my court was crowded with persons eager to hear the first cause tried before a jury in this colony: it was an action of defamation, brought by one merchant against another, and the damages were laid at £1000. Ready written speeches were delivered, and many points were raised. The foreman was Mr. Andrews, a most respectable and wealthy merchant, and altogether the jury was of a superior grade. The trial occupied two days, and, after some deliberation, ended in a verdict for 39l. damages.

That and the succeeding day (9th) were very wet; thunder and lightning and some heavy hail-stones accompanied the rain on Sunday, however, it cleared up again. In the evening I enjoyed a delightful walk to Guildford; and before I left it on Monday, was the proud possessor of thirty-four Merino sheep and ten lambs, originally from the stock of Mr. Trimmer, near London, price £65; and I also bought a heifer for £25, and bullock-yokes, chains, &c., &c., for £3, from a gentleman who is about returning in the Sulphur. My carpenter has been most busily idle in making a small pen for cattle—this, with two tables and three stools, are all that I have from him after a month's work! A good, handy rough kind of a carpenter, able and willing to work, is much wanted here.

I have now brought up my arrears to the present date (15th), and have to add that I was called this day to attend an inquest on the body of a man who was shot last night. It appeared that the natives had yesterday driven away some cattle, and had been tracked up the river by a party of ten colonists, who overtook them at night when asleep.

Although our people shouted out when they approached, none of the natives stirred, either from sleep or terror; at length, one of their dogs ran out of a hut, when guns were