Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/138

 120 assist in putting certain resolutions into shape, previously to their being presented to the Governor.

27th.—On coming home I find that six of my best pigs are still missing, and that of those which have returned to me, two are wounded; whether severely or not, Johnny, who handed me the bulletin, does not mention. Hermitage, so lately in the most perfect tranquility, is now in high excitement.

My warlike propensities are so much excited that I have arranged my affairs, as the phrase goes (thinking of you to the last), and am preparing to watch and attack the natives, and kill, burn, blow up, or otherwise destroy the enemy, as may be most practicable.

28th.—Mr. Irwin and Mr. Shaw, and two soldiers accompanied me this night in a search after the natives. After a search of two hours, we found, horresco referens, the BLOODY HEAD—of one of the pigs—which I had intended to kill in a decent and peaceable manner myself, for my own eating, if these wicked natives had not saved me the trouble. The wretches have destroyed £3 worth of my swine's-flesh altogether; but after all, perhaps these uninformed creatures think that they have as good a right to our swine as we have to their kangaroos; and the reasoning, if such there be, may be plausible enough: however, if we had caught them, flagrante delicto—in the act of slaughtering them—I would not answer for the force of it.

We have very few soldiers to protect us; and if our men be employed in watching natives, what is to become of the colony? Our labours must then be intermitted:

We are informed that the military are not to be called out except in the case of a systematic attack. But suppose this