Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/148

 130 decided against becoming a shareholder; and am convinced of the advantage which every one here would derive by leaving £50 or £100 every year at home, to be expended in such investments as he might direct. These would bring a return of at least 100 per cent.

31st.—James came to me this morning to know what is to be done for his eye, which was a little sore the other day—the blockhead got at my medicine chest, when I was at Perth, and applied a blister to it.

Sept. 1st.—A wet and stormy day, such as it was on the 30th ult., and very like the weather which we experienced a week after this time last year, when we commenced our expedition over the hills. The river is now higher than I have ever before seen it; but far from the elevation which those who were here in 1829 speak of; yet everything is growing rapidly, and this morning I heard the notes of at least six different species of birds. It has been assumed and believed that there are no singing birds in Australia: those which I have heard do not fully deserve to be so classed; but some of their notes are very sweet, so much so that I give them credit for being songsters.

4th.—Busied all this day and yesterday in the garden (which has been rather neglected for some time) planting Caffre corn in rows a yard apart, maize and peas, breaking up some fresh ground, and preparing beds for melons, vegetable-marrow, pumpkins, and cucumbers. Our seasons differ greatly from those of Sydney; there is there a little rain more or less in every month. Showers commence here in April, and become more frequent and heavy until July; and decrease until October. We are always sure of dry weather for our hay and grain harvest in the latter end of that month, and the two succeeding ones. The spring this year is much more backward than last year, on account of the frosts. Last season, before this time, I had dug and sold potatoes; but now (though they were planted as early) I have not any ripe.