Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/170

 152 Sound they have very little frost; but I am not certain about snow. I do not think there is as much good soil there as here; but I must not decry it, not having been there, and of course knowing nothing of it from personal observation. We have received a French book "on the Penal Colonies of Great Britain," written by M. Ernest de Blosseville, who sent a copy "to the Hon. Secretary of the Literary Society at Perth, Swan River;" unfortunately there is no such person to acknowledge his civilities. I have not yet had time to read the book. He wishes some one here to write a critique, but we have something else to do besides writing or scribbling essays; we are all waiting anxiously until the despatches shall have arrived announcing the Governor's reception in England, for upon this depends our speedy or remote success.

22nd.—I have sold two more bushels of wheat, twenty shillings per bushel and I have just been looking at a market note in an Irish paper; some of the prices put in a juxta-position with ours, remind us of our new state; eggs with you four-pence per dozen, with us four-pence each; butter eight-pence per pound of sixteen ounces, with us one shilling a pound; potatoes three-half-pence a stone, with us five-pence per pound; beef and mutton three-pence per pound, with us one shilling and six-pence; nails are now selling at a shilling a pound; scales, weights, and beams in great demand; ploughs and timber, chains, metal pots, scythe blades, reaping hooks (strong broad sharp ones). I lately paid three shillings each for very indifferent sickles; potato forks and riddles are extremely scarce; a few sash planes, ploughshares, camp covers, frying pans, cow and sheep bells, knives, some Britannia metal tea pots, zinc milk dishes and pails, buttons for windows are wanted—these hints may be useful. Got my oats and wheat