Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/188

 170 a paradoxical sound; but the removal of the inflammable material is a certain security from conflagration in the cleared quarter, and the young grasses are benefited by this process.

After being occupied seven hours in this way, I had several visitors in the evening—among them many ladies. In fact, we see more of our friends here in a week, than you do in a month at home.

22nd.—Sad chapter of accidents to be recorded; knocked my head against an angular beam, and cut it through my hat; my dog Carlo jumped at my nose and bit it, by way of showing his affection; and I afterwards cut myself under the eye by the recoil of a hammer; then burned my thumb and scraped my hand in moving a burning log; and, by way of grand finale, burned my great toe through my shoe.

23rd.—A boat-load of visitors—male and female—enough to terrify any bachelor out of his wits. Mr. Kingsford, an experienced miller, lately come out, after searching in vain for an eligible mill site with water power, now proposes to cut a deep trench, and lay a pipe from some lagoons behind Perth into the town, to afford him a supply of water. There are some of these lagoons eight miles in circumference, and at no great distance, which he thinks have a communication with each other through the sandy soil, or which may be made to communicate by unexpensive cuts. Mr. K. seems prejudiced against a windmill; nor does he think that Mr. Revely's horizontal one can succeed; and insists that more can be done by gravity than by impulse.

26th.—I have just hired a thresher, paying him 1s. 6d. a bushel: he threshes five or six bushels a day, so he earns high wages. My wheat is good, and yields well. I wanted to hire a boy also, but his former master would not give him a certificate, because he had left him without previous warning: this is a wholesome check, which was resolved on at an agricultural meeting, greatly to the annoyance of some of the servants of the colony. While I was at breakfast, the