Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/193

175 and considerate acts by which those expressions are confirmed and realised.

I sat down several times since to write, but could not arrange my ideas; I wanted to say something PARTICULAR to each of you; I still wish it; but how to do justice to my own feelings and your affections! ****

The chest was admirably packed and secured, but the moths forced an entrance; and I am sorry to say their taste led them to some of the choisest morsels. It is remarkable that they do not appear to have touched anything of blue coloured cloth; that of olive colour has suffered wofully: a very handsome olive coat, which you sent me, has been sadly riddled by them, and I am not chemist enough to unriddle the cause of this preference. This, however, is all the material damage; but some of the light-coloured jackets have been deprived of their colour by damp, wherever it seems to have reached them.

I have already tried the fishing nets—without success—the trammel net is the only killing one in this part of the river.

19th.—I have sketched for you on paper a sort of section view of what my house is intended to be. It appears almost concealed by the verandah, like a man with a broad-brimmed hat drawn down over his face; but in this climate, shade in summer, and shelter in winter, are equally desirable. When the verandah shall have been made all round, I can enjoy a walk of 164 feet under it.

I have been busy laying out my boundary lines, and chaining my grant, which is more than half a mile in breadth along the river, and running several miles back. Mr. Wells came here in the evening, and I sold him six young pigs just weaned, at 15s. apiece, to be paid in wheat, delivered on my account, to the Government stores, at 13s. per bushel, to repay the advances which were some time ago made to us, in