Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/203

 185 A sad discovery—my rum cask is empty: I shall have to pay £27 for refilling it; and this will be only one year's supply, even for my small establishment.

With you "grog" means a mixture of spirits and water, in the ratio of one to three, or one to four—no such thing here—it means unmixed ardent spirits. The habits which many of the English peasantry bring with them are ruinous; and every man's expenditure seems to be regulated by the highest standard; even men who but seldom taste meat at home, demand it here three times a day; and now talk of beer in addition to their grog.

Killed a lamb to-day, about six months old, small, but good; it weighed only six pounds a quarter.

5th.—After breakfast, Francis Whitfield, and shortly after ten natives, came here: among them were three women, such unlovely specimens of feminity as I never wish to see again. One of them carried a pretty chubby-faced boy on her back. Would that these visits, like angelic ones, were "few and far between," for they are a smart tax upon me, as I am obliged to distribute bread among the visitors. I try to make them understand that they should come only once a week, to levy their "black mail," as I call it ; but they do not, or will not, understand, my hints.

My shepherd (unconscionable dog) wants to get the head and pluck as a perquisite for killing sheep, and a glass of grog, besides one every wet day. I fear I must part with him, though he is an excellent herdsman.

12th.—Oh, I have had such a week of it!—Sat in court on Tuesday from ten until it was dark, and so every successive day until Friday evening. There were forty-nine actions for trial, several motions for a new hearing, or for staying judgment, &c., &c. One law argument. Many of the other cases were of claims to a large amount; one for £569, another for £2000 damages. I had got a cold and swelling in my neck just before I went to Perth, which was greatly increased by