Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/221

 203 are we to draw the limit? and how are we to ascertain the actual circumstances of any man? How are we to avoid jealousies, feuds and mortifications? What nice distinctions will be necessary? If the privilege be confined to men of real property, they will be but a favoured few, and who will take their notes but those of this particular class? Will the captains of ships? No!—The merchants? I doubt it! Of what use to them would be "Three months after date, I promise to pay six pigs, a gander and a goose, &c., &c.?"

I treated Doolup, one of our natives, with a ride on the mare to-day; he sat well, and was martial looking; his head adorned with red cockatoo feathers, his face with white paint.

29th.—Weeip and Doolup have come here. I brought Weeip into my room, and had a long conversation with him. He told me that he had dismissed Ya-gan from his grounds. While he was here, my dinner was brought in; he paid the greatest attention to my manner of eating; tasted the salt, and said "no good;" was very inquisitive to know what the meat was. Kangaroo? No.—Beef (cow bullock)? No.—Pig? No.—Sheep? Yes, which he seemed hardly persuaded of. Doolup took such a fancy to his quarters, that he would not go away. I shot two wild ducks on the river, with which act of sportsmanship he was greatly delighted. He has just taken tea, and is sitting quite at home with the men in the kitchen. Weeip did not know what to make of the milk he saw me drink. Was it moco (water) ? No. Grog (he had heard of grog at Bull's, and said it was "no good")? No.—Wine?—No. Cow? No. He was puzzled till I imitated sucking; he at once understood me, and said "piccanny cow? yes! yes! yes!" and seemed quite satisfied. He looked at the guns, pistols, swords, bellows, tongs, &c., and now has much to talk and think about; in short, he has acquired new ideas.

This has been a very wet day, with thunder and lightning. I fear we shall have a flood this year like that in 1829 and 1830.