Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/233

 215 suppose that place will turn out to be our cow pasture plains—a fine river running most if not all the year; yet this was not even known to exist at the settlement of this place. * * * A whaling vessel has put in here on account of some misunderstanding among the crew—some call it mutiny.

15th.—Here I am, just arrived after a whole week's work and a walk to-night of 18 miles. I had twenty-three causes and about a dozen motions, &c. Two of the causes were for libel; in one, our old friend Mr. S—, laid his damages at £500, and got one farthing and a good lecture into the bargain. I got paid to-day for a pair of slippers by a piece of iron hard cash! and another wishes me to take a pig for some other things. Mr. B— wants me to take a goose! These are the modes of payment. There is not any news; but the natives are becoming everywhere more bold, the colonists more uneasy, the Government more puzzled, and I fear a rupture if the offending natives be not removed wholesale to some island—which might be done.

Tuesday, March 18th.—Yesterday being "St. Patrick's Day in the morning," the Messrs. Burgess invited me to dine with them. A pleasant day it was, marked by one appropriate feature—they had tried and succeeded in distilling a small quantity of "potheen," which was our beverage.

This day I have had a number of natives here. I went to-night to their bivouac, which is close to this place. Some of them were busy sucking the honey water which they extracted from the flowers of the red gum tree; others baking their flour into cakes. They had two large native dogs. I have the natives much more about me than usual. I was much amused with the agility displayed by my pretty young friend Doodyep, yesterday, in climbing trees to gather the red gum blossoms. "By-and-bye, tumble down," she would cry, clinging to a branch by one arm, and playing all manner of antics. Her admiration of herself in the glass also was worthy of any more civilised coquette. There is one thing we are greatly at