Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/239

 221 June, 18th.—To-day I have been busy preparing wheat for sowing. I am getting the holes of the drake riddle made a little larger, by pushing the alternate wires close together; the drake or darnel did not pass through before * * * Acted as a shepherd for a little to-day; there are now 84 lambs. What confusion of sounds and voices as the sheep are driven out! Such bleating of lambs, such searching of the mothers for their young—such laughable mistakes—yet how soon discovered. A lamb is not very scrupulous, but will accommodate itself with almost any mother which will stand quiet. Not so the mother. Smelling, she soon detects and drives off the intruder, pushing it away unceremoniously with her head. Yet sometimes they commit mistakes, and take up with a wrong lamb, neglecting their own. I have no less than four instances of this among mine now, and we must rear them by hand.

June, 19th.—To-day Mr. Shaw and I took a walk up to Mr. Brown's grant to see the land. Everything looks beautiful. There we met eight or nine natives; among them were two of those connected with the death of the soldier, already referred to. They had the daring to go to the soldiers and get some wheat there. Their object I suppose is to lull suspicion in order to catch Weeip. Coming back we saw two turkeys, but could not get near them. My shepherd came to me with gloomy looks this evening, and in that mood he does not restrain his tongue. We have had a row, and I think I shall discharge him * * * I have now in my flock 240 sheep, independent of lambs, which it is too soon to count yet. I rejoice that I did not send them to the Canning River to Mr. Phillips, for the natives have killed some of his lately, and some also have died from a complaint which has been in many places prevalent among sheep.

June 20th.—Bought a pitch kettle, chafing dish, and some figure brands to-day * * * A number of natives were here again this morning. I made them useful in shooting