Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/241

 223 to-night, and I fear we shall have a bad account of them also. Planted seven vine cuttings to-day, and as many peaches, which seem to grow by cuttings also.

Friday, 27th.—One of my best ewes was found dead to-day, torn by natives' dogs, I presume. I must count them all over, to ascertain whether it is one of J—'s or mine; if it be one of mine—which I suspect, from the relics of skin and bone—it was one of the largest of Van Diemen's Land ewes, and had a lamb yesterday, in which case they are much inclined to secrete themselves in a quiet place till the lamb is able to follow the mother; and so the shepherd misses them * * * Have tried transplanting potatoes to a considerable extent this year. They are self-sown from what remains in the ground—not sufficient to fill the ground properly yet too valuable to be lost. In this way I shall have a good number of potatoes self-sown and otherwise—perhaps half an acre. If I could procure seed now I have manure to plant an acre, but they are selling at 6d. a pound and very few to be had at the price.

Saturday 28th.—The native Geear has been flogged; the other is detained. Those in this neighbourhood have again been stealing from a man called Waller. I had upwards of twenty natives here to-day * * * Had a great piece of work branding sheep, but did not get the job finished. Counting my lambs I find there are 110 now, and 231 sheep in the fold. Several are to lamb yet * * * * Cabbage, onion, &c., seeds do not come. Apropos, I broke a piece of virgin ground to-day, ground probably not stirred since the Creation, or the last terrestial convulsion. It is a common circumstance here, but what a singular train of ideas it leads the mind into! Meanwhile, it looks rich black deep vegetable mould. There is only about an acre of it together at that spot; it is in a gentle hollow between two of those knolls of ground which I have so often described as forming a characteristic feature of this locality. * * *