Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/279

261 930 sheep.—I have engaged 100 from him. This will exhaust all my available finances. I have to go to Guildford tomorrow to examine bridges, and to the Flats to examine and report upon their state.

April 11th, Saturday.—I only got home late last night. On Monday, on reaching Guildford, Mr. Roe had not arrived, so, after sending back the horse and waiting in vain for him, I had to walk to Perth. The weather was very hot. On Tuesday I went down to Fremantle, where I had despatched J to make enquiries about the sheep, which I had very bad accounts of. Three miles on this side of Fremantle, I found my brave J with 99 sheep, which looked not very bad under all circumstances. He had lost one on the way, so far. Mackie had bought 50, and had lost no less than 5 (dead) in the same space. The sheep are very weak; you can hardly imagine the state of a flock coming from a ship. On the second day, they reached Perth, rested there a day, and have this day reached Edwards' on the other side of the river. There are of course several casualties, and some sick left behind, but I hope to have 95 for £192; of these 24 are only lambs. You see what struggles and difficulties we experience in getting a nucleus flock here. Mr. Henty, who bought them by contract, declares that every sheep stands him here at 45s., and that his loss will be heavy by them. However, he is selling his potatoes at £28 a ton, to make up for it.

In walking up yesterday, I called at S's and found him busied in erecting a verandah of sawed timber all round the house. Mr. Bull and Lennard are anxious to see Lennard's brook about 40 miles north of this and they wish me to accompany them. We propose to set out on Tuesday, accompanied by two natives.—A bullock of Mr. Ridley's died suddenly. The news has spread among the natives, and they were hurrying off this morning to share the feast.—I have got the frame work of a verandah put up round the back of my house, and shall get it thatched as soon as I can get the straw.