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 267 lambs which had perished on the way. I went to Perth on Wednesday, and to Fremantle with Mr. Roe on Tuesday, to examine ferries, &c., as commissioner of roads, bridges, ferries, &c. An unpleasant occurrence happened at Perth which may lead to bad consequences. A townsman of Perth, finding that his store had been plundered by some natives, took his gun and went to where there were a number of them sleeping, and got into a scuffle with one whom he supposed to be a guilty person. His gun went off in the struggle, and all the contents passed through the lad's thigh and into the calf of his leg. They wanted to take summary vengeance, and were with difficulty persuaded to let our law take its course. They have been pacified in the meantime by seeing him sent handcuffed to gaol to await the event, if the boy should die. They wished to be allowed to spear him in the leg, and said if he gave some bread they would only spear him a very little. If the boy dies they say that they will kill the guilty man who stole the flour, as he was the cause of it, but they expect that the white man will be killed by us if Gogaly (the boy) should die.—On my arrival here to-night I find three other sheep dead in my absence, all (I believe) my own. One appears to have bled to death in the fold, from the wound made in branding it. One was a blind one, and the third was one which the native dogs had mangled long ago.

Monday, June 1st.—This is the anniversary of the foundation or establishment of this colony, and is to be celebrated in Perth by rustic sports and gambols, as running after pigs with soaped tails, jumping in sacks, &c. I was trepanned into subscribing a pound for it, as the Government officers were expected to contribute. The mortality among my sheep seems to be dying out. I have not had any more deaths for several days, but some are in a doubtful state, and I have still eight blind.—The team is now occupied in breaking up some high ground of a sandy loamy nature, some say it will not give a crop without manure. I shall be very badly off