Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/328

 310 a fifer was pressed into the service, and we were dancing full fling before nine o'clock, and had a very merry pleasant evening without ceremony. We were snug in our beds by one o'clock, without draining the cup to the dregs.

Monday.—Dr. Harris came here for breakfast this morning. He was speaking on the subject of the rivers which have been seen lately between this and King George's Sound by land. Two rivers (the Hotham and the Williams) unite, and form the Murray river. The Hotham, he says, at the highest point it has been seen—namely, about 60 miles South, and about the same meridian as York—appears to come from the North of East, and is there a very considerable river, so that it probably comes from a long distance, and may be the drain of much of that country which we saw on our East course,— although we never observed the slightest indication of a drain to the Southward.—Have been trying an experiment this year to some extent by transplanting potatoes into regular drills, where they have come self-sown, or from those left undug in the ground. They look very well now, and some have potatoes as large as walnuts by them, and, if the frost does not destroy them, I hope to have a nice crop; but, one night's frost, and they are lost.—9 o'clock: A great barking of dogs, and in walked a gentleman (young Mr. Walcott), saying, "I'm on my way home to John Mackie, and it is so cold I just called to get a glass of grog." He took two and proceeded on his way. Two native boys are with me now attending my cattle and sheep. One has just been telling me that a large hawk, when it discovers an emu's nest, takes a stone in its talons, hovers over the nest, and lets it drop among the eggs to break them. He laughed so slily whilst telling it that I think he was "taking a rise" out of the white man.

Saturday.—For the first time since the barrel of herrings was opened, I ate some this evening, having arrived in a very hungry mood, and nothing else so readily presenting itself as that and an egg. Got into the canvassed room and had a few