Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/333

315 but there is hardly any way in which money can be employed here that does not yield a much higher rate. That is an ordinary rate. Even now when money has become rather more easily to be obtained than heretofore, it was discussed for a time whether the rate of discount in the bank should not be 15 per cent; but it has been settled down to 12½. Persons have money lent out at 25 per cent. You see where such enormous profit can be made by the use of money; those who once get hold of any, either by loan or otherwise, are very loath to pay it back again, and perhaps would not care ever to pay it, if it were not for the interest charged. The vessel has not brought any salt meat. Fresh meat has risen again to 1s. 5d. a lb. My people live entirely on fresh mutton. When one is done they kill another, two lambs in the week being about the consumption. We have only lambs of this year, or rather of nearly a year old, to kill. They generally weigh about 33lbs. each on an average. Dr. G. is now blaming the Government for not proceeding to try and execute a settler, who shot a native, in the act of robbing his master's barn. The case is one of some difficulty. The master placed the man in the barn to watch the property. The settlers complain that they have not sufficient protection allowed them by the Government, and they are thus compelled to defend and secure their property themselves. The Government here can not, and the Government at home will not, give more, except out of the pockets of the settlers. So we are upon the horns of an inexorable dilemma.

June 24th.—I have just heard that the Abeona will sail to-morrow, and though we have been long waiting in expectation of the arrival of the Hero, and keeping all our letters back till we should hear by her, yet I think it better to send off this letter, as we know not how long it may be before another opportunity may offer. We had another meeting of the Legislative Council yesterday, and both the Governor and Council still maintain their own opinions about the amount