Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/374

 356 also that they have no expression either for "trespass" or "forgiveness." Heart-cooling, or becoming good, is the only near equivalent, so I was obliged to make him paraphrase that part thus, "Your heart be good to us as our heart is good to others also." The whole prayer will thus stand literally: "Our father of the sky being. Thy name we praise always. We then soon thy people shall be. What you tell us we shall perform on earth, like as in heaven. Food you us to-day give. Your heart to us good be (or is), if our heart so others to you. Us in evil put not. You us well lead; then Thine is the people and power and praise, always always so." That is the nearest approach at present.

Sunday.—The Irwins only arrived late last night. The river is so swollen, I cannot get over, and there is no boat. The Governor has called upon us to give him our considered opinions on the propriety of reprieving or otherwise the native sentenced to execution, in order that they may be entered on the minutes of Council to go home, to have her Majesty's further pleasure known in the matter, as there is no power in the Governor to pardon for treason or murder.

Monday.—I had poison placed for several nights for native dogs, our own dogs being tied up. This morning I found one dead on the spot, where she must have taken it. How active it (nux vomica) must be! Arsenic does not kill them, they reject it. I have only one poor solitary duck left out of 20, and it was in the act of being carried off two nights ago when I ran out and frightened the dog off, but could not see it in the darkness. This has been a day of continued soaking rain, the first of the kind there has been this winter.

Friday.—Went to Perth on Tuesday. The river was so high I could not cross at the ford, so I went up to the ferry at Guildford. I had much trouble in getting across some brooks. On Wednesday a rumour reached the Governor that some natives from King George's Sound had come overland,