Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/55

 THE COLONY.

last letter was broken off abruptly from the necessity of the mail being closed.

On the 4th, had the pleasure of meeting at Perth, one of a most agreeable party, Captain Mangles, who published his Travels in Egypt.

Any man of sense, who has travelled far and observed much, is invaluable as a companion, or as an author, particularly if he don't let the latter character absorb the agreeable qualities of the former.

The author is often too retentive of materials which he is collecting for his work, to communicate them freely, whilst the companion, as such, overflows with interesting and useful information.

As far as the 28th instant, my time has been occupied in farming, gardening, &c., with a moderate attention to the larder and the provant.

I caught a couple of turtles, one but small, the other larger;