Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/64

 48 9th.—After the interval of a week, I have heavy arrears to pull up, and have been interrupted this day by an incessant throng of visitors; and now at, eleven at night, I, for the first time, during this interval, find myself alone and at leisure. This day week I dined with Mr. Tanner, when a messenger came to state that Captain Irwin had arrived at my house, of course I hurried thither, and gave him refreshment and a bed. He had come for the purpose of making preparatory arrangements for the public celebration of the church service, which we mean to have regularly at a neighbouring barrack. Twenty-eight persons, many of them of the higher class, attended the next day; and warmly entered into Captain Irwin's object. He is a truly amiable and religious man; and interests himself most usefully for the colony, and the enjoyment of his friendship is a valuable privilege to me. We have subsequently measured the boundaries of a projected village, for which I have offered a part of my land. Young Shaw and I have been looking for kangaroos, but unsuccessfully. We have, however, obtained many varieties of beautiful plants and shrubs, and some more seeds from Mr. Tanner, who is to have half the produce.

Last Thursday was very wet, with high wind, and thunder and lightning at night. I slept very little.

On the ensuing morning, Captain Irwin came for me to accompany him to my back grounds to look for kangaroos; we were again unsuccessful. On the night of this day we had a most providential escape; my friend had put the cotton match, which we use for lighting a cigar, into his pocket, supposing it to be extinguished, but, as if purposely to convince him of his mistake, it communicated with the bed quilt, and before he awoke, set fire to it,—the blanket, sheets, and part of the mattrass; his pillow actually rested against an open cask of gunpowder! When I started up, the quilt was burning up to his head. I carried out every thing in my arms, and stood in my shirt until I had extinguished the fire. The night