Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/68

 52 31st.—I went to bed early last night, but was deprived of my desired slumbers by the arrival of two gentlemen, who had been benighted on the river, and requested a night's lodging; they had come from the Surveyor's office on a holiday excursion, On the next night again, after I had composed myself to rest, with the expectation of taking a double dose of sleep, I was aroused by a furious barking of my dogs; up I jumped, and hearing moans of distress, commenced a search, which ended in the discovery of a drunken fellow lying in the bottom of a deep ditch: he proved to be one of Mr. Burgess's servants, who had gone up the river, got drunk en chemin, lost his companion (who was in a similar condition), and his way. I am in great want of a good kangaroo dog, which, besides his proper office of game-hunting, would be a watchful sentry at night: fifteen guineas are demanded for one, which is a high price; but the dog, if good, enables his owner to have a constant supply of fresh kangaroo meat,—a very material object. No winter yet,—thermometer 62°,—fresh flowers springing up every day!

Aug. 1st.—The younger Mr. Burgess came this morning to tell me that his dogs had killed an old and young emu; I hurried off with all the ardour of a young sportsman to see them; the old one, when erect, is nearly seven feet high, and resembling the kangaroo, both being small and slender in the fore parts and heavy and strong in the hind quarters. This bird has a very gentle look, seems to feed entirely on grass, has no wings, and scarcely the indication of a pinion, for it is only six inches long, terminated by a small claw. The feathers are singular, two of them springing from one stem; the only long ones are in the tail; the colour is of a dark brown. I hope to send you some in a box, with other Australian curiosities. The young one is not unlike a gosling, with light coloured longitudinal stripes.

2nd.—An easterly wind prevails, and it has something of the sharp penetrating and drying quality which it has with