Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/76

 60 may wish for, from the bustle (no allusion to the Hottentot ladies, I assure you) to every other appendage of the person:—pray interest yourself to have a well-selected cargo sent especially to them. Among the common necessaries which would sell well in this colony are starch, blue, candles of every kind, glass, flannel, and soap, which now brings (and sold as a special favour) 2s. 6d. a pound.

Masters here are only so in name; they are the slaves of their indentured servants. In my absence, * *  * does nothing, and if I speak to him exit in a rage. I could send him to gaol, but I do not like this extremity, and yet I cannot afford to lose the advantage of his time, and pay £30, besides diet, to another in his place. Letty, however, continues faithful.

Yesterday, after the adjustment of a boundary line between neighbours at the base of the hills, a singular circumstance occurred, when the last two trees were struck with an axe, for the purpose of making a boundary mark—a jet d'eau issued from out of a blue gum tree, and continued running without intermission during the time of our stay—a quarter of an hour. This water had a strong chalybeate taste. On my return, we saw some native huts and graves; I picked up a man's under jaw, and looked for a skull, but in vain. These are the remains of the native who speared James; and the grave was dug soon afterwards by Corporal Fea, who shot him. I have despatched one of my people with a venture of vegetables to the market—a hamper of cabbages, turnips, and lettuces—may success attend this grand speculation!

26th.—No intelligence of the venture yet. My pigs have strayed away, old and young, without leave, for two days. On this day se'night, our next Agricultural Meeting will take place, on which occasion the Governor is to give an evening party, and I believe there will be some dancing. I had no notion there would be so much society here, so much gaiety, so much dressing, I thought, in my simplicity, that I had