Page:Extracts from the letters and journals of George Fletcher Moore.djvu/180

 154 and much rain during the past night. Planted some potatoes in drills, and wished for some good seed of the apple species. Compelled by the rain to give up work, and fortunately shot a crow for dinner; this stewed in soup with a tomato, is an excellent mess. Rain, rain, all day, which put me in mind of Ireland; were it not for its effects on the land, I should never desire to see a drop of it, greatly preferring the driest weather, however hot.

Young Burgess called on me in the evening, after a hunting expedition, with an emu on his shoulder—a huge animal. He gave me a foot, which I intend to send to you: the dimensions of this foot are—from the heel to the nail of the middle toe, eight inches; from the knee joint to the toe, twenty-two inches: it is a turkey's foot in shape, greatly magnified: the bird stands, I am told, eight feet high. I intend to try my own luck in emu hunting on Thursday, if the weather prove fine.

2nd.—Another day of frequent but not continued rain, accompanied with strong wind from the N.W. In the evening I sauntered out with my gun towards the hills; saw two kangaroos at a distance, and was brought to a stand by a low sound, which I conjectured to have been the voice of natives, but happily discovered that it proceeded from large frogs, which now issue from their hiding places and utter their "dulcet sounds."

"Et veterem in limo Ranee cecinere querelam."