Page:Extracts from the letters and journals of George Fletcher Moore.djvu/198

 172 with me. I first brought home my two cows from Mr. Tanner's, and my thirty-three sheep from another neighbour; then ploughed, sowed, and harrowed-in two acres of wheat, and sold a sow for 5l., to be paid in hurdles, shoes and ploughing—no money according to our system of barter. This sow had been among the wounded pigs, but perfectly recovered. Escorted my little flock of sheep to the flat, keeping a sharp look-out for natives, with a good supply of balls in my pocket, but saw none of them: nor was I fasting altogether on this day, having had two eggs and some goat's butter at breakfast. But my cow, like Mrs. Shandy's, "puts off calving terribly." I shall soon have cauliflowers and turnips for dinner; in short, we shall all soon have an abundance of everything; and as to wheat, it will be so plentiful that we must see about mills of some kind or other. Steam machinery would be too expensive, and water power in most places cannot be commanded, as there are few continuous streams; but wind mills will yet be in general use. There, has been but one experiment of the latter kind, and it has succeeded well.

30th.—Some of the settlers have met to take into consideration Mr. Lyon 's plan for civilising the natives. I wish they were convinced of the evil of their pig-killing ways; "but," as M'Leod says in "Ennui," "I doubt if it will be very