Page:Extracts from the letters and journals of George Fletcher Moore.djvu/208

 182 heard do not fully deserve to be so classed; but some of their notes are very sweet, so much so that I give them credit for being songsters.

4th.—Busied all this day and yesterday in the garden (which has been rather neglected for some time) planting Caffre corn in rows a yard apart, maize and peas, breaking up some fresh ground, and preparing beds for melons, vegetable-marrow, pumpkins, and cucumbers. Our seasons differ greatly from those of Sydney; there is there a little rain more or less in every month. Showers commence here in April, and become more frequent and heavy until July; and decrease until October. We are always sure of dry weather for our hay and grain harvest in the latter end of that month, and the two succeeding ones. The spring this year is much more backward than last year, on account of the frosts. Last season, before this time, I had dug and sold potatoes; but now (though they were planted as early) I have not any ripe.

Sydney, in the sixth year of its establishment, cost the Government 161,000l. for that year. For this colony, 18,000l. per annum is the allowance; but we hope for more encouragement.

8th.—Crossing the river after breakfast, on my way to Mr. Bull's, I had to walk across a tree, up to my middle in the water—this was more wetting than I had calculated on. On reaching the other side, I had to take off my trowsers and wring the