Page:Extracts from the letters and journals of George Fletcher Moore.djvu/92

 66 the colony; but we hope to have some from Van Diemen's Land before the close of the season, and I have the satisfaction of calculating, that there will be 200 acres of wheat grown this season, which will supply 800 persons with flour for one year—vide Malthus (or any other economist whom you may like better) on Food and Population. This is a great struggle for a new colony, is it not?

5th.—We had a slight frost last night. This day I have completed the sowing of all my seeds, except that of maize (or Indian corn), and transplanted 300 cabbages, besides those which I brought from Perth, tares, flax seed, rye, castor oil seed, stones of the date tree, lucerne, red and white clover, trefoil, hay seeds, and planted five young orange trees.

9th.—After the interval of a week, I have heavy arrears to pull up, and have been interrupted this day by an incessant throng of visitors; and now at, eleven at night, I, for the first time, during this interval, find myself alone and at leisure. This day week I dined with Mr. Tanner, when a messenger came to state that Captain Irwin had arrived at my house, of course I hurried thither, and gave him refreshment and a bed. He had come for the purpose of making preparatory arrangements for the public celebration of the church service, which we mean to have regularly at a neighbouring barrack. Twenty-eight persons,