THE COLONY.
February 1838.
Feb. 12th.—The Abercrombie, by which my last letters should have gone, was only to sail yesterday. It is a long time since we had so many vessels in our port at once. Four of them intended to sail yesterday—the Alice, Eleanor, Abercrombie, and the Gailhardon. The last named ship is from India; she touched here on her passage to the neighbouring colonies, and I hope she is the forerunner of a regular series of ships communicating with us twice a year. Several passengers were landed here, who came to prepare the way for an establishment for rearing horses,—a speculation chiefly entertained by a Mr. Prinsep, of Calcutta. There were many passengers on board, some going for health, on leave of absence, and some for mercantile pursuits, and some as settlers in Van Diemen's Land. The Governor had several of them to dine with him; I dined there also. They appeared pleased with this place, and surprised that so much progress had been made.—A few days ago I met with a fortuitous confirmation of the idea of a sea to the North East of this. Seeing a large shell among the natives I asked where it came from? They said from Djeering,—a place to the N.E. of this; and, when I enquired particularly, they still persisted that it came from the sea, which was very far off in that direction. It had been handed from one to the other till it came here. When I said there was no sea in that direction, they said yes, you might go round North to King George's Sound or South to King
