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exclaiming, "Wigh (a snake[1]) no good, no good." By torchlight, we killed a snake, which had been on the foot of this native, who signified to us that the bite would not be of serious injury, "men dik little," would make him a little sick. Next morning we walked higher up the river, which was here a running stream about twenty-five yards broad, crossed in several places by ledges of rock, where the natives had constructed ingenious weirs for taking fish, which appeared to be abundant. The scenery here is romantic, the soil on the banks tolerably good; but I understand that it does not continue so to any great distance. We returned down the river, and again indulged in an oyster feast, and proceeded to a small island, which a solitary convict had once attempted to cultivate. The effects of his toil appear in the grapes, cabbages, &c., which have now grown wild.
At five we reached the settlement, where we dined with Doctor Littleton. Next day I visited the farm before breakfast with Captain Irwin, for the purpose of selecting a suburban grant in the vicinity. The farm is a tract of ground partly of clay, and partly of loamy quality, about a mile and a half from the settlement, where there are some acres of ground under cultivation, which have produced good wheat this year. I went out a second time, accompanied by a surveyor, and chose two lots of four acres each, one for Captain Irwin, the other for myself; the soil is peaty, with a small portion of sand. Can you imagine a sandy bog? If so, you may have a notion of this soil.
24th.—On this day (Sunday) many of the natives[2] came into the barrack during divine service, of whom some remained all the time, and conducted themselves with great decorum. On Monday they were drawn up in line, and
