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back again, and here I am in Perth still. Meanwhile we have had several ships arriving from different quarters. By one of them, the Eagle, I have this day shipped 936lbs. of wool to Edward Fletcher, in six bales of different sizes, and one box. Two of these bales are for you, containing 106lbs. There is quite a mania for sheep now in this colony. Four hundred have arrived this day in a vessel, and 1000 more are daily expected. Of these I have engaged 100, which will cost me about £2 a piece; but I understand that they are asking as much as 55s. a head for those which have arrived now. There are 30 calves also, at £11 a piece.
March 26th.—There has been some distracting irregularity about my movements and occupations lately, so that I have lost the connexion of my journal. A most important measure for the colony has been hanging over the Legislative Council for some time, namely, the "opening of our budget,"—that is, in plain terms, laying before the public the plan for revising the revenue and adjusting the expenditure of the colony for the ensuing financial year, which commences with us on the 1st April. This is the first time it has been done here, and the public mind was very anxious about it, as there were some items of expenditure proposed by the Government which were not thought very useful or judicious by the colonists. I think the Governor has some misgivings about it, as well as the public, he fearing lest the Council should not concur in his Estimates, and the public doubtful whether we should dare to act with impartiality.
On Tuesday the Governor opened the Legislative Council for this purpose with a long address, which he read to us, and he then laid his Estimates before us, and moved to have us all appointed a committee to examine them. I seconded his motion, and made a stout speech on the occasion, which you will see, I dare say, in our colonial paper of next week, which I shall send to you, for I saw "a chiel amang us takin' notes, aud feth he'll print it." I think we have set the public mind
