Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/349

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boy, back to York. He spread the news, and will be of service. Not finding the natives at York, I went 26 miles to the north to look for them; but they would not show there, where the murder was committed. On my way I passed where Mr. Logue is now settled with his family. They are very comfortable already, having taken the crops now growing on a farm. They were then building their own house, about 1½ miles from where they now reside. I went to visit my own grant there, and was greatly pleased. They have 16 acres of wheat, a fine dwelling-house in progress, a kitchen, and a barn, and about 1000 sheep between mine and their own. I have had nearly 400 lambs this year. I persisted in my enquiries from the natives about the water to the East. They still say there is a sea in that direction, but far away. "Moons plenty dead" is all the information I can get. They seem surprised to hear that I have been so far without seeing it. My place near York is called Jilgayria.

November 1st.—In the midst of some hot oppressive weather there came to-day a shower of hail stones, such as I have never witnessed before; some of them were as large as pullet's eggs. What a sound they made on our shingle roofs!

November 11th.—The Hero sailed on Wednesday last, having several passengers on board from this,—some to go to England, and others to India, on a speculation to procure sheep and probably camels, and to bring an investment of other such things as may be suitable for us—What a provoking circumstance that this exploring expedition, from which we had hoped to derive such great advantage, is, I fear, altogether frustrated by the course which has been pursued. Messrs. Grey and Lushington, influenced, as we hear, by the evil representations of some persons at the Cape as to our state and resources, hired a vessel there, at £140 a month, and have gone to Java, thence to land upon the N.W. coast, and explore, whilst the vessel hovers and waits for their return. I am reluctant to speak more of this now, not knowing more