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other natives, and next morning he was not to be found, nor had any trace of him been discovered when the last news came. The other natives are quite at a loss to account for it. They say that he became uneasy and frightened at night, got up from the fire and went to the beach, and called out for the ship (which was lying off the shore at some distance), and they know no more of him. He could not swim. A native named Coordap, who was confined in gaol under sentence of transportation for killing sheep, contrived to make his escape, and has already stolen and killed a number of pigs, since his escape, though only about a week ago. Sir Charles Burdett came up here with Mackie yesterday. They dined and slept here. I took Sir Charles for a walk about the adjacent farms after breakfast this morning, and they then returned to Perth. It was fortunate that yesterday and this morning were both fine—the first fine weather we have had for some time; but the day changed as it wore on, and there has been heavy rain again. I have been a loser to some extent by it. A stack of wheat had been opened to get it threshed by Mr. Brockman's threshing machine, but heavy rain came on the second day and they were obliged to leave off. However, we got it all finished yesterday, being about 200 bushels in two days. Mr. Brockman and S— dined here yesterday at one o'clock, but my other guests did not come for dinner till five. Sir Charles wanted me to go down to-day to Perth to dine with him, but I had too much to do in settling accounts, &c., as I have to go down to-morrow again.
July 16th.—The rumour of the six men being drowned is too true. It is not known how it happened, as the boat came on shore empty. They had gone to bring back a small vessel which had gone adrift, owned by the whaling company to which they belonged. The vessel is driven on shore also, and is now a wreck. But a circumstance which threatens even worse consequences has just been reported here. Two settlers have been most inhumanly murdered by the natives near
