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Park ready for Mrs. Irwin, but work proceeds slowly. Our Governor now talks openly of being about to leave us soon. I went this evening to look at the boundaries of Mr. B—'s grant, with reference to which my lower boundary on the brook is to be fixed. There were some very heavy showers, and I got drenched, but only in the lower limbs thanks to the indiarubber cape.
June 10th.—I took James with me to-day, and rode up Ellen's Brook to the distance of about nine miles from this. I am very well pleased with the place as a pasture farm. For the first three miles there are pools of water, which continue all the year, at intervals of perhaps a mile apart; after that, there is a tract of several miles (perhaps five or six) without any water, and the first pool met with is brackish or salt. But there is a considerable extent of pasture ground which will improve by being fed upon, and perhaps fresh springs may be found. There is also limestone to be found in that quarter.
June 28th.—There is a gap here which I can hardly account for. I brought this to Perth some time since to send by the Beagle, when, behold she had sailed that morning before I had calculated upon the movement. We have been in daily, nay, hourly, expectation of ships from India, from England, from Van Diemen's Land, &c.; but they come not. At length, however, one vessel has come from Launceston with sheep, principally belonging to Mr. Talbot, who was here at the outset of the colony, but has been taking care of the property of one of his uncles in Van Diemen's Land for some time. A vessel which was coming here from Hobartown (the Dart) has been wrecked in the harbour of South Australia, which does not speak much in favour of that port. A very excellent harbour has been lately ascertained to exist in the colony at the mouth of the Murray River, on Mr. Peel's property, only seventeen miles south of Fremantle, with much very good land in its neighbourhood. This colony has never since
