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28th.—I arrived at Perth after a very tedious passage of six hours, greatly fatigued, having rested the preceding night on the bare ground—my blanket a greatcoat, my pillow a fishing basket!
The four following days were passed in short and pleasant excursions from Perth, and in quiet, and yet very social, dinner parties.
July 3rd.—The Sabbath passed nearly as before. The clergyman goes on alternate Sundays to Guildford and Fremantle, and attends a Sunday School.
A botanical garden has been lately laid out here, in which I walked with the Governor and his lady, accompanied by some of my kind friends. I left Perth mounted on a small pony, which Mr. B. wishes me to take charge of; indeed change of air or of keeping seems desirable for him, as he is miserably weak and quite unable to support me for any considerable distance; but for the honour of the thing, I might just as well have walked. My friends bore me company for a short time, and I reached my home and indulged in a sound nap in my own bed, being the first night, except one at Capt. Whitfield's, since my excursion commenced, that I had an opportunity of stretching my limbs upon any thing more luxurious than a clay floor or a chest.
This day I have been very busy sowing small parcels of red and white wheat (in drills), peas, beans, cabbage seeds, leeks, onions, turnips, cauliflower, mangel-wurzel, rape, radishes, mustard and cress, and had the gratification for the first time of eating an excellent salad, the produce of my own garden. Henceforward I calculate on a regular supply of vegetables for my solitary table.[1]
I had nearly omitted to state that on the 23rd, we had one of those storms, with the accounts of which people have been kindly endeavouring to alarm me. It certainly blew with
