Page:Extracts from the letters and journals of George Fletcher Moore.djvu/105

THE COLONY.

SWAN RIVER FARE—SERVANTS' WAGES—PRICE OF CLOTHING, PROVISIONS, ETC.—COSTUME—SINGULAR PHENOMENA—APPROACH OF SPRING—CONSTANT SUCCESSION OF FLOWERS—PROJECTED JOURNEY WITH MR. DALE—AGRICULTURAL MEETING—THE GOVERNOR'S BALL.

Hermitage, Western Australia,
August 19th, 1831.

My last letter was dated from Perth, where I then was. Nothing remarkable has occurred within the last two days, except the appearance of seven spermaceti-whales from Fremantle, and that the people have been smitten with the mania for whale fishing; but, unfortunately, there is no suitable fishing-tackle for an attack on these monsters of the deep, which would otherwise (and will at a future time) have a successful result. I have been in vain endeavouring to obtain a Perth newspaper for you, containing an account of our last agricultural meeting. I returned home, partly by boat and partly on foot, and found all well: but my young cow has become plaguy restless, and has broken away repeatedly into the bush: we have her, however, in the cow-house now.