soon find out their value, and act accordingly. Any one bringing out servants should accurately enumerate in their indentures every article, and how much of it each should get. Many, who on landing would have been startled at the idea of taking four glasses of spirits every day, soon reconcile themselves to this excess, if they be indulged by their masters: in laborious and warm work, however, such as mowing, a large allowance of grog is not unreasonable.
I exchanged two pair of small linen trousers (which had been made for the boy who came out with me) for a cock of hay, and have a grand project in my head of bartering some chickens (when hatched) for a kid which one of my neighbours expects soon to have born to him.
**
4th.—I am helping Mackie to cut an avenue from his place to mine; many settlers are doing the same kind of thing, which makes our houses appear much closer than we before supposed.
James brought me home a turtle yesterday, and to-day another, which he found in the grass, where they had been depositing their eggs; their weight is four pounds each, and and one had sixteen eggs with remarkably hard shells. Found a pretty rail, shaped like ours, but handsomely freckled; and a young wagtail, which has as varied a style of singing as it has various names, being called, besides the name just stated, razor-grinder, and superb-warbler. Mr. B. called to
