some purchases at Fremantle. Paid £7 10s. for a cask of pork to Mr. Burgess.[1]
*****
Feb. 17th.—I was on this day sworn in a commissioner of the civil court in Western Australia, which will open early next month. This court is almost without limit as to jurisdiction; juries may be called for, if the parties will pay them; an appeal lies to the Governor and Council in cases beyond a certain amount; short forms to be used, with few technicalities. I have had rare work cutting down long declarations into small compass, making forms of conveyance, leases, and mortgages, pruning of all redundancies, and reducing all to an alarmingly small size. You remember I had rather a taste for this, and I have entered on my occupation con amore.
*****
27th.—Busy, in Perth, making arrangements with respect to the court; and I have bought a town allotment in Perth, with a house partly built on it. The situation (on the river) is beautiful, and about twenty pounds will be sufficient outlay for putting the house into repair: it will be valuable. The allotment is thirty-three yards wide, and ninety-nine yards long. It cost 11l. 5s. 6d. to fence the front, with the regula-
- ↑ Another considerable gap (which is the English word for hiatus, as I understand) occurs here.—Ed.
