he lost yet, so much does care and a proper system effect. He rides out every morning after breakfast to see how they are going on, and generally again in the evening, and you and I will do the same, dearest, when I come back again. This time next year, I hope ours will be lambing. In April next you must put the rams into the fold and not before, and you must allow two rams for every hundred ewes. If you have a less number a great many of the ewes will not lamb. Some consider three rams necessary for every hundred, so, dearest, you must increase your number forthwith, if you have not already done so.

In selecting, observe that the wool is very close, and apparently ribbed. The more wool upon it, the more valuable the ram is; it should be down to its feet-over its head, so that it can but just see out of its eyes, and its body completely covered underneath as well as on the back. John called me out to the yard the other evening to see one he had given ten guineas for, and for which he has since been offered 20 guineas, but he would not part with it until he had obtained young stock from it. He pointed out to me the peculiar merits which were the quantity and fineness of its fleece. Mr. Morley's rams are celebrated in this particular, and consequently he makes almost a fortune by the sale of them alone. A gentleman called yesterday morning and bade us good-bye. He had just purchased 50 yearlings from him at £2 10s. a head, and was going to drive them to New England, a distance of 200 miles from this. I went out and saw them. He told me he had 250 more a little further on, but he had not given quite so much for them as he had for these.

In washing the sheep in this country they follow a different plan from ours, so that the wool is cleaned until it is as white as snow, and fetches invariably from

2s. 2d. to 2s. 6d. per pound. If they have no means of washing it as well as this, they prefer selling it in the grease, which weighs heavier, and saves them the expense of washing. In South Australia this is generally done on account of the scarcity of water, but then they only average a shilling a pound for this wool.

The plan of washing followed here is to select a running stream, where they make two soaking pens, like the one you had when you used to throw the sheep from the platform. One man stands in each of these pens, into the first of which are thrown about 40 sheep. The man keeps them moving about with his hands, to prevent them from drowning, and then lets them swim into the adjoining soaking pen, where that man does the same. He merely keeps them moving. They then swim out of this, where six men are standing and where each sheep passes through the hands of each of the six men, so that it has six good washings, until when they squeeze the wool the water comes off quite clean.

They are then allowed to go out, but [the shepherds] are most particular that they should not have to struggle through mud or dirt of any kind or description. If the bottom of the stream is not gravelly or strong, they take the trouble to make a place for them so that the wool should not be in the slightest degree soiled. About three or four days afterwards they shear them in a large floored shed which I will describe when I come home, and the table, which is very curious, on which the fleeces are placed, to be folded up.

For washing the sheep the men are paid by the day; the shearing is 3s. 6d. a score. It used to be 2s. 6d. before the gold diggings, when labour rose to an exorbitant price all over the colony. So you see we have been paying immensely for our shearing.

To-morrow I am going to ride out with John, to his mountain station, where I have not been yet. It is about five miles off. The flock we have at the homestead is a wether flock, with rams included, altogether about 1,200. You would be surprised to see how the wealthy squatters in this country keep branching out and forming new stations. They think nothing of distance and difficulties. The greater the difficulty the more pleasure they seem to have in contending with and overcoming it. Mr. Clerk, in addition to the one he has in New England, where he resides, 200 miles from this, has another at Port Curtis, 600 miles off. They are very fond of asking me questions about Western Australia, and seem astonished at the small way in which we go on, after being there so many years. The Swan River settlers, Mrs. Bussell, appear to have no grasp of mind. Their views are too narrow, too confined. They should come here and learn a lesson. We never allow anything to daunt us. We don't believe in impossibilities.'

You say, or at least the girls do, that Mr. Wright is very fond of this expression. I suppose he acquired it here. I hope, my own darling, you will use it when you think of fetching me from King George's Sound, and not let the difficulty of the undertaking annoy you. As to the funds, something will be sure to turn up, but you must not delay --for the present arrangement for steam communication is only promised until the 11th of December. After that the Home Government are going to make another arrangement with the Cunard Company, which may cut off King George's Sound; so that if I do not leave Sydney by the December mail of the 11th, no one can say how long I may have to wait.

.

A few mornings since when seated at the breakfast

table I was startled at the sight of a large number of cattle, grazing on the opposite hill. On going down to dine at Mr. Morley's afterwards I met Mr. Cooper, who told me they were his, and had arrived that morning from his station at New England. This drove consisted of 700 head, full grown and all going to be branded. Two men will brand 500 a day, without roping them! How do you think they manage? Why, they drive them into a long, narrow yard, over which there is a platform. Upon this platform the men stand and thrust the brand through upon each animal with perfect ease. They are so jambed in that they cannot move or turn or struggle, and it comes down so suddenly upon them before they know what is coming.

9. A Typical Fortnight from Fanny Bussell's Diary. 7th to 20th June, 1840.

June 7th, Sunday. A fine cold day. Prayers in the evening by John, and a sermon by Sydney Smith. Two of Captain Coffin's sailors arrived with a letter from him to Bessie. Mamma still confined to her room. Tom started for Leschenault with letters from me to Mr. Bull and Mr. Eliot. Returned Oliver Twist, and sent a packet of letters to Mr. Vaughan.

8th Monday. Mrs. McDermott and Fanny washing. Mr. Green and Alfred hunting. One kangaroo. Larkham killed a pig, No. 3. John and Barsey engaged with the house. Charlotte made butter. Vernon and Dawson waterfurrowing. Brown ploughing. Bessie washing blankets, II. Sawyers erecting a roof to the saw pit.

9th Tuesday. Mrs. McDermott and Fanny washing. John and Barsey engaged with the house. Larkham carting

wood and stone. Very fine weather. Vernon, Dawson and Lawrence draining. Dick and Balchin erecting shed over the sawpit. Mamma improving.

10th Wednesday. Fanny and Mrs. McDermott folding. The native, Onion, arrived from Augusta, with a hammer from Mr. Turner for John. Fanny made some rearrangements upstairs. Dawson and Lawrence draining. Vernon hoeing turnips. The beer tapped. John and Charlotte washing.

11th Thursday. Charlotte made butter. Mrs. McDermott and Fanny washing. Mamma joined the party downstairs. An express from Leschenault for Mr. Green. Letters from Mr. Eliot to Charles and Fanny. Dawson and Vernon hoeing turnips. [In margin: Lawrence half a pound of butter. Larkham blanket 10s.]

12th Friday. Brown ploughing. Vernon and Dawson sowing old meadow. Mamma nearly well. Fanny working on Charles' accounts. Charlotte ironing. Larkham killed a pig, No. 4. John and Barsey building. Alfred set a springgun in hopes of catching a wild-dog, which has committed sad depredations in the goat fold and hen roost.

13th Saturday. John and Barsey engaged about the house. Alfred agonizing about goats and wild-dogs. Vernon finished sowing the old meadow with Brown and Dawson. Mr. Green started for Leschenault on Jack, with letters from Charles, Vernon and Fanny for Mr. Vaughan. Larkham killed a pig, No. 5. Fanny sat with Bessie in the afternoon and mended trousers for Alfred. Bryan started for Augusta. Box of candles opened.

14th Sunday. Beautiful ride with Charley, on Betsy. Prayers and sermon in the evening from John, a large congregation attending. The spring gun again set.

15th Monday. Charlotte and Mrs. McDermott called