George Fletcher Moore

“ Crows are very persevering and destructive; shot one, with its stomach full of wheat—hope to have the field finished tomorrow. Much thunder and rain on Monday night, but the weather looks settled again; we have had nothing like winter yet. ”

“ You have heard of the man who, when roused from his bed to attend his sick cow, exclaimed, "he's a happy man that has no cow;" I can sympathise with him, and fully understand his feelings, for my cow is sick, and I have been up with her half the night, and have brought her into the next room to sleep. ”

“ Any man of sense, who has travelled far and observed much, is invaluable as a companion, or as an author, particularly if he don't let the latter character absorb the agreeable qualities of the former.
The author is often too retentive of materials which he is collecting for his work, to communicate them freely, whilst the companion, as such, overflows with interesting and useful information.
As far as the 28th instant, my time has been occupied in farming, gardening, &c., with a moderate attention to the larder and the provant [1] . ”

“ 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 ”

“ A little rain this morning, but the middle of the day as warm almost as your summer:—certainly this is a fine climate, though rather on the warm side in summer. Shot two cockatoos, which are excellent eating. Rain commenced at one P.M., and has continued pretty constant, and sometimes heavy. River swollen fourteen inches.
12th.—Rain all day. Continued building within doors. Weather not cold, like your wet summer.
13th.—Rain has ceased. Every thing looking well in the garden; all my cabbages strong and healthy. ”

“ They who are in the midst of society, with the constant facilities of having letters and news from their friends, have no just notion of the mortification on the non-arrival of a letter from home. The receipt of a packet is a great and happy event ”

“ Got my chimney finished today, and this night had a fire for the first time; it burns well: my room looks snug and cheerful.
7th.—Dined to-day with Mr. Tanner, and have got some garden-seeds from him: he is to have half when they come up. I have just been calculating that since Sunday morning last I have had no fewer than twenty-one visitors. I expected the Governor, Mr. Brown, Captain Mangles, and Captain Irwin to-day; they did not come, but perhaps they will to morrow. Put down peas in garden; the wheat drills up, and looking well; sky threatening ”

“ Saturday, 28th.—The numerous frogs remind me that the moist weather and approaching winter have brought into active life an immense quantity of these creatures, some of which make a hard co—ax, co—ax, sort of noise, and others a most mournful and horrible bellowing, which might be mistaken for the high note of a bull ”

“ Twenty-eight persons, many of them of the higher class, attended the next day; and warmly entered into Captain Irwin's object. He is a truly amiable and religious man; and interests himself most usefully for the colony, and the enjoyment of his friendship is a valuable privilege to me. We have subsequently measured the boundaries of a projected village, for which I have offered a part of my land. Young Shaw and I have been looking for kangaroos, but unsuccessfully. We have, however, obtained many varieties of beautiful plants and shrubs, and some more seeds from Mr. ”

“ McDermot, who lives, as a matter of temporary accommodation, at the Governor's house at Guildford. The succeeding day proved so tempestuous as to prevent me from proceeding to Fremantle. I gave Captain M. some specimens of flowering shrubs, besides a bottle full of snakes, lizards, and scorpions. ”