George Fletcher Moore

“ If we all act on the same principle, it will show a combination and concert among us, which may make them respect individual property. In short, to teach them that we make common cause is our only safety, as it is our truest policy. ”

“ What nice distinctions will be necessary? If the privilege be confined to men of real property, they will be but a favoured few, and who will take their notes but those of this particular class? Will the captains of ships? No!—The merchants? I doubt it! Of what use to them would be "Three months after date, I promise to pay six pigs, a gander and a goose, &c., &c.?"
I treated Doolup, one of our natives, with a ride on the mare to-day; he sat well, and was martial looking; his head adorned with red cockatoo feathers, his face with white paint.
29th.—Weeip and Doolup have come here. ”

“ The natives have had some row among themselves: one of them has come to tell us that Ya-gan is the person who has been doing all the mischief; that he killed my pig, and speared two of Mr. Burgess's; and declares that he will kill cows, sheep, and every living thing he can come at; if the white people will accompany my informant with a strong party, well armed, he will lead them within a short distance of Ya-gan, so as to take him. ”

“ The whole formed such an ingenious specimen of complicated architecture, and such an endless labyrinth of intricate passages, as could bid defiance alike to art and to Ariadne's clue: but even the affairs of ants are subject to mutation. ”

“ The footmarks are all in one line, one before the other; while a European's go in a double course the great toe of the natives is always in a straight line with his foot. The great toe of those wearing shoes turns in towards the others. A butcher came from Perth, but would not give me fifty shillings for one of my choicest sheep, though I know he makes four pounds of them. This is not fair to the grazier or to the public.
Ya-gan was seen to-day behind Dring's, on the other side of the river, and Edward's wife saw some of the natives busy at the potatoes in the middle of the day ”

“ Each tribe has its distinct ground; and they will, of course, rather adhere to it, dispute its possession, and take their revenge on the intruders, then fall back on other tribes of their own countrymen, and fight their way inch by inch with them. It is our interest to show them, first, that we set such a value on our stock as will make us resent and punish any aggression upon them; and next, that we are so united together, "so much brothers," that any injury committed against one will be resisted by all. ”

“ We want seed potatoes in the colony very much; they grow at any season of the year, but succeed best if planted in March and September. I tasted some excellent beer which Bull is brewing.
24th.—The shepherd and James sat up all last night in the sheepfold, watching the native dog, and determined to shoot it; yet, with all their watching, when daylight came, they found two lambs torn to pieces in the fold. What exquisite watchmen! I have now 226 full-grown sheep, besides 9 blind ones, and 101 lambs. ”

“ I suspect that Weeip is now on the Canning, by invitation, to eat the remainder of the sheep and goats they had stolen for the entertainment.
9 o'clock at night.—These plaguy natives have stolen one of my pigs. They are sad hypocrites: those very four who were here were, I suspect, privy to, if not active in, the theft. I had some suspicion on this point in the morning, but they assured me "No, no, Mitzer Moore; no, gyddyell;"—and pretended to be so very angry with some whom they named, that I believed them sincere. It is difficult to ascertain the real fact. ”

“ Kangaroo? No.—Beef (cow bullock) ? No.—Pig? No.—Sheep? Yes, which he seemed hardly persuaded of. Doolup took such a fancy to his quarters, that he would not go away. I shot two wild ducks on the river, with which act of sportsmanship he was greatly delighted. He has just taken tea, and is sitting quite at home with the men in the kitchen. Weeip did not know what to make of the milk he saw me drink. Was it moco (water) ? No. Grog (he had heard of grog at Bull's, and said it was "no good") ? No.—Wine? No. Cow? No. ”

“ It would require spinners and carders to carry my plan into effect, but I think it would be a profitable way of disposing of the wool.
5th.—Our pet natives have been playing their tricks to-day at Edward's Ground. They waited till after the dinner bell rang; and when they thought all the people were at dinner, they came into the garden and scraped up the potatoes with wonderful dexterity, but were suspected, and narrowly escaped injury by one man's firing too soon. I am sorry to say friend Weeip, and my body guard Doolup, are said to be among the number. ”

“ On Sunday, when Weeip came here, I charged him and Doolup with stealing the potatoes at Edward's; he indignantly denied it, and ably proved an "alibi," in which he was confirmed by Mr. Bull. He has told since that Ya-gan was the person who was nearly shot then; that the ball went through the hair at the back of his head.
15th.—This has been a day differing in its incident from my usual routine. At breakfast time, two men of Mr. Bull's came for my praam, to take the body of a boy (killed by Ya-gan) across the river, to the burial ground near Mr. ”