I found the party all in good health and spirits:  they had seen nothing whatever of the natives during my absence.  The sailing of the Lynher had been unfortunately delayed until the 21st of December.  On the 18th and 19th the tides had been so low that, although Mr. Lushington had done his utmost, the schooner made little or no progress in her watering.  On the 20th the crew and whole party were employed; yet they only succeeded in getting off 280 gallons for they were obliged to carry the water in small baricos to the boat, over slippery rocks and deep mud:  and on the 21st, thinking it better to complete their water at Timor, they set sail.  This difficulty of watering only arose from the lowness of the tides (neap) and our ignorance of the country.  Subsequently we found no difficulty in procuring it; indeed no country in the world is better watered than this portion of Australia.

Since the sailing of the Lynher the party had been actively engaged in building a shed for the stores.  This labour was still continued, after my arrival, and completed on Christmas eve.

Christmas dinner.

On Christmas Day we all dined together in a little booth made of boughs, which we dressed up as gaily as we could.  I could not but feel considerable pleasure in seeing the happy countenances of the men ranged round the rough plank that formed our table.  We sat down, a little band of nine, bound upon an adventure of which the issue to any and all of us was very uncertain:  yet no forebodings appeared to damp the pleasure of the present moment; and as I anxiously looked round I could not detect the slightest trace of a gloomy thought in any of the cheerful faces that surrounded me.  After dinner we drank the Queen’s health, the first time such a toast had been given in these regions; and then, Mr. Walker and myself retiring to talk alone, left the rest to their own amusements.

1838.

Planting useful seeds.

The interval between that and New Year’s Day found and left us full of occupation.  On this latter day I had resolved to do homage to the country by a seasonable gift; and therefore, rising with the earliest dawn, spent the whole day in planting, in various positions, seeds of the most useful fruits and vegetables.  Those we had already planted were doing well, and I hoped that this benefaction might prove one of no small value, perhaps to civilized man, or at least to the natives of the vicinity.

Walk to Munster water.

January 4.