23rd.—­A shoal of porpoises passed us.  A sailor struck one with a harpoon, but it got off again.  They are of a salmon colour, no more like pigs than horses, just the shape of salmon, only much larger.  In swimming they turn on their sides.

December 1st.—­Smart breeze this morning which soon increased to a gale—­Assisted in furling top-gallant sail—­sailors only half dressed—­After breakfast, had to double reef top-sails and main-sail.  I like reefing very much.

2nd.—­Waves not so high as I expected.  It is amusing to see how the birds ride them.

27th.—­Saw an eclipse of the moon last night, which lasted three hours; little more than three quarters were eclipsed—­Some of the passengers discontented with the provisions—­wonder that some of them ever thought of leaving home.

1853.  January 1st.—­Saw land this morning—­Reached Cape Otway in the afternoon; much the appearance of Berry Head, with a slight haze on it—­Coast to the west very like that about Dartmouth—­Cliffs, high; could fancy I saw Rock Vale.

[Footnote:  The residence of a gentleman, near Dartmouth, with whom he had been on a visit a short time before his departure.]

3rd.—­Dropped anchor—­Captain and Doctor going ashore will post my journal and our letters.

. . .

His own was short:—­

Port Phillip, January 3rd, 1853.

My dear father,

We have this morning dropped anchor, just off Williamstown.  There are a fine set of ships here:  amongst them are the Great Britain, Cleopatra, Ballaarat, Aberfoil, and an immense number of others, great and small.  The Great Britain leaves early to-morrow, so I cannot finish my letter.  We have been ninety-five days on our passage.  The Cleopatra has only arrived two days.  There are a great many vessels coming in.  The day before yesterday we overtook and passed the Jane, and Truth, of London, which left Plymouth a fortnight before we sailed from Dartmouth.  I hear already that things are very dear in Melbourne.  Our pilot says he gives 200 pounds a year for a small four-roomed cottage, two miles from the town.

. . .

To show how well prepared the young adventurer was for life in Australia,—­notwithstanding letters of introduction and means of obtaining money if required—­after remaining only a few days in Melbourne, and disbursing but a small modicum of the limited supply of cash he had taken with him, anxious to see the interior of the Island Continent, he obtained employment for himself and brother, a lad only fifteen years of age, at a large sheep station two hundred miles up the country.  The following letter, dated February 12th, 1853, describes their proceedings to that date:—­

My dear father,