1890
March. 18. At daybreak left Townshends for good & came to reside upon my own farm. Commenced sheep shearing but the day turned out badly. 58 down it is a bad thing if you can avoid to shear the sheep under three days after washing that delay will give time to the yoke to rise which renders the clipping quick & wool has a far better appearance & weight.
19/ Shearing until dinner time when was [prevented?]
putting roof on stable, or rather shed - the which
in my opinion no farm shd be without for on a
pinch it would serve for calf pen. Sheep home
in anything & you are always in want of something
of the sort. Ploughing, [?], Townshend paid me a visit & [sneered?] goodnaturedly
tho at something.
20 Finished Sheep Shearing, Ploughing myself for half
a day & mightily tired thereby, had my stable [packs?]
thatched, took out a young horse which a Currency
thought he could ride. However before on he was sent
sprawling & the flat [?] cut as many capers as a
Welsh Caper, however
[?] returned from the Banks bringing the news that
this to wether [?] sent [?] glad to escape & was
totally lost. [?] for farming.
21 Sunday Over at Townshends for the day [Meet & walk?]
22 Still at Townsends washing wool, [Gen. ?] boat went down to Wallis Plains
+ Ploughing
23 + Ploughing & Clearing Land
24 Over at Trevalyn with [?] & [drays?] heard from
John Webber 50 B. Marys?, &13 from Townshend loaded
drays and attached my [Colo?] very quiet.
25 Started the drays at daybreak went off in fine
style & 11 Sheep so far [?] & 1 for [?]
26 [?] but went up over mts to [?]
[search?] of Cattle which I could not find: a most
remarkable circumstance was explained the day.
Some time ago [S.W.?] lost a working Bullock of which he
could get no tidings until some time after the Blacks
told him that a [?] man up the river had shot the
beast which was particular having only one horn, but
said the hide & head were thrown into the river the [?] buried & the bones burnt, the perpetrators no doubt in
[?] they were safe having taken such a precaution but
murder will out, & the floods coming strange today
brought the identical head with one horn & a bullet mark on the forehead to the very place
where [Women?] are in the habit of getting water. This with the foregoing
testimony of the blacks will [?] be sufficient
to bring the actions [?] since to justice & a proper
punishment : men at home stumping where I intend
placing my garden -- violently hot.
27th Promised to be equally hot with yesterday, at dawn
of day mounted upon a grey mare took cause to go
in search of [Colo?] which had strayed [herewith?]
was at home before me, ([Stumping]) in the Evening
it began to rain most violently, Bled a horse [?} went fishing & caught 8 fine fish had part cooked for supper & they were excellent, fishing for [????] [????] do not often get fish they take bait most greedily & afford a [change/} from general monotonous fair; we have in the rivers, Perch, Mullet, herrings & Eels, mullet don't take bait & Perch are by far the most voracious, they seem to be in no wise particular as to when they feed, for in sunshine or cloudy weather you may catch them.
28. Sunday: regular [Blue?] up without [?] when [?]. Dined with Townshend and told my grievances. Slept there, then went home later. Sept. 28th, 1829.