y's party were the thieves,
but these all looked as stupid, ignorant, and innocent as the adverse
circumstances would permit. There was no evidence against them to be
found; the beef was eaten and the bones were burned and buried.
Mills' men were the beef lifters, and some of Kelly's men helped them
to eat it.

The whales killed at the Portland fishery were of two kinds, the
right or black whale, and the sperm whale. The right whale has an
immense tongue, and lives by suction, the food being a kind of small
shrimp. When in a flurry--that is, when she has received her
death-stroke with the lance--she goes round in a circle, working
with her head and flukes. The sperm whales feed on squid, which they
bite, and when in a flurry they work with the head and flukes, and
with the mouth open, and often crush the boats.

After the crew of the 'Thistle' had spent their money, they were
taken back to Port Fairy for the purpose of stripping bark, a large
quantity of wattle trees having been found in the neighbouring
country. Sheep were also taken there in charge of Mr. J. Murphy, who
intended to form a station. John Griffiths also sent over his
father, Jonathan, who had been a carpenter on board the first
man-of-war that had arrived at Port Jackson, three old men who had
been prisoners, four bullocks, a plough, and some seed potatoes. A
cargo of the previous season's bark was put into the 'Thistle', and
on her return to Launceston, was transferred to the 'Rhoda' brig,
Captain Rolls, bound for London. More sheep and provisions were then
taken in the 'Thistle', and after they were landed at Port Fairy,
another cargo of bark was put on board. For three days there was no
wind, and a tremendous sea setting in from the south-east, the
schooner could not leave the bay. On the night of December 24th a
gale of wind came on from the south-east; one chain parted, and after
riding until three o'clock in the morning of Christmas Day, the other
chain also parted. The vessel drew eight feet, and was lying in
between three and four fathoms of water. As soon as the second chain
broke, Davy went up on the fore-yard and cut the gaskets of the
foresail. The schooner grounded in the trough of sea, but when she
rose the foresail was down, and she paid off before the wind. The
shore was about a mile, or a mile and a half distant, and she took
the beach right abreast of a sheep yard, where her wreck now lies.
The men got ashore in safety,