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.

A party of us this day walked to Hanover Bay for the purpose of making
some observations on the sandy beach there, after which we went over to
Prince Regent's River, near Munster W