22 Journal.— January. [Parti. 



1818. January. 



1 & 2. Same weather. 



3. Heavy rain. 



4. A frost that makes us jump and skip about like 

 larks. Very seasonable tor a sluggish fellow. Pre- 

 pared for winter. Patched up a boarded building, 

 which was formerly a coach-house ; but, which is not so 

 necessary to me, in that capacity, as in that of a. fowl- 

 house. The neighbours tell me, that the poultry will 

 roost out on the trees all the winter, which, the weather 

 being so dry in winter, is very likely ; and, indeed, they 

 must, if they have no house, which is almost universally 

 the case. However, I mean to give the poor things a 

 choice. I have lined the said coach-house with corn- 

 stalks and leaves of trees, and have tacked up cedar- 

 boughs to hold the lining to the boards, and have laid 

 a bed of leaves a foot thick all over the floor. I have 

 secured all against dogs, and have made ladders for the 

 fowls to go in at holes six feet from the ground. 1 have 

 made pig-styes, lined round with cedar-boughs and well 

 covered. A sheep-yard, for a score of ewes to have 

 lambs in spring, surrounded with a hedge of cedar- 

 boughs, and with a shed for the ewes to lie under, if they 

 like. The oxen and cows are tied up in a stall. The 

 dogs have a place, well covered, and lined with corn- 

 stalks and leaves. And now, I can, without anxiety, 

 sit by the fire, or lie in bed, and hear the North- Wester 

 whistle. 



5. Frost. Like what we call *' a hard frost" in 

 England. 



6. Such another frost at night, but a thaw in the 

 middle of the day, 



7. Little frost. Fine warm day. The sun seems 

 loth to quit us. 



8. Same weather. 



9. A harder frost, and snow at night. The fowls, 

 which have been peeping at my ladders for two or three 

 evenings, and partially roosting in their house, made their 

 general entry this evening! They are the best judges 

 of what is best for them. The turkeys boldly set the 



