Owen's anchorage. 229 



moment than mere news. Many necessary articles 

 of home manufacture or importation, scarcely valued 

 till wanted, were now becoming almost unattainable i 

 one familiar instance will illustrate at once how this 

 state of things presses upon the comfort of the colo- 

 nists ; the price of yellow soap had risen to four 

 shillings per pound ! 



The usual winter anchorage in Cockburn Sound, 

 being seven miles from the town of Freemantle, the 

 colonists were naturally very anxious to see tested 

 the equal security of one which we had chosen within 

 kalf that distance. The point was fairly tried, 

 and very satisfactorily determined during the heavy 

 weather which we experienced on the 31st of March, 

 and 11th of June, which did not raise more sea than 

 a boat at anchor could have ridden out with safety. 

 These gales lasted about forty-eight hours each, 

 commencing at N. by W. and gradually blowing 

 themselves out at W.S.W. In each instance a heavy 

 bank of clouds in the north-west gave us a day s 

 notice of their approach. The indications of the 

 barometer were less decisive ; its minimum was 



29.3. 



The weather in the interval between these gales 

 was wet and unsettled ; but afterwards, until our 

 departure, it continued remarkably fine with an 

 average temperature of 60". 



The winds at this season prevail from the land, 

 the sea breezes being both light and very irregular. 



We were just in time to share in the annual fcsti- 



