JANUARY 89 



January 23. — To-day, Sunday, is one of the most beautiful 

 imaginable, very mild, with a fresh west wind and bright 

 sunshine. I walked over Baker's Farm and found the wheat 

 looking wonderfully well, while the grass seems to be growing 

 visibly. Th^ sunset to-night was especially lovely — a large 

 glowing ball of fire without a cloud to dim it. 



On Friday, the day after my last entry, we had more bad 

 luck, for another of the bullocks at Baker's was taken sick ; he 

 did not seem to be blown, but stood by himself, his back 

 humped, his eye dull and his head hanging. The farrier says that 

 he is suffering from obstruction in his third stomach — it was news 

 to me that oxen are endowed with three of these useful organs. If 

 the veterinary thinks so 1 suppose that he is right, but so far as I 

 can judge the animal might just as well be suffering from anything 

 else. Had we been in Africa 1 should say that he had contracted 

 red-water, of which he has certainly many of the symptoms. 



Hood is very indignant that another of this Irish lot should 

 have gone wrong, and attributes it to the hay that we took over by 

 valuation on Baker's, which undoubtedly is sticklike and mouldy, 

 whereof he speaks in terms more forcible than polite. When the 

 ox dies, as I presume he will sooner or later, although he was 

 better yesterday, we shall find out whether it is to his third 

 stomach or to his liver, or to something else, that his decease is due. 

 Having satisfied myself that under no circumstances can these 

 brutes return a halfpenny of profit, I await the issue in gloomy calm. 



January 25. — The lambs are beginning to come faster; 

 yesterday I had two doubles. As I returned from looking at 

 them I saw the first pair of partridges which I have noticed this 

 year ; also I observe that the sparrows are beginning to build in the 

 banksia rose on the south side of the house. These sparrows, which 

 breed in millions in the towns, whence they migrate to the country, 

 are a perfect pest to us, and I know not how to keep them under. 

 In some parts of the farm they move about in flocks a hundred 

 strong, and while the damage that they do is very great, I have 



