High And Almost Ripe - The Onions Also Were Grown Into Seed;
The Potatoes Have Disappeared - I Fancy That The Different Animals That
Inhabit The Island Must Have Eaten Or Otherwise Destroyed Them.
I regret
not having time or men to spare to clear a large spot and sow the wheat
already grown, as the next crop would be large.
I never saw finer wheat
or corn in my life, the straw being very near as large as young
sugar-cane.
"Wednesday, 9th December. At 1 P.M. the first officer in the launch
returned on board with a load of water; on his examining the river he
reported that everything seemed the same as when we left it - a strong
presumption that no vessel had been there, as naturally they would have
replaced their water. The river has been flooded since last April, as a
temporary hut we built was found with part of the bank washed away; the
banks of the river were found all in a high state of verdure and in many
places the view is truly romantic and wild. No signs of native canoes or
huts have been discovered, indeed, there is less appearance of natives
now than when we were here last; for then many remains of huts, part of a
canoe and their beaten tracks were to be found on all parts of the banks
of this little river, all of which have vanished. The party caught and
shot 5 pairs of swans, out of which 3 pairs were young, and brought on
board alive, the others were old and we made some fresh meals from them;
they also brought on board a pair of young geese which however are very
scarce, but few parrots - the ducks are as shy as ever...At 3 P.M. sent
the second mate to Churchill's Island to cut down the wheat on purpose to
feed the young swans with it, at sundown they returned on board with it
in the whole perhaps a bushel in quantity with a good deal mixed with
oats and barley all fine of their kind - some potatoes were also found and
2 onions.
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