1792 February

Wednesday 15th Very Squally Weather with constant Rain, with the Wind West & WSW, our Wood & Water got on board with much difficulty. The Surf less & landing tolerable in East Cove, I have therefore ordered the Wooders to remove there with the Waterers. Caught but 40 lbs of Fish with the Seine. Received one Launch load of Wood and one Load of Water. Gave Hot Breakfast of thick Gruel and Portable Soup to the people as usual.
  We had about 150 Yards to roll our Casks to get Water.

Thursday 16th Very Squally Weather, Wind Westerly.
Sent the Wood Cutters to East Cove, where the Surf is not troublesome, & the Boats are easier loaded than at any other part of the Bay. At the back of this Cove is a fine Valley, but there is no other fresh Water than what runs from the Hills in Rainy Weather, when in some places it is overflown & forces its way to the Sea. Here is abundance of Wood, as in other parts of the Bay, & some remarkable fine Trees. In the Valley several Kangoroos were seen, & if I may judge from the quantities of their dung, there are a great many of them. They lie about the high Wire Grass.

It was a peculiar satisfaction to me, to find one of the Apple Trees I planted here in 1788. Only one remained, and this altho alive and healthy, had not made a Shoot exceeding 12 or 13 Inches.

Some of the Gentlemen in their Walks to day saw several Patridges, they were not so large or nrown as ours in England, nut in other respects the same.

My time has been taken up to day in endeavouring to make some observations to establish the Rates of my Time Keepers, but it has been so Cloudy that I could do very little towards it.

We continue to Catch a few Cod with Hook and Line, but are unsuccessful with the Seine, which is perhaps owing to the great Surg setting into the Bay. I sent the Boat a dredging as I had been fortunate in catching some few Oysters with the seine, we however only caught two Scollop Shells.

Received 2 Launch Loads of Wood, and 2 Cutter Loads in the Course of this Day.