Page:Extracts from the letters and journals of George Fletcher Moore.djvu/85

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CAPTURE A SNAKE.
59

perhaps they will to morrow. Put down peas in garden; the wheat drills up, and looking well; sky threatening; thermometer 56°.

Yesterday, it rained the greater part of the day, but cleared up in the evening: heard that the Governor and his party on horseback had come up the river on the opposite side, and returned shortly after by an intended new road, which is marked out by notched trees, near half a mile beyond this place.

9th.—Mr. B. called yesterday; took tea, and slept here, being unwilling to walk home, as the night was foggy. He wants me to sketch a plan for employing prisoners, as a working gang; the Governor being anxious to occupy them in this way, if settlers will pay a superintendent.

This day I sowed many seeds: onion, cauliflower, broccoli, endive, French sorrel, brett (a Port Louis vegetable), spinach, parsley, and three sorts of tobacco, for experiment. My garden is nearly filled, and begins to look well. Caught in the garden a beautiful snake, about eighteen inches long, with a black head and yellow body; put him into a bottle of rum, along with many other such things; he vibrated his tongue most rapidly and wickedly. Caught a centipede, nearly four inches in length, when moving my trunks to-day; it is in the bottle of preserves also.

Captain Mangles, RN., Mr. Andrews, and Mr. Elliott stopped at my landing-place for a few mi-