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Wednesday, January 1st, 1851. New Year's Day

Our first bit of marketing. Bought a neck of mutton, five and a half pounds for two shillings and one penny, which just did us all for dinner. Bought also a mat of new potatoes from a Maori. These folk are very hard to deal with, as they ask exorbitant prices and don't understand being beaten down in English so that one is forced to walk away in despair. They have pigs, peas, potatoes & poultry for sale and plenty of buyers if they would only ask reasonable prices.