Monday, June 9th

Calm and fine; wind, what there was, from S.W. Henry and Caughey went in the morning for a load of rails from Charteris Bay and returned with the remainder of what we cut last week. When they had unloaded, Willy and I took shipping for the Port; I to attend a meeting of Council and of Bank Trustees. I was too late for the Council, owing to having to land twice on the Island before we got away to put Bob off chasing the sheep. We suspected him of having worried one, as there was one missing. But it may be only an unjust suspicion. When we got to the Port we found every one in agitation about a barque which was coming up the harbour and which was said to be the February ship, the Steadfast. An hour proved it to be true, for both mails and passengers landed before we left at four o'clock. She had left six weeks after the Duke of Bronte and had had a slashing run of ninety-nine days. Brought news of the Ministry being out on the Popish Aggression question, and of Gladstone having been sent for: good news this for the Colonies and for our Colony, Godley being a personal friend of his. The passengers seemed chiefly young men of vulgar appearance. My appetite page 192for letters being somewhat quenched by the Duke of Bronte, whose cargo I have not had time yet to digest, I am not anxious for the new series. The Bronte's mails are not yet sorted. I got my newspapers today—a batch of Spectators and Chambers. Andy busy with the storeroom, which he erected and nearly roofed. Robert cut his thumb badly with a saw. Sowed whins along the bank of the drain cut in the gully. Sammy took his first lesson in writing from me, with the rest of his tasks.