2-085 (Raw)

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We had not long retired to bed the same night when a person in a very disturbed state of mind burst into the house (for we lock no doors or windows) calling on Captn. Molloy to save him from two men who had attempted to shoot him - He rushed into my room - adjoining the room he entered - Sabina did not cry and I was not much alarmed at anything but the cause of such abomination as I regret to state it arises from great intemperance.
Molloy had to go for a light from the kitchen about 40 yards, whilst Molloy was about, the person was trembling and begging protection - he had jumped from a window 12 feet high. On Molloy's bringing a candle, the gentleman perceived some blood on his trousers and fell into a dreadful convulsion fit - foaming at the mouth and kicking violently as he lay on the floor. This was too much for Sabina - she and I were up by this time - and she clung alarmed to me - I was obliged to walk out with nothing but my nightdress on - and no shoes - up to Mrs Dawson's rooms about the same distance as the kitchen - I sent down the menservants with some cold water and remained absent on dear Baby's account until the person was taken back to Charles Bussell's house over the garden he again returned and kept us in a sad confused state until 10 in the morning. Nothing would convince him it was an illusion - I spoke to him seriously when he recovered, which was the following day - But I fear without hope of amendment as this is the third fit from the same cause He spoke the most ridiculous things and took leave of us for the last time said he was going to enter on a world of spirits when Molloy was reproving him for his habitual excesses.
These incidents will interest you and give you some idea of the singular events to which we are exposed in this precarious life. [...] [192]
This is certainly a very beautiful place - but were it not for domestic charms the eye of the emmigrant [sic] would soon weary of the unbounded limits of thickly clothed dark green forests where nothing can be [NN] to feast the imagination and when you can only say there must be some tribes of Natives in those woods and they are the most degraded of humanity.
Our clime is heavenly and while you are burning the front breadth of your frock and the nebs of your shoes at an excellent fire of Newcastle coals - I am sitting in the Verandah surrounded by my little flower-garden of British, Cape and Australian flowers pouring forth their odour. (for the large white lily is now in bloom) and a variety of beautiful little birds most brilliant in plumage sporting around me. These little creatures seem quite delighted at the acquisition they have made in our emigration and are much tamer than any but the robin and sparrow in England.
There is a small bird called the Australian robin with shining black back and head, and the breast of a very bright scarlet Also a little bird of a complete blue colour all over resembling Smalt or Cobalt with short green wings and the Honeyeater are so minutely beautiful. I cannot describe them - they have a long curved beak which they insert into the cup of the different flowers and the symmetry of their form is perfect accords with the elegance of their food you see them perch on the most slender flower stalk and apply the beak to the blossom every moment expecting to see the flower drop off, but their light weight does not in the least effect this.
The native flowers are all exceedingly small but beautiful in colour although that flies when dried. I only know three kinds and those are two white and one blue of the herbaceous plants possessing an odour, Many of the shrubs are powerfully sweet, some like may, some like bergamote. Another remarkable feature in the Botany of this country S.W. Australia is the numerous kinds of leaves with the identical flowers - some of the leguminous now, I know, one purple pea flower with three kinds of leaves, one of which is a creeper and called the blue vine the other is an erect shrub with no smell and leaves like a holly, the third is also erect with leaves like the Privet - and in shady places the blossom emits a scent about 3 in the afternoon like allspice or clover. Another sort is yellow and straw colour of which there are five sorts of flowers with leaves utterly distinct - but I fear this last page may be somewhat tedious as you are not likely to behold all these aborigines.
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