Wednesday 1st January. A man came over from Goboleon to say that seven armed bushrangers had robbed a hut at a short distance and had intimitated their intention of coming to Wellington. We have indeed more danger to apprehend from such characters than from the untutored natives around us. Several natives worked in the mission garden today. We have 8 of them here. They often ask questions now respecting religion.
Saturday 4th. Eleven natives here. All of whom are under instruction and say their prayers morning and evening. They have been working in the garden for several days.
Friday 10th. Some more natives have come up exceedingly afflicted with a disease of the heart, many of them are at present suffering from the same complaint.
Sunday 12. Only eight of the natives attended church today, but they seemed to pay as much attention as if they felt deeply interested in the service. We have repeated evidences of their remembering many things which they hear at church and family worship. We have never taught them the Apostles Creed as part of their prayers, but when I read over my translation of it into their language they immediately repeated it in English and they had learnt it only by hearing it at church.
Tuesday 14. Br and Sister Handt with child and servant arrived tonight from Sydney, having been preserved from the attacks of the bushrangers with which the roads are so much infested at present.
Thursday Jan 24th. Rode 16 miles into the bush today and found the heat extremely oppressive. Ten natives with us at present. I could not prevent them from eating a calf which had died today of the "black leg".
Friday 25th. Another calf has died of the above named disease and it is truly affecting to witness the desire which our children show of eating it notwithstanding they receive a regular supply of good and wholesome food.
Sunday 27th. Ten natives at church today. They were catechised and instructed in the afternoon by Mrs Watson, as I had gone a few miles to visit a sick man. They possess very retentive memories and are very quick at learning when they will bend their minds to it.
Friday 31st. Goongeen and I left home to go into the bush in a south westerly direction. After travelling for sometime we arrived at a sheep station where we found two Europeans; both could read but they possessed no book of any kind. One of them, an Irishman, paid no attention to what I said on the subject of religion, but the other, an Englishman, entered