CHAPTER XIII
Monday, September 17.—We are taking a week's holiday, but to-day there has been little rest. I was up by 7.15 to do laundry work, then at 9.30 was with Mrs. Rogers dressing her wound. This afternoon I went to see Mrs. Bob Green and her baby, also Miss Cotton. The latter seems to think these are the worst times she has known. The people have never been without milk before. The number of cattle that have died has now reached three hundred and fifteen. The cow Bob Green is trying to save is slung in a shed. It is so weak it can hardly walk. Little Charlie frightened it the other day and it fell on its side. On Sunday it fell across the brook, from which position it was extricated with the greatest difficulty. If it had not been discovered it would have died.
Wednesday, September 19.—We have had two wet ays and have been very busy in-doors. The people being short of tea and sugar, we thought that on the anniversary of our wedding-day we would give out some we brought with us. Notice having been given, they appeared en masse at the hour named, but without anything to take provisions away in, so the younger women went back to get tins. Graham gave out the sugar (2 lbs. each), and I the tea (1 lb. each); but only half this quantity was given to widows and unmarried women. The people were very pleased, and one or two came back with offerings. I should think that in the last ten days we have had one hundred eggs given us. Tom Rogers went to Sandy point and brought back over two hundred penguin eggs. The men when they have spare time hunt for young eaglets, of which they are now bringing in great quantities. These are sea-birds, and look like grey, fluffy balls.
We have quite made up our minds to go to Cape Town to see about a schooner. Though there will be no cattle to sell there will be a great number of sheep. We shall take the first vessel we can get after October.
This morning it took me four hours to bake bread in a very hot kitchen.
Thursday, September 20.—This afternoon Ellen and I went to look at Mrs. Hagan's grey cow, which is slowly pulling round. As we were watching it the poor creature tripped going in at the gate, and falling on its side had to be pulled up.
Saturday, September 22.—I spent nearly all yesterday at photography. The morning was given to printing, the afternoon to developing the prints, and the evening to developing negatives, which were mostly groups of the different families and which came out fairly well.
Ellen and I have spent today at the potato patches. We started early, wending our way slowly. At Hill Piece Rebekah joined us. It was sad to see so many dead cattle lying about in every direction; the air is quite vitiated. The potatoes are coming on well. We had our lunch under the lee of a hill, at the foot of which were grazing a few miserable-looking cattle. We came home most leisurely, and just as we were arriving at the settlement heard that a vessel was to be seen to the west, and that the men were going out to her. Repetto came for our letters on his way down to the shore. But after all the men did not go, for when they got down to the boats they found the ship was not coming this way, but passing between the islands—that is, between us and Inaccessible and Nightingale, so they had to bring all their things up from the beach again.
Monday, September 24.—We began school to-day feeling much fresher for our holiday. Some of the men have gone off for penguin eggs. I wish they did not take them in quite such a wholesale way.
Tuesday, September 25.—The men returned to-day from Sandy Point with shoals of penguin eggs. Four different families have sent us some, seventy in all, and as they are a good size, rather larger than a duck's, it will take us some time to get through them.