On Monday there is to be another meeting about the trading schooner, but we doubt if much will come of it. It appears from a book Repetto has that the Cape duty on imported animals is rather high, and the men do not seem inclined to come down in their prices. We are seriously contemplating the future as regards food. We have been taking stock and find our stores are getting very low. If we knew definitely a gun-boat was coming and would bring our stores it would be all right, but alas we do not. One cannot get very much from passing ships, so Graham is rather anxious we should go to Cape Town to get a supply of food, if for nothing else. I expect it will end in our going if a chance occurs.
Ellen is busy making a pale blue nun's-veiling blouse for Emma Hagan. You would hardly have thought there would have been such vanities here. The material was sent by some relations at the Cape. Every one tries to have a new garment for Christmas Day, and some of the material which was brought by the Surrey is being kept for this purpose. I have been making a pinafore out of a faded muslin blind for Sophy Rogers who is very short of clothes; after being ironed it looks very nice and has given great pleasure.
Friday, November 9.—The strawberries are just beginning to ripen; they are very small and more like wild ones. I have put zinnia seeds straight into the ground, and shielded with tins they are coming up quite strongly. The stocks have borne the wind better than any other flower. Marvel of Peru is coming up strongly too.
Monday, November l2.—We have had such a warm day, which makes us feel summer is coming.
Yesterday in the midst of morning service one man after another went out, and shortly I saw two little boats on the sea. A whaler had appeared and all the men had gone out to her. We were sorry, for it meant trading on a Sunday, and the people were not now short of food; but one must not be too hard upon them. The whaler is from America and will probably be here for two or three days. The islanders like a whaler better than any other vessel, with the exception of a man-of-war, as it brings material as well as food to trade with, and is glad of fresh meat and potatoes in exchange. I can see the ship so clearly, the sun lighting up its white sails.
The meeting about the schooner took place this afternoon. One or two at the last meeting got rather heated, but all were very quiet to-day. They were not ready, however, to lower their prices and so nothing was done. But, later, Henry Green and Repetto came in to say they had been round, and the men had arranged to sell at a lower price so as to make it possible for a schooner to come.
The rats are beginning to appear again. Last night we had a constant tapping overhead; and this morning to her dismay Ellen found our breakfast had been eaten up by them. The bacon had been placed on the window-sill outside, a dish over it, and a heavy stone on the top. It was not a great loss as it was hardly eatable. The milk-jug was also knocked over and the precious milk spilt. We hope we shall be able to get some extra food from the whaler; and some cocks and hens!
Tuesday, November l3.—Yesterday shortly after we left morning school Mrs. Bob Green rushed in to tell us William had seen a seal on the beach, and that her husband had killed it, but that she had asked him not to skin it till we had seen it. We went to look and saw a small party on the rocks. Two seals had been secured, which was quite a find as a good price can be had for the skins. Seals rarely come in here now, but a dozen or so may be caught at Inaccessible.
We are having a whole holiday to-day owing to the presence of the whaler. The men did not board her yesterday as there was a fog, and when it cleared off and she came in it was too late for them to go out. They went off this morning. Every one is in the greatest excitement. Dressed in their best all went down to the beach to meet Betty and Martha's nephew, Joe Beetham, who was coming on shore from the whaler. He was first brought in here. Graham had met him at Cape Town; since then he has been to America, where his home is. He has brought a large box of things for Betty Cotton from her relatives there, which has quite cheered her up. I think she is the only one on the island who does not care about living here. The islanders have gone off again to the ship to make purchases. Beetham told us the whaler is calling at Mauritius, so Graham has written a line to the Bishop as he might like to hear how we are getting on.
I have started packing, for we must be ready to be off at any instant; even at five o'clock in the morning!