Monday, December 3.—Yesterday afternoon Sam Swain's baby was christened and named Rachel Caroline. The baptism was earlier than it would have been because the parents were anxious she should be baptized before we leave for the Cape. The church was full. Graham has asked Repetto to read the service on Sunday while we are away. Ellen will play the hymns.
This evening a vessel was sighted. As the men think it is a whaler they are not going out to it till to-morrow.
Wednesday, December 5.—The vessel was a whaler, and the men went off at breakfast-time next morning and were away all day. For three sheep and eight geese they only got a barrel of flour and some molasses. The captain evidently knew how to drive a bargain; it is rather too bad.
The flower garden is beginning to look quite bright. The sweet peas will soon be in flower, the stocks, too, are showing buds. This week we expect to pick a dish of peas, though the plants look very poor after the blight they had.
There has been a rearrangement of the classes in school and some of the infants have gone up. The elder girls now help a little in the teaching. This morning I had to speak to one of them. She had been taking the infants in reading, and sat with cane in hand administering justice right and left, to which her scholars paid but little heed.
Thursday, December 6.—Yesterday, it being the Advent season, there was a short service after the confirmation class. The people sing "Lo, He comes with clouds descending" to the tune in the Hymnal Companion so heartily. Coming out from the service we found the men gazing intently towards the west. They saw what they said was a whaler; we could just see something. It seems to be coming in, so they will not go out to it till to-morrow. Whalers are no good as regards taking letters, because it may be so long before they make a port.
Friday, December 7.—The whaler came in on Thursday and the men started out to meet her, but finding that she was sending a boat ashore, returned. In the boat was the harpooner, a brother of Sam Swain, senior. The brothers had not met for twenty-four years. He and the boat's crew spent part of the day here. It has been a great thing for the people to have had these three whalers as they have been able to get provisions and material. I must say our friends are a most liberal people. To-day just after dinner Henry Green brought us a bag of flour from All Hands. Graham did not want to take it, and being pressed, offered to pay for it, but Henry would not hear of that, and after some argument said with decision he would not take it back and plumped it down on the sofa. They think now there will be a very good potato crop both in quality and quantity, so we cannot want. The potatoes last year were small owing to the blight.
Saturday, December 8,—The Henry Greens have a child nearly two years old that can neither walk nor talk, and is very fat. They said they thought his back was weak, so I suggested they should bathe it with sea-water twice a day. For some time they did not try this, but last week began it, and after two or three days to their surprise, and to mine when I was told of it, he stood up. The mother is most thankful and only wishes she had begun it before.
Friday, December l4.—There was great excitement yesterday afternoon. Word was brought in that there had been a shipwreck and that two boats were making for the island. We all ran out expecting to see a shipwrecked crew, but no boats were to be seen. We made then for Hottentot Point, and there we could see a ship in the distance. One of out boats had already started, but returned before it had gone far. Later the same enterprising crew, Tom Rogers, Henry Green, and young Sam Swain, set forth again with things for barter. We only knew at the last minute they were going. Ellen and I ran to the top of the cliff with our letter, but the boat had started. We heard afterwards they would have come back had they known we had letters. It is more than a month since we dispatched our last batch. The boat did not return till this morning. It got back to the belt of seaweed before daylight, and making fast to it waited for the dawn. The crew said the captain, a Scotchman, was so kind and let them have anything they wanted. He had his wife and little boy on board; she had been ill. The ship was becalmed, and we hoped the other islanders would go out to her, but they didn't seem inclined to do so. Later in the afternoon we heard to our surprise that they were going. We were so glad because of the letters. The captain sent us a whole heap of magazines and papers. We sent some young lettuces, and I only regretted we had not some flowers to send to his wife. The men did not return till the early hours of the morning. The captain sent us a bottle of lime-juice and would not take any payment for the groceries Repetto asked for. We feel much the invariable kindness of all the captains. The first boat's crew enjoyed themselves immensely on board. The captain played and sang to them. To add to his kindness he sent us a letter containing all the latest news; the first item of which was "King Teddy going strong."
Repetto has just been in to bring some white paint and oil he got for us from the ship. We want it for the house, which certainly has not seen fresh paint for many a year.