There are some very young pupils at school just now. They spend part of their time sleeping, and are nursed by us or by one of the elder girls. One of them is rather spoilt at home, and the discipline of having to sit still and not talk has already done him good. The children are getting on so well. Susan Repetto, who is eight, could not write a letter of the alphabet eighteen months ago, but can now do fairly difficult dictation. Yesterday she had no mistake in it. What about the arithmetic? Ah! there is not much improvement there. One small boy has for months been learning to add two and two together and invariably gets it wrong, though sometimes he gets other figures right. Some of the elder girls make very good figures, and the greater part are writing a good hand. They write letters daily on their slates together with the address of the person to whom the letter is written.
Saturday, November 30.—Yesterday Repetto and Henry Green started making a larder for us. It is being built of large blocks of soft stone and is to be on a line with the porch. There have been many consultations over it. The difficulty is to get the wood for the roof. We shall be so thankful to have a place to keep our food in. Up to the present we have had to keep the milk, which is set in a large pan to cream, on a small table in the corner of the sitting-room with the butter and eggs.
Tuesday, December 3.—A whaler in sight! We have been trying to send off our letters ever since September. The people say it is many a year since they have had such a bad time for ships, and Repetto says it is the worst year since he has been on the island.
Walter Swain, who was here last year, has landed from the whaler. The captain has ordered 500 lbs. of beef and a quantity of potatoes, but these latter are scarce; he offers in exchange flour, soap, molasses, and calico.
Wednesday, December 4.—We were asked to tea today to the Sam Swain's to meet the visitor and were to choose our own hour, so we settled upon four, there being a service at five. Walter Swain has sailed all over the world; his home is at New Bedford. He is, I believe, a first-rate harpooner and makes a good deal by his skill. He says he has already made 800 dollars during the year, and, of course, will make still more before he gets home. We are sending our letters by this whaler as Walter says he will very likely be able to transfer them to a passing steamer, failing that, he will post them at St. Helena two or three months hence. I have about sixteen to send off.
We are already talking of the possible arrival of Mr. Keytel.
A holiday in honour of the presence of the whaler has given an opportunity for weeding the garden. In the midst of a clump of Love-in-a-mist a hen has been daily laying her eggs and now wants to sit there, but that cannot be allowed.
This has been a splendid day for going out to the ship. The captain, a coloured man, was very kind and most fair, in fact, he seems to have given good measure running over. Six barrels of flour and over one hundred pounds of soap have come ashore. The men came back in a most jubilant mood, we could hear in the house their singing as they neared the shore. Mrs. Lavarello brought us some ship biscuits, of which she got a bushel and a half in exchange for a goose.
Tuesday, December 10.—Our little visitor this week is Florence Swain. She had set her heart upon coming and has been asking her mother for weeks when her turn would be.
Wednesday, December 11.—Today for the wives of Henry Green and Repetto, who have been working hard at the larder, we made up packets of grocery containing tea, sugar, sultanas, pepper, cheese, candles, and soap.