Saturday 3 December 1836

Saturday Dec 3^rd The Men were employ’d the beginning of
this Week, in diging 3 Wells of 6 or 7 Feet each in depth
but got nothing except salt Water in all of them —
On Wednesday I rec^d orders from S^ml Stephens Esq^r
C.M. to get the Stock together in readyness for departing
to the Main Land, by the Brig Emma, Cap^t Nelson,
who would take them on board the following Day or Friday
at latest. We therefore on Thursday drove all the Ewes
and a Ram lamb of the S^o Down breed, but which was exceed-
-ingly ill, and died within an Hour after being brought Home
the cause of his Death in my opinion, is from being for a length of time
obliged to live upon very unwholesome Food, and brack^h Water, as seve-
-ral of the full grown Sheep have likewise been very unwell during
the last Week, and all of them are greatly falling off in condition
for the Grass is so dry and burnt by the Sun that they will
not eat it, but prefer the green Leaves & Twigs of the same
kinds of Trees & Shrubs, which are growing in the Woods about this
place, and have no doubt that many of them are of a poison-
-ous Nature.                      The Merino Ramb lamb was not
found with the Ewes as usual, nor have we been able to get sight
of him since although the Bush has been carefully search’d
both Yest^dy and to Day, where ever the Ewes were known to Feed
or frequent for shelter in the Woods, during hot Weather.
We have all the Pigs, except a little Boar which has been mis-
-sing for the last Fortnight, and a large black Sow that stops
almost continually at North Cape  _________
There has been very little Fodder at this Station for a
Week past, and we are now without any whatever, so that
the poor Sheep have nothing to subsist upon while confined
(waiting for the Boats coming from Kingscote, to take them
away) except the poor dried Grass that can be collected
about the place, which is miserable fare indeed.