rought with me, were kept in tubs, until I should
find a sheltered situation to plant them in. The wind seemed now
to be set in from the southward, and the weather was very raw and
cold, so that I called this the beginning of winter. Another of
my sows was poisoned on the 24th, so that I found it necessary to
confine them in a hog-pen, which, in regard to feeding them, was
a great inconvenience, as they used to provide very well for
themselves in the woods; fortunately, however, a tree was found
which afforded them very good food: this tree grows to the height
of eighty feet, and the branches, which resemble those of the
palm-tree in their growth, fall off every year, leaving an
indentation in the trunk. The leaves of these branches, which are
twelve in number, are much like the heath-fern, from whence this
tree obtained the name of the fern-tree. The middle of the tree,
from the root to the apex, consists of a white substance
resembling a yam, and when boiled, it tastes like a bad turnip;
this the hogs fed on very eagerly: the outside of the trunk is
hard wood, and full of regular indentations from the top to the
bottom. The tree is found in great plenty in all parts of the
island.

At the end of this month, I sent some of the people to assist
Mr. Altree, at the plantation in Arthur's Vale, which was the
name I gave to the valley he had begun to clear; the rest were
employed in clearing the ground at Mount George, except three
men, whom I set to dig a cellar under my house.

On the 8th of May, the two sawyers, the carpenter, and three
convicts were poisoned, by eating some beans, which had a very
tempting appearance, and much resembled the Windsor bean: they
had gathered a quantity, which were boiled, and afterwards fried
with butter: in two hours time, they were seized with violent
gripings, retchings, and cold sweats; fortunately, I had a gallon
of sweet oil, which, with other medicines administered by the
surgeon, happily gave them relief; but they were so much weakened
and exhausted that they were not able to work for a week
afterwards.

For some time past, we had seen no turtle, and it was probable
that the cold weather had driven them to a warmer climate.

As we could catch no fish from the shore, I launched the boat
on the 9th, and sent her into the roads to fish; they returned
with the boat in two hours, and brought thirty-six very fine
fish, weighing from six to eight pounds each: these I caused to
be