ABSTRACT
May ye igth $ This day we took again a ride into the Country to a house belonging to Mr Mason. We found other parts with new Valleys affording fine Views & charming plantations. We went up to the top of a high hill, which together with Diana's Peak makes the Saddle &: most elevated part of the Country: unhappily it rained. We saw however Sandy Bay, where there is a Battery under our Feet, &r two Rocks, one called Lot & the other Lot's Wife. We saw several Covey's of Partridge which I found to be the common redtegged one,2 & it is thought to be a Native of the Place, with a very small kind of Dove, which is blue.3 The European Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus Linn.) is introduced into this Isle by the present Governor with the Guinea-Hen4& will in a few Years grow very numerous, for at present there is a penalty of 5^ Sterl. for killing them, till they multiply to such a degree that they may become common Game, which period in all probability is not very far off, for we saw a good many in this Excursion. The Ricebirds (Loxia oryzivora)5 are imported & grown pretty numerous. Rabbits are likewise in plenty, we saw several. We came after a ride between 6 or 7 miles to a house at the Upper End of an Agreable Valley & found there a fine Garden containing good Greens of all kind, especially the Eddoes which the Inhabitants cultivate wherever Water is to be gotten to moisten them. Mr Mason has
1 The aforegoing description is drawn on heavily by George in Voyage, n, 565-7.
