George Orwell Diaries

DOMESTIC DIARY VOLUME III

When Orwell left the BBC on November 23, 1943, he also resigned, on medical grounds, from the Home Guard. Its chief offensive work in 1943 and 1944 was manning Anti-Aircraft Batteries (especially the ‘Z’ or rocket batteries for which he was ill-suited). On December 3, 1943, he wrote the first of eighty personal columns, ‘As I Please’, for Tribune and later that month began reviewing for The Manchester Evening News. During the winter of 1943–44 he wrote Animal Farm. By the end of May 1944 he had finished The English People, although it would not be published until August 1947. In June 1944, the Orwells adopted a son, Richard. The following month, on the 28th, their flat was bombed, destroying many of his books and leaving his typescript of Animal Farm, as he explained to T. S. Eliot, in a ‘slightly crumpled condition’. Eliot rejected it (as he had Down and Out in Paris and London) on behalf of Faber. Orwell’s friend, Inez Holden, wrote that the flat was no longer habitable, but Orwell ‘goes each day to rummage in the rubble to recover as many books as possible and wheel them away in a wheel-barrow. He makes this journey from Fleet Street during his lunch hour’. That summer Orwell visited Jura for the first time and in October he and Eileen moved into a flat in Canonbury Square, Islington. That would be his last London home.

From February 15 to May 24, 1945, Orwell worked as a war correspondent in France, Germany and Austria writing articles for The Manchester Evening News and The Observer. Eileen had been ill intermittently for a number of years and in March 1945 it was decided she should undergo an operation. Unfortunately she died under the anaesthetic on the 29th. Their exchanges of letters at this time are particularly touching; Eileen’s last letter was left unfinished as she was wheeled off for the operation. After arranging for his little son to be cared for, Orwell completed his tour of duty as a war correspondent.

Although Orwell told Fredric Warburg that he had first thought of Nineteen Eighty-Four in 1943, we now know that Orwell was specifically motivated to start writing the novel after hearing John Baker speak on the falsification of science in the USSR at the PEN Conference in London, August 22–26, 1944 (see The Lost Orwell, pp. 128–33). Progress was slow. On June 25th, 1945, Fredric Warburg reported that Orwell ‘has written the first twelve pages of his new novel’ (Nineteen Eighty-Four) and on September 26, 1946 (in the mid-period of this Diary), he wrote to Humphrey Slater that ‘I have at last started my novel about the future, but I’ve only done about 50 pages’. The novel would be completed in December 1948. In the meantime, on August 17, 1945, after many rejections, Animal Farm was published by Secker & Warburg. It was published in the USA in 1946 and made American Book-of-the-Month Club choice. On February 14, 1946, his volume, Critical Essays, was published by Secker & Warburg.

When staying in a fisherman’s cottage on Jura in September 1945, he visited Barnhill at the north of the island and decided to rent it from May 23 to October 13, 1946.

Orwell’s third Domestic Diary, which he called ‘Vol. III,’ was written in a hundred-leaf exercise book, 8x7 inches (Denbigh Commercial Books, D.34/100). The diary is written almost entirely on recto pages (1 to 182, as numbered by the editor). Following it are garden plans (reproduced here) and lists of metaphors, clichés, and so on. These are not given here but can be found in CW, XVII, pp. 432–8. The entries cover the period May 7 to October 8, 1946. Orwell left Jura for London on October 9 . He went back to Jura early in January 1947 and made two more entries, for January 4 and 5, 1947. The diary is in manuscript only, in Orwell’s hand, and he did not, as he did for earlier diaries, type it up. Assistance in identifying some of the people mentioned was provided by a list prepared by Avril Dunn.

Jura, an island of the Inner Hebrides, lies roughly in line with Edinburgh and Glasgow. It is approximately twenty-six miles in length and varies in width from about eight miles to some three miles at Barnhill, which is about three miles south of the northern tip of the island. Its population in 1946 was about 250, but over the next thirty years it increased to about 400. The Sound of Jura, which separates the island from the mainland, is about four miles wide at Barnhill; the crossing, which can be affected by severe Atlantic swells, takes longer farther south. From Tarbert, on the mainland (actually West Tarbert), to Craighouse is about thirty miles, and the crossing then took about two to two-and-a-half hours. Craighouse, where Orwell collected his rations, had the island’s only shop and doctor; there was also a telephone there. As the crow flies, it is twenty-three miles south of Barnhill, but with ‘declivities’ (see 6.2.46) it is, perhaps, twenty-seven miles. The road, often not much more than a track then, was in poor condition and caused many a puncture. Further, journeys were much longer than a direct measurement on the map indicates. When Orwell lived at Barnhill, a ship called at Jura from the mainland three times a week. From Barnhill to Ardlussa is about seven miles. He gives Kinuachdrachd (which he always spelt without the final ‘d’) as one and a half miles to the north of Barnhill, but it is slightly less as the crow flies. A made-up road, the A846, runs round the southern tip of the island, then north via Craighouse and Tarbert to a little south of Ardlussa, whence it declines to a track. Ordnance Survey Landranger Map 61, ‘Jura & Colonsay,’ 1987, marks Barnhill.

5.7.46: London: Making notes now for purposes of comparison later with Edinburgh & Jura.

Last two days spent in neighbourhood of Newark,1 returning by car Nottingham – Amersham.

Vegetation in Nottinghamshire seems ahead of London area. Most trees full out. Oaks about half out. Leaves of latter are yellowish, as in autumn. Leaves of copper beech much paler than when full out. Chestnuts in bloom. Apples in full bloom, or almost so, everywhere. A few have even shed their blossom. Hawthorn well out – some bushes almost covered with it. Bluebells in full bloom. Ditto Honesty (? tall purplish-red weed.) Tulips at their best, ditto wallflowers, aubretia, arabis. Lilac pretty well out. Stone crop not blooming yet. General appearance of the countryside very green & forward, in spite of beastly cold of last few days. Did not see a swallow or hear a cuckoo.

Grass on chalk areas appears paler than on clay soil.

5.14.46: Nr. Edinburgh: Trees pretty well out, but flowers much behind those of Nottingham area & London. Those now at their best are tulips, saxifrage, aubretia, bluebells, wild forget-me-nots. Lilacs budding, but no colour in them yet. Peonies in green bud. Apples barely in blossom, except sheltered spots. Gorse well out. Rabbits very numerous here, in contrast to s. of England since the war. Black geese seem fairly numerous. Curlews mating have warbling cry quite different from what they make in winter. Drought here has been greater than in s. of England, & pools etc. very low & clear. In this area2 “corn” means oats. Estimated average yield of oats, 12 cwt. per acre.

5.16.46: Shot a black rabbit yesterday (young one.)3 Very black, under side grey. They seem to be common about here.

Field of oats (1¾ acres) was ploughed, disced & sown in two days. It was a grass field & still very rough after being ploughed & then disced twice. Seed was broadcast, which it seems is still usual here with small plots. The sower has what is called a “sowing sheet”, consisting of a kidney-shaped basket of canvas on a wooden frame. This fits against his belly & is slung to his shoulders with straps. He marches up & down, spraying the seed in both directions with either hand alternately. It is scattered pretty evenly, the grains being generally about 3 inches apart. He sowed the 1¾ acres in a short afternoon. At least one other person is required, however, to follow him up & down with a bucket & keep him supplied with seed. Also someone with a gun to keep the rooks off. Amount of seed supplied was 3 bags containing (I think) 12 bushels in all, but the field took only 2½ bags. Today the ground was rolled. The discing, which was due for the second time after sowing, covers the seed up fairly well.

The goat which kidded 3 days ago is giving so much milk that her two kids are overfed & have bad diarrhea.° She has to be milked fairly strenuously – about 3 pints a day in addition to what the kids are taking.

Note the variation in feeding habits of goats. These two are in a grass paddock with no access to foliage. They graze peacefully, making no attempt to get out, though the fence is a low one. Snow on nearby hill (2700 feet)4 this afternoon.

5.22.46: May only about half out in most places.

Made a scarecrow on Saturday (18th). Rooks frightened of it at first, but by Monday night already feeding within 20 yards of it.

Polyantha roses on E[ileen]’s grave5 have all rooted well. Planted aubretia, miniature phlox, saxifrage, a kind of dwarf broom, a house-leek of some kind, & a miniature dianthus. Plants not in very good condition, but it was rainy weather, so they should strike.

Weather wetter, but no really heavy rain. Today fine but not very warm.

Crossing Gourroch – Craighouse.

Left Gourroch about 9.30 am (Glasgow 8 am)

Dunoon about 10.

Rothesay 10.35

Colintraive 11.10

Tigh-na-bruaich 11.30

Tarbert East 12.30 (v. late).

Tarbert East – Tarbert West 5 miles of road

Left Tarbert W. 1.40 (50 mins. late)

5.23.46: Jura: Still very dry & hot. Owing to the prolonged drought, streams which are normally quite considerable torrents have dried up. Not only bush fruits but apples seem to do quite well here if they get a little shelter. Azaleas do well, rhododendras° become almost a weed, fuchsias grow into huge woody bushes & also (I think) grow wild. Plenty of trees here but very gnarled & not large. Deer very tame. Rabbits very numerous but the grown-up ones rather timid. Too busy settling house to do much outside, but shot a rabbit in the garden (young one). No vegetables except haricot beans. Shall try the experiment of stewing him with pickled onions.

Bluebells in profusion everywhere. Primroses still full out, also thrift (on rocks almost in the sea.) Wild iris just coming into flower. These grow within a few yards of the high-tide mark. In spite of the drought, grass very green where it is not overwhelmed by rushes, which are about the worst weed here, worse even than bracken. Hoodie crows6 here all summer, not merely in winter as in East Anglia. Oyster catcher fairly common.

Fishing, ie. in the sea, has been very poor so far this year. Said to be due to the dry weather & east wind.

5.24.46: Started digging garden, ie. breaking in the turf. Back-breaking work. Soil not only as dry as a bone, but very stony. Nevertheless there was a little rain last night. As soon as I have a fair patch dug, shall stick in salad vegetables. This autumn shall put in bushes, rhubarb & fruit trees if possible, but it will need a very high & strong fence to keep the deer off them. Shot at a rabbit in the dusk & missed him. Keep seeing at the end of the garden a young very light-coloured rabbit, a sort of fawn colour so light as to be almost white in some lights. Have never seen one of this colour before. As always when one sees an animal with some peculiarity like this, one is made aware of how often one sees the same animal over & over again.

Saw a seal close inshore. Slowly rising up & sinking down, with nose almost perpendicular, like a periscope.

Donald Darroch7 tells me last month two heifers died of bracken poisoning – this was the vet’s diagnosis. One would think that if bracken is poisonous to them, either they would have the sense to let it alone, or no cattle could survive in such a place.

5.26.46: Weather more overcast the last two days, but still very hot & dry. When digging in garden it is more comfortable to be half naked. Sowed lettuces, radishes, spring onions, cress. Will do nothing until there is rain. Ground is dry as a bone down to 8 inches.

Today came on a fully-gorged tick which I suppose had just dropped off a cow. It was slightly larger than a pea, but of oval shape, about the size of a small dried haricot bean. Skin grey, shiny & fairly tough. Cut it open & found it full of dark viscous blood.

5.27.46: Some rain in the night & this morning, but it has not gone even an inch into the soil. All today very blowy, & generally overcast. Wind shifting round to all quarters. Clouds extremely low at times, but still not raining.

Dug some more. Only a small part of the garden can be broken in straight off, the rest will have to be sodium chlorated to kill the rushes, & then preferably ploughed.

Saw what I think was an eagle, but it was some way off & I am not very familiar with the large birds of prey, so perhaps it was some kind of buzzard. Rock doves here as well as wood pigeons.

5.28.46: Rain, heavier than yesterday, for about an hour & a half this evening. This time it has gone in a little way. Rain always seems to have the effect of calming the sea.

Yesterday made a trestle for sawing logs. Making anything out of timber one cuts in the woods is a curious job because the trees are so gnarled that it is hard to get a straight piece. Today made a sledge – primitive substitute for wheelbarrow – out of driftwood & some old match-boarding. One can drag quite a load if one steers for the smooth places. They use sledges here for dragging things up steep hills, but probably quite a different pattern. Started building incinerator out of stone. Very tedious job because of the difficulty of finding flat pieces of stone. Found the peat beds & shall try digging some tomorrow if the weather is fine. It is usual to dig it in May or not later than the first week in June – reason, that in middle summer the grass gets long & the peat does not get a chance to dry. It is usual to lay the blocks out in rows, then, when the top side is dry, build them up into little pyramids for further drying, then cart them home. In exceptionally dry weather they will dry in 3 weeks. If an average family depends wholly on peat, it means roughly a month’s work a year.

The highland cattle are definitely a small breed. The herd I saw here & took for half-grown heifers are 3 years old. Their milk is said to be rich, but not large in quantity. A few are black. This is a reversion to the original breed, which used to be called the “black cattle.”

“Corn” is habitually sown broadcast here. It nevertheless tends to come up in rows, because the furrows from the ploughing persist even after harrowing, & the grains tend to roll down into the furrows. Ditto in Morocco, where they not only sow broadcast, but don’t even harrow, merely ploughing the ground over & over.

5.29.46: Late last night distinctly cold. All today very blowy & mostly overcast. Wind changing round to all quarters. Black-backed gulls coming inland, & at times a bit of a sea getting up in the straits. Still no rain, however. Last night’s rain did temporarily fill the ditch full enough for some water to come through into the tank, but today it is almost dry again.

Finished digging patch under window. Cleared out a few thistles, put up shelves. Did not do much else as I felt very tired & slept for 2 or 3 hours in the afternoon.

This evening missed a large rabbit, sitting, at 35 yards! Partly because this gun has a harder pull than I am accustomed to.

5.30.46: Very hot, dry & still all day. Sea like glass. Late this evening literally a few drops of rain for about 5 minutes.

Saw 3 of the fawn-coloured rabbits – of different sizes & in different places, so there must be a breed of them about here.

Started digging the patch by the railing. Soil here is deeper & less stony. Dug out about 100 blocks of peat & set them out in rows. Surprised by the easiness of the operation: to dig 100 blocks or more took me less than an hour. Notice that the peat does not necessarily lie in very deep beds. Up to 1 spit down it was pure peat, then I came on some paler stuff which looked like sandy soil, rather sodden.

Put up more shelves, covered stool.

Tits evidently have a nest in the gatepost (iron), as I see them coming out of the hole occasionally. Two days ago one got momentarily stuck in the hole when I was approaching & shrieked with terror.

5.31.46: A light shower in the afternoon.

Shot one of the fawn-coloured rabbits (a doe.) A quite striking, almost reddish fawn pelt. Shall try to cure it.

6.1.46: Treated the rabbit skin according to the recipe in the other diary,8 but uncertain whether I got the fat off completely enough. NB. to examine it about 6.15.46.

Overcast, & a little drizzling rain, but not cold.

Came on a raven on the cliff which must have been asleep or something of the kind – at any rate it had difficulty in struggling through the bracken before it could get on the wing.

Large hovering hawk of some kind – in style of flight somewhat like a larger edition of a kestrel, but flaps its wings more slowly – always about behind the house. Presumably some kind of buzzard. Turned up medium-sized brown-coloured bird in the wood, which had all the appearance of being a woodcock. I thought they did not stay the summer here. Black game fairly numerous. When one sees them in pairs, both seem the same colour – thought the hen (called “grey hen”) would be lighter.

The stonecrop with reddish leaves, so common on the rocks here, is out. Pinky-white flowers. Tried transplanting a small piece of it, tho’ it is probably rather late to do so.

6.2.46: All day very hot and dry, until the evening, when a light drizzle. Crossed over from Kinuachdrach to Glentrosdale9 – about 3½ miles as the crow flies, but about 5 allowing for declivities. Time going, 2 hours: returning, 1¾ hours.

Killed a snake. Brown colour, about 18" long, some kind of zigzag marking on its back. Again uncertain whether an adder, but resolved to kill all snakes close to the house, to be on safe side with R[ichard]. In killing it, cut it in half. Then picked up, as I thought, the safe end to examine it, but it was the head, which promptly tried to bite me. Had previously seen another snake, but only momentarily.

Saw 3 wild goats. They were about 400 yards away, & at that distance looked definitely black. Somewhat heavy movements, compared with the deer.

Saw (I think) a gold-crested wren.

6.3.46: This morning overcast & a little drizzle, rest of day dry but windy. Said to have been some rain in the night.

Sowed cress, radishes, spring onions, lettuces. Cress & another seed (I think lettuce) both sowed 5.26.46, now showing.

Two young cuckoos, not yet quite firm on the wing, sitting on the fence. Swallow has nest in the big byre.

6.4.46: Quite heavy rain all day until about 5.30 pm, after which fine. Pleasant mild weather in evening, with some sun. Sea roughish in morning, calming down rapidly in evening.

Radishes (sown 5.26.46) are up. Put soot round all seeds showing. Slugs awful.

6.5.46: Very blustery all day. Wind from west. Rain occasionally stopped, but wind continues. Considerable sea running.

Too wet to do much out of doors. Cleared up the big barn to make room for coal etc. Floor deeply covered with very dry dung which was coated with a white deposit, I suppose nitre. Got about half a load of manure thus.

Two enormous birds of hawk tribe, which I think must have been eagles, circling quite close to house, sometimes only 20 or 30 yards from the ground. Crows hawking at them, sometimes almost perching on their backs. Went out for walk & only saw one rabbit. Perhaps they do not venture out in very windy weather. Again turned up a woodcock.

6.6.46: Fine all day, with only one or two very light showers of a few minutes. Sea fairly calm.

Last night late shot another fawn-coloured rabbit. Cured skin. NB. to examine about 6.20.46. Quite a high proportion, perhaps as many as one in ten, of the rabbits round here are of this colour. Nevertheless it must have a poor survival value as they are much more conspicuous. Could see this one in almost complete darkness when I could not have seen an ordinary rabbit.

Mattock arrived, so started digging the rushes out of the back yard. Comparatively easy job with this tool.

Broached 40 gallon drum of paraffin. If we use 2 gallons a week (shall test this accurately later), should last us till nearly end of October.

6.7.46: Fine all day. Walked to Glengarrisdale10 & back. Exactly 3 hours each way, but probably increased if not choosing the best ground. Distance as crow flies about 10 miles, but by the route one has to take, about 14 (ie. in all.) Saw flock of wild goats. They are definitely shyer than the deer. Most of them quite black, but some have white patches. At the distance at which one can see them, ie. about 300 yards, they appear very large, so that one could almost mistake them for cattle. Probably due to shagginess of coats.

Old human skull, with some other bones, lying on beach at Glengarrisdale. Said to be survivor from massacre of the McCleans° by the Campbells,11 & probably at any rate 200 years old. Two teeth (back) still in it. Quite undecayed.

Although lobsters round here are numerous & good, crabs are seldom large & not considered worth sending away. Two lobsters fairly frequently taken in one creel. Current market price of lobsters 2/11½ a lb. Yesterday cooked two lobsters by boiling them alive – only practicable way of killing them. They appeared to remain alive (at any rate struggling) for some seconds after being put in the boiling water. Nevertheless parts of their shells begin to turn red the instant they are put in.

Half gallon of paraffin fills Aladdin lamp, standard lamp & 1 wall lamp pretty full, & another wall lamp about ½ full. This should be lighting for about 2 days. Allowing the oil stove to use ½ gallon a week, paraffin consumption should be about 2½ galls a week, or say 3 gallons if another small stove is used for drying. So that 40 galls of paraffin should last till end of August.

6.8.46: Fine all day. Warm but not very sunny. Sea calm. Elder coming into flower (late, I think?). Rowan trees have been well in flower for some time. Cress sown on 6.3.46 already germinating. No sign of first lot of onions. Wagtail has nest in barn. Very busy carrying tufts of moss to & fro. Have noticed that one does not see thrushes or blackbirds round here. Also finches, even sparrows, very scarce – in fact I do not think we have seen a sparrow since coming here. Ditto starlings. Larks are to be seen, but not very common. Field mice are common. No house mice or rats round this house as yet.

Price of some goslings aged (I think) 6 weeks, 25/– each. Actually not very expensive for nowadays, if one considers that during most of their life they will feed chiefly on grass.

6.9.46: Fine but overcast till about 5 pm, then rain. Sea calm. Deer have trampled on a good deal of the peat we laid out to dry. Probably due to laying it out not on the grass but in the peat-bed itself, which the deer use as a stamping ground.

A[vril]12 found what was evidently a young rat dead near gate. Hitherto no rats or mice (ie. other than field mice) round this house.

6.10.46: Raining all morning, fine all afternoon. Strongish wind from west some of afternoon, & not particularly warm. Sea calm.

Sowed lettuces. Second lot (sown 6.3.46) are up. Onions sown 5.26.46 are just showing. Put soot round the seeds that are up.

Outboard motor boat (ie. small rowing boat with outboard) makes the journey from Ardlussa to Glengarrisdale (said to be 15m. but I should have said more)13 in 2–3 hours, sometimes as little as 2 hours, on 1½ gallons of petrol. Consumption would be about 8m. to the gallon. Outboard can be put on to any boat, even flat-bottomed.

Evidently the fish referred to as “lithe” is a pollack, but sometimes this is referred to as though it were a variety of “saythe” (the phrase “rock saythe” is used), the “saythe’s” other name being, I think, cole-fish.* It is some time since I have seen either but I do not believe these fish are of the same family.

6.15.46: Have been away at Biggar & Glasgow for several days.

Today warm & overcast. A little drizzling rain this afternoon.

Sowed carrots, beetroot, spinach, French beans, turnips, swedes, cress – small quantities of most of these. Lettuces sown 6.10.46 already showing. Radish seedlings had been eaten by something. Suspected slugs & put more soot, but shortly afterwards saw a very young rabbit, one of a family which lives in the garden, browsing near the salad bed, so suppose the rabbit was to blame. Would have expected it to attack the lettuce seedlings first. Put strands of wire netting loosely over bed – hope will be enough to keep the rabbits out.

Brought home the geese. Now aged 2 months. Fully fledged &, I should say, weighing 8–10 lb each. Perhaps owing to upset of move, they have not wandered about as I expected but spent most of day huddling round the back door & not grazing much.

Three kestrels sitting on the fence together today. Presumably young birds which have recently learned to fly.

The corn sowed at Biggar has come up well, with a pretty even distribution. If anything it appears to be thickest in the corner where the rooks were the worst. So possibly the rooks are maligned & only come for insects.

6.16.46: Overcast all day, raining pretty steadily from about 11.30 onwards.

Walked over to the W-shaped bays14 next to Glentrosdale. About an hour & a half walking each way. Saw a snake – adder, I think. Failed to kill it, not having a suitable stick. Twelve or more seals in one of the bays. About half a dozen of them sitting out on the rocks. On seeing us, swam towards the shore, seemingly from curiosity. Have not seen a young one yet – at least, not knowingly. Young ones are said to be white.

The unidentified bird I saw last night may have been a phalarope.15 Long beak like a snipe’s, fairly stout body, shortish wings, & a cry that sounded like cheep–cheep. Size a bit bigger than a thrush.

Onions sown 6.3.46. are just showing.

Lady’s bedstraw now out allover the place. Bluebells not quite over. A few primroses still blooming here & there. Foxgloves about at their best.

6.17.46: Fine all day. Sowed leeks, lupins, delphiniums, pansies, aubretia, stonecrop, saxifrage, cheddar pinks.

6.18.46: Fine & warm. Sowed turnips.

In afternoon started cutting rushes from road. To clear 200 yards of road, ie. where the rushes are almost continuous, is about 2½ hours work. Could make no impression on them with the scythe & had to use the sickle. Note that the small heavy type of sickle, without a back, can be used back-handed as well as forehanded.

Put such peat as remains into “threes.” Still very damp on under side. About 100–150 blocks, another 100 or so having been trampled by the deer. However, enough for experimental purposes. Note that one must always lay it out to dry on the grass not in the peat bed, where, apart from the deer coming & trampling it, the under side stays much wetter. It is said here one should not cut it after the first week in June, as after that the grass gets tall & it has no chance to dry.

Cured another rabbit skin (ordinary one). NB. to examine about beginning of July.

6.19.46: A couple of showers in the early morning, otherwise fine & warm all day.

In the morning walked to Ardlussa. Time exactly 2¼ hours, so the distance cannot be 9 miles as commonly said. Possibly 9 miles to Kinuachdrach, & about 7½ to Barnhill.

Swallows in the barn have evidently hatched as I found a hatched egg.

6.20.46: A bit of rain in the morning, otherwise fine & rather windy.

Lettuces sown 5.25.46 are almost ready to transplant. The geese still tend to hang round the back door, apparently liking to sit on the stones, & will go into any of the barns if these are left open. They graze a good deal but will not go far afield, & if driven out into the field behind the house seem terrified & want only to get back. They are not being given much beyond house scraps but seem well & fat. Their habit of staying in one place makes one realise what huge quantities of dung they produce. The 6 of them, judging by the amount we scrape up & put on the manure heap, must produce a pound or two every day.

Saw last night one unidentified bird of prey hawking over the sea shore. It was whitish & its flight was that of an owl, but so far as I could see (2–300 yards away) it had a black & white colouring on head & neck such as I have never seen on an owl.

6.21.46: Fine but overcast all day till about 9 pm, after which there was a thick “Scotch mist”, enough to drench one to the skin.

Planted out about a dozen lettuces. Very small, so put sacking to protect them. Cured another rabbit skin (to be opened about 7.5.46).

6.22.46: Fine & warm from about noon onwards. At the same time dense mists rolling off the sea very suddenly. Sea like glass. Sowed carrots. Planted another row of lettuce. Turnips sown 6.15.46 are up, & swedes sown the same day just showing.

6.23.46: Drizzling rain most of the day. In the evening it cleared up, but dense mists kept rolling up & down, sometimes lying very low, so that the coast of the mainland was invisible while higher ground many miles inland stood out quite clearly.

Too wet to do much out of doors. Took sacking off lettuces, which look as if they will do all right if I can keep the slugs & rabbits off them. Turnips sown 6.18.46 are up.

The common wild rose of these parts is now coming into blossom. A white flower with tendency to pink at the edges. Bud large & very beautiful, with bright pink tip. Leaves have a faint sweetbriar smell. Evidently this is the “Scotch” or “burnet” rose (rosa spinosissima). Some of the stems are very spiny, but they vary. Do not know whether one can bud onto this rose.

Geese getting somewhat more enterprising. Today enjoying the rain & bathing themselves in puddles. As a result they look draggled & filthy, the opposite of what one would expect.

6.24.46: Fine & warm most of the day. Beetroots (sown 6.15.46) just showing.

In the evening spent about 2 hours trying to get a cow out of a bog. She had fallen into a narrow ditch beside the road & was sunk in the mud about up to her neck. Would probably have sunk altogether if the ditch had not been very narrow, so that the sides held her up. Another man & myself made efforts to drag her out & lever her out with lengths of board, but it would evidently need 5 or 6 men at least to do this. She was ultimately dragged out by the lorry. I heard she was none the worse for it, though she must have been there for at least 5 hours.

The electric fence, supposed to keep the herds of cattle separate, is evidently not working. They have not only broken through it & jumped over it, but D[onald] D[arroch] states that he saw one of the Highland cattle scratching its back against the wire.

6.25.46: Fine till evening, when rain started. Boat arrived this morning, but too wet & sea too rough to fish. Varnished boat & prepared rollers. It is extremely difficult to find straight pieces of timber here. Even when cutting pieces for stool legs, I find that any sizeable & strong branch has a kink in it.

Another rose, this time a pink one, is out. I suppose this is the dog rose, but it looks a bit different from the English kind – much more stunted, & stems more spiny – & seems to have a faint sweetbriarish scent in both flowers & leaves. I don’t think it can be the sweetbriar, which so far as I know never has a flower.16

There is catmint or peppermint all over the place down by the sea. Foxgloves now almost past their best. Today found a mushroom – a “true” mushroom, I think.

Thinned out radishes & lettuces. All lettuces doing well so long as I can keep the rabbits & slugs off them. Set some more peat into “threes.” Total amount we have cut would not be more than 2 cwt.

[On facing page]

Fuchsia cuttings. July–August. 4" long, from side shoots. Cut with a heel, remove lower leaves, trim heel. Plant in sandy soil. Keep moist & shelter from midday sun, but do not shade all the time.

Escallonia ditto, but in late summer.

6.26.46: Fine most of the day but very windy. Sea roughish but calm in the bay. Went fishing about 10pm. 2 saythe, taken on the red reel. Might have had more, but had to come in as boat was taking in water. About 11 pm, a shoal of fish jumping out of the water like dace.

6.27.46: Very stormy & heavy rain till about 8 pm. Sea very rough, but calmed down somewhat in the evening. Too wet to do much out of doors. Wind S.E.

Carrots (sown 6.13.46) now showing. Spinach sown same day just showing. Rabbits again eating lettuces etc. Put more wire over them.

Have ordered one dozen each red currants, black currants, gooseberries, 1 dozen roots rhubarb, 2 dozen raspberry canes, 4 dozen strawberries, 6 apple trees; but probably shall not get all of them.

Shot 2 rabbits – the first time I have got two in one day, in spite of the enormous numbers of them. Spots in the corn which rabbits most frequent are nibbled down almost like mown grass.

Saw another mushroom. A[vril] found two ripe whortleberries (very early?)

6.28.46: Very blowy all day (wind SW), but not much rain after about 2 pm. Sea still rough. Roads not as mucky as I would have expected.

Cured rabbit skin (white one). To be opened about July 12th. Started breaking in new patch. This one to be manured, so that it will be suitable for planting strawberries or raspberries. Am using the dung scraped off the floor of the big barn, which is literally years old, mixed into a little goose dung & ashes. Soil here probably needs lime.

Got drum of petrol, 40 galls. Unless we get extra allotment, this should last until about end of October (allowance for the 2 vehicles17 is 8½ galls a month, but there is only ½ gall due for the motor bike in June). Shall note all amounts taken out of drum. Today took 1 gallon.

French beans coming up.

M. McKechnie18 says rabbit wire has to be 4 ft. high. They can get over anything lower than that.

6.29.46: Stormy, but part of the day fine. Sea still rather rough. Re-varnished boat & caulked what looked like two bad seams. Planted a few more lettuces. Shortened oars of boat 6" each.

6.30.46: Fine but still blowy. Breakers on sea most of day. Sowed swedes. Spinach showing but not very well up. Soil near fence much deeper than near house. Am manuring it & shall put strawberries at that end of second patch, if plants obtainable. Just room in that patch for 4 dozen strawberries, 2 dozen raspberries, & a bed of rhubarb which can go on the bad soil.

To make cultivated parts rabbit proof will need 100 yards of wire & about 50* stakes.

[Orwell’s note on facing page] * 25 (of which 6 thick ones)

7.7.46: Away in London for several days till day before yesterday.19 Weather in London unbearably hot. Here it has been raining most of the time up till yesterday when it was fine though not very warm. From about Glasgow onwards hay is nearly all cut & some of it in cocks. Not cut in Jura yet.

Note that starlings, never seen up this end of the island, are quite common at Craighouse.20 Yesterday saw a blackbird – almost a rare bird here.

Have planted out more lettuce. All seeds well up except spinach, which seems to have almost failed to germinate – presumably bad seed. Cut some cress yesterday – first fruits of the garden, which was started in virgin meadow about 5.20.46.

Having been out fishing about half a dozen times, we have never had a blank day, though one day (when we went out about 8pm) we only caught 1 fish. Best catch (twice) 15 fish, 14 saythe & 1 pollock. Last night A[vril] caught a mackerel, but in picking it off the hook it got back into the water. Mackerel fishing proper starts in August. The fish always seem to bite round about dusk, ie. now about 11 pm. There is a period of about 10 minutes when one is pulling them in for all one is worth, then they suddenly stop.

Strawberries arrive in September. Preparing ground now; dunging it fairly heavily with old stuff from the floor of the byre. Other plants will not arrive till late November, so possible difficulty about planting. Lupins up, also pansies.

Trying to get permit for 100 yards rabbit wire.23 Rabbits not so bad lately, no doubt because I shoot at them so frequently.

7.8.46: Fine most of day, but thick mists, & a little rain in the evening. Last night caught 25 saythe & 1 pollock.

7.9.46: Beautiful fine hot day. Turned chilly rather suddenly in the evening. Saw some hazel nuts half formed. A[vril] has found one or two more mushrooms. A certain amount of flea on the turnips. Watered them with soapy water.

Only 3 saythe.

[It was on July 9th that Orwell’s dramatization of Little Red Riding Hood was broadcast in the BBC’s Children’s Hour programme: for the script, see CW, XVIII, pp. 343–54.]

7.10.46: Cured a rabbit skin (ordinary one). To be opened about 7.25.46.

Only 4 saythe last night. Movements of these fish quite unpredictable, but presumably they are following the shoals of fry or whitebait. The things one finds in their stomachs look like tiny eels, about 1½" long.

7.11.46: 8 saythe last night. Fish jumping all over the place.

Hot all day, striking rather chilly in the evening, & wind veering round to west, but no rain.

While stalking a rabbit, I saw a stoat playing on the big stones near the gate. It was only a few feet away from me, but it appeared almost unafraid, & sometimes simply sat on the rock & looked at me. My impression was that it was darker in colour (more chocolate-coloured) than the stoats one sees in England. I notice that the animals of this family, normally shy enough, seem to have moments when they lose all fear of man.

No result from rabbit snares hitherto (have 12 out.) Probably it needs long practice before one can get them exactly right. One or two of mine have been disturbed, however, showing that the rabbits do not in all cases actually avoid the run where a snare is. D[onald] D[arroch] says one should collect any rabbits that are caught early in the morning, otherwise the gulls have them.

Today saw a few primroses in bloom in shady places. Another spotted orchis is coming up, this time a dark mauve one. The other was light mauve, almost white. A[vril] says it is the same flower, but must surely be a sub-variety. Eggs & bacon still out all over the place. A little rather pretty flower called Eyebright out in the grass in the garden. Self Heal everywhere.

Of the flower seeds I sowed on 6.7.46, only lupins, pansies & cheddar pinks have shown yet. The spinach has definitely failed to germinate & I shall use the ground for something else.

The so-called wild cat is in fact not very wild. I have seen it quite close to on various occasions. It always gives the appearance of stalking in a very amateurish way, & in any case it is a sign of the great quantities of game here that an animal so conspicuously marked (brilliant tortoise-shell) can subsist at all.

7.12.46: 24 saythe last night. These were all caught in about 20 minutes, after which we packed up, not wanting to waste fish. We could have caught 50 if we had wanted them. The sea was alive with the creatures, jumping all round the boat. On weighing one or two, we find that the biggest we catch are about 11–12 ounces. But they are uniform in size & I should think not many are below 6 ounces. They are delicious eating. Trying to find out exactly the method by which people here dry them for the winter.

The geese are moulting a bit, probably because of poor feeding. I don’t think they ought to moult before August.

7.13.46: Very hot & dry all yesterday. Sea like glass. Horse flies awful.

In the night a few drops of rain. This morning wet & misty, wind in west. Yesterday thinned out first lot of turnips, sowed more leeks. In the evening, about 10.30, by the new stable, saw 3 otters together, running across the grass about 30 yards away. They looked almost black in the half light.

This morning for the first time caught a rabbit in a wire. Went down to get the wires in, taking the gun as I thought a rabbit or two might be out. Saw one sitting about 40 yards away & shot & killed it, to find it was already caught in the snare (round the neck.)

Notice in skinning these rabbits the great difference between old & young ones. In the young ones the skin comes off like a glove, whereas some of the older ones are quite difficult to skin. Also, when cured, the pelts of the younger ones remain much suppler. Have now cured six or seven skins; no sign of their going bad yet, but must keep them some months to test. Then must find out how to make them supple (pretty stiff at present.)24

Cleared up for a bit in the afternoon, rain again at night. The very low tides continue, in fact the water never seems to come within 20 yards of the high tide mark. However A. McK.25 says the spring tides will begin soon.

In the afternoon a tremendous column of water suddenly shot up just outside the bay. A[vril] said a “whale thrasher”, or granpus.26 Know nothing about these creatures – not even quite certain whether they are mammals or not.

A[vril] bought a lobster creel which we have put out. Another to arrive next week. Think I put it too near inshore. As we had plenty of food in hand we went out intending to catch only 1 fish to bait the creel with, but they immediately started biting so fast that we found ourselves with 8 or 9 by the time we had the creel ready.

Coal almost finished (1 ton, beginning about May 25th.). I.e. a ton of coal lasts about 6 weeks. More coming shortly. Meanwhile collecting & cutting up wood, which, if one uses nothing else, means about 2 hours work a day for 2 people.

Made handle for sledge hammer out of a bough of mountain ash. Shall be interested to see whether it is strong enough. Almost impossible here to get hold of a piece of timber which is either straight or without a flaw in it. Cured a rabbit skin – to be opened at end of July.

7.14.46: Some rain in the night. This morning very blowy (wind from west) with alternate rain & sunny intervals.

Pulled first radishes, sown 5.25.46. Fair, but would probably have been better ones if I had sown one of the short kinds. Spring onions in a week or so, lettuces in 10 days or a fortnight.

Took up creel. A crab (usual edible kind) was in it, but he did not seem big enough to be worth keeping, so threw him back. Almost all the crabs here are smallish & only worth keeping if one has 2 or 3, so we must institute a storage box.

7.15.46: Rain in night, fairly heavy & continuous rain this morning, & decidedly cold.

Later part of day alternate rain & sun, but pretty blowy. Wind shifting round to S.E. at times.

Did not fish or inspect creel. Boat riding well at anchor, but the tides have suddenly changed, the water coming quite far in, so that she was too far out & we could not get to her at high tide. Made box for fish, but decided it was too big & clumsy so shall use it as a storage box for crabs.

Thinned first lot of swedes, ditto carrots & beetroots. Shall sow more lettuces as they grow so fast this year that if sown now they should be ready before the end of September. Have taken netting off the beds as I think I have temporarily scared the rabbits off & have wiped out the family that was living actually in the garden.

Stags now have very large horns, but still velvety. Mother wagtail sitting on fence feeding young one. This breed27 left the nest about 3 days ago, so they evidently go on feeding them for some days after they can fly.

7.19.46: Diary not kept up for several days owing to pen being mislaid.

Until yesterday weather has been mostly rainy, & generally blowy as well. Yesterday evening it cleared up & is still fine. Wind generally in west. Sea calm.

Fishing has gone off. Only 2 fish, ie. saythe (we generally catch one or two pollock as well) last night, & 7 the night before last. No fish jumping now. Last night A[vril] hooked a mackerel & again lost him as he was being lifted into the boat.

Creel is lost, after only about 3 nights’ use. I suppose I put it too near the channel, or else did not weight it sufficiently, & it drifted.

Tides now very much higher. Much adjustment needed to anchor the boat so that we can get to her when the water is high, without having to drag her a long distance when it is low.

Have cured 2 rabbit skins, to be opened about beginning of August.

Saw a number of the rabbits with white collars round Kinuachdrach. They are never seen here, not much more than a mile away, whereas the fawn-coloured ones, common here, are never seen up that end.

Peat has been brought in & is being used, though still rather damp. About 150 blocks.

Found blueberries ripe yesterday. Large numbers of hazel nuts round Kinuachdrach. Said to get ripe about beginning of September. Black currants now ripe, or mostly.

D. D. & his sister28 doing terrific job thinning their turnips – about a quarter of an acre. The turnips are now 8" high or so, & are thinned by hand. D.D. will not use a hoe as he says that if one does so one cannot single out the strongest plants. Actually one can hoe roughly first & then single [out] each clump. However, it is the custom here not to use the hoe. It takes days of work to thin this area of turnips.

The D. s will be lifting a few potatoes soon, which is just as well for us as we are running out.

7.20.46: Not much rain during the day, but overcast, blowing & decidedly cold. Thinned second lot of turnips.

Rabbit wire arrived, 100 yards of 3 ft. Shall need about 30 stakes, difficult to procure here as there is no straight wood. Sodium chlorate is coming, 1 cwt., of which, however, the F[letcher]s want to borrow half. Half cwt. should be enough to cover the whole area here in pretty strong solution, but I would like to give 2 applications.

Took out ½ gall. petrol. Up to date, 8½ – 229 galls, taken out.

New ton of coal started today. The first ton has therefore lasted about 8 weeks, but this is with the use of a great deal of wood & a little peat. So 6 tons a year is none too much for this house.30

Sowed radishes.

Shot one of the rabbits with white neck. The white marking is only round the neck & nose, & these rabbits are extremely local, only seen in two small areas.

Fishing has definitely gone off for the time being. Only 3, ie. saythe, last night, & 2 the night before that. Last night suddenly saw a creel at the point & sprang to the conclusion it was our lost one. When hauling it up found it was not ours, but it may have been the other that I. & A.31 promised to leave for us. A sizeable crab in it, which I kept. Tremendous struggle to get him out as he clung to the netting & I had to prize° his claws apart at risk of being pinched.

The F.s have already lifted a field of potatoes & presumably somewhat prematurely as all their people have now run out of potatoes.

Tides much higher. Strong current in the sea, but surface still calm.

Cured 2 rabbit skins (open about 8.3.46).

7.21.46: Miserable weather. Rain not heavy but almost continuous all day. Cold enough to make one want a fire in every room. Too wet to do much out of doors. Set creel & lengthened rope of storage box, but did not fish, as there was a nasty swell on the water.

7.22.46: Went down to Craighouse. Violent rain that end of the island, this end not quite so bad.

Notice that down that end chaffinches are quite common – they do exist up here, but one does not see them frequently.

Tried to fish, but great difficulty in landing & beaching boat. Fairly strong sea & very strong current. Caught several pollock in about 5 minutes, then they suddenly stopped biting. No saythe except a very tiny one. Nothing in creel.

7.23.46: Rain most of day, which became torrential in the evening. Streams overflow their banks & roads turn into rivers after only an hour or two of rain of this kind. Too rough to fish, but took up creel (empty), getting wetted to the waist in landing the boat. Wind shifting round to south.

Shot two rabbits in one shot, which does not often happen, ie. with adult rabbits.

7.24.46: Violent storm for part of night, calming down this morning. Some thunder.

Went down to inspect boat & found that though riding secure at her anchor she had been swamped by a heavy sea & the gratings etc. washed overboard. However recovered everything. Boat has a bad crack forward, & when putting her in the water found she was taking in water badly – not enough to make it quite impossible to use her, but badly enough to make it necessary to bale every quarter of an hour or so. Turned her over, worked plasticine into the crack, caulked up one or two seams, & varnished thickly. Shall test whether this waterproofs her sufficiently as soon as the sea is calm, but she really needs a new board forward – actually 2 boards.

Wind still in south most of day. Some rain in the morning, sunny & warm most of the afternoon.

Forgot to note, took out another gallon of petrol on 7.22.46, ie. 9½ – 2 galls.

For a week or so past terns very busy & noisy over the little island at the mouth of the harbour at Kinuachdrach. They keep making darts at the ground almost as they do over the sea when fishing. Presumably feeding families of young ones (terns lay late in the year, I think). I note some of them darting at the tree that grows on the island, so possibly there are nests in the branches as well as on the ground.

I hardly see any of the fawn-coloured rabbits now, though I have certainly not shot all that were here – I think I have shot 8, to be exact, & they were quite common in May–June. Now there is only one that I see, always round about the same place. Presumably, being so conspicuous, they are the first to fall to hawks & perhaps owls. They are almost certainly not a separate breed, ie. merely a sport tending to recur in one locality, like black rabbits, & it will be interesting to see whether they are equally common next year. The rabbits with white markings are extremely local. I see them in 3 places, & nowhere else. When one sees identifiable animals like this, one realises how restricted a rabbit’s movements are.

Otters it appears catch not only sea fish, but lobsters. They are said to catch bigger lobsters than are ever caught by human beings, ie. those that are too big to get into the creel. Ditto salmon – a 40 lb. salmon partly devoured by an otter is said to have been found here, no human being ever having caught one of such a size on this island.

7.25.46: Rather rainy in morning, clearing in afternoon. Sea roughish. Walked over to Glengarrisdale. Getting there took 2¾ hours, coming back about 2 hours & 40 minutes, so the route we now use is evidently an improvement (3 hours each way last time). Sea on the Atlantic side calmer than here, to my surprise. Found some fresh mussel shells, though no mussels actually on the rocks. They seem not to exist on this side of the island.

Saw an almost white hind – white patches more or less covering back, but brown on belly. Saw no stags all day, though literally hundreds of hinds. Evidently they separate at this time of year, but it is a puzzle where the stags go to.

Saw a flock of chaffinches, so they are commoner this end of the island than I thought.

Again saw an eagle mobbed by hoodie crows.

7.26.46: Fine & warm, sea calmer, though wind has gone round to west again. Large crab in the creel, which this time was baited with rabbit. Painted entire bottom of boat with red under-paint – shall follow up with white, & paint her green inside. She does not now take in water so badly.

7.27.46: Fine all day, though not particularly hot. Lobster in creel (our first). Fixed rollers on rope to make a continuous chain of them on which the boat can be dragged up, & shall put them in place tomorrow when the tide is low. Tonight only 3 saythe – 12 last night. Last night we twice hooked a mackerel & lost it when drawing it into the boat, making 4 times that this has happened. The reason seems to be that as the mackerel is a fighter, it generally makes a last-minute dash which causes it to bang against the boat or one of the other rods. One really wants a landing net.

Rabbits have been in the garden again & done some damage. The worst seem to be the families of very young rabbits. Saw another of the whitey-coloured ones yesterday.

Ian McKechnie says that the lobster’s “scissors claw” is not always on the same side: it is as though some lobsters were right-handed & some left-handed.

7.28.46: Rain almost continuous all day. In the afternoon wind in south & sea quite violent, calming down very rapidly later.

Put rollers in position, but probably have not weighted them sufficiently to prevent the tide shifting them. Too wet to fish.

7.29.46: Some rain, but finer. The tide had flung the rollers all over the place & it took me about an hour to disentangle them & put them back. In the evening, after another tide, they had not moved much. Evidently they want weighting all the way up the row. But when in place they save a great deal of labour.

In the evening 6 saythe & 1 pollock. Only a medium sized crab in the creel, which I killed & left there to serve as bait. It appears that when there is a crab in the creel, & one does not intend to keep him, one should kill him, as otherwise he will eat the remainder of the bait. A lobster, once finding himself caught, does not continue eating the bait – or so it is said.

Lifted some of D[onald] D[arroch]’s potatoes. Very poor crop, in spite of the good haulm.32 I should say on average 5 or 6 potatoes on plant. Reason given, ground was not manured.

7.30.46: Continuous driving rain till evening. About 5 pm it began to clear, with violent wind & some sun. Today & yesterday the wind has been veering about between west & south, & the sea in the bay shows the effects almost at once. The water is always reasonably calm, ie. inshore, when the wind is in the west. Did not take up creel. Too wet to do anything out of doors. Began repairing wheelbarrow.

7.31.46: Beautiful fine day, & quite hot. Sea very calm in bay, but a ground swell outside. Water very clear & blue, very low tide. Found the lost creel, which, as A[ngus] M[^cKechnie] predicted, showed itself when the water was at its lowest. I had tangled the rope, shortening it by about 6 feet, which is evidently a thing to beware of when setting the creel. Painted the boat green & white. Schedule of digging for July only just finished on time. I notice that when the grass is cleared away from the various currant & gooseberry bushes which the deer have grazed down, they do not look so bad, & may bear again if protected this winter. Several of the currant bushes have layered themselves, forming small bushes which I shall transplant later.

Set one creel, not having bait for the other.

Took out 1½ galls petrol. (Altogether 11 – 2 galls).

8.1.46: Fine till about 10 pm, when a drizzle set in, turning later into heavy rain. Caught (ie. landed) the first mackerel of the year.

8.2.46: Showers, but fine most of the day. Wind all the time veering about west–south, & sea roughish. It is almost always difficult to launch the boat when the wind is in the south.

Saw a family of young pheasants, about 6 or 8 of them very forward for August & flying strongly.

Cured a rabbit skin (fawn-coloured). To be opened about middle of August.

Set both creels, baiting with rabbit.

8.3.46: Fine all day, strongish wind from west, sea fairly calm inshore.

Cut more fence posts. Rabbits have been in the garden again. Curiously enough they seem to attack the radishes before anything else.

Green blackberries forming, some rowan berries almost ripe, scabius budding.

8.4.46: Very stormy in morning, clearing up in afternoon, but wind still strong. Opened a hazel nut. Only pith inside. Evidently there is going to be a large crop of hazel nuts.

8.5.46: Less wind. Some showers, but fine on the whole. Finished wheelbarrow (very flimsy, owing to lack of suitable timber) & marked out third bed. I now have enough fence posts to start putting up the wire. Just calm enough to launch the boat. Rollers had been flung all over the place again & it is clear that each one will have to be anchored down individually. Six saythe, but we hooked & lost about as many as we caught. A large crab with no claws in one of the creels. It appears they can survive without claws. I had not noticed before that a lobster has a small claw on one of its legs just behind the main claw. It uses this chiefly for feeding, the big ones being weapons. When putting a lobster in the box after it has been out of the water for some time, one should be careful not to drown it. The way to avoid this is to dip it in water a number of times before finally dropping it in. A lobster needs a cubic foot of fresh sea water every 24 hours, so that the box must be well aerated.

8.6.46: Rain, on & off. Started new bed, prepared fence posts. Pruned bushes, which do not now look absolutely hopeless. Lettuces just ready to cut (sown 5.28.46.). Rabbits have been in the garden again & have even been scratching in the beds. Have not been able to shoot a rabbit for 2 or 3 days past. They seem to alternate between extreme shyness & the opposite. Put 2 lobsters in the box. They had been out of the water about 6 hours, so we shall see whether they drown when put back after this interval.

Nothing in the creels, which we shall put over the other side of the bay next time. Fear that this bay may have been cleared out for the time being by the lobster boats from the mainland.

Ian says when one gets a conger eel in the creel, it is important to kill it while inside & not let it out, or it will work havoc. One should kill it by cutting through its backbone.

Forgot to mention that I killed another snake (small one) the day before yesterday. Again not completely sure it was an adder, but prefer not to take chances anywhere near the house.

In tying up a lobster’s claws, one should tie the “scissor” claw first.

I was stung by a wasp today – hitherto we have not seen any.

Boat again swamped by the fairly heavy sea that was running as a result of the south wind this morning. If properly tied bow & stern she does not shift from her anchor, but one cannot prevent seas breaking over her & therefore has to remove anything liable to be washed away, such as the gratings.

8.7.46: Fine & very blowy all day till evening, when some light rain fell. Put up about three quarters of rabbit wire. Most places it is sunk about 2", which is said to be sufficient.

Sea rough, calming somewhat in the evening.

8.8.46: Rain almost continuous till evening, but not heavy, rather a succession of drizzling showers. Wind mostly south & sea quite rough in morning calming a little in evening. Too wet to do much out of doors. Killed the first of the geese. It was the one with the deformed wings – not the biggest, but not the smallest. After drawing, weight 7½ lb, so live weight would be 8 or 9 lb. Age 3½–4 months, so I suppose some will be 10 lb or more before we eat them. Struck by the enormous size & extreme toughness of the gizzard.

Today given a stag’s liver. Very large, very dark & on the tough side.

8.9.46: Very heavy rain in the night. Tried to fish last night, but too rough to launch the boat. Anchor rope had broken & boat was attached only by the shore rope, but fortunately undamaged. NB. that one wants a bit of chain for the last few feet to the anchor.

Soil here evidently wants lime. The bed up against the wall has done all right (probably has had some lime from lumps of mortar), but in the bed nearest the fence the soil seems very sour & none of the seeds in it have done very well. Incidentally about half the flower seeds I had from Carters’33 have completely failed to germinate.

Raining all this morning, & sea rough. In the afternoon it suddenly cleared up, & there was a beautiful still evening, with the sea like a mirror & a splendid moon. All afternoon busy unblocking a blocked water pipe (only partially successful.) Recovered anchor. Caught 8 saythe, some of them quite large ones. There were shoals of little ones, about 4" long, following the baits & snapping at them, & from time to time one cannot help catching these tiny creatures, which, however, can generally be got off the hook undamaged & thrown back. Set creels in a new place.

8.10.46: Very fine day, except for a very light shower of a few minutes in the afternoon. Experimentally applied a small quantity of sodium chlorate to nettles, at the rate of 1 lb to the gallon & about 1 gallon to 10 square yards. If this kills them, I shall apply in the same strength to the rushes.

One lobster (medium-sized) in creel. Tied his claws, I hope satisfactorily, but I had no string & had to unpick a strand of rope. Tied scissor claw first, making a slip knot & pulling it tight before winding round, holding him down with my foot while doing so.

Today saw lizard (brown one) – the first time that I have seen one here. In digging, accidentally killed a toad which was buried a few inches deep in the earth. At this time of year, I think this must have been a toad which had failed to wake up for the spring. They would hardly begin hibernating again yet.

Wind in north much of day.

Ian took out (I think) about 2 galls. petrol, making 13 – 2 galls.

8.11.46: Very fine & still day, except for a sharp shower of about a quarter of an hour in the afternoon, & another lighter one later. Sea had some waves on it in the morning; in the afternoon so still that we could see the reflection of the lighthouse.

Ate the goose – good flavour but not fat (entirely grass-fed.)

Began preparing stakes for trees & bushes. Red hot pokers, of which I find there are a few here, are almost out. Nettles treated with sodium chlorate bleached & wilting. Saw a robin, not a very common bird here. Tried the “insect repellant”, which seems to work but has to be renewed pretty often.

8.12.46: Not so fine as yesterday. A few showers, & looks as though it would be wet tonight. Applied sodium chlorate to some of the rushes. On one patch applied at the same rate as for the nettles, ie. 1 lb to a gallon & about 1 gallon to 10 sq. yards, & on another tried the experiment of scattering the sodium chlorate dry, trusting to the rain to wash it in.

Wind in west.

Yesterday saw another fawn-coloured rabbit (baby one.) Put away half dozen of the cured rabbit skins in a drawer, considering that they had dried sufficiently. Shall put moth balls with them, & see what they look like next year. One would, I think, only get on average an oblong of 8" by 4" or 5" inches out of each pelt, so that one would need about 100 to make a good bed rug. On the other hand about 4 or perhaps 6 should make a pair of bedroom slippers.

8.18.46: Diary not filled up for some days owing to journeys etc.

Last 5 or 6 days very fine weather, sunny & windy, with an occasional brief shower but one or two days with no rain whatever. Roads dried up almost completely in this period. Today very dirty again, with south wind & rough sea.

Visited Islay for the first time. Note that jackdaws are common there – have never seen one on this island.

Yesterday travelled to Ardlussa in outboard motor boat. Time from Barnhill to Ardlussa almost exactly 1 hour. Distance by land is about 7½ miles but presumably somewhat less by sea. We had the tide with us, but on the other hand there were 4 people in the boat, & 6 dozen lobsters, which would weigh about as much as another person.

Have caught two more lobsters & one or two crabs. Have now mastered the trick of tying a lobster’s claws. Much the hardest part of the operation is getting them out of the creel, especially in the case of crabs, which cling to the netting.

Concentration of sodium chlorate which kills nettles & grass makes no impression on rushes. Tried at a strength of 2 lb. to 1½ galls water – again no impression. This concentration appears to kill bracken, however. For the moment shall confine myself to killing off all the nettles, bracken & ragwort.

Sowed spring cabbage a few days ago. Planted out some cuttings of perennial cabbage. Planted out some cheddar pink seedlings, & brought in a few clumps of thrift to see whether they can be acclimatised. If so it would be a good rockery plant, but this may be the wrong time of year for transplanting.

Fishing is variable. One night we got 22 fish & could have got many more if we had not been preoccupied with baling the boat. Another night only 1 – a mackerel. There seem to be very few mackerel about this year, & we have not caught any on the spinner.

Method of salting saythe – gut them, cut their heads off, then pack them in layers in rough salt, a layer of salt & a layer of fish, & so on. Leave for several days, then in dry sunny weather, take them out & hang them on a line in pairs by their tails until thoroughly dry. After this they can be hung up indoors & will keep for months.

A[vril] procured some specimens of edible seaweed – dulse, not carragheen. She is drying it. Directions for preparing & cooking it vary somewhat, but it is said, when cooked in milk, to make a pudding rather like blancmange.

8.19.46: Very dirty weather all yesterday. Heavy seas out in the strait. Dragged up boat, which had shipped a wave again. Too wet to do much out of doors. Applied some more sodium chlorate, throwing it on dry & trusting to the rain to wash it in. Sodium chlorate applied earlier does now seem to be attacking the rushes, but more slowly than in the case of nettles etc.

The D[arroch]s are now salting & drying saythe. They should be dried till they are as hard as a board. Before using they are soaked to get the salt out.

Fine & blowy all day today. Wind in west. Sea calm in the bay, but still some breakers in the strait.

8.20.46: Beautiful day all yesterday. In the afternoon when lifting the creels saw a shoal of small fish jumping out of the water, evidently pursued by mackerel. Got out the rods & rowed through the place, without result. In the evening, however, caught 8 mackerel as well as 8 saythe, so the mackerel have started. Nothing in creels (second time running, so shall change the place.)

Started cylinder of Calor gas. If, as intended, we only use it for breakfast & for occasional odd kettles of water, it should last about 6 weeks & should therefore come to an end about the end of September. Have 2 cylinders. Time elapsing between ordering cylinders & receiving them, 17 days. Should always have at least 1 cylinder in reserve, so NB. to order more gas about middle of September.

Forgot to mention the F[letcher]s borrowed another 2 galls of petrol, making 15 – 4 galls taken out (ie. about 25 gallons remaining.)

8.21.46: This morning fine & warm. Showers began about 4 pm, & this evening the weather turned dirty, wind going round to south & sea getting up somewhat. Some difficulty in launching the boat to set creels.

D[onald] D[arroch] struggling to get his hay in. A good deal of the hay on the island is now in, or at any rate is in the small cocks into which it is built up before being taken indoors. D’s hay very poor & short, partly owing to rain having come at the wrong times. D. says that when a field has been left unmown, like this one, for several years, it is hard to cut, because of old & young grass being mixed up.

Rushes treated with sodium chlorate turning an extraordinary yellow colour, almost pink.

Saythe should be kept in the salt a day & a night. In default of dry weather it can be dried indoors. In the days of peat fires it was usually dried indoors.

Several ravens flying overhead today. Not usually seen in this part of the island. Found a dead rabbit in the lane, newly killed, with the back of its neck torn out & backbone exposed. Probably hoodie crows. Came on the “wild” cat again today. It did not attempt to run away until I was two or three yards from it.

N.B. to remind F[letcher]s we had 2 lobsters from Ian & Angus, weight 7 lb. the two.

8.22.46: Fine & windy. Sea calm. Killed another goose (not the largest). Again 7½ lb. after drawing.

Applied more sodium chlorate, put soot round spring cabbages (just up), thinned second lot of carrots & radishes.

Only 5 saythe (N.B. it seems that the correct spelling is SAITHE.) Meanwhile at Kinuachdrach they got 200 – all saithe, no mackerel.

8.23.46: Overcast & rather cold. Intermittent rain from early afternoon onwards. Sea mostly roughish. Too wet to do much out of doors. Painted bicycle.

D[onald] D[arroch]’s turnips, sown I think about end of May, already larger than cricket halls. Devil’s Bit (previously wrongly referred to as scabius) now full out.34 It is darker than a scabius. Some bracken turning. Brown owls hooting the last few nights. One does not seem to hear them hooting earlier in the summer.

8.24.46: Continuous heavy rain until about 4 pm. Evidently there had been much rain in the night, as the road to Ardlussa was simply a running stream for much of the way. Evening beautiful & still, with sea glassy. Nevertheless caught only 1 fish – a saithe.

Pricked out lupins from seedbed. 25 plants, which is enough if they all take root. Perennial cabbage cuttings look as if they are rooting all right.

8.25.46: Some rain in the morning, otherwise a beautiful warm day, with sea like glass. Many gulls & cormorants in the bay, so during the afternoon when setting the creels tried the mackerel spinner – No mackerel, but one large saythe° & a few small ones. In the evening, 5 mackerel, 4 saythe.

Planted fuchsia cuttings. Uncertain whether I have done it rightly.

Geese got into the garden for only a few minutes & ate every lettuce to the ground. Other plants mostly not damaged, fortunately.

8.26.46: A few showers in the afternoon, otherwise a beautiful day. Sea very calm. D[onald] D[arroch] struggling to get his hay in, but when the breeze drops the midges were so bad as to make it almost impossible to work. Tried to help him, but driven out of the field after about half an hour. D.D. ditto. One is actually breathing them into one’s nostrils, & the irritation is maddening. Forgot to mention I was yesterday stung by a wasp – almost the first I have seen this year.35

Incredible quantities of slugs – black ones of enormous size. Yesterday A., I.36 & myself, coming back from Kinuachdrach, decided to see how many slugs we could tread on without leaving the path. Between the spring & this house, ie. about a mile, the number was 102.

Last night 27 fish, including 2 mackerel & 5 pollock. A[vril] is trying the experiment of salting some saithe.

A very strange crab in one of the creels yesterday. Body round & very flat, with serrated edge in front, cross section of claws (he had only one) & legs surprisingly flat. Colour a dull reddish with green stripes on legs. Size across the body was about 4 inches.

8.27.46: Beautiful day all day. Sea so still that we could see the reflection of the lighthouse. Set fire to some of the rushes which I think have been killed by the sodium chlorate. Shall try to kill & burn the whole of this patch so as to get it more or less bare before autumn. Only 4 fish this evening, all mackerel. Again lost a creel. It disappeared within a few minutes of being dropped. May be able to get it back at low tide.

8.28.46: This morning raining. A fine interval in the afternoon, then heavy rain & thunder. Evening dull & wet. Sea calmer in afternoon. Applied more sodium chlorate to the patch I am trying to clear. Otherwise all afternoon trying to mend puncture in motor bike. Transplanted a few pansies & cheddar pinks.

8.29.46: Beautiful day except for a very light shower about 1 pm. Recovered the lost creel, with a large lobster in it. Evidently the correct time to look is slack water, ie. slack water on the low, because then the rope stands upright. About half an hour beforehand A[vril] was out in the boat & saw the cork about 6 ft. below, apparently not recoverable. Yet when I arrived it was on the surface.

D[onald] D[arroch] struggling to get in the oats as well as the hay, as the former are being “laid”. He has about 5 acres of oats all together. After scything the sheaves are gathered up & bound by hand, by the process of twisting about half a dozen stalks round them & turning the ends in. One can thus only gather up a rather thin sheaf, ie. thin enough to allow for its being encircled by a stalk of oats. The sheaves are built up into cocks in eights. In the Lowlands, D.D. says, they are built up in sixes. Probably because in those parts the reaper & binder is not quite unheard of, & when used would make somewhat thicker sheaves.

Constructed a tide table up to 9.15.46, assuming (a) that it was low tide at 1.15 yesterday, & (b) that there is 1½ hours difference every day. Can test accuracy of this in about a week.

Tonight 5 mackerel, 6 saythe & a pollock.

When setting a scythe, one should so fix the blade that the blade itself, the length of handle up to the lower grip, & the space between the lower grip & the tip of the blade, form an equilateral triangle. Fix with a piece of fence wire, which should be bent in the fire to avoid hammering on the blade, & then peg the ring.

[On facing page]

Wrong. See 9.12.46

8.30.46: Beautiful day except for a light shower or two. Sowed onions (Ailsa Craig) & lettuces for next year.

In the evening 20 saythe.

8.31.46: Evidently some rain in the night, but a beautiful day. Road to Ardlussa still very bad. A good deal of the corn now in stooks. Nothing in creels. Caught 11 mackerel & 4 saithe. I am nearly certain that one catches more when one has new flies. Boat is letting [in] water badly.

9.5.46: Diary not entered up for some days.

Until yesterday very fine weather, though always with a light shower or two at some time during the day. Heavy rain during last night, & this morning raining & dark. Bracken is definitely turning. A few blackberries ripe, but not enough to be worth an expedition. Great numbers coming on. Rowan trees at their best. Some have reddish leaves, so that in the distance it looks as though the tree were entirely covered with berries. Hazelnuts do not seem to be ripe yet. Have pulled first carrots. A few turnips almost ready to pull.

Have caught more mackerel lately, & not many saithe. Great numbers of very small saithe which are rather a nuisance as they snap at the hook all the time & deteriorate the flies. We now put on new flies about every 3 or 4 days. I am almost certain one catches more fish when one has new flies. Yesterday when rowing round to bait the creels, some large dogfish, nearly 2 feet long, swimming after the boat, a foot or so below the surface. They appeared pinkish in colour, but this must be due to their being seen through water. They would not pay any attention to the mackerel spinner, which we trailed in front of them. If one could catch them (probably on a lump of fish), they would solve the bait problem. No more lobsters recently, but one or two crabs. Some of these are as large as those one sees in the shops, but in general they run small here & are never sent to market. A[vril] now has about 2 dozen saithe salted. Mackerel are said not to be satisfactory when salted, but we intend to try smoking some like kippers.

When removing a crab from the creel, one should haul him out with the boat hook. If he is prodded with this he will often grip hold of it, & can then be dragged out. Cannot accurately test tide table yet. It appears to be wrong, but not much wrong.

Some fine intervals today, but mostly wet. Caught 21 mackerel, our largest catch hitherto, ie. of mackerel. No saithe except small ones. Lobster in one creel. Did not lift the other as it is in deep water & has to be lifted at low tide.

9.6.46: Miserable day. Road to Ardlussa is a morass. Wind mostly in south & sea rough. Saw 5 stags all together – latterly have not been seeing stags at all, other than the one that haunts the corn field. Too rough to fish.

9.7.46: Filthy weather. Sea a bit calmer. Large crab in one creel. When putting him into the box, found that the crab put in the other day had eaten one of the lobsters, although the latter’s claws were not tied up. It was, however, a smallish lobster & a very large crab. Making another box so as not to put crabs & lobsters together. Trying experiment of kippering a few mackerel over a wood fire. Using oak logs as these are said to be best, though probably it does not make much difference.

Caught 7 mackerel. No saithe at all.

9.8.46: Weather better, with much wind & no rain to speak of. Went over to the W. bay. Many seals on the rocks, as usual, & others diving about in the sea a few yards from the shore, apparently in play. When they are on the rocks it is possible to get within about 30 yards of them. In the water they look black, but are quite light-coloured, & spotty, when dry. They seem to be of two distinct colours, some brownish & some greyish.

9.9.46: A light shower or two, but mostly fine & windy. Saw immense herd of deer near the new stable – probably between 50 & 100 animals, including one or two stags & some fawns. Only 3 saithe. Smoked mackerel (they had been in salt for about 36 hours, then smoked over wood fire for about 20 hours) very good.

9.10.46: Filthy day. Rain continuous. Wind mostly in south & sea rough. Planted 4 dozen strawberries (Royal Sovereign). Good plants & seemingly in good condition, though they had been 4 days travelling. Soil where they are planted not very good – rather lumpy & weedy, & appears to want lime, as moss was growing on it after lying fallow only a month or two. Too wet to do anything else out of doors. Made box for lobsters.

9.11.46: Beautiful day all day. Very hot sun in afternoon. Turned a bit coldish in evening, but no rain & no wind. Sea very smooth, & clear down to a depth of 20 or 30 ft. Wonderful harvest moon. Rollers washed away by yesterday’s rough weather.

Two lobsters (small ones) in one creel. 24 mackerel. One of these succeeded in breaking a hook. New lobster box floats too high in water because too much perforated, which makes it into a mere wooden frame, & hence fairly buoyant, instead of a box. Have weighted with stones, but nb.° that these must be tied down, otherwise they will shift about & damage the lobsters.

Tobacco pouch lost. Made makeshift one of a rabbit skin, lined with inner tube. 1 small skin about large enough for a pouch. Made mustard spoon out of deer’s bone.

Still large herds of deer near the old stable, mostly hinds with a few stags & fawns among them. Was within 20 yards of 2 stags. No doubt they are all over this side because they are shooting over on the Glengarrisdale side.

9.12.46: Dreadful weather. In the morning sea calm & not much wind, though it was raining a little. All afternoon violent rain & raging wind from south & southwest. Sea very heavy. Fear the boat may have been bashed about, but it would probably have been impossible to take her in even if the weather had encouraged one to go out of doors. Took up creels in morning. One crab, fair sized.

Too wet to do much out of doors. Re-set scythe according to D[onald] D[arroch]’s instructions. NB. that these were wrongly stated in an earlier entry. The rule is that the blade of the scythe, a length of the handle equal to the blade of the scythe, & the distance between the upper extremity of this length & the tip of the blade, should form an equilateral triangle. The blade is held in place with a thick piece of wire, eg. fencing wire, which passes through the hole under the cutting edge, then curves over the other side. One has to get it red hot to hammer it into shape, otherwise one is liable to break the blade by hammering on it.

[On facing page]

Let socket of scythe blade be A & tip of blade B. Measure AB. Mark off from bottom of handle a length AC equal to AB. Then set blade at such an angle that BC also equals AB.

Made mustard spoon out of bone & salt spoon out of deer’s antler. Bone is better.

D.D. sharpens his scythe blade along the whole length, & does not give what is called a “quick sharpen” – ie. a sharpening only of the edge. He holds the stone (carborundum) almost parallel with the blade & sharpens a width of half an inch or an inch all the way up the blade.

9.13.46: Some fine intervals in the morning, but rain all afternoon, & violent wind, mostly from west. Sea calmer. Boat has been badly stove in – 3 boards gone. Possibly repairable, but not here. Evidently the anchor had shifted in the storm. One lobster box washed away. The other may be recoverable from the shore at low tide. Creels not recoverable. At present too wet & rough to fish, but when the weather improves & the wind is off-shore shall try from the point, throwing the fly with my large fly-rod. K[atie] D[arroch] says that when her father fished from the shore, he used to throw in fragments of boiled potato to attract the fish. Limpets are more usual, & they are generally boiled first – reason given, that they are then easier to get out of the shells.

Tried scythe. With it as it is now, I can get a little grass off, & might improve with practice.

A good many ravens about. Pigeons in the cornfields, but impossible to get near enough for a shot.

9.14.46: Dreadful day on the whole. A bright interval of about 20 minutes in the early evening, otherwise raining most of the time. Road to Ardlussa is a running stream most of the way. Near Ardlussa jetty the road surface has been washed right away & channels in some places two feet deep scooped out of the running water. Had to fetch the rations on push bikes. Barnhill to Ardlussa (unloaded), about 2 hours, return journey about 3 hours. It was, however, too dark to ride much for the last 2 miles of the journey, so with better conditions one could do it in about 2½ hours. D.D. does it with a bigger load in about 1½ hours.

9.15.46: Somewhat better. Very blowy, but bright, & with only one or two showers. Heavy shower of hail about 8 am this morning. Wind still in south & sea rough.

Tried some hazel nuts. Not ripe yet, though the shells are almost full. Should be ripe in about 10 days.

Thinned out spring cabbages. Turnips sown (6.15.46.) just large enough to pull. Onions sown for next year are well up. Ditto lettuces, but chaffinches had some of them as soon as they appeared.

9.16.46: Violent wind in the night. This morning even more stormy, tremendous wind from south, seas heavier than I have ever seen them. Overcast, & a few drops of rain from time to time.

About noon the Ardlussa lorry arrived with 10 or 20 people, in hopes of getting in D[onald D[arroch]’s second field of oats. Quite hopeless. Rain started by the time the reaper had been round the field about twice, & continued almost without a break all day. Terrific wind all the time, but it was all from west & south & had no drying effect even when it was not actually raining.

Watched the estate carpenter putting in a new sash cord in D.D’s house. NB. that one has to start by taking out the side strips which hold the lower half of the window in place, then those which hold the upper half, but it is not necessary to take out the top & bottom pieces.

9.17.46: Somewhat better. Wind still in south & very violent, but not much rain, & some sunny intervals. Shot at a curlew, but missed him. The first time I have been near enough to one here to get a shot.

Have bought carcase of deer from the F[letchers’] as arranged. Don’t know price yet, but the market price is about 10d. a lb. dead weight (ie. without guts but with hide & antlers), & this one should be 150 lb. or more, so price will probably be roundabout £6. He was left at the new stable (shot yesterday), & D.D. brought him back this morning. The usual complications. The tractor, which is remaining here until it is possible to cut the fields, had been backed into the stable in front of D.D’s cart, & as he could not get it started, he could not get his cart out to fetch the stag. Had to drag it on a hurriedly-constructed sledge which broke when he was still about a quarter of a mile from home. This afternoon watched him skinning it. We shall each have a haunch, then put the rest into brine for the winter. It is important to clean out the carcase thoroughly, split it open right down the front & wedge it open, remove the windpipe & lungs, & cut off the portions of flesh along the edges of the belly, which become soiled when the animal is first gutted. After skinning it is hoisted into the air (without pulleys this needs all the strength of 4 people), & hangs for 24 hours before being cut up. There was more fat on the carcase than I would have expected to find in a wild animal. Took about half the hide, as much as I thought I had curing materials for, & shall cure it in the same manner as the rabbit skins. A whole skin would make a nice large hearth rug. D.D. cut off the ears & was careful to put them in a place where the dogs could not get at them. It is something to do with taxation – at any rate, the ears of every deer shot have to be produced for inspection at need.

Tonight raining again, on & off.

9.18.46: Some rain in night. This morning cold & overcast, but wind has dropped. Sea calmer.

Afternoon on the whole fine & sunny. A few drops of rain in the afternoon, a sharp shower about 6, & a little more rain in the night.

Tried fishing off the rock, without success, although with the wind almost in the north I could cast at least 40 feet out & into places where we sometimes catch fish. Of course if you are stationary you are dependent on the shoal happening to come that way.

The deer is to be “broken up” tonight or tomorrow, before the flies get at it. Cured about half the hide, all I had curing mixture for, in the same manner as the rabbit skins. NB. to open about October 3rd.

D.D. very busy scything his second field & binding & stooking the sheaves with K.D’s help. He is anxious to get as much as possible done before the Ardlussa party come back with the reaper. He says they made a dreadful mess of the little bit they cut 3 days ago. The sheaves were too large, & all tied round at the top. When wet they are almost too heavy to lift, & most of the stooks made that day have fallen down.

9.19.46: Some showers about breakfast time.

Most of the day blowy & coldish, but with a fair amount of sunlight & not much rain. Sea calmer, though wind shifted to the south for a bit. D.D’s field finished, ie. the cutting, by the reaper, which then came on to do the Barnhill field. Prevented by various complications. First the knife was left behind at Kinuachdrach, then the tractor would not start, then it could not be driven over the boggiest part of the field. Finally after cutting a quarter of the field or less, it was decided to come again tomorrow, cut the corn but not stook it or tie it into sheaves, but leave it in “swathes”, gathering it into the barn later, like hay. Apparently it is feasible to do this if one is not going to thrash the corn. Corn extremely wet & much “laid”, but where the rabbits have left it alone it does not seem a bad crop.

Recovered creels & 1 lobster box. The other had been smashed to bits. The bigger one had not actually been broken up, but had shifted its moorings, & the lobsters had got out owing to lid becoming loosened. Nothing in creels. Great difficulty in hauling them up as they were embedded in huge masses of seaweed. Vast deposits of weed on the beach after the storm. Examined boat again. Actually it is repairable, but it wants 5 boards, which of course is not a job that can be done on the beach. However, it has easily repaid its original cost (£10) in fish, & next year we will keep whatever boat we have at Kinuachdrach.

9.20.46: This morning fine & sunny, though cold. Little wind, & sea calm.

A light shower about 4 pm., otherwise fine, sunny & coldish all day. Great flocks of gulls very busy out in the sound, presumably after shoals of mackerel.

Corn in Barnhill field is cut & lying in swathes. They say that when harvested in this way it does not need turning but will get dry as it is.

The sea trout the F[letcher]s brought us yesterday was full of roe – very large globules, reddish yellow. Did not know they had it at this time of year.

A good many blackberries, but they are not full as yet. Hazel nuts definitely not ripe.

Calor gas cylinder has been running for a month today. When this gives out, it will not be quite an accurate test of how long they last, as some gas was lost owing to a leak. Forgot to mention we started 5 gall drum of paraffin (the right stuff this time) on 9.16.46. We are using it for double burner lamps, & to some extent for a Valor stove, a Beatrice stove,37 & storm lanterns. Probably will not last more than 2 weeks, but NB. to note date when it gives out.

Some coal, about ¾ ton delivered today. It will about see us through till our departure on October 9th, leaving 2¼ tons for next year (ie. till June next year). Allowance for this house is 6 tons a year. Since about May 25th, ie. nearly 4 months, we have used almost exactly 3 tons. We have also used a good deal of wood, & no fire except the kitchen one has been burning regularly. We have also used Calor gas to some extent during the past month. So that if one was here all the year round, one would need quite 10 tons of coal yearly. Of course this heats the water & allows the kitchen to be used as a living room, besides doing the cooking.

The stag is now cut up & in the brine, less the haunches, which the D.s & ourselves are eating fresh. Paid for the stag £8.8.0. He was estimated to weigh 14 stone, of which 2 stone are deducted for the head & feet, & the market price is now 1/– a pound. After removal of the hide there would probably be 10 stone (140 lb) of meat including bone. As we are halving it with the Darrochs, we shall each have about 70 lb. of meat, of which about 30 lb. has been salted. This is almost equal to one person’s meat ration for a year.38

9.21.46: Awful day. Violent wind from the south, & a good deal of rain. After about 9 pm rain grew much heavier, & wind was raging all night.

Finished mending, ie. heeling, army boots. Seems quite easy to do, but one needs a grindstone & heelball to finish off with.

Stags roaring. I think this is the first time I have heard them this year. Large flights of rooks. I did not know we had them here, & when seeing a single black bird of that family, not a hoodie, have usually set it down as a raven. These however were almost certainly rooks. Qy. where they nest, as there are no tall trees here.39

9.22.46: Weather a very little better. Wind blew itself out in the night & the morning was fairly fine. Afternoon raining on & off. Sea calming down. Stags roaring all over the place.

9.23.46: Better on the whole. Most of day fine, blowy & rather cold, but not much rain until about 6pm, when there was about an hour’s continuous rain. Some more showers in the night. Wind from south & south west very violent, & sea still rough.

Cylinder of calor gas gave out. That is a month & 3 days – say 5 weeks, allowing for the fact that there had been some wastage. Have ordered more cylinders. The new one I have put on should well see us out till we leave in October.

Had big bonfire & burnt up much of the rubbish. Have been meaning to do this for weeks but this was the first day when it was dry enough.

9.24.46: Much better day. Fine, with a drying wind & barely a shower all day. Burnt out the patch which has been treated with sodium chlorate. It burnt well & there is hardly a rush left, though possibly the roots of some of them are still alive. Impossible to deal with the other large patch of rushes unless I can get the drum of sodium chlorate down from the stable fairly soon.

D.D. very busy stacking. One stack completed, but not thatched, today. He will have about 5. He builds small round stacks, tapered to a pretty sharp point at the top, & thatched with rushes. One stack appears to mean about 6 cartloads, or about an acre of corn. The stuff was still very damp & one has to select what sheaves one will cart, building the others up into stooks again, to get dry some more. It does not so much matter putting damp ones at the top of the stack. In tapering off, D.D. makes use of the very small sheaves, ie. very short ones, in which there is hardly any straw, generally owing to their having been rabbit-eaten. These are put aside & used last, when the stack begins to taper. He says a round stack stands up to the wind better than the other shape.

Today put on underclothes for the first time.

9.25.46: Fine & blowy till about 4 pm, after which some rain: Wind still in south & sea rough. Began clearing bed under window, transplanted seedlings of perennial cabbage (these seem to have formed roots all right) & some spring cabbage seedlings. The latter are poor plants, probably owing to their having been merely thinned out & not pricked out into a nursery bed. Soil in this bed quite different (much darker) from that in the other beds, only about 5 yards away. Turf dug in about the end of May has just about rotted down. One therefore has to allow about 4 months before one can dig at all deeply in soil where one has dug turf in.

An eagle flew over the house today. It always seems to be in very windy weather that we see them down this end. One of D[onald] D[arroch]’s dogs killed a hare (mountain hare) on the “tops” today. D.D. says they are not so very uncommon. He says definitely that this variety turns white in winter, ditto the stoats (or perhaps weasels). As there is not much snow here this may partly account for the scarcity of hares.

Dobbies40 have no bush roses, so am ordering 6 ramblers & 12 polyanthas. Do not know whether they will be able to spare so many. Tulip bulbs not arrived yet.

9.26.46: Very stormy during last night. Today a vile day. Not actually raining, though overcast, till about midday, after which it rained most of the time, sometimes very heavily. Sea rough.

Could not do much out of doors. Finished clearing bed under window & made the place for the first espalier tree. It will be difficult to fix them onto these walls as one cannot drive nails into the stone.

Trying to note how many meals we get of half a deer. Up to date we have had 7 meals (for anything from 2–6 people) off the preliminary parts, ie. the liver, heart & tongue, & the joint one eats fresh. Also about a pound of suet & a large bowl of dripping.

Dobbie’s° have no lime. It will be a calamity if I cannot get some from somewhere.

9.27.46: Much better day. Very stormy last night, & this morning almost continuous rain till about 1 pm. Then it cleared up & became very warm & still, with no rain. A beautiful calm evening, with the sun showing a little. Sea calmed down very suddenly. Midges start up again the instant the wind drops.

Extended bed under the wall up to the porch, & made place for rose bush. Weeded & lightly dug over the empty portion of the strawberry patch. Soil is very sodden. Up near the porch the soil is no good, so shall transplant some wild foxgloves & primroses there. Pruned & manured the surviving fruit bushes.

This morning a large seagull, this year’s bird by its plumage, hanging round the house & feeding with the geese. Probably they get especially hungry in stormy weather owing to being unable to fish.

Bracken has now almost all turned brown. Trees showing just a little sign of turning. Picked some hazel nuts. Pretty well ripe, but about half of them are rotten, no doubt owing to its being such a wet year. A lot of blackberries now but they are not really good this year, most of them looking a bit spotty.

9.28.46: Beautiful day. Slightly misty, very warm, & not a breath of wind. Sea like glass & beautiful pale blue. Road has already dried up a good deal. Getting to Ardlussa took 1 hour 55 minutes, returning, less time for lunch, 2 hours 25 minutes. This time not carrying such a heavy load as usual, however.

Two stags standing close together near the old stable, about 100 yards from the road, & roaring in a very bellicose manner, apparently at me. When not roaring they were grazing quite amicably side by side. So apparently they do not necessarily fight when they meet, though this is supposed to be the mating season.

Planted 2 roots of large plants (I forget their name) which M[argaret] F[letcher] gave me, also some wild foxgloves in the corner where the soil is poor. In a dark spot saw a foxglove still trying to flower – they were flowering in late May when I came here.

9.29.46: Beautiful day. Quite hot in early afternoon. More wind than yesterday, however, & sea rough, though the wind was in the north some of the time. Wind tonight is quite violent.

Made pit for compost heap, burned out more rushes, brought in bits of fence to put round cherry trees. A[vril] brought home some nuts which were on the ground, presumably blown off by the recent gales. They appeared ripe, but were mostly rotten. Evidently no good this year.

9.30.46: Raining this morning, but cleared up in the afternoon & was calm & still, with some sun. Sea calmer. Went down to shore. No fresh drift. D.D. went to the W. bay41 yesterday to see what drift the gales had brought in, but apparently nothing interesting.

Cut & sharpened stakes for trees, finished 3rd patch, scythed plot for trees & put cuttings into the compost pit, & prepared places for 2 trees. They will be about 8 ft. apart each way, which is enough for dwarf trees. Manure will be just about enough for these trees, & no more.

For the first time, saw the deer that frequents the place down by the shore, just outside the deer fence. A hind. She was grazing not more than 5 yards from me, with her head down in the iris plants, & did not see or hear me till I deliberately made a noise to disturb her.

Last of the 5 gallons of oil used up tonight – will run the lamps for about 1 day more, or at least a couple of them. Started on (I think) 9.16.46, so will have run about a fortnight. If one were also using a heating stove at all frequently (we have used the heating stoves, but not much), one would have to allow for a total consumption of quite 3 galls a week, probably 3½.

Facing the entries for September 30 to October 3 on three successive verso folios are diagrams which Orwell drew to show how he planned the development of his plot. The first four words of the first line at the top of the first facing recto are also written at the top of the first drawing but crossed through. It would seem likely that Orwell began these drawings on September 30. A fourth layout of the garden was drawn on a loose sheet of paper tucked into the diary. All four drawings are reproduced successively here for the reader’s convenience. See 1.4.47 for the layout of bushes planted on his return to Barnhill on January 2, 1947. The last two pages of the book have two lists, one giving what is to be done before leaving, with ‘(October)’ in parentheses, and the second with a list of things needed for Barnhill. As these were presumably drawn up about this time, they are placed after the drawings. The layouts are here reduced in size.

Before going away (October):42

Inspect deer fence. Mend gate.

Close gap in back garden (2 beans43 sufficient.)

Prepare places for fruit trees, ditto rose bushes.

Cut stakes (about 12 for trees, 6 or 8 for wire netting, 1 doz. small for rose bushes).

Put wire netting round bed near house.

Clear beds.

Square off edges.

Plant cabbages, lupins, pansies, cheddar pinks, primroses(?), tulips(?).

Lime as much of soil as possible.

Drag up boat.

Make cover for ditto (corrugated iron?)

Grease tools (& bring in). (bike)

Measure stairs & passage.

Put stones on lid of tank

Collect seaweed / leaf mould.

Wanted for Barnhill:44

4 small carpets (about 14' by 6')

1 good hearth-rug

4 small ditto (bedside mats)

About 15 yards stair carpet

About 10 yards passage matting

Piece of lino, about 12' by 6'.

5 tables, various sizes (mostly kitchen tables).

2 armchairs.

About half-dozen upright chairs.

Several fenders.

Pillow cases (1 doz.)

Cups, plates, cutlery (incl. carving knife & fork).

4 table cloths, checked.

Mincing machine. Irons. Radio. Sewing machine?

* * *

Tools. Mowing machine, hay rake, large vice, planes various, chisels various, hammers & mallets various, oil cans, paint brushes, paint, tar, cement, rope, chain. Hand cultivator. Telescope.

Outboard motor (& boat).

Hand cart.

10.1.46: Nice warm day, sometimes overcast, but mostly sunny & with not much wind. This evening about 9.30 pm a sudden torrential downpour of rain, which went on for about 5 minutes & was followed by light rain.

The Ardlussa people arrived this morning to make another attempt at getting in the corn. Raked it over, then tossed it with forks, the idea being that by the afternoon it would be dry enough to cart. Much of it was still damp, however, so it was racked up into heaps about 5 ft. high, in hopes that it could be carted tomorrow (it is to be stored in our byre). Tonight’s rain will presumably have wetted it through again.

Extended bed under wall, prepared place for another fruit tree & some ramblers, planted azaleas & a root of some kind of geranium (blue I think) which M[argaret] F[letcher] gave me. In the evening went up to Kinuachdrach with the F’s rifle to try & get a shot at the deer which comes into D[onald] D[arroch]’s corn. He did not turn up. A difficult job to get a shot, as he comes at night & after about 8 pm it is too dark to shoot.

D.D. has one stack thatched, another made but not thatched, & another about halfway up – ie. round about half his corn is in. It appears that he does not cut into the stacks when he wants corn, but takes them into the barn one after the other as he needs them, & serves out the corn from there. An awful double labour, caused by his not having enough barn space.

Undid the cured deer skin. Seems all right (ie. it does not smell), but very damp, & the paper it was done up in had become mildewy & stuck to the skin in places. Have no alum or saltpetre left, but rubbed it with salt again before hanging it up to dry.

10.2.46: Very damp, still & dark all day, but no rain. Light was already failing by 6.15 pm.

Cut fence posts, prepared 6 more places for trees, collected leaf mould (for the trees), brought in about a dozen wild primroses & planted them. The latter not easy to find at this time of year, as the leaves go limp & the grass covers them. Soil where some of the fruit trees are to go is very poor – very sticky & clayey, with a rock subsoil so near the surface that the stakes will not hold firm & will have to be propped.

No sign of the deer. When buying potatoes from the D’s, they showed me one which D. D. had weighed, & it was just 1 lb. (Great Scott – supposed not to be a first class potato, but they are well-shaped & hence easy to peel as well as large).

Yesterday started the new (40 gall.) drum of paraffin. Shall send 5 galls to London by rail, as it is very difficult to get there. Allowing for that & for a week’s consumption now & another week in November,45 we have a reserve for about 2 months next year. Ditto of coal – ie. about 2 tons or rather over. Of Calor gas there should be 2 weeks’ supply in the cylinder, & two cylinders, ie. about 9 weeks’ supply, to come. So we should be O.K. for the first 2 months next year.

10.3.46: Cold & overcast all day. One or two very light showers in the evening. Sea moderately calm.

Planted out lupins (25 plants), pansies (about 50 plants) & some cheddar pinks – the latter not very good, & I doubt whether this limeless soil suits them. Put fence round the 2 places for trees outside the garden, prepared the holes, & put wire netting here & round the flower bed. Not very rabbit proof, but should deter them to some extent. Started clearing first bed. Radishes which have been left unpulled are already about 8" long and 1" thick. Some of the swedes sown 6.15.46 just big enough to eat.

Forgot to mention A[vril] saw a mouse in the byre yesterday. Had previously seen signs of them, ie. chewed-up paper, but had never seen one in the house & always hoped they were only field mice (qu. do these also make nests of chewed paper?) Rats, hitherto non-existent here, are bound to come when the corn is put into the byre.

10.4.46: Damp, overcast, rather windy, but not cold. A few light showers. D. D. getting in some more corn all the same, & hoping to finish the third stack today. Repaired deer fence & gate at the bottom of the field. Not very good job, but it is better than it was before. Started digging first bed. The turf has just about rotted down & the soil is in much nicer condition than when it was first broken.

10.5.46: Some rain in the night. Today overcast & blowy, but only one or two light showers.

Mowing machine (“New British” – fairly light & presumably cheap make) arrived today. Cut the grass, ie. as much of it as is in a condition to be cut. Does not look bad, & will be quite good after another good cut next spring. Planted tulips (50 mixed, but whether late or early I do not know). NB. tulips are in two clumps, one in front of espalier apple tree, the other in front of the water pipe. Must not put roses on top of them. Paid for 50 bulbs 16/3, ie. about 4d. each.

Tomorrow if possible:

Remove holly tree & re-turf the place.

Finish digging first patch. morning.46

Prop fruit tree stakes (1 doz. stakes)

Collect a little leaf mould

Bring in some more wild foxgloves

Dig one more place for rambler & put wire round the other.

If this is done, the garden is actually finished for this year, ie. it is up to schedule.

Today tried killing individual docks with very strong solution of sodium chlorate, dipping a spike into this & digging it into their roots.

10.6.46: First day of G.M.T.47

Beautiful day. Sunny & clear, almost no wind, sea calm & a beautiful rather pale blue. It turned cold, however, as soon as the sun was behind the hill. It was dark today before 7 pm.

Removed holly bush & began re-turfing the place. Cleared out some of the undergrowth from round the fuchsia bush, & removed dead branches.

10.7.46: Again a beautiful day, but somewhat colder & more windy than yesterday. Wireless said there was frost in the night (not here, I think). Some mist this morning & mainland almost invisible. Wind veering about from one quarter to another & sea rather rough.

Brought in some more wild foxgloves. Nothing left to do now except prop fruit tree stakes &, if possible, collect a little manure to put on top of the compost heap & assist rotting.

D.D. has got all his corn in – this although today & yesterday he has had a bad cold & sore throat. The last load was coming in & the fifth stack was half way up when I arrived there this afternoon. Only the first stack is thatched as yet.

Four pheasants pecking about in D.D’s field as I went past. The deer has never reappeared, ie. in daytime.

10.8.46: Fine & dry, but colder, & a lot of wind, mostly in south. Sea rougher. Saw a black cock close to in the wood. It looked enormous – definitely bigger than a pheasant. I thought it must be a capercailzie, but as it had white on its wings I suppose it was a black cock.

All day clearing up etc. Brought in a few roots of thrift & stuck them in, as the other root I brought in has taken. Propped fruit tree stakes, finished turfing bare patch. Garden is now finished, ie. is up to schedule.

We are leaving tomorrow & I expect to return & plant the trees about mid-November.

Orwell returned to London writing for Tribune, etc.

His article, ‘How the Poor Die’, was published in November.

He got back to Barnhill January 2, 1947.

1.4.47: Have been here since 1.2.47. Was to arrive two days earlier, but missed boat on 30th & had to hang about for 2 days in Glasgow. Rough crossing from Tarbert, & was very sick. Did not take tablets until on the point of being sick – on the return journey shall take them before embarking. It took the boat about half an hour to tie up at Craighouse pier, as with the sea that was running she could not get in close. After tying up she could only keep in position for a minute or two, in spite of the cables, & the passengers had only just time to nip across the gangway.

The day I arrived here was a beautiful sunny day, like April. Yesterday raining most of the time & the wind so violent that it was difficult to stay on one’s feet. Today somewhat better – cold & overcast, but not much wind.

All the small plants I put in – pansies, lupins, cheddar pinks & cabbages – have completely disappeared, evidently owing to rabbits. The rabbits had also grubbed up & eaten the few turnips that were still in the ground, but had not touched the carrots. What is worse is that they have destroyed most of the strawberries. A few are all right, but most of them have disappeared – however, if the crowns are still there they may revive in the spring. The wire round the flower bed was not pegged down & the rabbits have got under it. Am setting traps before leaving. Round the vegetable patch it is sunk a few inches & there was no sign that they had got under it, so they must have climbed over (3 ft. wire), which they are said to be able to do.

Today planted 1 doz fruit trees, 1 doz red currants, 1 doz black currants, 1 doz gooseberries, 1 doz rhubarb, 1 doz roses (6 ramblers & climbers). Shall plant raspberries tomorrow.

On the verso page facing the entry for January 4, 1947, Orwell drew a plan to show the layout of his fruit trees: see page 470. To the left of the house on the plan: two morello cherry trees. Ten trees are shown on the plan below the outline of the house, five in each of two columns. Against the first tree of the left-hand column is a question mark; the three below are Allington Pippin, Ribston Pippin, and Lord Derby; the fifth is unnamed. The right-hand column lists Golden Spire, Ellison’s Orange, one unnamed, James Grieve, and Lady Sudeley.

1.5.47: Much wind in night. This morning wind still strong, & sea rough.

Sunny but cold.

Planted raspberries (2 dozen, not very good plants).

Set 2 traps

Tulips fairly well up.

NB. That when returning we have in store:

About 30 galls paraffin (about 8 weeks supply).

2 cylinders Calor Gas (about 9 weeks supply).

2 tons coal (at Ardlussa) (about 2 months supply).

This completed the entries to Volume III of Orwell’s Domestic Diary. At the end of the notebook are Orwell’s notes for his essay ‘Politics and the English Language’ (CW, XIV, pp. 432–8). This was published in Horizon, April 1946 (CW, XVII, pp. 421–32). Volume IV begins April 12, 1947 (see page 472).

This concludes Domestic Diary Volume III.

DOMESTIC DIARY VOLUME IV

On January 14, 1947, Orwell’s adaptation of Animal Farm was broadcast by the BBC on the Third Programme, the antecedent of Radio Three. It was repeated on February 2. In order to emphasise what he called ‘the turning-point of the story . . . when the pigs kept the milk and apples for themselves’, he added four lines to the radio script. The significance of these was lost on the BBC producer, who cut them out.

His eightieth and last ‘As I Please’ column was published by Tribune on April 4, 1947, and the following week he went to Barnhill, Jura, and worked on Nineteen Eighty-Four. Despite often being ill and though desperate to complete his novel, he also drafted his essay, ‘Such, Such Were the Joys’. He sent that to Fredric Warburg on May 31, 1947. Although he knew it could not be published in his lifetime for fear of libel actions, he continued revising the essay completing it about May 1948. In August 1947 The English People was published by Collins in its series Britain in Pictures and in September 1947 he gave up his lease of The Stores, Wallington.

By October 1947 Orwell was so ill he had to work in bed. He completed the first draft of Nineteen Eighty-Four on November 7, 1947.

From December 20, 1947, until July 28, 1948, he was a patient at Hairmyres Hospital, East Kilbride, near Glasgow, with tuberculosis of the left lung. Whilst he was in hospital, his sister Avril made brief entries in his diary, chiefly referring to the state of the weather. These are briefly summarised at the end of Volume V.

Orwell began the second draft of Nineteen Eighty-Four in May 1948 whilst still a patient in Hairmyres Hospital. He got back to Barnhill on July 29th, opening what was to be his last Diary two days later. He completed writing Nineteen Eighty-Four early in November 1948. No secretary could be persuaded to travel to Barnhill to undertake typing out a fair copy of the novel so, often in bed and coughing up blood, Orwell undertook this laborious task himself. He finished on December 4, 1948, and copies were immediately posted to his agent, Leonard Moore, and his publisher, Fredric Warburg. It was from a carbon copy of this typescript that the US edition of Nineteen Eighty-Four would be printed. Also in December – and significantly – he gave up the lease of his flat in Canonbury Square, Islington; clearly he knew he would never live there again.

Volume IV of Orwell’s Domestic Diary was written on ninety-five recto pages and six verso pages of a 7½ x 6½ins. notebook with twenty-two ruled lines per page. Before the first entry Orwell wrote ‘VOL. IV’ and below that, ‘Diary (cont. from previous volume)’. Volume V continues from September 12 in a different notebook. Orwell indicates the totals of gallons of petrol used: petrol was then rationed. He also gives a running total in parentheses of eggs collected.

Footnotes are numbered from 1.

4.12.47: Barnhill. Arrived yesterday evening. Fine yesterday & today, but coldish. Everything extremely backward. Grass has not started to grow, ditto rushes, birds on trees hardly visible. Daffodils just coming out, snowdrops barely over – a few still in bloom. Flying from Glasgow saw many streaks of snow still on high ground. There was about 6 weeks frost on Jura, then rain, & ground is still very sodden. Many lambs & calves lost during the winter. Reason given, the sheep & cows had not enough milk.

The trees & bushes I planted all seem to be alive. The two cordon trees against the south wall budding well. Onions etc. that I saved & which were well up in January have practically all disappeared in the frost. Most of the strawberries seem to have survived, but are very tiny. Rhubarb is coming up well. Tulips well up.

They have caught no sea fish yet. Rabbits said to be scarce this year.

Beautiful day all day, striking chilly about 5 pm. Saw one primrose blooming in a sheltered spot, otherwise no wild flowers. Stone crop just beginning to sprout, wild irises & bluebells coming up. Grass still completely wintry in appearance. Saw a few rabbits. Pigeons towering up with a loud rattle of wings – their courting flight, I think. Sea very calm. No seals about.

Sowed dwarf peas. NB. to sow a second batch about 4.25.47. Pruned roses drastically. Several have no buds showing at all, so cannot yet tell whether they are alive. Ground in bad state & impossible to sow small seeds. Covered rhubarb with manure. D.1 has ploughed roughly the patch I asked him to do. Shall hoe it over enough to get some sort of tilth & then sow potatoes when I can get some. It ought to be properly dug over, but, after all, this much cultivation is all that a field crop gets.

Compost put in pit last autumn has not properly rotted down yet.

4.13.47: Fine all day, but colder than yesterday. A good deal of wind, from west & south. Sea rougher.

Put up sectional henhouse. Wretched workmanship, & will need a lot of strengthening & weighting down to make it stay in place. Two of the wheels arrived broken. Before the war these were easily obtainable, but probably not now. Planted 4 dozen gladiolus bulbs (pink & yellow). Soil somewhat better after the wind, so it may be possible to sow small seeds tomorrow.

4.14.47: Much rain in the night. Today fine, with fair sun, but again cold & windy. Sea moderate. Raven in the distance dancing about, evidently courting.

Put up stakes for wire round hen-run. Sowed marigolds. Could not do much outside as R.2 fell this morning & gashed his forehead extremely badly. Hope to get him to the doctor tomorrow – impossible today, as no conveyance.

Opened bottle of brandy. With a small ration each daily, we3 hope to make one bottle last a week.

DBST4 started yesterday. Three different times are observed on this island.

4.15.47: Raining almost all day, very windy & rather cold. Did nothing in garden etc, as was taking R. to be treated by the doctor. Two stitches put in. NB. to be removed about a week hence (not more than 10 days.)

4.16.47: Cold, overcast & rather windy. Somewhat finer in late evening, & sea calmer.

Impossible to sow seeds. Spread lime (not very well slaked), put roofing felt on hen-house.

Saw one of the whitish rabbits this evening (in the distance, but seemingly a full-grown one).

4.17.47: Much better day. Some wind, but sunny & fairly warm. Began digging the ploughed patch. Not bad – will do for potatoes. Sowed turnips, carrots, cress, lettuces (NB. next sowing about the 27th), clarkias, godetias. Also sowed a few of the potatoes we bought for eating, no seed potatoes having turned up yet. They all had eyes so should come up all right.

Tried the RAF rubber dinghy. Very buoyant, & seemingly has no tendency to turn over, but hardly navigable at all. Evidently it will only be useful for getting out to the other boat.

A dead deer down by our bay. Rather unpleasant as it is too heavy to drag away.

A few more primroses out, & one or two celandine. Brought home a root or two of primroses. It is remarkable what a difference it makes when there is no bracken – ie. the relative easiness of walking everywhere. No midges yet. Cormorants swimming in the bay, so presumably there are some fish about.

4.18.47: Cold, blowy & overcast. A little sun during the afternoon, then light rain. Sea moderate.

Dug a little more of the ploughed patch, put in posts for gate of hen-run.

While digging the ploughed patch, dug up a nest of 3 young rabbits – about 10 days’ old, I should say. One appeared to be dead already, the other two I killed. The nest was only a few inches below the surface. It was evidently reached by a hole outside the garden, about 10 yards away.

Saw a number of ordinary green plovers. I do not think I remember seeing these birds here before. Brought in some frog spawn in a jar. Should be hatched out in a week or 10 days.

4.19.47: A better day. Sunny & not much wind, though not very warm. Evening blowy & cold, with some rain. Sea roughish outside the bay.

Dug some more of patch, weeded & limed strawberries. These do not now look so bad, & there are fewer gaps than I thought. Unlikely to give much fruit this year, however.

Only one of the roses is still showing no buds (an American Pillar5). One by the gate (Alberic Barbier6), which I thought dead, has a tiny bud down near the root, so I cut it down to just above the end. Made 2 cement blocks, about 1 ft. square & 2" deep (or even less), reinforced with wire netting. Will do as part of path. NB. for 2 square feet of cement block, 5 fire shovels of sand & one of cement needed – more if it is to be at least 2" thick, as it should be.

4.20.47: Very violent gale all last night, & much rain. Today till about 5 pm blowing hard, mostly from south, cold & usually raining. Sea very rough, breaking right over the point. This evening calmer, some interludes of sunshine, but still far from warm.

Could not do much out of doors. Shot a rabbit, the first this year. I notice that when rabbits are shy the ones one succeeds in shooting are almost invariably gravid females. I never fancy eating these. I suppose it is partly because the pregnant ones are less in a hurry about running away, but last year females preponderated so greatly among the rabbits I shot as to make me wonder whether they are actually more numerous than the males.

Alastair & the D.s7 in a great state with the sheep. They are lambing in such a state of weakness that they have no milk, sometimes actually refuse to take their lambs, & even now that the grass is coming on, some of them are too weak to graze. The D.s say the gulls & hoodies attack weak sheep, & yesterday took the eye out of one of them.

4.21.47: Awful weather. Violent gale all last night, & still more so this morning, at times so strong that one could hardly stay on one’s feet. Chicken-house blown off its base – fortunately not damaged. Shall have to fix it down with guy ropes. Rain most of day. About 4 pm finer & some sun, but wind not abating. Sea rough.

Bottle of brandy lasts A[vril] & me 1 week, with a fairly good peg each (a bit less than a double) once a day.

Did nothing out of doors.

4.22.47: A better day. Wind still high, but not much rain, some interludes of sun, & somewhat warmer. Sea calming down a little.

Still not feeling well enough to do much out of doors. A[vril] finished digging the first plot in the ploughed patch. Room there for 4 rows of potatoes (about 10 lb. of seed). Am going to use some of D[onald] D[arroch]’s seed – Great Scott I think.

Took down the corrugated iron at the side of the house. Will be enough to cover hen-house, & the frame it was on will make a gate for the run. Impossible to finish this job till the wind drops. Cut sticks for dwarf peas. Began cutting bean sticks. The lone sheep in the field has lambed. Does not take much notice of the lamb, & walks on whenever the latter begins to suck. Nevertheless she made a demonstration when I picked the lamb up with the idea of taking it indoors. Lamb fairly strong, though it only seemed to me to weigh a pound or two.

Many more birds round the house owing to chaff in the yard. Still no sparrows, but flocks of chaffinches almost as numerous as sparrows. Qy. whether these also attack peas & beetroots.

Fruit bushes now mostly budding fairly well.

D.D. says the cuckoo is usually heard here earlier than this. Swallows, on the other hand, do not usually appear till about May 12th.

Cannot be sure, but I think we are using quite 4 galls of paraffin a week – if so, the current barrel will give out about the end of May (have another in stock). The reason is the cold weather & consequent use of Valor stoves. One of these uses quite ½ gall a day if burning all the time.

Some rain after about 7 pm.

To be ordered for next year (better order early this time.)

4.23.47: Dreadful weather till about 4 pm. Violent wind, continuous rain, & very cold. After that somewhat better, mostly raining but a few intervals of sun. In the evening very still, rain still falling. Sea calms down with surprising speed.

The lamb born yesterday died this morning. A[vril] found it in a moribund condition & brought it in. It was oozing blood from the mouth, & according to Alastair had been attacked by gulls or hoodies. The mother seems quite strong & well, but she more or less ignored the lamb from the start, so presumably she has no milk.

R[ichard] very poorly with feverish cold & cough, which started last night. However his forehead is making a good job of healing. The doctor took the stitches out today, & there were no complications & does not look as if there would be much of a scar. Seed potatoes (Great Scott) arrived yesterday. Can sow as soon as ground dries a little.

Some more primroses out. Gorse well out. Otherwise no wild flowers except a very occasional celandine.

Wind today strong enough to blow off some sticks of young rhubarb. Tulips not damaged, but they are more sheltered. All roses now budding except one.

4.24.47: Morning fine, windy & cold. In the afternoon rainstorms & showers alternating with sun. Some hail about 5.30 pm. Cold all day, & wind strong until evening. Fined up the new patch with hoe & cultivator, but it will have to dry a bit before it is even possible to put potatoes in it. Began cutting bean sticks.

R[ichard] slightly better, but feverish again this evening.

Have ordered trees etc. for next year.

All apple trees now budding except the James Grieve, which looks rather as if it were dead. No buds on raspberries yet. I think all the other fruit bushes are budding. NB. the Jas. Grieve was the one with the broken root.

4.25.47: Vile weather. Very cold, rain almost continuous, & strong wind from about midday onwards. Mud worse than ever. Did nothing out of doors. R’s cough still bad, & temperature high during most of day.

Saw in the distance a bird which might have been a martin.

Violent, driving rainstorms during the evening.

4.26.47: A much better day. Fine, windy & less cold. Ground drying up nicely, but still not quite fit for the potatoes. Dug a little more of the ploughed patch, sowed spring onions (White Lisbon), began cutting grass between fruit trees. Patches of this can be cut with the mower, but one has to take the clumps of old grass off with the scythe or shears. The second cutting could be done with the mower.

R[ichard] seems better – hardly any temperature at 6pm, & the rash, which was over most of him including his legs a few hours earlier, had temporarily disappeared.

A[vril] heard the cuckoo this morning.

They have now finished ploughing the field in front of the house. About 4½ acres, & yesterday & today I should say they were on it about 8 hours in all, including two occasions when the tractor was bogged. They have taken in a bit more than last year, which will mean fewer rushes.

A. saw a mountain hare, still almost white! Presumably when they change colour is determined simply by the temperature.

It is now definitely established that R. has measles. He will have to be in bed another week & stay indoors for a week after that.

4.27.47: Violent rain all night, or almost all night. Huge pools everywhere this morning.

Morning rainy & cold. Afternoon mostly sunny & windy, with some rainstorms. Net effect of day has probably been to dry the ground slightly.

Did nothing out of doors. Made frame for gate of hen-run. Very heavy, & it will be difficult to hinge it, as I not only have no hinges of that size, but the piece it will hang on is not straight. The gate will have to rest on the ground, in which case the best way to hinge it is probably with ropes or wires. Ideally one would put wheels at the bottom of the gate, but I think skids (bottom of barrel) will do if I level the ground.

R. better. Tried to make jigsaw puzzle for him, but can only cut pieces with straight edges as my only coping-saw blade is broken.

A. yesterday saw unidentified duck-like birds – probably some kind of diver.

Saw a swallow (or martin – only a glimpse.)

4.28.47: Rain in the night (& hail, according to K[atie] D[arroch]). Most of today blowy & overcast, with rain showers & fair patches alternating. Evening still & fine. Cold all day. This evening is about the first time the wind has dropped in a week or more. I do not think it has shifted away from the west all that time.

Set up gate on its skid, which seems fairly satisfactory.

Heard the cuckoo (first time). Primroses now comparatively numerous, buds getting fairly thick on the hazels, wild irises about 6" to 1´ high. No sign of bracken growing yet.

4.29.47: Seemingly no rain during last night. Rain began about 10 am & fell almost continuously (not very heavy) till about 8 pm, when it cleared somewhat.

Everything is again a morass. There has been much less wind than yesterday.

Could not do anything out of doors. Cemented crack in larder wall.

We are using up oil very fast, owing to having two Valor stoves going all day. Impossible to get hold of dry firewood in this weather. Even in the barn, which is quite watertight, it stays damp, & I notice that cement takes days to get dry.

4.30.47: A much better day, though very cold. No rain, sun shining all day, & a raging wind from the north which has dried things up considerably.

Peas, lettuces & turnips have all just appeared, but the chaffinches have pulled up, I think, all the lettuce seedlings, & at any rate many of the turnips. They were also starting on the peas. Re-sowed lettuces & covered seeds with wire, which I should have done at the beginning. Three gooseberry bushes still not budding. Some of the raspberries budding down near the roots – I should probably have cut the canes off short when I put them in. Jas. Grieve still has no signs of buds. Weeds are now getting started.

Dug a little more, finished cutting the grass between fruit trees, staked the peas. Next time this grass can be cut entirely with the machine, & the holes where I dug out rushes can be filled & re-sown or turfed. Started new cylinder of Calor Gas today (nb. to order 2 more). Should last till first week in June. There is less paraffin than I thought (1–2 weeks supply, I should say). However we have a barrel in hand.

5.1.47: Fine day. No rain, though it looked threatening for about half an hour in the afternoon. Otherwise sunny all day. Less wind than yesterday, but still cold.

Sowed potatoes (Great Scott), 5 rows, about 15 lb. of seed, or perhaps nearer 20 lb. Rooted up old gooseberry bushes. With help of Neal McArthur & Duggie Clark,8 got hen house on to base. Trust it will not be blown down again before I can fix bolts.

Killed a mouse in the larder. A[vril] came out to tell me there was one there behaving in a very bold way. Went in & found it eating something on the floor & paying no attention to either of us. Hit it with a barrel stave & killed it. It is curious how the tameness of animals varies from one day to another.

Gooseberries & currants forming on the old plants – however there are very few of these, & I can hardly expect my own bushes to fruit this year.

5.2.47: Fine all day. Warmer than yesterday & very little wind. Overcast for a while in the afternoon & literally a few drops of rain.

Put corrugated iron on chicken house. Should stay on, I think, but it still remains to anchor the house down. I cannot bolt it to the floor because I have no bolts long enough. Examined how D[onald] D[arroch]’s henhouse is wired down. Huge rocks are placed at either side of the house & a piece of fence wire wound round them double. Then a double strand of wire passed round the wire on the stones, & over the roof. This wire is then tightened up by twisting. I think this is the normal method here.

For the first time this year, saw one or two youngish rabbits. Chaffinches etc. still flocking to roost, so they cannot have nests yet. The chaffinches have evidently destroyed all the turnips, so I shall have to re-sow.

Paraffin barrel feels as if it will only last a few more days – ie. about 1 month instead of 2 as I anticipated. However there may have been less in it than I thought when we left last year.

R[ichard] came downstairs for first time today. Also had his bandage off for the first time. Scar has healed beautifully & is not very conspicuous.

5.3.47: Cold & overcast nearly all day. Light rain during much of afternoon. Evening somewhat finer, but cold. Sea rough.

Could not do much out of doors. Dug a little more, made seed-protector, re-sowed turnips. NB. that even with wire netting over them the chaffinches still go for the seeds. They are not afraid to go under the netting.

The last rose has a bud, so there are no dead ones. Some of the new currant bushes which are in fairly full leaf have currants on them, though of course not very many.

5.4.47: Fine all day, except for a very few spots of rain for a few minutes in the evening. Not very sunny, but warmer than yesterday. Sea still rough in the morning, calming down in the evening.

Dug a little more, finished cutting grass between beds of fruit bushes, sowed clarkia, marigolds, Shirley poppies, candytuft.

Frogspawn failed to hatch out, probably owing to not adding fresh water, which I did not think to be necessary before the tadpoles hatched.

A few strawberries showing flower buds.

Chaffinches still going for the turnip seed, in spite of wire & cottons. Shot one & left its body on the bed. Probably the effect of this will only last for a day or two.

Looking down towards the sea, over the wood, hardly a green leaf to be seen anywhere.

Drum of paraffin almost at an end – almost 5 weeks less than I thought. But there may have been less in it than I imagined to start with.

Sending for 2 cylinders of calor gas. (Have sent empties).

5.5.47: Mostly overcast, with a few sunny intervals & some wind. A few short showers.

Dug a little more, cut bean sticks, staked cherry trees, pegged down henhouse – very amateurish job, but probably enough for the summer winds.

Many primroses now out. Stonecrop barely visible & has not started growing. They have not heard the cuckoo at Ardlussa yet.

They sowed & harrowed the field in front of the house today. The seed was sown first on to the raw ploughed soil (broadcasting about 4½ acres only seemed to take about 2 hours), then the field was harrowed twice over afterwards. Did not know it was possible to do it this way round, & would have thought it meant burying the corn at very uneven depths & for the most part much too deeply, as where raw sods have been turned up you get a furrow quite 8" deep. It has the advantage that the seed all rolls down into the furrows & thus comes up in rows, but it tends to do this any way, as even after harrowing a trace of the furrows remains.

Drum of paraffin gave out today.

D’s trap killed an enormous rat in the byre.

5.6.47: Some rain in the morning, sunny & windy in the afternoon. Somewhat warmer.

Dug a little more, retrained cherry trees & one of the espalier apples. These last have masses of blossom coming, but not much of it is likely to stay on, also it may not get fertilised if the other apples do not blossom.

Bracken fronds now coming up.

5.7.47: Very still all day, & mostly overcast. A little very light rain in the morning. Sea calm.

Sowed peas (Daisy, 2nd early, 1½ ft) & lettuces. A few of the first lot of lettuces seem to have survived the chaffinches.

Several of the rhubarb plants have died – reason, probably, that they were young tender plants & I put too much cow manure on top of them. Raspberries are now mostly budding round the roots. Three gooseberries still not budding & I am afraid they are dead.

Began new drum of paraffin today. Should last to end of July at least, but NB. to start agitating for a new drum some time in June.

One or two of the primroses I transferred beginning to flower.

5.8.47: Morning still & overcast. Some rain during afternoon. Fairly warm.

Began putting wire round hen-run.

5.9.47: Beautiful, warm, still day, sunny till evening. The first day since we have been here when it was pleasant to sit about out of doors. Sea very calm.

Not well enough to do much. Cut grass in front of house (a lot of ragwort etc., but this can be easily kept down by frequent cutting). Inspected peat beds. Peat now dry enough to cut. Made tousling fork. Lit rubbish fire.

Gladioli (planted 4.13.47) showing here & there.

Saw violets in bloom (first I have seen this year, but A[vril] had seen them earlier.)

Another dead deer up not far from the ruined hut. They say a lot have died this winter.

Saw a swallow sitting on the ground, which I think is unusual.

An hour or two’s rain in late evening.

5.12.47: In bed last 3 days. 8 tablets M & B9 on 5.10.47. Very sick until this morning. Got up for some hours this afternoon. Still shaky.

A thunderstorm & heavy rain for an hour or two on the evening of 5.10.47, otherwise all these days warm & still. Vegetation jumping remarkably.

Wild cherries covered with blossom. One or two tulips out. Shirley poppies sown 5.4.47 are up. A good many gladioli now showing.

5.13.47: Better. Went out a little, but did not do anything.

Beautiful day. Vegetation all jumping.

They sowed the field with rye-grass today. This comes up later than the oats & is not much affected by the reaping of the latter. The following year it can be harvested as hay, but in this case will be left as pasture at least the first year. The seed is sown with a “spinner,” which shoots it out in all directions – being so light, it would be difficult to broadcast in the ordinary way. By operating a small lever, some of the seed comes out of the bag onto a tin disc divided into sections, which can rotate rapidly. The sower walks along slowly, with the apparatus hanging round his neck, & rotates the disk by working a bow to & fro. One sack did whole field (4½ acres.)

Outboard has arrived at Ardlussa. Can fetch boat next week, when car is running.

Have ordered hens – 8 28-week old pullets, preferably R.I.R. x W.L.10 crosses. They have to come from Yorkshire, a long journey.

5.14.47: Blowy & overcast in morning, but fairly warm. Rain a good deal of afternoon.

Somewhat better. Put some more of the wire round the hen run. Will need a good deal of pegging down.

Cast a plug for bathroom basin out of lead. There is something in this operation that I do wrong. Although it lies quite smooth in the melting pot, the lead always boils & splutters when poured into the mould, & one does not seem to be able to get a cast free from flaws. Q. because of differences of temperature. In that case ought one to heat the mould?

R[ichard] is 3 years old today.

Cylinder of Calor gas gave out, after only a fortnight! Gas from new cylinder difficult to light because pressure appears too strong. Perhaps the filling of these things is irregular.

5.15.47: Morning blowy & rather cold. Some showers in afternoon, then fine & warm. Evening pleasant & still. Sea calm.

Went on with wire netting. Nearly finished, apart from pegging down etc. Cut sticks for gladioli (first bed are now all up.)

Went over to Kinuachdrach for first time in about 10 days. A few bluebells out. Some blackthorn just budding (I remember that we did not find any sloes last year.) Hazels barely leafing. Saw the brown flies one finds on cowdung for the first time this year. Bluebottles getting fairly common.

K[atie]D[arroch] says last night’s wireless announced no poultry were to be sent from England to Scotland, to prevent spread of some disease or other. There is certainly some order about not importing poultry into the U.K. from abroad. Shall perhaps hear next mail from the dealer to whom I wrote.

Lettuces sown 5.7.46° are up, but not the onions sown a few days earlier.

5.16.47: Fine & sunny all day, but wind rather chilly at times.

Finished putting wire up (still needs pegging down.)

Cleaned strawberry bed & trimmed edges, cut down raspberries. Weeds now getting very rampant.

Onions coming up.

5.17.47: Overcast, but not very cold. Rain or drizzle all afternoon & evening.

Sowed parsley, cut more gladiolus sticks (now have enough.) Slugs getting more numerous. Trying tobacco powder round lettuces.

A[vril] saw some kind of whale crossing the bay this morning. Perhaps a grampus,11 like last year.

Saw one of the white-collared rabbits, in the same place as usual. First time this year.

Stonecrop at last starting to grow on the rocks. Wild irises a foot or eighteen inches high.

5.18.47: Evidently a good deal of rain in the night. This morning blowy & overcast, with some rain. Afternoon sunny, but coldish all day.

Dug a little more (still cannot dig much), cut out place for marrow bed, pegged down wire (one or two corners still a bit sketchy.)

Tulips we bought as mixed are nearly all yellow.

5.19.47: Beautiful sunny day. Sea calm.

Sowed marrows (bush) out of doors under pots, ie tins with hole in the bottom. NB. to look in about a week & see if they have germinated. Sticked gladioli, hoed turnips, began thinning second bed. Pruned roses some more, as they seem to need it.

One or two other apple trees now budding. Those on the cordon trees are now opening & probably will not get fertilised. One or two blossoms coming on the cherry trees.

5.20.47: Beautiful, hot, still day.

Prepared ground for beetroots. Cut bean sticks. Some strawberries setting fruits. A good many apple blossoms open. Corn in field in front of house well up. Large king-cups in marshy places. Primroses out everywhere.

Reflections of the lighthouses on the islands visible today, which is said locally to be a sign that rain is coming.

If weather is fine, we intend bringing the boat home on Sunday (25th).

5.21.47: Still day, overcast in morning, sunny most of afternoon. Sea very calm, rather misty.

Began cutting peat. Cut 200 blocks, which takes 2 people 2 hours, including stripping off the turf before hand. Slung a rope round them, which I hope may keep the deer & cattle off. We hope to cut not less than 1000 blocks in all.

Put tobacco dust on apple trees. NB. to wash off tomorrow. Four of the trees, ie. of those in the grass, have quite a lot of blossom coming, but it will probably not coincide with the espalier trees.

Thrift flowering.

So many cormorants always in the bay that I think there must be a colony of nests down there, as at this time of year they could not be constantly at a long distance from their nesting places.

5.22.47: Overcast, but not cold. Very little wind. Light rain most of afternoon. Sea calm.

Sowed beetroots & turnips.

Hens have arrived, ie. at Ardlussa. Will presumably get here on Saturday.

Don’t yet know what kind (ordered crosses if possible, failing that pure R.I.Rs.)

5.23.47: Beautiful warm day. Sea calm.

Moved wire from round fruit patch, cut grass in front of house, began cutting among fruit trees. Applied sodium chlorate to some of the rushes & nettles.

Some of the leaves of apple trees still do not look too good.

Cow bogged last night. When dragged out, she was too weak to stand, & had to be given gruel which A[vril] made.

5.24.47: Not so warm as yesterday, & more blowy. Wind changing round to all quarters. Sea rather rough.

Brought in bits of stonecrop which I want to attempt acclimatising. Thrift stuck in last year has taken pretty well.

Hens have arrived (Rhodes). They have been waiting at Ardlussa since the 21st, during which time they laid 6 eggs. By the look of them all or most are coming into lay.

The F[letcher]s yesterday got a lot of gulls eggs, of which however a good many were already sat-on, so it is evidently now too late. Mem. that about the 15th–20th must be the proper date. But they also got a lot of good ones & gave us 16. Surprisingly large eggs, as large as hens’ eggs. Perhaps of the black-backed gull or herring gull. These could not be sold as counterfeit for plovers eggs, as I think used to be done with some gulls’ eggs.

Slugs are eating marigolds. Trying tobacco powder.

5.25.47: Fine, but windier than yesterday. Went over to Ardlussa with the idea of bringing the boat back, but the sea seemed too rough.

Everything at Ardlussa more forward than here.

Hens laid no eggs.

5.26.47: Fine & very blowy. Sea rough, calming somewhat towards evening.

Cut more peat (150 blocks), continued cutting grass between trees.

1 potato showing, from second lot. The others (sown 4.17.47) still not up, but they are germinating, as I uncovered one or two to see.

Some showers in late evening.

No eggs.

5.27.47: Still & fairly warm. Overcast a good deal of the time. Sea fairly calm.

Cut peat (130 blocks) & put the first lot into threes. Thinned clarkia (slugs have eaten some of them), put sodium chlorate on docks in back yard.

With A[vril] & myself working together, cutting peat seems to work out pretty regularly at 100 blocks an hour. If one doubles this, to allow for the time taken up in turning, stacking & carting, it would take about 40 hours work (for 2 people) to bring in a ton of peat. No doubt practiced° diggers can do it immensely faster, & also it would be easier if there were 3 or 4 people, which saves changing from one operation to another.

5.28.47: Fine day, mostly windy. Sea roughish till evening, when it calmed down.

Did nothing out of doors, as I was busy making a post-box.

Turnips sown 5.22.47 are up.

Still no eggs. Janet McK.12 said the hens they got from England went off lay for a week after arriving.

5.29.47: Some rain in night. Light rain & rolling mists a good deal of the day. Sea calmer.

Sowed alyssum (annual), thinned first lot of turnips. The Jas. Grieve apple is evidently not dead. The deaths therefore – from about 90 plants excluding the strawberries – are 3 gooseberries, 1 blackcurrant, 3 roots of rhubarb, about ½ dozen raspberries. Not bad considering late planting & very bad weather conditions.

2 eggs (the first we have had).

A good many potatoes up from first lot.

5.30.47: Still & warm.

Ian13 brought boat round last night, as they were going round to Glengarrisdale to collect drift. Took her round to Kinuachdrach. Some trouble in starting (plug not very good.)

This afternoon landed on island at mouth of harbour to see if the terns are nesting yet. Had not started, but found one gull’s egg.

A[vril] saw some more fawn-coloured rabbits.

Bluebells about in full swing.

No eggs.

5.31.47: Evidently a good deal of rain last night. Today still & warm, mostly not very sunny. Sea calm.

Finished cutting grass between trees, thinned clarkia & poppies. Beetroots (sown 5.22.47) are up. One marrow just poking through the earth.

2 eggs. Have started the hens on Karswood.14

We have started on the 50 gallon drum of petrol (which has to last till end of August). A[vril] took out 9 galls.

6.1.47: Thunder & heavy rain during the night. Today mostly fine & warm, but misty, after a sharp shower in the morning.

Went over to Scarba.15 About ½ hour’s run in the boat (3–4 miles). When we returned the engine would not start (probably defective plug) & we were obliged to row. A stiff job, taking about 2 hours. Scarba much barer than Jura. Almost no trees, good grass. While there killed a very large snake.

Sowed lettuces.

1 egg.

6.2.47: Beautiful warm, still day, with some mist. Sea very calm.

Cut peat (200 blocks). Applied more sodium chlorate.

2 eggs (a third hen is now in lay.)

2 roses now have buds. All except two apple trees have now blossomed. Second lot of gladioli have not come up well (only about half have appeared).

D[onald] D[arroch] gave me a load of manure.

Cuckoos all over the place. Qy. whether they really change their note in June or merely become more irritating as they cease to be a novelty.

6.3.47: Still, cloudy & warm. No rain, though it looked like rain several times. Sea very smooth. Milk sours quickly this weather.

Finished preparing ground for beans. Greased outboard motor, cut petrol feed as I[an] M’K[echnie] suggested, & put in new plug. This was taken from the Austin & appeared to me as bad as the old one – however, have sent for new ones. Could not try engine as the boat was out of reach. Shall take the RAF dinghy round to Kinuachdrach as soon as the engine is running.

A[vril] & B.D.16 went fishing last night – again nothing. Apparently there are only tiddlers about.

Blossom on the old pear tree in the hedge. However, when I arrived here last year (& everything was weeks earlier), I had the impression it had blossomed, but it gave no fruit. Alyssum is coming up. Rowan trees coming into blossom. Oaks in full leaf.

3 eggs. (10)

6.4.47: A good deal of rain in the night. Rain & “Scotch mist” almost all day. Ground very sodden.

Impossible to sow beans. Began sticking peas, fixed bolt on barn door, trimmed lamps.

Found a columbine in the garden (the old-fashioned purple kind). It must have survived here from the time when the house was last inhabited, about 12 years ago. The other flowers to survive are daffodils, snowdrops (both of these in great numbers), red hot pokers, monkshood.

Paraffin consumption at present only 1–2 gallons a week.

4 eggs (I think 5 hens are laying.) (14).

6.5.47: Overcast, coldish, & raining lightly most of day. Clearing somewhat in evening. Sea calm.

Sowed beans (dibbed them, as the ground was very sticky) & sticked them. Made another attempt to get the engine started – no use. Cannot be sure till the new plugs arrive, but I am afraid the trouble may be the magneto, which I do not understand.

While with D[onald] D[arroch] in the boat he landed on the island.

No terns’ eggs yet, but they appear to be making their nests (ie. scooping hollows). D.D. found a nest with two fledged chicks, dark & striped, about the size of a day-old chick. Probably oyster-catchers, as two of these are always round there.

A lot of water in the boat – however, this was probably mostly rainwater. No eggs.

6.6.47: Windy, mostly fine but some intervals of mist & light rain.

Cut more grass. B[ill] D[unn] & D[onald] D[arroch] caught one fish (small saythe) last night.

4 eggs (18).

6.7.47: Blowy, mostly fine. Coldish in morning. Sea rougher.

Last night shot a very young rabbit in the garden. Threw the corpse into the trench, whence it had disappeared this morning – presumably cats. NB. to put up the rest of the wire soon.

Put new plug in the motor-boat engine and, on the advice of Ian M’K. increased the proportion of petrol in the tank. The boat was high & dry, so I fitted the engine on the stern to try it, the propellor being clear of the ground. It started almost at once, & then would not stop, probably owing to throttle wire sticking. So it was running for about 5 minutes without water, & by the time the petrol in the carburettor gave out the grease in the gear box was sizzling. Trust no harm done. Tap of petrol barrel tends to drip.

Took out about a gallon, making 10 gallons.

3 eggs (21).

Received cwt. of maize yesterday from the F[letcher]s.

6.8.47: Blowy, coldish, raining on & off throughout the day. Wind mostly from west. Sea rough.

Another rabbit in the garden last night. Shot at him but missed him.

Sowed sweet peas (a few) & anchusas. Took up tulips & the 3 dead gooseberry bushes. From the look of the roots of one of these I thought it possible that it was not dead.

Drip from petrol drum seems to be about a pint in the 24 hours. If one lost one-tenth of this by evaporation, the loss would be about 1 gallon in 2½ months, which I suppose is not excessive.

2 eggs (23).

6.9.47: Fine warm day. Sea calm. Little wind.

Put up rest of wire netting (only gate uncovered now), cleared raspberry & rhubarb beds. Shot another young rabbit trying to get into garden.

In the evening tried to take the RAF dinghy round to Kinuachdrach, towing it behind the boat. Fearful job as the engine stopped half way (probably over-oiling) & we had to row, leaving the dinghy at old Kinuachdrach harbour until we can pick it up.

Saw an owl (first I have seen this year). It appeared to be definitely black & white.17

3 eggs (26).

6.10.47: Overcast all day, light rain most of the time. Little wind. Sea calm.

Cut grass in front. Made hens’ drinking trough. 5 roses now budding. No ramblers budding yet.

4 eggs (30).

NB. Petrol drip. This is put in a bottle & poured into car18 from time to time. Must keep note of amount used up in this way. To date, 3 pints.

6.11.47: Beautiful, still, hot day, about the best day we have had this year. Sea like glass.

Thinned carrots.

Took dinghy to Kinuachdrach. One cannot satisfactorily propel oneself by poling, so the best method will be to use a rope to pull oneself out by. Tried engine with more petrol in the mixture. It started at once, so over-oiling must have been the trouble.

Parsley (sown 3.17.47) just showing.

Petrol drip 4 pints.

4 eggs (34).

6.12.47: Beautiful still day, more misty than yesterday, but about equally hot in the afternoon. Sea very calm.

Cut peat (150 blocks) & put the rest into “threes.” The deer have been on it, but not seriously. Sowed parsnips.

Cotton grass out all over the place. Rowans in full bloom. Their flowers have the same smell as hawthorn or elder, but even more oppressive. Cherries forming on the wild cherry trees (also on the little morello trees, but most of these will probably drop off.) All but 2 or 3 potatoes now through.

Saw the buzzard carrying a rat or something about that size in its claws. The first time I have seen one of these birds with prey.

Five rats (2 young ones, 2 enormous) caught in the byre during about the last fortnight. These rats seem to let themselves be caught very easily. The traps are simply set in the runs, unbaited & almost unconcealed. Also no precautions taken about handling them. I hear that recently two children at Ardlussa were bitten by rats (in the face, as usual.)

Petrol drip 5 pints.

5 eggs (39).

6.13.47: Evidently a good deal of rain in the night. Overcast all day, light drizzle a good deal of the time. Very still. Sea calm. Everything very sodden.

Foxgloves budding (in garden). Last year they were full out long before this.

Think hens have lice, applied DDT. Found what appeared to be the white of an egg in one nest, but no signs of shell. Possibly some kind of accident & not egg-eating.

Petrol drip 6 pints.

5 eggs (44).

6.14.47: Fine & still, but not so warm as the day before yesterday. Sea somewhat less calm.

Hoed potatoes, thinned turnips, gave strawberries liquid manure.

This evening two rabbits not only in the garden, but actually taking refuge under the house. There is a drain or something of the kind behind one of the apple trees, which D[onald] D[arroch] warned me they went into during winter. The trouble is it probably leads out into the back yard, so that they have a way of circumventing the wire netting. Probably it is they & not slugs which have been eating down the clarkia. Closed hole with a slate jammed in place by a stone. NB. to put wire on gate.

A[vril] & B[ill] Dunn] caught 16 fish last night (smallish).

Petrol drip 7 pints. To be on safe side better call it a gallon, making 11 gallons.

Fuchsia nearly in flower (last year in flower at end of May).

3 eggs (47)

6.15.47: Some rain in the night. Today sunny & windy, not very warm. Sea fresher. No breakers.

Got both the rabbits that were sheltering in the hole under the house, by pushing a trap inside the hole & then re-blocking it. Both young ones. As they both tried to get out this way, there cannot be any outlet the other end. D.D. says the hole is only a ventilator.

Put a long rope from the shore to the anchor buoy, so that when the boat is out of reach one can get to her with the dinghy.

Took out 3 galls of petrol, making 14 galls.

Big drip, 1½ pints (drip worse after using tap.)

5 eggs (52).

Several raspberries I thought dead are sprouting.

Earthed up first lot of potatoes.

A[vril] & B[ill] D[unn] caught 31 fish last night.

6.16.47: There may perhaps have been a little rain in the night. Most of day overcast, blowy & coldish. In the late afternoon strong wind from south, & a little rain. Sea rough, with heavy breakers outside. Seemed all right in Kinuachdrach harbour, the wind being in the south.

Sowed peas (last lot).

Having reset the trap in the hole under the house, caught a rat in it, (small one). So there may be a way through to the back for rats, though there evidently is not for rabbits.

Some wild irises out. D.D is sowing turnips, 2 acres. It will be a ghastly job thinning this quantity by hand.

Petrol drip, 3 pints.

6 eggs (58).

6.17.47: Pelting rain late last evening & some rain in night. This morning overcast, then clearing up for a few hours. More rain & wind this evening. Sea rough.

Baled out boat, which was full of water. Put wire over gate. Ditto round gooseberry bushes, to prevent R[ichard] getting at them.

Eggs & bacon19 just coming out. Some strawberries about the size of acorns.

A[vril] starts waterglassing eggs today.20

Petrol drip 4 pints (not quite so bad now.)

5 eggs (63).

6.18.47: Evidently a good deal of rain in the night. Dense mists this morning, clearing off about 2 pm. Afternoon sunny & moderately warm, with little wind.

Earthed up second lot of potatoes. Thinned beetroots. Began turfing up holes in grass among fruit trees. A[vril] applied sodium chlorate to rushes in side garden. Thinned marrows.

One rambler rose has flower buds coming. The trees have set quite a lot of apples between them, but of course not many will stay on.

Big petrol drip (better today) 3½ pints.

No. of eggs now in waterglass, 9.

4 eggs (67).

6.19.47: A little rain in the night. Today a few brief showers, but mostly fine & still, moderately warm. Sea calm.

Tried outboard engine again. Ran perfectly at first, then, after stopping, refused to re-start. Landed on island. Found 3 terns’ eggs (not worth taking). Found dead tern. Struck by brilliant scarlet colour of its beak & legs. Oyster catchers which frequent the island evidently live almost exclusively on limpets. Struck by luxuriance of grass & wild flowers (thrift & stonecrop) on the island, which is about 40 yards long by 5–10 wide. Some deer living there. Apparently a deer swam out to it when being chased.

Saw two sheld-duck in the nearer bay. Eyebright in flower. Killed a green wasp (A[vril] killed one some time ago.) D[onald] D[arroch] rolled the oats in front of the house today. They are about 6" high, which I suppose is the right height to roll them at. Young wagtail being fed on the ground by parents. Afraid one hen is already broody.

Big petrol drip, 4 pints.

5 eggs (72).

6.20.47: (filling this in on 6.21.47).

Dense mist most of day, & a few light showers. Very still till evening, wind springing up about 6 pm & veering about. Sea calm. Went to Ardlussa by boat, car being punctured. Each way the journey Barnhill–Ardlussa took about 1¼ hours, with wind & sea against us. Hugged shore as close as possible. Engine runs all right if the mixture is exact, but still difficult starting.

Saw an eagle, sitting on ground, later taking to the wing, near the shore about halfway between the new stable & the old stable.

Big petrol drip 5½ pints (worse when it is opened up). Took out a gallon, making 15 gallons.

4 eggs (76).

Cylinder of Calor Gas giving out. It was started on 5.15.47, so has run 5 weeks as scheduled. The previous cylinder must have been defective.

Some stonecrop beginning to flower on the rocks. Sea pinks past their best.

6.21.47: Dry, sunny & windy, not very warm. Wind in north in morning, later changing to west. Sea calm inshore, breakers in strait part of day.

Cut peat (150 blocks) & set up last lot. Cows had been over it, but not much damage. That completes the 1000 blocks. If dry weather should continue, it could be put into small piles in about a week, & into a single pile about a fortnight after that.

Weeded & hoed small seedlings, which get droopy in the dry wind. Slugs have eaten one of the two marrow plants – may possibly recover.

Shot a gull (kittiwake) for the tail feathers. Not very large or stiff. A goose’s wing feathers are definitely the best.

Caught another rat under the house (young one).

Started new cylinder of Calor Gas. Should run to nearly end of July.

Big petrol drip, 6 pints.

5 eggs (81).

6.22.47: Dry, warm & still. Sea calm.

A good many runner beans showing. Some sweet peas showing. Fuchsia almost out (last year out towards end of May), mallow out. A lot of roses coming on one or two of the plants.

Last night a deer (hind) in the corn. Don’t know where it got in, as gate was shut.

Forgot to mention yesterday killed a very large snake in the yard. It was lying on the coal-heap.

Big petrol drip 6½ pints.

6 eggs (87).

6.23.47: Overcast all day & raining most of the time. Clearing up a little in the evening. Sea variable, but part of the day roughish in the bay.

First peas have a flower or two. Gave them liquid manure. Slugs have destroyed one of the two marrow plants. Ought not to have thinned them out so early. Last lot of peas just showing.

Big petrol drip, 7 pints.

Eggs now in waterglass, 12.

6 eggs (93).

Amount of paraffin in drum now about 20 galls (probably). NB. to order new drum soon.

6.24.47: Rain almost continuous all day. Coldish & blowy, wind mostly from SW. Sea rough.

Began clearing strawberry bed. It is time they were strawed up. There seem to be a fair number of strawberries coming, but very small.

Herd of cows came down from Lealt & have been on the peat, but hitherto not very badly.

Big petrol drip, 7¼ pints, say 1 gall, making 16 gallons.

Eggs now in waterglass, 17.

5 eggs (98). It is a month today since hens arrived, in which time they have averaged about 2 doz. a week.

6.25.47: Sunny & windy in the morning, looking like rain but not actually raining – Afternoon drier & a great deal warmer. Evening clouding over again.

Strawed strawberries (not enough straw.)

Two hens now broody, & 6 laying.

5 eggs (103).

6.26.47: Blowy & cold. A little sun in the afternoon, but not warm. No rain, but a damp feeling in the air. Evening overcast & looking like rain. Sea rough.

Sowed carrots & a few radishes.

A[vril] & B[ill] D[unn] fished last night – nothing. It was decidedly rough, & last year when it was rough we generally did not catch anything except a few pollock. However, we never had an actually blank day in the Barnhill bay.

An eagle flew over the house yesterday.

Big petrol drip (including yesterday) ½ pint.

Eggs now in waterglass, 20.

3 eggs (106).

6.27.47: Overcast, warm & close. Strongish wind during part of afternoon, but most of day still. Once or twice it looked like rain, but no rain fell.

Set out to take boat down to the beach near Lealt & collect drift. As usual, boat started well at the beginning, then would not re-start after stopping at Barnhill to take A[vril] & R[ichard] aboard. It took half an hour to get her started again, so ran back to Kinuachdrach. A. landed on island. About a dozen terns’ eggs – not worth taking as they are very tiny. 3 gulls’ eggs, which we took.*

[Orwell’s note on facing page.] * All bad, with chicks quite far developed inside.

Spotted orchis out in great numbers & very fine. Really well worth acclimatising if we could identify the bulbs in autumn. A[vril] found one butterfly orchis. A good many wild irises now out.

Big petrol drip, 1 pint.

Took out ½ gall., making 16½ galls.

Parsnips still not up – perhaps bad seed.

5 eggs (111).

6.28.47: Close, warm & still. Overcast most of time, but some sun. Sea calm.

Set remaining peat up into “threes.” Cows had been on it, but not very badly. Some of what is undisturbed is very dry. Could be built up into small piles if we had two or three dry days running.

A few parsnips showing, but not very good.

Balancer meal arrived today, evidently 12 lb., 1 month’s ration.

An egg had been eaten in one of the boxes – no doubt accidentally broken. In addition to this, 4 eggs (115).

6.29.47: Some rain in the night. This morning close & warm, afternoon somewhat colder, with a little more wind. Overcast all day. A few drops of rain occasionally. Sea roughish in morning, calming somewhat by evening.

Cut front grass. Transplanted a few lettuces. Slugs have had the last marrow – it may survive, but they have eaten the growing point out. Found a monstrous slug at it last night, in spite of a ring of soot & sand.

Went fishing last night, – nothing, though we did see one fish jump.

5 eggs (120).

6.30.47: Very still, overcast & damp all day. Rather close, getting cooler in evening. Light drizzling rain & dense mist all afternoon. Everything very sodden. Sea like glass.

Impossible to do much out of doors. Netted strawberries. Last night tried putting out bran mixed with Meta21 for slugs. A good many dead this morning – not certain, however, whether the net effect of this is not to attract slugs to the neighbourhood of plants one wants to protect.

Sweet peas well up, but there are only a very few of them – about 1 doz. seeds from each packet.

4 eggs (124).

7.1.47: Morning very still, with dense mists which cleared up later. Rather close. Evening cooler, with a little more wind & some light drizzling rain from about 6 pm onwards. Sea very calm.

Went down to the bay I noticed on the way to Ardlussa, & collected about 4 cwt of drift. A lot more still there, including pit props & large planks. Coming back, dropped A[vril] & R[ichard] & the wood at Barnhill, then petrol ran out about halfway to Kinuachdrach, so had to come back after a hard row. We had started out with about ¾ gall., evidently not enough for this journey, which would be about half the run to Ardlussa, ie. as a return journey about 5 miles. One must allow quite 1½ galls, for the run to Ardlussa. NB. that the engine stops when there is still about ½" of petrol in the tank. Starting now much better.

Gave liquid manure to one or two roses about to come into flower.

Young cormorants swimming in the sea with their mother – behaviour very similar to families of ducks. Four wild ducks (mallard) flying together – qy. whether two of them this year’s birds. Two small birds I could not identify in the garden, one of them quite impressive, with reddish-brown rump, black head & a white spot on top of this.* The others seemed very interested in the strawberries, in spite of the pea-guards over them – Wild rose (white, but qy. whether not ordinary briar) in bloom. A good many of first peas in bloom.

Took out ½ gall petrol, making 17 galls. Drip is now negligible.

2 eggs (126).

[Orwell’s note on facing page.] * Redstart?

7.2.47: Dense mist in the morning, clearing somewhat in afternoon. Rain at about 5 pm. Fairly warm & very still. Sea very calm.

Some turnips (sown 4.17.47.) almost ready to pull.

Wild roses out. Took out 2 galls, petrol, making 19 galls.

A[vril] &B[ill] D[unn] fished last night – 2 fish.

R.R.,22 crossing from Tarbert today, saw a large shark in the strait.

3 eggs (129).

7.3.47: Filthy day till about 8 pm. Mist & rain, sometimes only a drizzle, sometimes fairly heavy. Evening clearer. Sea calm.

A few strawberries reddening.

Afraid we have an egg-eater among the hens. If so & I can detect her, shall kill her.

Petrol dripped about ¾ gall, owing to my leaving the tap pointing downwards. Put this into the car. Call it one gallon, making 20 galls.

3 eggs (132).

7.4.47: Filthy day. Blowy, overcast, coldish & raining on & off, quite heavily at times. Sea choppy.

Lealt herd have been down again (the reason for their coming here is no doubt the Highland bull) & trampled the peat, but not badly. Set up what they had knocked over. A lot of it is fairly dry. If there were about 3 good days it could be set up into small piles.

Could not do much out of doors. Gave liquid manure to some more roses. All except 3 roses now have flower buds coming.

Wild duck with young ones (could not see what kind, but did not look like sheld-duck) swimming in bay near Kinuachdrach.

A[vril] & B[ill] D[unn] fished last night – again nothing. The lobster fishermen from Luing23 say it is possible to catch some fish about 1 am.

2 eggs. Afraid there must be an egg-eater at work. (134)

7.5.47: Better day. Blowy & windy all day (wind in west), & mostly sunny though coldish. No rain except for a short shower about 2 pm. Sea choppy, with breakers in the sound.

Went over to Ardlussa to return the pony. Walked most of way, as it was too tiring sitting on the pony with no saddle, D[onald] D[arroch] riding Prince. Had pony shod, then borrowed saddle & rode on to Tarbert. Only 6 miles, but somewhat sore after being on a horse for the first time in many years.24

Saw a mountain hare near Tarbert. Definitely smaller than the brown hare, long legs, a lot of white round the rump. Saw several lots of skuas – the first time I have seen them, though I believe they are common here.

Roses full out at Ardlussa, some lupins already seeding, a red hot poker already in bloom.

Planted out 25 broccoli* seedlings which arrived yesterday by post. Not good weather for planting, especially after they have been out of the ground for several days.

2 eggs (136).

Took out 1 gall petrol making 21 galls.

[Orwell’s note on facing page.] * cabbage

7.6.47: Fine, blowy, not very warm. Some black clouds occasionally, but no rain.

A[vril] fell & dislocated her shoulder. R[ichard] R[ees] has taken her down to Craighouse to the doctor.25

Put new ropes on creels. Tacked down loose rib on boat & put on a small patch of paint. Thinned runner beans. Put net over “wild” red currants.

Some strawberries reddening. One rose showing colour (pink). A little honeysuckle out, including some growing on the rocks almost in the sea.

Took out 4 galls petrol, making 25 gallons. Provided we have recorded takings-out correctly, & there has been no appreciable wastage, there should be 25 galls left, which has to last till the end of August. That is, our consumption from now on should not average more than 3 galls a week. The run to Ardlussa, by either boat or car, takes about 1½ galls for the return journey, so we should manage.

5 eggs (141).

7.7.47: Coldish, blowy, overcast, some rain. Sea roughish.

As the doctor could not set A’s arm, D.D., R.R. & B.D. took her across to Crinan in the boat. They returned on the tide about 11 pm. Evidently a nasty trip. A’s arm was set at Lochgilphead & is evidently now all right.26

Too busy with R[ichard] etc. to do anything out of doors.27

Took out 1¾ galls, petrol, say 2 galls, making, 27 gallons.

2 eggs (143).

7.8.47: Most of day rather cold & overcast, with showers. Some rain during last night. This evening fine & pleasant. Sea calm.

Picked literally a handful of strawberries, the first fruits of the garden, barring gooseberries. Carrots sown 6.26.47 are up.

Many lettuces* coming up among the oats in the field. This was over-sown with rye-grass, which would come up after the corn has been cut & form hay next year. Qy. whether wrong seed was used (rye-grass is very small seed) or merely impure seed.

Deer in the field again – Must stop up hole.

4 eggs (147).

[Orwell’s note on facing page.] * Chicory. Mixed in seed intentionally as it is supposed to improve the soil.

7.9.47: Fine, sunny & blowy. Not very warm. Sea calm. Everything has dried up a great deal.

Stacked peat into small piles. A good deal of it is pretty dry, especially the small blocks (NB. to cut thinner blocks next year.) Took up tulip bulbs.

2 eggs (149).

7.10.47: Overcast nearly all day, but no rain. Not very warm. Sea calm, & this evening glassy.

Pulled first turnips.

A[vril] went fishing last night – 6 saythe, 2 lithe.

Set creels (first time this year). The netting is old & may give, but they have new ropes on, so the frame-work should not be lost.

Paraffin getting very low. Another drum is ready for us, but it is questionable when it will arrive.

Drink gave out today – just 3 months for 12 bottles.28 No more has arrived yet.

2 eggs (151).

7.11.47: Finer. A little rain during last night. Very faint drizzle for a few minutes during the day. Not much wind. Sea calm.

Took up creels – nothing. One, I now notice, is damaged near the bottom, & a lobster could have crawled out. Put meta° round strawberries, which slugs are eating badly.

Several roses have buds opening – no white ones, I am glad to say. Picked a bunch of wild roses this afternoon. Three definitely different kinds of rose. One pink, apparently the ordinary briar, except that it had a smell, which I thought the briar did not. One a little rather frail white rose which I think is the “white rose of Scotland.” Another also white, with more robust growth & – I think – blunter leaves. Both these last have something like the sweet briar smell.

Took out 1 gall petrol, making 28 galls. Managed to get the air-hole at the top open & measured the petrol. Cask seems almost half full, so my records have probably been about correct.

2 eggs (153).

7.12.47: Overcast most of day, with a few sunny intervals. In the evening a very few spots of rain, & stronger wind. Sea calm till evening, then roughening somewhat.

R[ichard] has trampled on two of the cauliflowers. The others appear to have rooted all right. The first rose is out (salmon pink).

7 eggs (5 laid out) (160).

7.13.47: Some rain in the night, I think. Drizzle in the morning, clearing up to a beautiful, still, sunny afternoon & evening. Sea calm.

Had to put prop for bough of one apple tree, because already weighted down with fruit. Got a small picking of strawberries, less than ½ lb. More coming. Many runners. Evidently they do well here, so shall try to put in some more this autumn if I can get the ground ready.

2 eggs (162).

7.14.47: Warm, some wind from south, overcast part of the time, but no rain. Sea calm.

Went down to collect drift. Boat ran well. Great difficulty in getting her afloat again on a stony beach, the tide having gone down a little while we were collecting drift. NB. with a boat as heavy as this one should always leave her anchored in fairly deep water.

Another rose out (dark red polyantha). Thinned apples.

Petrol drip, 2 pints.

4 eggs (166).

7.15.47: Beautiful sunny day, one of the best we have had. Hardly any wind. Sea very calm.

Stacked up peat. It makes a stack 4´ by 5´. Most of it now pretty dry.

A[vril] went fishing last night – nothing. Apparently they are catching hardly anything at Ardlussa either.

Picked a very few strawberries.

3 eggs (169).

7.16.47: A filthy day. Rain almost continuous until about 7 pm. Evidently some rain during last night as well. Sea calm.

Thinned first carrots (final thinning).

3 eggs (172).

7.17.47: Warm, rather close, overcast some of the time but no rain. Sea calm.

Thinned radishes, put netting round third° peas (no more sticks). Another rose coming out. Candytuft budding, ditto poppies.

Petrol drip ¾ gall. (owing to changing taps), plus, 1 quart previously, 1 gall, making 29 galls.

2 eggs, (174).

7.18.47: Close, still day, overcast much of the time but not actually raining till 6 pm, when there was a heavy shower. Sea like glass. This morning so still that when a cormorant rose from the sea I could hear its wings flapping from my room (distance about 400 yards).

Sowed perennial alyssum. Cut front grass & scattered sand on it.

Took out 1 gall, petrol, making 30 galls. This leaves 20 galls to last us to end of August, ie. about 3 galls a week, but we have the prospect of another 7 galls.

3 eggs (177).

7.19.47: Some fairly heavy rain during last night. Today very warm & close, overcast a good deal of the time, but no rain. Sea less calm. Horseflies (“cligs”) very bad.

Dug a few of the first lot of potatoes (3 months in the ground) – much too small, must be left another 3 weeks or so. Picked a few strawberries, less than ½ lb.

Began making path.

Currants changing colour. Perhaps about 1 lb. in all in this garden. The third rose to come out is apparently the same as the first one. Of the dozen roses I had last year, only about 3 are bushes, the rest all polyantha, ramblers or climbers. May get some better ones this time as they are getting less scarce.

3 eggs (180).

Cylinder of Calor gas gave out today. Only 4 weeks this time. Put on the last one. NB. to send for more as soon as possible.

7.20.47: Some rain in the night. Today warm & overcast, no rain till about 7 pm when there was a light shower. Sea not very calm.

Started removing elder trees from place where gate will come. Another rose out (dark red polyantha, like the other).

Petrol drip 1 quart.

3 eggs (183).

7.21.47: Rain almost continuous till about 5 pm, after which it cleared & a strong wind began blowing from S. or SE. Sea rough all day, increasingly so in the evening.

Could not do much out of doors. Thinned parsnips.

Some hens moulting. Today a double egg, supposed to be a bad sign, as it is said to be the last of the clutch so far as that particular hen is concerned.

4 eggs (187).

An eagle over the field today, soaring high up. It is always in windy weather that one sees them here.

7.22.47: A very few drops of rain about 10 am, otherwise dry & windy, quite warm in afternoon. Sea rough.

Finished path but could not sow it as it was too windy.

Eagle over field again today. Crows mobbing him appeared to succeed in forcing him down to the ground. Peat pretty dry in spite of yesterday’s rain. Two or three more windy days, & it would be dry enough to bring in, after which a couple of weeks in the barn would finish it.

Petrol drip ½ gall (put this into car).

3 eggs (190).

7.23.47: Rain almost continuous all day. Some mist in the morning. Strongish wind, mostly from south, in afternoon. Sea calm.

Tried to set creels, but impossible to get boat out, as the tide was very low. Have set one buoy nearer to the anchor.

A[vril] & B[ill] D[unn] caught 11 fish last night.

D[onald] D[arroch] has started to mow the field behind the house, but impossible to continue in the rain.

Picked the last of the strawberries. In all about 1 to 2 lb. – perhaps not bad for first year.

3 eggs (193).

7.24.47: Rain most of morning. Afternoon fairly fine, but not much sun. Some wind most of day, dropping in the evening. Sea calm.

Sowed path (rather thin one end as there was not quite enough seed.)

A[vril] now picking second lot of turnips (sown 5.22.47). First peas ready to pick in about a week.

Mended lobster box. Transferred the wood R[ichard] R[ees] has cut to the stable. NB. to see whether it stays drier there.

I note one hen is steadily laying a pullet-sized egg. I think it must be a hen that was broody & has come off. Two hens went broody almost at once, when they can only have laid a very small clutch. One may have gone broody before she had finished her pullet eggs, & therefore is still laying the small ones.

Candytuft flowering. Two more polyantha roses almost out (lighter red than the others).

4 eggs (197.)

7.25.47: Beautiful day. Morning overcast, warm & still, afternoon sunny. Hardly a breath of wind. Sea very calm.

Removed straw from strawberry bed. Pegged down one or two runners to fill up gaps.

Hay cut in the field behind the house already in the small heaps. Not good hay, half of it rushes.

A[vril] fished last night – nothing.

Some carrots ready to pull. Currants nearly ripe.

Today saw a pair of bullfinches. The cock very striking. Only the second time I have seen them here.

Petrol drip ¾ gall.

4 eggs (201). This makes almost exactly 200 in 2 months, or 2 doz. a week. If this was an average for 8 hens it will be all right, but of course they will go off when they begin to moult.

7.26.47: Warm, very still day, but not very sunny. Sea calm.

Part of the field behind the house has hay already in the small stacks, called here ricks, about 8 ft. high. Each of these appears to use up the hay of 400 or 500 square yards, ie. where the hay is poor, as here. Apparently, given good weather, the procedure is as follows. Soon after the hay is cut, perhaps 24 hours after, it is raked up into lines. These are then raked up into heaps about 2 ft. high. Next day these are scattered again. The hay is again raked into lines. Then it is raked together into a circle containing enough hay for a rick. Two people with pitchforks stand inside the circle & build the rick, which is tapered off when it has reached 5 or 6 feet. The sides are combed with the rake to get out the loose bits. Then a rope is strained over the top & tied to a thick twist of hay at the bottom on both sides (more usually 2 ropes, & some people weight them with stones). Given good weather, this whole process need only take about 3 days, but the hay has to dry in the rick for some days more before being stacked.

Pulled first carrots today.

Killed very large snake. As soon as it saw us it showed fight, turning round & hissing. I have not seen them do this before.

4 eggs (205).

7.27.47: Beautiful hot day. No wind. Sea like glass.

Planted 3 lupins – not very suitable weather or time of year for doing so.

Took up creels. 1 lobster, 1 crab. First lobster of the year. Lobster box is unsatisfactory, as it has too many apertures in it & therefore does not submerge properly. Could not reset creels, as we had no bait.

3 eggs (208).

7.28.47: A dreadful day. About 8 am a violent thunderstorm & extremely heavy rain, going on for some hours. The burns immediately turned into large torrents & flowed across the fields. Surface of the road washed away in some places. Wooden bridge near Kinuachdrach washed away. Two drills of D[onald] D[arroch]’s turnips destroyed. In the middle of the day it cleared up slightly, but there was more thunder & heavy rain during most of the afternoon. Dense “Scotch mist” in the evening. Everything in the garden looks battered & splashed with mud.

In the afternoon tried fishing in the Lealt,29 as we had to go to meet J.30 Only 1 very small trout. There were more there, but without a boat it was impossible to get to the place where they were rising.

5 eggs (213).

7.29.47: Fine sunny day, with some wind from the west. Sea calm.

Made 1 lobster box. There will have to be two, as I have no box big enough to divide into compartments.

D.D. turning hay over again, but what was lying out is too wet to be built up into ricks. Picked a few roses – the first picking. Afraid grass-seed has been washed away from the path, but it is difficult to make sure.

3 eggs (216).

8.1.47: Last 3 days at Glengarrisdale.31 Marvellous weather all the time. Sea very calm. Journey either way 2 hours or a little under, or somewhat less than 1 gall, petrol. Going, we timed it so as to pass Kinuachdrach ½ hour before high tide, & coming back so as to leave Glengarrisdale about an hour before low tide.

Fished yesterday in Loch nan Eilean.32 Six good-sized trout & some tiddlers. The two biggest fish were about ½ lb, the rest 5 or 6 ounces. Mostly taken on a claret-coloured fly. Lost about as many as I caught, owing to difficulty of using the landing net when single-handed.

Enormous quantities of puffins on the west side of the island – seldom seen round this side.

A small patch of the garden appears to have been struck by lightning in the storm on Monday. The day after it happened I noticed that the potatoes seemed to be withering up. Now, over a patch about 5 yards square, nearly all the potatoes, most of the runner beans, some turnips & radishes, some young peas, & even some weeds, are frizzled up & dying, as though a flame had passed over them. It must be something to do with the storm, & I do not think the rush of water can have washed any bad substance into the bed. What is impressive is that all the damaged plants are in one patch, the rest of the garden being untouched. It is true, however, that within this patch there is one row of peas that does not seem affected.

Eggs from 30th onwards (3 days) 7 (223).

8.2.47: Warm & overcast. A few drops of rain about midday, light drizzle in the evening. Sea calm.

Picked some peas (first picking, sown 4.12.47).

Forgot to mention, took out 3 galls. petrol before the trip to Glengarrisdale, making 33 galls. Think I have forgotten to enter some, so say 35 galls. Have secured a slightly larger allocation as from September. Hayfield now largely cut. About a dozen of the “ricks” now up. Today what was spread out had to be put in small heaps in expectation of rain.

2 eggs (225).

8.3.47: Evidently a good deal of rain in the night. This morning misty & drizzling. Afternoon warm, still & sunny. Sea calm.

Took up creels – nothing. Prepared the two new creels & took over the new lobster boxes. The lobster in the store box was dead, probably owing to the fresh water washed down by the storm. The crab all right. Thinned carrots.

The blasted patch in the garden cannot actually have been struck by lightning, but I suppose that it is imaginable that a flash of lightning may pass through a sheet of rain on its way down, so that it reaches the ground heavily charged with electricity. At any rate, as the withering-up effect appeared the day after the storm, & has affected only one patch of the garden, it must be in some way connected with the storm.

Forgot to mention A[vril] took out 1 gall, of petrol day before yesterday, making 36 galls.

Killed a small snake in the hay field yesterday. D.D. killed one there the day before. Another egg eaten today.

3 eggs. (228).

8.4.47: Beautiful sunny day till evening. A fair amount of wind. Mist coming off the hill in the evening. Sea calm.

The hayfield behind the house now cut, & about half of it in “ricks.” It appears there will be 28 or 30 of these, which will make up into 3 stacks. So presumably a stack equals about 10 ricks. To build a rick, once the hay is more or less gathered together, takes 3 people about 20 minutes. One stands on top & builds up, while the others fork the hay to him.

Marigolds out. Ditto the pink flower (don’t know name) which M[argaret] F[letcher] gave us.

4 eggs (232).

8.5.47: Scotch mist till about 4 pm. After that somewhat clearer, but no sun. Very close & still most of the day. Sea calm.

Put out creels (all 4). Although it was almost low tide, nearly lost one of them, as there is evidently a hole about 200 yards along to the left from the harbour.

Some young seagulls (brown plumage) flying about.

R[ichard] R[ees] began bringing in the peat, which is fairly dry but will have to dry off in the barn for some weeks.

3 eggs (235).

8.6.47: Overcast all day, but no rain, & quite warm most of day. A fair amount of wind from west & north. Sea calm.

Made nursery bed & pricked out wallflowers, sweet williams, lupins, canterbury bells & a few other flowers, which A[vril] had sown. Started clearing one of the beds. Garden now in a bad state after being almost untouched for a week.

Another rose out (pale pink). Rambler by gate just coming out (crimson).

2 eggs (237).

8.7.47: Beautiful, sunny, warm day. Little wind. Sea calm & very blue.

Took up creels. All 4 completely empty. Tried anchoring the boat in a new place. Not sure whether we can get to her there at high tide, but if so will save the misery of dragging her up & down.

Cut grass in front. Scythed down ragwort in hen-run.

4 eggs. 2 of these laid out, including one which looked as if it had been hid some days. Also another which had got broken in the house, perhaps owing to insufficient chaff in the nesting boxes. (241).

8.8.47: Beautiful sunny day. A good deal of wind from south. Sea slightly less calm.

Set creels. Place where we tried anchoring the boat is not good as one cannot get to it at high tide. Tried anchoring in front of slip, but about 5 yards further out, with a long shore rope, along which one could work the dinghy at high tide.

Took runners off strawberries, except two which I have allowed to root to fill up gaps.

A[vril], J[ane], & B[ill] D[unn] caught 30 fish last night, including 8 mackerel (first this year.)

One or two clarkia beginning to flower.

3 eggs, also another Richard broke. Shells are very thin – NB. to get more shell grit.

8.9.47: Dry, warm, windy day. Wind veering about, mostly south & east. Breakers on the sea in the morning, calm in afternoon & evening.

Weeded raspberries. Burnt some of the grass in the side patch.

Two snakes killed in the hay field yesterday. Large slowworm (about 1 ft. long) in the garden today.

Took out 2½ galls petrol, making 38½ galls (ie. about 10–12 galls left till end of August, but we have some supplementary coupons.33)

3 eggs (247).

8.10.47: Dry & warm, somewhat less sunny, very little wind. Sea very calm.

Went down to the near bay, next beyond Barnhill, to collect driftwood. A good deal there, including a large block which would do for a small anvil.

Everything in garden very dried up. Seedlings in nursery bed have to be watered every evening, & even so I think some of the wallflowers have died. A few runner beans trying to flower (sown 6.5.47). Dug some more of the first lot of potatoes, sown nearly 4 months ago. Now quite good, but of course not good as “new” potatoes as they are not an early kind. The others will I am afraid come to nothing after their blasting.

Took out ½ gall petrol, making 39 galls.

2 eggs (249).

8.11.47: Mostly overcast, less warm than yesterday. Sea calm. Sowed turnips & a few swedes (probably not too late as a last sowing.) Gave liquid manure to runner beans, which, even apart from the blasted ones, are not very good.

Another rambler coming out (pink).

Berries on rowan trees getting red. Hazel nuts pretty large.

4 eggs (253)

8.12.47: Warm, dry, fairly sunny, some wind. Sea calm. Earth now very dried up.

A[vril] & the others fishing last night – about 30 fish, including 1 mackerel. Brought home oar to make mast for boat.

2 eggs (255).

8.13.47: Blazing hot day. Sea calm.

Made mast for boat (6½ feet high, ie. six & a half after clearing the gunwhale.)

New drum of paraffin arrived.

4 eggs (259).

8.14.47: Blazing hot day, about the hottest we have had. Sea like glass.

Tried to raise creels – no use as the tide was not low enough. After this fished, but only 2 saithe.

One or two godetias coming out.

Took out 1½ galls, petrol, making 40½ galls.

5 eggs (264).

Rats in byre very bad. Reset traps, caught one rat.

8.15.47: Similar day to yesterday.

Everything very dried up. Water in tank very low – about 2 days’ supply, I should say, unless it rains.

New barrel of oil arrived yesterday, but the old one is not quite finished yet. It was started on 5.6.47. Supposing it to last 2 weeks more, as I should think it would by the weight of it, our average summer consumption (40 galls in about 14–15 weeks) is less than 3 galls a week.

Started cylinder of Calor Gas today. The last, which gave out yesterday, was started on 7.19.47, so has run less than 4 weeks.

4 eggs (268).

8.16.47: Fine hot day, little wind. Sea very calm.

Went over to Crinan to buy oatmeal. About 1 hour 10 minutes going (probably about 8 miles), more coming back, owing to aiming too far south & being swept down the sound by the tide.

Took out ¾ gall petrol, making about 41½ galls.

Last night saw the northern lights for the first time. Long streaks of white stuff, like cloud, forming an arc34 in the sky, & every now & then an extraordinary flickering passing over them, as though a searchlight were playing upon them.

3 eggs (271).

8.19.47: Since 8.17.47 at Glengarrisdale. Fine weather all the time. Sea calm. Water supply has dried up & will not begin again until it rains. Well in field fairly good water.

Time to Glengarrisdale about 1 hour 45 minutes. On return journey today ran into the whirlpool35 & were all nearly drowned. Engine sucked off by the sea & went to the bottom. Just managed to keep the boat steady with the oars, & after going through the whirlpool twice, ran into smooth water & found ourselves only about 100 yards from Eilean Mór,36 so ran in quickly & managed to clamber ashore. H[umphrey] D[akin] jumped ashore first with the rope, then the boat overturned spilling L[ucy] D[akin], R[ichard] & myself into the sea. R. trapped under the boat for a moment, but we managed to get him out. Most of the stuff in the boat lost including the oars. Eilean Mór is larger than it looks – I should say 2 acres at least. The whole surface completely undermined by puffins’ nests. Countless wild birds, including many young cormorants learning to fly. Curiously enough it has a considerable pool of what appears to be fresh water, so there must be a spring. No wood whatever on the island, as there is no place where drift could fetch up. However we managed to get my cigarette lighter dry & made a fire of dead grass & lumps of dry peat, prised off the surface, at which we dried our clothes. We were taken off about 3 hours later by the Ling° fishermen who happened to be bringing picknickers round. We left Glengarrisdale at about 10.30, which was about 2 hours after high tide. So must have struck Corryvreckan at about 11.30, ie. when the tide had been ebbing about 3 hours. It appears this was the very worst time, & one should time it so as to pass Corryvreckan on slack water. The boat is all right. Only serious loss, the engine & 12 blankets.

Yesterday fished Loch nan Eilean & a Bhùrra.37 12 trout, mostly small. There are a lot of fish in a Bhùrra but I could not catch anything over about 5 ounces. It is very shallow, with a sandy or shingly bottom.

Took out 1½ galls, petrol making 43 galls.

Eggs for last 3 days 15 (286).

8.20.47: Weather as before. Sea very calm. The house has now had no water for about 4 days.

Caulked boat as best I could, not having either tar or proper caulking twine, & being very short of plasticine. She was not much damaged, merely a grating & one seat gone, & a little sprung near the bows, which I think I have tightened up.

Godetias now well in flower. All except one rose have now flowered. Marrow has a good many fruits coming but no flowers out yet.

Yesterday put in an L.T. battery in the wireless. They are supposed to last 2 months, the H.T. batteries 4 months, so we shall need one of each about October 20th. NB. to write about October 10th.

5 eggs (291).

8.21.47: Weather as before. Sea a little less calm.

Cleared strawberry bed. Runners still growing very fast. Some gladioli now have flower buds. One or two raspberries fruiting (only one or two berries).

5 eggs (296).

8.22.47: More overcast than yesterday, still very hot. Sea less calm.

Started trying to make new back seat for boat.

Some red hot pokers have buds. Turnips sown 8.11.47 are up in places. Honeysuckle almost over. Dead shrew on the path. Corn ripening in places. Candytuft almost over. Seedlings in nursery bed still alive in spite of drought.

8 eggs (4 laid out) (304).

Old drum of paraffin about at an end. Begun 5.7.47. Ie. 40 galls, has lasted 14–15 weeks, so that summer expenditure averages less than 3 galls. a week.

8.23.47: Warm & dry, a good deal of wind (W.) at times, no sign of rain. Sea calm.

Planted 25 sprouting broccoli on place where I had taken the peas up. Not very good weather for planting, & they had been several days in the post as well.

5 eggs (309).

8.24.47: Weather much as before. Heavy low mist late last night & early this morning, but no sign of rain. Sea very calm.

Cut grass in front. Took up the potatoes, as they had withered up – would not make any more growth. Slightly better than I had expected, as they had only been planted 3 months when blasted. About 100 lb. from 5 rows (about 25 lb. of seed), & perhaps 10–20 pounds had been dug before. The seed was Great Scott, & with normal growth I think one might expect 2¾ cwt. from this amount of seed.

4 eggs (313).

8.25.47: Weather as before. Sea less calm this morning, but glassy again in the afternoon.

Finished mending boat. Seat not good. Very difficult job putting it in unless one has good timber & a vice to shape it in.

One or two gladioli out (pink). A few rowan berries ripe.

Started new drum of paraffin. Should last at least to middle of November.

7 eggs (320).

8.26.47: Weather as before. Sea very calm.

Dug over patch where potatoes had been. Ground very dry & lumpy. Perpetual spinach to go here. Should have been sown 2–3 weeks ago. Sowed grass seed in bare patches on path.

A[vril] tried the boat last night – still letting in water badly. More caulking needed near bows.

R[ichard] R[ees] saw a grampus (or something of the kind) in the sound today.

3 eggs (323).

8.27.47: As before. A little less warm. Sea calm.

Caulked boat some more & applied a little tar. Difficult to apply as I had no brush.

Cylinder of Calor Gas gave out today. Put on new one. The last has gone only for 12 days. However we have used nothing else for cooking & heating water for over a week, as until there is water in the tanks it is dangerous to light the fire.

Runner beans & late peas very poor, no doubt owing to drought.

5 eggs (328).

8.28.47: As before. Very warm in afternoon.

Sowed perpetual spinach. Should have been sown about 3 weeks ago, but I had not the ground ready.

D[onald] D[arroch] started cutting corn. Seemingly much better than last year, with more & better straw.

Honeysuckle over, most rowan berries ripe, loosestrife about over, some blackberries red, a good many hazel nuts, but not ripe yet. A good many corn marigolds about – A[vril] says she did not see any last year. Dews now very heavy, which is the salvation of turnips in the garden.

4 eggs (332).

8.29.47: As before. Very hot in afternoon. Sea glassy.

Tried boat on water. Does not seem to take in quite as badly. Watered sprouting broccoli, which look very sorry for themselves.

Have sent for Calor Gas.

4 eggs (336).

8.30.47: As before. A little less warm. Sea calm.

Tried fishing in the Lealt again. It is dried up into a series of disconnected shallow pools in which actually there are a good many fish, but all very small. Could not catch anything even as large as ¼ lb. Also when the water is so shrunken the fish can see you & will not rise unless you hide yourself while casting.

Yellow gladioli out. One or two sweet peas beginning to flower.

4 eggs (340).

8.31.47: Somewhat less warm. Overcast & sometimes misty. Sea calm.

Most of afternoon trying to mend typewriter. Removed more strawberry runners. Started on new balancer meal.

1 egg (341).

9.1.47: Much as before. Sea calm.

They have started cutting D.D.’s field with the reaper & binder. This makes much larger sheaves, which I think are somewhat easier to build into stooks. Saw a grampus momentarily.

1 egg & 1 laid out (343).

9.2.47: Cooler, & distinctly chilly in evening. Wind from W. & heavy low cloud a good deal of the time, but still no rain. Sea calm. Fire in sitting room for first time today.

Weeded between blackcurrants etc. with help of G.,38 & lit a bonfire in hopes of getting some ash to spread. All that patch of ground is obviously very sour & I think needs potash as well as lime. Shall try to get some Kainit.39

D.D’s corn now all cut & stooked (binder was here today.)

2 eggs (345).

9.3.47: Cold & overcast, with low clouds. A very few spots of rain, not enough to wet the ground. More rain coming, by appearances. Wind from S. Sea rougher.

Felt unwell, did nothing out of doors. The field in front cut & stooked today, in spite of various mishaps to binder (string breaking etc.) About half a dozen rabbits killed. Three hens now broody.

Finished up cask of petrol.

1 egg (346).

9.4.47: Evidently a very little rain in the night. Fairly persistent but very thin drizzle most of day. Stream to tank still dry, soil only wetted about 1" deep.

Sea less calm.

New wheelbarrow arrived (rather too small.) Began manuring patch for spring cabbages. Retied one or two apple trees. At least 3 hens now broody.

1 egg (347).

9.5.47: Somewhat more rain, but clearing up again this afternoon. Stream to tank still not affected. This evening very clear, with some sun. Sea fairly calm.

Unwell (chest), hardly went outside. Turnips sown 8.11.47 want thinning.

1 egg (348).

9.6.47: Some rain, including one or two heavyish showers. Tomorrow we intend taking the top off the tank to get some water direct if it rains. Ought to have done this earlier. Little rain & midges awful. Sea calm.

Thinned carrots & turnips, weeded between gooseberries, transplanted alyssum to nursery bed, ditto one or two rooted strawberry runners. Gooseberries very poor & have hardly made any growth this year. Presumably sour soil, though it had a fairly good liming this spring. If obtainable shall apply Kainit to make up the potash, then more lime in spring. Dug in 1 lb. of Epsom salts under the apple tree which I think has magnesium deficiency.

1 egg (349).

9.7.47: Drizzle most of day. A few patches of sun. Water in taps now, but none in hot tank. Sea calm. Ground still very dry a few inches down.

Started making pen for ducklings. Am ordering 6. (3 weeks).

Cylinder of Calor Gas gave out. Cannot light kitchen fire till water in hot tank.

Ate first cabbage today (planted 7.5.47).

1 egg (350).

9.8.47: Raining on & off through the day, with sunny patches. Rain at times fairly heavy. Little wind. Sea calm. Put up place for ducklings. Sweet peas fairly well out. Soil still extremely dry.

No eggs. (350).

9.9.47: Raining all or most of last night. Violent rain during much of the day, & very violent wind from S. & W. Sea very rough till evening, when it calmed somewhat. Water in taps now normal. Spinach germinating.

1 egg (351).

9.10.47: Rain a good deal of the day. Little wind till evening. Sea fairly calm.

No eggs (351).

9.11.47: Light rain most of the morning, clearing up in evening. Little wind. Sea fairly calm.

Picked the first bunch of sweet peas. Everything very flattened out by the wind & rain. Clarkia & godetias about over.

No eggs. (351).

The last double opening of Domestic Diary IV was used by Orwell for various notes. The question marks and ticks reproduced are as in the manuscript.

On verso:

Before going away.

Take up all crops.

Weed all patches.

Spread manure.

Put wire across gap.

Get in stakes.

Put barbed wire round cherry trees.

Cut grass.

Dig patch for spring vegetables.

Mark places for fruit trees etc.

Plant tulip bulbs & peonies (?)

Plant perennial flowers (if any).

Make bottom of gate rabbit-proof

Weight down hen-house.

Drag up & cover boat.

Prune bush roses (?)

Make sure fruit trees properly tied.

Make sure wood etc. is in dry place.

Oil / calor gas.

Engine?40

Grease tools.

Manure fruit trees & bushes ✓

Wanted

Fence wire

Barbed wire

Wire netting41

Staples (large)

Stakes (for barbed wire)

Angle irons.

Wheelbarrow ✓

Tarpaulins.

On recto:

“Coming Up” not later than 4.30.48

“Burmese Days” .. 10.31.48

“Down & Out” .. 4.30.4942

“Homage to Catalonia”

“Critical Essays” when original edit.s

“Animal Farm” out of print

9.12.47: – lecture, Working Men’s College, Crowndale Rd. NW. 1. time? (lecture 45–60 mins.)43

November – introduction (Borough Librarian. St. Pancras.

Town Hall, Euston Rd. TER 7070)

£7,826–8–7 (6.19.47)

(£250)

(£150)44

This concludes Domestic Diary Volume IV.

DOMESTIC DIARY VOLUME V

Volume V of Orwell’s Domestic Diary was written on thirty-three recto and three verso pages of a notebook measuring 9¾ x 7¾ins. with 26 lines per page. Orwell broke off the entries at October 29, 1947, and Avril continued from December 27 to May 10, 1948. Orwell re-opened the diary after seven months’ absence in hospital (as he put it) on July 31, 1948, and continued until December 24, 1948, by when he had just completed Nineteen Eighty-Four. Avril’s entries have been summarised. When the originals were printed in full in The Complete Works it was with the permission of her husband, William Dunn. They married in 1951. Avril died in 1978 and Bill died in 1992.

Footnote numbering continues from that of preceding Volume.

9.12.47: Raining a good deal of the day. Strong wind, mostly from S. till evening. Sea rough.

Applied chicken manure to the place for the new blackcurrants. Had to stake some of the raspberries, which were being loosened at the root. NB. to put wires next year.

9 eggs (laid out.) (360).

9.13.47: Fine but overcast most of day. Little wind. A few spots of rain in the evening. Not very warm. Breakers on sea most of day.

Planted about 50 spring cabbage.

Put on new cylinder of Calor Gas.

9 eggs (laid out.) (369).

9.14.47: Driving rain most of day till evening, when it cleared up somewhat. Violent wind from SW, dropping a little in the evening. Sea very rough most of day.

No eggs (369).

9.15.47: Rain part of day. Violent wind from S. in afternoon. Sea rough.

Took the 3 broodies out of the henhouse & let them loose in the back yard, in hopes this may cure them.

Most of afternoon opening up drain from kitchen sink, which was blocked.

15 galls petrol arrived (supposed to last to end of October.) About 2 tons of coal delivered.

1 egg (370).

9.16.47: Raining till about 5 pm.

Gave the grass path its first cut, chiefly to keep down dandelions etc.

9 eggs (laid out). (379).

9.17.47: Finer. Only a few drops of rain. Sunny most of day, but not very warm. Little wind. Sea fairly calm.

Put broodies back. Re-covered drain, provisionally. Edged off path, which now looks fairly good.

6 eggs (4 laid out). (385).

9.18.47: Only a drop or two of rain, about 5 pm. Otherwise fine autumnal weather, sunny but not very warm. Little wind sea calm.

Tarred bottom of boat, ie. as thoroughly as I could, as there was only a little tar left.

D[onald] D[arroch] is building a stack in the field behind the house. Some of his own hay already stowed away in the barn.

Picked about ½ lb. of nuts, more or less ripe. A[vril] picked about 1 lb. blackberries (the first this year). R[ichard] R[ees] found some mushrooms, not very many but large & good.

2 eggs (387).

9.19.47: Weather much as yesterday. No rain. Little or no wind. Sea fairly calm.

Applied wood ash (& peat ash) to gooseberries.

B[ill] D[unn] bought 22 lambs, presumably about 6 months old, price 43/6^d each.45

Took out 2 galls petrol. 2 galls.

3 eggs (390).

9.20.47: Fairly heavy rain in the morning. Rest of day overcast, still, fairly warm. Sea calm. Little wind till evening.

Took up last lot of peas.

Took out 1 gall petrol. 3 galls.

It is now pretty dark at 8 pm.

3 eggs (393).

9.21.47: Beautiful clear day, not very warm. A very few light drops of rain. Sea calm.

2 eggs (395).

9.22.47: Violent rain & wind almost continuous all day, clearing slightly in the evening. Wind mostly from S. Sea very rough.

2 eggs (397).

9.23.47: Squally, with some sun & fairly sharp showers of rain. Sea roughish.

Went fishing in Lussa river.46 Hooked a salmon (3–4 lb. by his appearance) but lost him almost immediately. Cast did not break so presumably he was only lightly hooked.

Took out 2½ galls petrol. 5½ galls.

4 eggs (401).

9.24.47: Raining lightly most of morning, clearing in afternoon. Wind mostly from N. or N. W. Sea roughish in morning, calming in afternoon.

R[ichard]R[ees] picked a considerable quantity of mushrooms.

Took runners off strawberries (this must be the 4th or 5th time).

2 eggs (403).

9.25.47: Beautiful clear day, sunny most of the time. Sea calm.

Picked first marrow (the only one & very poor.)

Apples came from Rankin.47 About 15–20 lb. of eating apples, ditto of cookers, & some pears.

3 eggs (406).

9.26.47: Beautiful clear day till late evening, when a little rain. Fairly warm. Sea calm.

Field in front “hutted,” ie. put up into small stacks, today.

2 eggs (408).

9.27.47: Horrible day. Thin driving rain all day, wind from W. Sea variable, sometimes quite rough.

Worked out area of Barnhill croft as accurately as I could from the 6" map. Exclusive of the garden & the marshy field it appears to me to be just over 16 acres.

Started sack of wheat (140 lb) today. Three hens now moulting. One broody.

3 eggs (411).

9.28.47: Alternate rain & sun all day. Rather cold. Sea fairly calm. Bracken mostly going brown. Took out 2 galls petrol. 7½ galls.

1 egg (412).

9.29.47: A nasty day. Patches of sun, but mostly thin driving rain, & decidedly cold. Wind from W. & N. Sea fairly calm in daytime.

1 egg (413).

9.30.47: Somewhat better day. Some light showers. Sea fairly calm.

3 eggs (416).

10.1.47: Overcast. Only a few drops of rain. Sea calm.

A few godetias & shirley poppies, & a good many marigolds still blooming, ditto red-hot pokers. Picked the first parsnips today – very poor.

1 egg (417).

10.2.47: Beautiful still day. Overcast part of time, but sunny & quite hot in the afternoon. Sea like glass.

D[onald] D[arroch] now has all his corn stacked.

Picked a few blackberries. Still not a great number ripe.

2 eggs (419).

10.3.47: Beautiful still day. Not very warm. Sea calm.

3 eggs (422).

10.4.47: Beautiful day. Mist from about 4 pm, thickening from then onwards. Not very warm. Sea calm.

Took up bean sticks. Cleared parsnips (very poor).

Took out about 2 galls petrol, 9½ galls. There seems to be hardly any left in the cask (supposed to be 15 gallons.)

3 eggs (425).

10.5.47: Thick mist last night. Still, overcast day with occasional sun. Not very warm. Sea calm.

Removed dandelions from grass path (already very numerous).

A[vril] picked considerable quantities of blackberries. Saw two eagles over the house.

3 eggs (428).

10.6.47: Still day, mostly overcast, but no rain. Not very warm. Sea calm.

Manured all fruit bushes (NB. I think the blackcurrant bushes could do with a bit more.)

Still some runners on strawberries, which I removed. One or two recently-ripened raspberries, so I think these must be an autumn kind.

3 eggs (431).

10.7.47: Still, overcast, light rain during much of the afternoon. Sea rougher.

The corn in the front field brought into the byre today (very damp). Window of stable mended. Sent for Calor Gas.

4 eggs (435).

10.8.47: Rough night. Sea very rough this morning, calming by evening. This morning windy & rainy, this afternoon better, with sunny intervals & drizzle.

Started clearing out shrubs for tulip bed.

4 eggs (439).

10.9.47: Nasty morning & sea rough. Clearer in afternoon, with occasional sun, & sea calmer.

Cleared out fuchsia stump.

Started new cylinder of Calor Gas. Last cylinder has gone less than a month, but has been used a good deal.

2 eggs (441).

10.10.47: Mostly fine, though overcast. A short light shower about 1 pm. Sea fairly calm.

Began preparing tulip bed.

3 eggs (444).

10.11.47: Filthy day, raining most of time, with nasty driving wind from S. in the afternoon. Sea roughish.

4 eggs (445)48

10.12.47: Very stormy last night & sea rough this morning. Raining a good deal of the day, but wind dropping by afternoon. Sea fairly calm by evening.

Slight cold, did not go out of doors.

4 eggs (449).

10.13.47: Beautiful clear day. Sun quite hot for part of the morning. Sea calm.

Unwell, did not go out.

2 eggs (451).

10.14.47: Mostly fine, some showers. Sea calm.

Began digging tulip bed.

3 eggs (454)49

10.15.47: Nasty day. Overcast & rather cold, with mist & thin driving rain most of time. Wind from W. Sea calm inshore, roughish outside.

4 eggs (458).

10.16.47: Beautiful clear day, sunny but not very warm. No wind. Sea calm.

Finished tulip bed (will take about 150 bulbs), began clearing bed under window.

Two Golden Spire apples ripe, which we ate. Quite good crisp apples, lemony flavour.

Stags roaring all night. Have only been hearing them for about the last 10 days.

D[onald] D[arroch] taking in the last of his hay today (from the field behind the house). B[ill] D[unn] put his sheep up on the hill as they should be there before the frosts begin.

4 eggs, but I think 1 other had been broken & eaten. (462).

10.17.47: Nasty damp day, but not actually much rain, & no wind. Sea calm.

Paraffin running rather low (started about 6 weeks ago). Have ordered another drum.

Took out 1 gall petrol. 10½ galls. Only a little left in cask.

2 eggs (464).

10.18.47: Dull, still day. Hardly any rain. Sea calm.

Began clearing flower bed.

3 eggs (467).

10.19.47: Dull, overcast day, no rain, not cold. Some wind in afternoon. Sea roughish, especially in morning.

Went on clearing flower bed, spread a little manure (very short of this.)

New oil cooker used for first time today (Valor).

The swallows I think have gone. The last time I saw one was a week or 10 days ago. Chaffinches flocking.

4 eggs (471).

10.20.47: Fine, sunny, windy day. Chilly in morning & evening. Sea roughish.

Planted tulips (the new bulbs, about 100–150). Gave them a very little potassium sulphate. Finished clearing flower bed.

New oil cooker seems to use about 1 pint an hour for each burner (one burner works oven).

One hen still almost naked from moulting, & the others persecuting her a bit. Qy. whether to segregate her as she is probably not getting enough to eat.

3 eggs (474).

10.21.47: Fine day, sunny with some mist, rather cold. Sea fairly calm.

Planted Madonna lilies (6 I think).

3 eggs (477).

10.22.47: Fine, clear, coldish day till about 8pm, when it began raining. Sea fairly calm.

Planted more tulips (about 120) & transplanted one or two sweet williams.

3 eggs (480).

10.23.47: Evidently fairly heavy rain in the night. Today dull, overcast, still, with occasional rain & mist. Sea very calm.

Planted crocuses, supposed to be 200 but I think not so many. Very poor bulbs, & not enough of them. Must order about 100 more. NB. to order some scillas as well.

4 eggs (484).

On the facing page against 10.23.47 Orwell has written and ticked, implying he had placed the following order:

Order crocuses.

10.24.47: Clear, fine day, quite warm in the morning. Sea roughish.

Today a burst water pipe, a great nuisance but fortunately in the scullery & not upstairs. Nobody knows where the main cock is, as it is somewhere underground, near the door of the byre probably. The only way of cutting off the water is to disconnect the pipe from the tank, at the point where it crosses the stream. This soon empties the cistern & thus stops the water running, but of course while one is doing the mend the water is running out of the tank, & in dry weather it might not be easy to get it full again. NB. that one cannot disconnect the pipe without a large monkey wrench which we have not got.

3 eggs (487).

On the facing page against this date Orwell has written:

Order monkey wrench.

10.25.47: Beautiful, clear, windless day. Sea somewhat calmer.

Pruned gooseberry bushes (old ones). Applied sulphate of potash to fruit bushes & strawberries, & the two espalier apple trees.

Put new batteries in radio. NB. we shall need H.T. battery about 2.25.48 & L. T. battery about 12.25.47. Order 10 days beforehand.

Saw a piece of honeysuckle in bloom yesterday, in a bush that had ripe berries. One or two flowers on the thrift, must be second blooming. Forgot to mention, saw some starlings about a week ago.

3 eggs (490).

Against this date on the facing page Orwell has written:

Order H.T. battery 2.15.48 .

Order L.T. battery 12.15.47 .50

10.26.47: Still day, more overcast than yesterday, but no rain. Sea calm.

Gave manure to apple trees. The scion of the James Grieve appeared to have rooted. Cut the rootlets through – not certain whether this is the right thing to do.

5 eggs (495).

10.27.47: Fine still day, not much sun, no wind. Sea fairly calm.

New gate & tomato house have arrived. Also ½ ton hay, barrel of paraffin, calor gas. Gateposts 8½ [feet] long, must be cut down, as in this soil it would be almost impossible to sink them deep enough.

1 egg. (496 ).

10.28.47: Fine still day, not much sun, little wind, coldish. Sea calm.

Started clearing stable. NB. order large stiff broom.

Began new drum of paraffin. Allowing that we use 5 galls a week, this should last to 12.28.47. Important not to run out at Xmas time. Order another drum at beginning of December.

3 eggs (499).

Against this date on the facing page Orwell has written:

Order yard broom.

Order paraffin about 12.1.47 .

10.29.47: Fine clear day, not very warm, with some sun. Sea roughish.

A[vril] & B[ill] D[unn] continued clearing stable. Mowed lawn (last time this year).

3 eggs (& 1 I think eaten). 502.

After this entry, Orwell ceased to write his diary, owing to becoming seriously ill. His letters from here on and well into 1948 were handwritten from bed. His sister Avril took over recording events – chiefly the weather, the number of eggs collected – and the number of punctures suffered.

SUMMARY OF AVRIL’S ENTRIES

Orwell’s younger sister, Avril (who, after his death, would bring up Orwell’s son, Richard), lived at Barnhill with Orwell and cared for him. She worked hard gardening and caring for the animals – indeed, keeping the small property going. She made brief entries in Orwell’s Domestic Diary, Volume V, from December 27, 1947, until February 22, 1948, when she went to stay in London. On her return she continued making brief entries from March 9 to May 10, 1948. Orwell took up his diary again on July 31, 1948.

Avril’s entries always include, and usually start with, a description of the weather, for example, ‘Mt. Scarba heavily covered’ with snow, ‘Tearing South East Wind’, ‘Still beastly weather’, ‘A terrible day’, and, less often, ‘Beautiful fine day’. In this she is following Orwell’s practice. Mt. Scarba dominated the island of Scarba which lies just north of Jura some five or six miles from Barnhill. Its peak rises to 1,474 ft. Only the very last entry has no reference to the weather. Avril always records the number of eggs collected and, until her visit to London, gives, as did Orwell, a running total. Perhaps because she did not know how many eggs had been laid whilst she was away, she decided not to continue recording a total on her return. (For the record, the total number of eggs collected at the end of her entries would have been 777.) She mentions very briefly, with the names of those who helped her, especially Bill Dunn, the work done about Barnhill – sowing fertilizer, bringing hay, arrival of the rations, and the like. She clearly worked very hard. The entry for February 13, 1948 gives a fair indication of the effort she put in: ‘Staked & wired the loganberries. Cleaned out the hen house & started to dig the side garden. A terrific labour as it is filled with boulders’. On March 19: ‘Spread a little dung & dug & weeded some of the garden. Manured the rhubarb’. Then, on April 11, ‘Bill & I started to plant the potatoes, a backbreaking job’. At a more mundane level she enters ‘Did all the washing’ and, again, ‘Did all the washing & ironing’ (and, of course, in those days without washing or drying machines). However, on March 20, with the rations there arrived ‘my new mangle’. There are very occasional signs of relaxation. Thus, on February 7 she writes, ‘Took Rick’ (Orwell’s son, Richard) ‘to children’s party at Ardlussa & saw a white mountain hare on way home’. Ardlussa was about seven miles south of Barnhill by a very poor road. The quality (or otherwise) of that road was doubtless the source of one puncture after another which they suffered. Just three such entries tell their own story: ‘Bill & I mended a puncture & had two more on the way back from Ardlussa’ on March 26; on April 10, ‘Went to Ardlussa & had a puncture as usual’; and then on April 29, ‘Puncture on the way home & had to leave the car at Lagg’ – Lagg is a hamlet about fifteen miles south of Barnhill. Rabbits are reported as shot; the McDonalds (who lived at Lealt about five miles south of Barnhill) gave them a kid on March 13 and on the 18th it ‘strayed away’; the mail has always to be brought or collected from Ardlussa, often with punctures en route. But there are moments of triumph. On March 10, ‘Got the tractor going’ (its wheels had arrived with the seed potatoes on February 17). And a rewarding moment: ‘Fetched up a sack of wood from the beach & found a perfectly good hairbrush’, followed by, ‘Dug a bit more garden’. Like her brother, she took delight in the natural world around her. Thus, on March 13, 1948, ‘Crocus in full bloom’, on April 14 the first tulip was out and the next day she was able to pick the first rhubarb. Then, on May 9, French beans and sweet peas were ‘just showing’. And, despite all the trials of punctures and hard farm work, Avril had time to spend several days sowing ‘the new herbaceous border with cornflowers, poppies, clarkia, godetia, sweet sultan, candytuft & saponaria’.