George Orwell Diaries

Domestic Diary Volume V

This Diary is handwritten. Notes are numbered from 1.

7.31.48: Re-opening this diary after seven months absence in [Hairmyres] hospital. Returned here [Barnhill] on 7.28.48. Weather at present extremely hot & dry, no wind. Oats very short in the straw, presumably owing to drought in spring. Hay mostly cut & in ricks. Roses, poppies, sweet williams, marigolds full out, lupins still with some flowers, candytuft about over, clarkia coming on. Fruit bushes, other than raspberries, have not done very well & I shall move most of them. Trees fairly good. A lot of apples on some of the 1946 trees, but not much growth. Strawberries superlatively good. A[vril] says they have had about 20 lb. (50 plants), & there are more coming on, though of course getting small now. First lot of peas almost ready to pick. Lettuces good, turnips ditto, runner beans not so good. The things that always seem to fail here are anything of the onion family. Two lots of chicks coming on, 5 10-week & 10 6-week, R.I.R. x Leghorn, good chicks & very even size. Pig, born about March, very good specimen. Has been fed almost entirely on potatoes & milk, the young chicks on oatmeal & milk. Both cows still in milk. The first (Rosie) calved about February, now supposed to be in calf again (to the Highland bull.) Grass pretty good, & thistles not nearly so bad as they used to be.

Cannot for some time to come do anything in garden, except very light jobs such as pruning.

Fishing has been good. One night recently they caught 80 fish, & also 8 lobsters in a week.

Lamps in bad condition & want spare parts. Many tools missing.

At the bottom of the facing page, Orwell has written this list. All are ticked except the hammer; the third line is crossed through and ticked.

Order Tilly mantles & vapourisers.

,, hammer

,, washers (for taps)

,, plug for bathroom basin.

,, lamp chimneys.

8.1.48: A very little rain yesterday evening & in the night. Today overcast, & cooler. Sea like a sheet of lead. Midges very bad.

8.2.48: Fine but not very hot most of day. This evening mist & rain. Sea calm.

A[vril] started new cylinder of Calor Gas yesterday.

Bob1 removed to Tarbert today. To be returned first week in October.

On the facing page opposite 8.2.48, Orwell has written, and ticked:

Order Calor Gas

Order broccoli plants

8.3.48: A little rain during the night. Today very still, overcast, fairly warm, but chilly after about 8 pm. Sea very smooth & reflection of lighthouse2 visible (supposed to be sign of rain.)

One of the R.I.R. hens is ill – comb a good colour, & eats all right, but legs as if partially paralysed.

8.4.48: Most of day very still, misty, reasonably warm. A little rain [in] the evening. B[ill] finished cutting the other patch of hay.

Tractor does this quite satisfactorily, although it is not meant to have the reaper attached to it & has to be guided in a rather awkward manner.

Some sweet peas coming out, but not good. Forgot to mention, yesterday 3 eagles over the field in front (I think 3, though I only saw 2 at any one time). One attacked another, made it drop its prey, which looked like a rat or rabbit, & then swooped down & got it. They make a screaming noise, which I thought only the buzzards made.

8.5.48: Still & overcast, sea less calm. Some rain during the night, I think.

A[vril] & B[ill] took up the creels this morning & got 3 crabs. Angus3 yesterday brought some dabs, which had been got by spearing them, I think at Midge bay.4

Montbretia flowers appearing. A few red hot pokers budding. A few flower buds on the gladioli (not good.)

On the facing page opposite 8.5. 48, Orwell has written, and ticked:

Order wick for hanging lamp.

Ditto Valor

8.7.48: Overcast with sunny intervals. Windy & rather cold. B[ill] put the hay in the back field into coils.

On the facing page opposite 8.7.48, Orwell has written, and ticked:

Order methylated (from Glasgow)

8.8.48: Fine, rather cold. Wind in north. Sea calm. Some clarkia now out. One plum tree sending out long shoots from low down, which I presume must be cut out. A great many young rabbits about, but difficult to get a shot.

Wrote to two addresses about boats.5

8.9.48: Fine, not very warm. One fancies a fire in the evening nowadays. Dahlias budding well. Red hot poker shoots coming up very fast. They seem to shoot up a foot or more in 3 or 4 days. Very many rabbits about.

8.10.48: Fine, not very warm. Wind tends to be northerly. Mainland looked closer than I have ever seen it. B[ill] & his friends put the hay in the back field into ricks. Took the runners out of the strawberries, ie. the worst ones.

8.11.48: Still, overcast, fairly warm. A very few drops of rain in the afternoon. Midges very bad. Sea calm.

8.12.48: Still. Fine in morning, clouding over in afternoon, & a little rain in the evening & at night. Sea calm. Some hay brought in. Rick lifter very successful. A[vril] & B[ill] D[unn] fished & got 13 saythe.

8.13.48: Beautiful hot day. Sea calm, & glassy-smooth in afternoon. Several more ricks brought in. A[vril] cut grass in front. B[ill] & the others6 fished in the evening & caught 70 saythe.

8.14.48: Less warm, & sea somewhat rougher. A few drops of rain in the evening. When B[ill] & the others went down to fish, the calf followed them down & even began to swim after them.

8.15.48: Overcast, still, not very warm. Light rain part of day. Sea less calm. A[vril] planted out broccoli. With the journey, & lying about after arrival, the plants have been out of the ground at least a week. Chaffinches seem to be flocking already.

8.16.48: Dull & damp. Sea fairly calm.

8.17.48: Overcast in morning, some sun in afternoon. Very large lobster (4½ lb.) caught this morning. Cylinder of Calor Gas gave out. Must have been leaking.

8.18.48: Fine sunny day, not much wind. Sea calm. B.D. brought in some more hay, & put some more in the back field into ricks. The barn is now full & a stack will have to be built. Tied back cherry trees & cut out dead branches. Began weeding border. Killed first queen wasp.

8.19.48: Beautiful sunny day, with a little breeze. Sea fairly calm. B[ill] & R7 made small stack, covering with tarpaulin. Only one rick now to be brought in. Pig now put outside the gate, but does not go far afield yet. Weeded some more of the border.

Methylated running very short.

On the facing page opposite 8.18 and 19.48, Orwell has written, and ticked all but michaelmas daisies:

Order daffodil bulbs

.. crocus

.. scilla

peony roots

quince trees [crossed through]

lupins

michaelmas daisies

1 cwt lime

phloxes

8.20.48: Beautiful sunny day. Little wind. Sea calm. B. & R. clearing up last of hay. Weeded some more.

8.21.48: Horrible day, with driving rain & violent wind, from E. part of the time. Flowers in garden much blown about. B[ill] & A[vril] caught 9 mackerel last night.

8.22.48: Very slightly better day. Strong wind in morning, but sunny. Some driving rainstorms in afternoon, but a few bright intervals. Wind still strong, mostly from W., sometimes from S. Sea rough. Much white water round the lighthouse. B[ill] brought down sheep & put them in the field with a view to dipping them.

8.23.48: Horrible day. Raging wind from all directions. Sunny in morning, driving rain showers in afternoon. Tent blown down. Some apples blown off. Sea rough, much white water. B.& R. successfully dipped the sheep in the small iron tank used for rainwater. Wind dropped somewhat towards evening.

On the facing page opposite 8.23.48, Orwell has written, and ticked:

Order paraffin.

8.24.48: Better day. Some showers about mid-day, otherwise fine & sunny, not much wind. Sea calmer. Sticked a few dahlias.

8.25.48: Misty during last night. Today mostly dry, blowy, overcast & intermittent rain. Sea less rough.

8.26.48: Fine, still, sunny day. B[ill] is putting-up wires, parallel with the ground, to lean corn sheaves against instead of stooking them. New methylated came, ie. 1 gallon, but we also got a bottle of it from M^cKechnie, so we have 9 pints in hand. NB. to note how long it lasts. Removed seed pods from wallflowers, which we are going to leave in the ground. People always grow them as biennials, but I think in fact they are perennials, & they might do one more fairly good flowering after the first year.8 A[vril] cut grass.

On the facing page opposite 8.26.48, Orwell has written, but not ticked:

Order tarpaulin

8.27.48: Beautiful warm day. No wind. Sea very calm. B. & R.9 started cutting corn. Very difficult because stalks are so short.

8.28.48: Fine till evening, more wind than yesterday. Sea less calm. B. & R. continued mowing the field. They have got some of the sheaves against wires today instead of stooking them. Put the young cockerel in pen to fatten. Fine about 6pm onwards some light rain.

8.29.48: Some heavy rain in the night, & strong wind. Today damp, overcast, rather blowy, but warm. It appears the sheaves had stood up in spite of the rain in the night, so this method is justified. Retied the new fruit trees, which were becoming chafed owing to being tied with string.

Some gladioli out. They are not so good this year. The roses are really admirable. Godetias now about at their best.

On the facing page opposite 8.29.48, Orwell has written, and ticked:

Write about boat

8.30.48: Filthy day. Too wet to do anything out of doors. Sea less rough. Appears to be clearing a bit this evening.

8.31.48: Filthy day. Rain more or less continuous up to about 5 pm, then fine for two hours, then more rain. Mostly light, but quite a downpour during the night. Sea fairly calm. Tony [Rozga] saw some kind of shark or grampus in Kinuachdrach harbour, which, according to him, jumped out of the water & caught a seagull.

Peony roots now 6/– each!

On a separate page following 8.31.48, Orwell tabulates details for spraying fruit trees, etc.:

Spraying of fruit trees etc.

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

NB. Tar Oil. Mix with own volume of water, stir well & then add bulk of water.

Lime sulphur. All apples can stand it before blossoming.

9.1.48: Slightly better day. Some showers in morning & afternoon, also some light drizzle, but most of day fine & still. Sea calm. B. & R. cut some more corn, with difficulty, as the knife gets clogged with mud in this weather. Large slow-worm living in the peat, apparently as a permanency, as I have several times seen it. Probably this is the “snake” R[ichard] saw there. Retied cherry trees.

9.2.48: Filthy day till afternoon, when clearing up somewhat. Sea rougher, with some breakers. The second calf (2 months old) is to be bought in by the farm for £10. Apparently this is an equitable price, as it is pure-bred (a heifer) & has had about 60 galls of milk.

Rain during night.

9.3.48: Better day. A shower in the afternoon & a slight one in the morning, otherwise fine & still. Sea fairly calm. B. & R. continued cutting corn.

9.4.48: Beautiful, still, warm day. A very little breeze. Sea calm. B. & R. continued cutting. Started weeding the border under house.

9.5.48: Filthy day, wet & blowy, up to about 4 pm. After that a few showers, but finer on the whole. Sea roughish. Weeded gooseberry patch. Gooseberry bushes are still very small & poor, but do not seem diseased.

9.6.48: Filthy day, clearing partially in afternoon. Began weeding currant patch. Have now decided not to move these bushes, as they have made better growth than I had thought.

Pig keeps getting through the fence into the yard, & might find his way into the garden, which must not be allowed.

Finished the bottle of methylated started on 8.26.48. This means one bottle lasts 10–12 days, so a gallon (6 bottles?) should last at best 2 months.

On the facing page opposite 9. 6.48, Orwell has written, and ticked the first two items:

Plant tulips about October 20th.

Write about petrol

.. ashes10

.. rubber tubing

Order garden forks (2)

.. lamp washers (pump)

.. tools for boat

9.7.48: Filthy day, sea rough. Did nothing out of doors.

9.8.48: Much better day, sunny & fairly warm, sea calmer. B. & R. finished cutting corn. Weeded rest of the currants.

9.9.48: Fine but not very warm. Not much wind in day-time, & sea fairly calm. Wind sprang up about 8 pm & became very violent during the night, with some rain. Weeded raspberries. A good many suckers, which can be used to fill up gaps. Some lupins still flowering.

9.10.48: Sunny, strong wind. Sea rough. Corn too wet to be stacked, so they are throwing it down on the ground again.

Started weeding the other lot of currants.

9.11.48: Vile day in the morning, blowy & rainy. Sea rough. Afternoon somewhat better, but with showers. Sea calming down.

9.12.48: Heavy rain & much wind in the night, clearing in the morning. Some showers, & not very warm, but the day fine on the whole. Sea calm. B. & R. brought the new boat back from Colonsay.11 It appears it was rough in the Atlantic, though quite calm in the Sound. In the afternoon put wire netting along the fence to keep the pig out. He still gets in, but probably cannot do so if it is well tied down at the bottom.

9.13.48: Filthy day, sea rough. Cleared up somewhat in the evening. B. & R. could not get the boat’s engine to start, probably owing to dirty plugs. Ordered some young turkeys (3–4 months). (Unobtainable).

9.14.48: (Hairmyres):12 Much better day, quite warm part of the time. Sea fairly smooth. Just a little bumpiness before reaching Gigha.13 One child sick. Comparatively little of the hay on the mainland is gathered in.

9.15.48: Tremendous rain in the night, with some thunder.

9.16.48: (Glasgow): Dull overcast day, but little or no rain. Evidently the tremendous rain of the other night happened all over the country. Some fields near Hairmyres were completely flooded. Very unwell, temperature about 101° each evening.

9.17.48: (Barnhill): Fairly fine day, but windy. Roughish crossing, but not quite enough so to be sick. Lime has arrived.

On the facing page opposite 9.17.48, Orwell has written, and ticked:

Plant peonies

Prune raspberries

9.18.48: Fine clear day, not very warm, in the morning, some rain & wind in afternoon & evening. B. & R. stacking corn, which apparently has dried up in the last two days. A[vril] picked blackberries (first this year.)

9.19.48: Alternately sunny & overcast, a few light showers, not very warm. Sea calm close in. Breakers over towards Crinan. Tried boat. Very easy to steer. Planted peonies (six, red). Very roughly planted. Pruned raspberries. Not certain whether I did it correctly.

9.20.48: One sharp shower, otherwise fine, clear & rather cold. Some wind from W. B.& R. have about finished the stack, which is to be covered with a tarpaulin. Find one of the blackcurrants (ie. those planted last year) has already sent up a small plant, presumably by layering.

9.21.48: Clear, fine day, rather cold. Little wind. Sea calm inshore. Started burning rubbish to get wood ash. A[vril] planted sweet williams in nursery bed.

9.22.48: Heavy rain in the night. From about 10 am onwards a beautiful, clear, sunny day, reasonably warm. Took boat down to the nearest bay to collect firewood. A[vril] sowed winter spinach.

9.23.48: A few small showers, but most of day simply overcast & rather cold. Wind from E. in the morning. A[vril] & B[ill] went over to Tarbert via Crinan for the cattle market. Boat ran well. B. bought 48 lambs for 24/– each. Last year’s price was about 43/–. Felt very unwell, did not go out of doors.

9.24.48: Filthy day, all day, Sea rough. Unwell, stayed in bed. B[ill]’s sheep arrived.

9.25.48: Filthy night & morning, clearing slightly in the afternoon. Not much wind. Sea calmer. Got up for a little. The cats keep catching young rats, ie. what I think are young rats & not field mice. Did not know they bred so late in the year as this.

9.26.48: Horrible day. Very heavy rain in the night, & rain almost continuous throughout the day. Strong wind in the morning, mostly from S. The boat will have to be covered with a tarpaulin, as rain of this strength is liable to fill it up & sink it. Ground everywhere is a morass.

9.27.48: Rain in night, but a much better day, sunny & windy. Sea rough. Some more rain in evening.

9.28.48: Vile morning, pelting with rain, violent wind from south, sea very rough. Not cold. A few fine patches during afternoon.

9.29.48: Better day, sunny & windy. One short shower in the morning. Sea fairly calm.

9.30.48: Still, sunny & fairly warm in morning, still & overcast in afternoon. Sea calm in morning, growing slightly more choppy. Leaves beginning to fall.

10.1.48: Filthy day, all day. Boat gets a lot of water in it, evidently taking some in through the seams.

10.2.48: Nice, sunny, still day, fairly warm till evening. Sea calm. A. & B. took the boat down to Ardlussa to get the stores. The run from Barnhill to Ardlussa evidently takes about an hour. Started clearing strawberries. A curlew has adopted the fruit field & is there most of the time. Swallows seem to have flown. Bracken now brown everywhere.

10.3.48: Beautiful day, except for 1 short shower in the morning. Planted crocuses (200, yellow).

10.4.48: Beautiful day. A[vril] picked a lot of blackberries. Planted scillas (100).

A lamb died yesterday, the one that was lame. Probable reason, getting onto its back, or into a rut it could not get out of. As it was only just dead when found, the others ate it, which I did not fancy. The large calf is thought to have ringworm. Some lupins still flowering, & even new buds forming. Tremendous roaring of stags every night.

10.5.48: A little rain in the night, I think. Today a very still, overcast day, not very warm: Sea glassy. Flapping of cormorant’s wings audible from the sea-shore (about 400 yards away). Today a hind & fawn got into the field, & when chased out by Bob the hind ran into the wire & broke its leg, so B[ill] had to shoot it. Transplanted a few raspberry suckers to fill up gaps in rows; the book says you should not do this.

10.6.48: Very still day, sunny in afternoon. Sea calm. A.& I.14 made new house for the pig, making the walls of hay stuffed between two sheets of wire netting. Seems fairly wind-tight. Berries now at best on rowans. A lot of blackberries, very large.

On the facing page opposite 10.5 and 6.48, Orwell wrote, ticking the last three of the four items, and underlining ‘Order hay’ and ‘parrafin’°:

Order Aladdin15 chimney

Order hay.

.. parafin.°

.. other tractor

10.7.48: Beautiful, still day, quite warm till evening. Finished clearing the strawberries. Runners not so bad as last year. The others went out in the boat & took the creels round to the other bay. Some trouble with the petrol feed, but the engine was firing on all 4 cylinders, for almost the first time. Felt very unwell in evening (temperature 101°).

10.8.48: Strong wind all day. Sea rough. Rain in late evening. Unwell, stayed in bed (temperature 99°).

10.9.48: Dreadful day, all day. Sea rough. Impossible to fetch stores etc.

Orwell had returned to Hairmyres Hospital for an examination by Dr Dick. In his letter to David Astor, October 9, 1948 (CW, XIX, pp. 450–1), Orwell wrote that ‘Dr Dick seemed to be quite pleased with the results of his examination, but the journey upset me. Any kind of journey seems to do this. He told me to go on as at present, ie. spending half the day in bed, which I quite gladly do as I simply can’t manage any kind of exertion. To walk a mile or pick up anything in the least heavy, or above all to get cold, promptly upsets me. Even if I go out in the evening to fetch the cows in it gives me a temperature. On the other hand so long as I live a senile sort of life I feel all right, and I seem able to work much as usual. I have got so used to writing in bed that I think I prefer it, though of course it’s awkward to type there. I am just struggling with the last stages of this bloody book [ Nineteen Eighty-Four ], which is supposed to be done by early December, and will be if I don’t get ill again. It would have been done by the spring if it had not been for this illness’.

10.10.48: Very heavy rain in night. Pools everywhere this morning. Today overcast, thick mist, very still, & raining lightly all morning. Rain stopped in afternoon & mist grew thicker. B[ill] & Ian [M’Kechnie] went over to Crinan, rather dangerous in this mist as they had no compass. Pig’s new house gets very wet inside, but this is due to water trickling down the hillside & could be dealt with by a small trench round the wall.

10.11.48: Thick mist last night, & some rain, I think. Today blowy & overcast, but no rain till evening. Sea rough. Ian & B[ill] had some difficulty getting to Crinan, because there was so much water in the boat that it had got into the engine. All right on return journey. Ian has taken the boat to Ardlussa for Malcolm16 to see whether there is a board loose. Eagle over the field today & yesterday. The cats keep catching shrews, which apparently are in the haystack. Yesterday we ate the first cockerel (May hatched). Quite good & made a sufficient meal for 6 people. 3 more coming on. New consignment of drink today (12 bottles). Bill’s new puppy arrived (bitch). A[vril] dug trench round pig-sty.

10.12.48: Very blowy all day. Only a few drops of rain. Sea rough, breakers outside. Sty seems all right now that A[vril] has dug trench. Apples not quite ripe yet. Borders about due for clearing.

10.13.48: Sunny day with a number of sharp showers. A[vril] & I[an] began clearing the larger borders. Pain in side very bad. Sea calm.

10.16.48: (Some days missed out, apparently.)17 Sunny day, with some showers. Rather chilly. Sea calm. Continued clearing the borders. Paraffin is running low. 40 gall barrel only seems to last about 6 weeks at this time of year. Picked the Golden Spire apples, three large ones. A very good-flavoured apple, though I think it is really a cooker.

Pain in side very bad on & off. Temperature (night) 100°.

10.17.48: Sunny day with a few showers. Rather chilly. Sea calm. Did not go out of doors.

10.18.48: Clear, sunny, rather cold day. No rain till night. Sea calm. A[vril] continued clearing borders.

10.19.48: Overcast day. No rain till night. Sea fairly calm, but B[ill], who returned from Crinan, said it was choppy in the middle of the Sound.

10.20.48: Overcast day, rainy in afternoon. Water supply suddenly stopped, & B[ill] & A[vril] had to go & unblock the pipe leading from the burn to the tank, which had got a lump of mud in it. A lot of potatoes are rotting this year because of the waterlogged state of the ground. We are said to have had 20'18 of rain in the last two months. Not so bad here, but a lot lost at Ardlussa, it seems. Paraffin situation now desperate.

10.21.48: Overcast day, with occasional drizzle. Sea calm. A. & B. went down to Ardlussa in the boat to bring back 5 galls paraffin. Boat ran well but there is still one unlocated leak.

10.22.48: Clear, windy day, cold. Picked the apples, 4½ lb, ie. about 5½ with the others.

10.23.48: Nasty day, drizzling a good deal of the time. Sea calm till about 5 pm. The others went down in the boat to Ardlussa to fetch the stores, getting back just before the sea got up. Boat ran well but still takes in water. New drum of paraffin arrived, also Calor gas.

10.24.48: Filthy day, about the worst we have had. Rain incessant, considerable wind, sea rough. Not very cold, however. A[vril] & B[ill] baled boat, which was full of water. Leaks in roof very bad (2 places).

NB. to get Robert Shaw to deal with the tiles.

Started new Calor Gas. Ditto new drum of paraffin, which should last about 6 weeks.

On the facing page opposite 10.24.48, Orwell has written, and underlined 11.15.48:

See Robert Shaw19 about roof.

Order paraffin about 11.15.48

10.25.48: Better day, sunny but very cold. Wind in north. Sea fairly calm. Rabbits sitting along the bank sunning themselves.

10.26.48: Frost last night. Some short showers of hail & sleet this morning, & one short rain shower in afternoon. Otherwise clear, sunny & cold. Sea very calm. B[ill] thinks he has found the leak in the boat, which is in the shaft. Has plugged it up with grease, which is possibly all it needs. Pruned red currants (very lightly.)

10.27.48: Frost again last night, after rain in the earlier part of the night. Today a beautiful, sunny, still day, but cold. Sea less calm. A[vril] finished clearing border. Some of the leaves on the fruit trees going, after the frost. Pruned raspberries some more, cutting out all that had fruited. Deer keep getting into the field.

10.28.48: Fine, clear, sunny day, decidedly cold. There is still water in the boat, so evidently there is another leak somewhere.

10.29.48: Fine, but windy & cold. Hay arrived (1 ton, 25 bales). If possible the boat will be dragged up tomorrow, as it still takes in water. A[vril] forked the other border. Sea rough.

10.30.48: Heavy rain in the night. Today fine, and cold. The others dragged the boat up & propped it so that the stern can perhaps be caulked at low tide. B[ill] shot a rabbit which the dogs stole off the kitchen table the moment it had been skinned. Clocks go back tonight.

10.31.48: Rain in night. Violent wind all day, but not cold. Sea rough.

11.1.48: Fine & cold.

11.2.48: Filthy day, rain almost continuous. Roof dripping badly. Biro pen gave out, after only about 6 weeks.20 Sea rough. Eagles overhead.

11.3.48: Day partly sunny, with some showers. Very heavy rain in the evening. Sea rough. Cows’ yield has gone up a bit, no doubt thanks to the new hay. B[ill] has seen several more of the light-coloured rabbits.

11.4.48: Finer, but cold. A[vril] planted garden spirea, & phloxes.

11.5.48: Cold. Some fine patches & some drizzle. A little hail in the morning. Sea calm. Wind in north. A[vril] planted polyanthi.

11.6.48: Beautiful, still, windless day, warm in the sun, cold out of it. Sea calm. A[vril] & I.21 planted tulips, about 100. A[vril] started clearing bed under window. Felt very bad in afternoon & evening, no doubt as a result of going out.22

11.7.48: Beautiful, still, sunny day. Coldish. Sea less calm.

11.8.48: Frost in night. Clear, still, sunny day. Coldish. Sea fairly calm. B[ill] took the younger milch cow to the bull (Khilachrain). Should calve in August. A[vril] continued clearing border under house. Pruned the blackcurrants (a very little). Scillas showing. Qy. whether one should cover them up. Trouble with cable of tractor. Drink running low. NB. to order. Saw some blackbirds today. They are rare enough here to make one wonder what they are. A[vril] saw a flight of thrushes, possibly migrants, ie. fieldfares or redwings. One oar belonging to the dinghy in this bay has been washed away. Gladioli & dahlias over. New buds still coming on the roses.

On the facing page opposite 11.8.48, Orwell has written, and ticked:

Order gin etc.

11.9.48: Heavy wind in night. Very heavy sea. A little rain in the afternoon, after which the sea subsided somewhat.

11.10.48: Still, overcast day, mild. Sea slightly choppy.

11.11.48: Still, overcast, warm. Rain in night. Sea not very calm. The others fished in Barnhill bay & got 15. The oar which was washed away has come back. Polyanthi planted recently trying to flower.

11.16.48: Diary not filled up for some days. The last two days wet & windy, before that still & overcast. Not cold. Sea today pretty heavy. A[vril] has finished clearing the bed under the window & replanted the forget-me-nots. Pig has been lame, &c° one day would not even take any food. Now better, but still somewhat lame. Probably rheumatism, due to damp sty. He has been moved into the garage temporarily. B[ill] has got lumbago. The crossbred pullets (May hatched) look about ready to lay, but have not started yet. NB. to order paraffin & methylated.

On the facing page opposite 11.16.48, Orwell has written, and ticked the first item:

Order paraffin

Order methylated.

11.17.48: Damp & overcast, some rain. Very heavy rain in the evening. Sea rough. The new bull arrived, a young white shorthorn (beef.) Has been 15 days on the boat & is thin & in poor condition generally.

11.18.48: Beautiful day, quite warm. Sea calm. A[vril] has put up wires for the climbing roses. Pruned the plum trees. These are mostly very poor trees. Some roses still in bloom. Also a flower or two on the wallflowers which have been left in position.

11.19.48: Filthy day, rainy & very blowy. Sea rough. The first pullet started laying (May hatched). Pig active again. There are rats in the corn stack. B[ill]’s lumbago better. R.23 caught several fish yesterday.

11.20.48: Some sharp showers, with hail, but mostly fine. A[vril] & B[ill] brought the new van home (Chevrolet). Another pullet laying (I think). Pruned gooseberries.

11.21.48: One shower, otherwise beautiful day. Sea very calm & a wonderful colour. B[ill] trying to clean the mud from the back yard. Needs hose. Pruned the apple trees (not very hard). With the exception of one espalier tree, these have made very little growth. Qy. whether they need more manure & were grassed down too early.

On the facing page opposite 11.21.48, Orwell has written, and ticked:

Order hose (60´ ¾")

11.22.48: Fine clear day. Sea calm. One pullet died (the one that had previously injured its breast in some way.)

11.23.48: Very dull, overcast day. Cold, but misty. Mainland invisible. Three eggs. The RIRs are still moulting badly.

11.24.48: Cold during the night. Today fine & sunny, but cold. Wind in East. Wallflowers keep trying to flower.

11.25.48: Cold. Wind E. or S.E.

11.26.48: Fairly fine, but very cold. Wind E. or S.E. Sea moderately calm. One RIR. has begun laying.

11.27.48: Still & chilly.

11.28.48: Beautiful, windless day, sea like glass. A faint mist. Mainland invisible.

11.29.48: Still, overcast day, not cold. Sea less calm. Bobbie brought back today. Rather unkempt, but seems in fairly good condition. A double egg today, apparently from one of the pullets.

11.30.48: Fine, blowy day, coldish. Sea rough. Apparently two RIRs are laying now.

12.1.48: Fine & blowy, sea rough. Some rain in the late evening. 3 or 4 eggs most days now.

12.2.48: Very violent wind in the night & throughout today. A good deal of rain. Very heavy seas. The pram dinghy24 smashed to pieces, as the sea came up onto what is normally dry land. Trouble with the feed pipe of the lorry, the carburetter apparently not filling of its own accord.

12.3.48: Overcast day, some rain. Wind dropped during the course of the day. Sea still roughish, but nothing like yesterday. Most of the cattle now coming down to the byre of their own accord. Paraffin almost at an end. Lorry now apparently O.K.

12.4.48: Beautiful, still, sunny day, with a short shower in the afternoon. Two rainbows parallel to one another, one of them much fainter than the other. Qy. why this sometimes happens when there are rain & sun together. Sea calm. It appears that the bull is about 16 months old, having been born in July 1947, so he is fairly well advanced for his age, though in poor condition. Applied lime (a little) to fruit bushes.

12.5.48: Wind got up strongly in the night. Today almost incessant rain & strong wind. Sea rough. Feeling very unwell. Calor Gas cylinder about at an end. (Started 10.29.48, ie. has run 5 weeks.) Put on new cylinder.

12.6.48: Wind dropped during night. Beautiful, still, sunny day. Sea very calm. Did not feel well enough to go outside. Pig went to be slaughtered today. The others went on down to Craighouse to get paraffin, but could get only 1 gallon. Situation almost desperate till new supply reaches the island. New ram arrived today. Wireless batteries about finished (forget when put in).

12.7.48: Still, fairly sunny day. A little rain in the morning. Sea less calm. A[vril] brought back the internal fat etc. of the pig. Huge chunks of fat & meat on the cheeks. Paid for slaughtering & butchering the pig £1, & the trotters. Feeling very unwell.

Orwell made no entries until 12.19.48; that follows immediately after 12.7 .48 on the same page.

12.19.48: Have not been well enough to enter up diary. Weather for the most part has been very still, overcast, not cold, sometimes almost twilight all day. Sea mostly calm. Violent wind once or twice, but little rain. A scilla trying to flower. B[ill] says grass has also grown in the last fortnight. Goose (for Xmas) brought back today. Also a young wild goat (female). Pig after removal of head & trotters weighed 2 cwt. (age about 9 months).

Started new drum of paraffin. We owe about 10 galls., so that in reality we only have about 30 galls in hand.

NB. to order more almost immediately. Cylinder of Calor gas began to give out today. There must be a leak, probably in the transformer. Started new cylinder (NB. we have only 1 this time).

On the facing page opposite 12.19.48, Orwell has written, and ticked the final item:

Order paraffin.

Order Calor gas.

Get insurance stamps.25

Order hay (1 ton)

12.22.48: Very clear, still, coldish weather the last two days. Sea very calm. One now has to light the lamps at about 3 or 3.30 pm. Today curious white streaks on the sea, presumably caused by fry milling round, but no birds taking any interest.

8½ bales of hay left, out of 25, received nearly 2 months ago. So at this time of year 1 ton (25 bales) should last nearly 3 months, ie. for 2 milch cows & a calf.

12.24.48: Sharp frosts the last two nights. The days sunny & still, sea calm. A[vril] has very bad cold. The goose for Xmas disappeared, then was found swimming in the sea round at the anchorage, about a mile from our own beach. B[ill] thinks it must have swum round. He had to follow it in a dinghy & shoot it. Weight before drawing & plucking, 10½ lbs.

Snowdrops up all over the place. A few tulips showing. Some wallflowers still trying to flower.

This concludes Orwell’s Domestic Diary Volume V.