her happiness to contribute to my happiness. In the evening we talked about Bertha's dear mother, and I got to know her from a touchingly noble side: she accused herself with noble remorse of her undaughterly behavior, adding that if she had her mother now, she wouldn't know what she would want to do to love her. Such noble outpourings of the heart are more amiable and charming than all the charms of beauty, wit, decency and so on, and I couldn't answer her with vapid flattery, but said consolingly that the same thing happened when I lost my mother, that it was also not a good sign if children themselves were satisfied with their behavior towards their parents, and that just as their mother certainly forgives her, so the Lord also forgives their weaknesses will. -- Julius Fiedler had asked Bertha why she was no longer opposed to him as usual, her answer: because she realized that she would not be a ( 136 ) wife for him. Whereupon he said, even if she couldn't be his Bertha, she was still his sister! --

The lady replied when I cited professional duties as an excuse for my long absence, but I had to see our relationship to my office as just a minor matter -- -- Not like that, not at all. When I said goodbye, which I had expected a lot from, Mr. Fiedler stepped in the way.

September 17th, 1839.
In the afternoon I went to Mullawirra Burka with [Br.] Teichelmann, who soon received a visit from a New South Valais native. We went back with both of them to ask the latter about several things. He speaks English fluently, but unclearly, so that I had difficulty understanding him. His language is different from that contained in Threlkeld's grammar, he could not read, but said he was educated, but not baptized, which I understood him correctly. According to him, his countrymen, who are much more numerous than the natives here, receive rations at £1 a week, build houses and farms, have lessons in their language from the priests (Parson, his expressions are very mean), and so on. He promised to come back tomorrow or something. Captain Sturt's(145) brother brought him overland. --

Mr. Meier came to me unexpectedly and told me a lot of what Julius Fiedler [had] said in relation to ( 137 ) Fiedler and Bertha. The latter is sluggish and the like, he turned her down and not she turned him down. Today Mattewattitpinna's younger wife gave birth to her first child, which she calls Kartanye, from which it appears that the children are named after the succession in which they were born from the mother, and not after the father.

September 18th, 1839.
Mr. Meier accompanied me to Klemzig today, which was very unpleasant to me because his presence disrupted the conversation with Bertha. What Mr. Meier said about Bertha's blossoming is becoming truer day by day. My suspicion that Ferdinand Kavel was looking for Bertha was confirmed today by the latter himself. That Bertha loves deeply, I no longer need to take only her friendly attention as proof, but also her increasing familiarity in the conversation. I never leave without her asking me when I'll be back. --