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The chirrup of gladsome crickets lulls on the ear; the
full bright moon shines softly oer the valley which lies
before my open door; The cheerful boisterous chorus
(sweetened by the distance) of boatmen, with the inter-
rupted fall of wood, and occasional sigh of the steam
pipe, comes up from the boat lying at the wood yard [belies]

I have just written a note of introduction for Dr Caldwell
to judge P. T. Harris of Minden La -, whither Dr. C. is going
also a letter to A. McMeakin Esq- containing $2 for
his courier must have it, to give me a smattering,
at least, of what the busy world is about-; received
a little note today from Thaddy which has laid at the
Post several days for me --; tis time to sleep - all is
still about the place -; so I'll to bed.

Saturday night
Dec 9th. A quiet rain is pattering on the clap-
boards overhead - withal tis quite bright without & calm -
a fog lays on the surface of the river, still & white -
the distant song of some negro comes from the far side
of the Chattahouchee-; wandering perchance to pay his weekly
visit to the plantation where abides his old 'ooman -
his tudder half * * Caldwell had requested me
to mark some boxes of Capt. Brown's to be shipped from
the Port - so we went there after breakfast, & I did the
thing for him - A much weightier task than I thot for -
I got a couple of fishing poles from Friday (the chief cook &
bottle washer there now) - spent the day at my office
Read - fixed my physic etc-; had a kind of desperate
mood, as Ptolemy T & I used to term them, - whilst pondering
over the coarse, uncouth, immoral state of society, with
which I must be surrounded, for the present long time
to come. I have the comfort tho', of a nice example
of human nature here. Mrs R is an amiable &
intelligent lady - had she been educated in another
sphere, would be an ornament for any circle -