February 1^st. A meeting of the priests today and a settlement of accounts - expenditure of each being $23.12 - dividend of fees of January $32.8 bits.

Laid before Messrs. O'Connor and Fitzgerald a statement of their income and expenditure, from which it appeared that each had a clear £200 per annum over and above expenditure.

1848. Georgetown. February 1^st. Appointed Revd. Mr. O'Connor to the Mission of Essequibo.

On Sunday evening a party of Portuguese came to the church for the purpose of having the funeral service read over a child. The hour appointed was 3 o'clock, but no sign of the funeral appeared before 1/2 past 4 when we are all at dinner. Because a Priest did not immediately get up from dinner and attend them they kicked up a most scandalous row. The ringleaders in this most disgraceful proceeding were one Faria, and João Evangelista, Clerk of the Portuguese Consul.

It is very strange that J. Reed should have retained in his hands for so long a time certain subscriptions collected by him in Essequibo - they amount in all to $192, out of which the large sum of $29 - probably for printing Circular - will have to be deducted.

1848. Feb^'y 2. Feast of the Purification. Gave Solemn Benediction with mitre and crozier at the Convent after Mass - the same in church after Benediction of the B[lessed] Sacrament.

Received four converts into the church today - an entire family - baptising them conditionally. Their names are Mrs. Sarah Brewster, a respectable woman of colour and a widow, her daughter and two sons.

Received from J. Reed the January church collections - his share house expenses, and $71 Pew rents. He is unable to pay up the Essequibo mission collections before referred to.

For the last month nothing is heard of but burning *megass* logies and dwelling houses. The Colony is in a most uneasy condition.

Paid Mr. Manning $70 in part for a Pianoforte for S. Joseph's.

3. We are as yet without the Packet, now due nearly a week.

4. The Packet came in last night and brought me letters from the Marchioness de Ponte Delgada and Mr. J. O'Sullivan, Kinsale - a packet for [the] Nuns.

Wrote to J. Savage giving an account of Corrêa, Fitzg:, O'Connor and MacNamara. Wrote also to D^r Taylor enclosing order for £60 - forwarded letter from Mother Regis to Mrs. Canny.

1848. Georgetown. February 5^th. The Revd. Mr. O'Connor started for Essequibo. Brought Mr. O'Brien to town to supply Mr. O'Connor's place.

6. A Chapter at S. Joseph's this morning at which Mother Assistant Molony resigned her office. Appointed in her stead Sister Mary Stanislaus Hearn, and to the office of Dépositaire Sister Mary Magdalen Doyle.

7^th. Handed to Revd. Mother $25 which I received from Mr. La Roche for the board (2nd class) and education for one quarter of a little French mulatto girl named Marie Félicité.

10^th. Marie Félicité was received as 2^nd class boarder.

A visit from Mr. Barry, Manager of Plantation Eccles, who wishes to place his little daughter as a boarder at the Convent for 3 months - agreed with him for $70 for that period.

14 February 1848. Corrêa sailed yesterday for Philadelphia.

On the 12^th. held a Chapter at S. Joseph's to investigate the grounds of a complaint made by Sister Mary de Sales respecting her removal from the office of Assistant - she insinuating that the act was against the feeling of the Community. I heard each Sister separately, interrogating each as to the expediency of the measure - all were unanimous in stating that their conviction that Sister Mary de Sales and Revd. Mother O'Brien could never harmoniously pull together and that a change of Offices was absolutely necessary for the peace and harmony of the Community. S. M. de Sales is evidently no favourite with any of them.

According to S. M. de Sales, Mother Regis is overbearing and passionate, and is possessed of but little good sense. The whole Community have much to suffer from her arbitrary and capricious manner. She has was selected by the Community of Athlone to head the Mission to Guiana for their own selfish ends, as they could depend upon her for facilitating their own acceptance on some future day. There may be some spice of truth in this, but in the main I think it exaggerated. It is *well* however to know every thing, and there is no doubt of Mrs. Comerford's attempts to deceive and entrap me.

1848. Georgetown. February 15^th. The Packet has come in and brought me a letter from the Propaganda, also the last Allocution of the Pope - letters from Revd. Mr. Philipps, Mr. Walsh, and Miss O'Beirne to the Convent.

16^th. Sent Aletta Taggart 150 dollars to enable her to carry on the woodcutting Establishment of *Suwarrie* Hill. Received from her an acknowledgment.

18. Wrote to Cardinal Fransoni in answer to his last letter respecting the annexation of Islands to B. Guiana - enclosed a sketch of the church, and another of the Convent, also two small maps of the Colony, together with a letter for the Pope from Mother Regis in the name of the Community.

Mother Regis wrote to Mrs. Canny of Athlone. Wrote also to Mr. Burns, bookseller, ordering a quantity of books.

Posted all these letters myself.

21. Called at the Colonial Bank and placed $800 at interest.

Called at the British Guiana Bank and took up dividend due on Alex: Murdoch's shares - $14.

1848. Georgetown. February 22^nd. Yesterday and today I am labouring under a depression of spirits which I cannot shake off. How much do I wish that I could bid a final adieu to Demerara. I am tied down, however, by the nuns, for to leave them under the guidance of young and inexperienced priests would not do. The two young men from Carlow with another experienced and trustworthy missioner would relieve me.

23. The depression under which I laboured yesterday has quite disappeared. I think it proceeded from an accumulation of bile.

Mrs. Doctor Cramer started yesterday evening for Berbice, accompanied by J. Reed.

24. Most of our nuns are ill today. Mary and Honoria also.

There are now 21 day pupils at S. Joseph's.

25. A visit from Mr. Cocken. He alluded for the first time to the affair of an infamous lampoon for which two printers are in prison. He stated what I heard from other parties, that knowing the type formerly used at Emery's office, where he was foreman, he replied to a question of Mr. Dallas that the type of the lampoon appeared to be the same as that employed in printing Emery's Journal.

1848. Georgetown. February 26. A Mrs. Gibbs called with her daughter in reference to teaching a class of dancing at S. Joseph's.

Mrs. Taggart called in reference to a child which Mr. Furlonge the lawyer wishes to place at S. Joseph's - and to a daughter of Mr. Padmore's.

29. A visit from Mr. Spooner relative to placing two Miss De Ridders and his own child at Convent.

A strange impression made this evening by the manner and conduct of M. J. R.