May 1^st. High Mass for the opening of the month of Mary.

Share of Stole fees for April $17.66.

Recd. from J. Fitzgerald, J. O'Brien and J. Reed their share of House expenses for month of April, being $29 each.

Paid a Bill at Booker's for Sundries rec'd. at Convent, $23.83.

Engaged a place in the mail for Berbice tomorrow.

1848. Georgetown. 8^th. May. Returned on Saturday 6^th. inst. from Berbice. Found the Mission tolerably well managed by Mr. Lordan. Confirmed eighteen children and adults.

Came back with Mr. Van Waterschoodt.

Received from Mr. Spooner the am^t. of his note of hand for the board &c of the two Miss De Ridders at the Convent, $140, being half of half year for both.

The last mail brought me letters from J. Sullivan, Kinsale, and the Parish Priest of Durrow, diocese of Ossory.

Handed to Mother Regis $140 received from Mr. Spooner. Refunded by Mother Regis $140 paid Mr. Manning for a Piano.

Received also from Mother Regis $150 to be kept in deposit for Community - disbursed this $150.

Received while in Berbice a letter from the Berkeleys' law agent in reference to the piece of land promised on their estates.

1848. Georgetown. 10^th. May. An awful fire occurred last night in the rere [sic] of the Presbytery, in the house of Sarah Reed. I heard the alarm at 1/2 past 12 o'clock - a coloured son is said to be the incendiary.

A Miss Walker, niece it is said of the High Sheriff, called yesterday at the Convent, introduced by Miss C. Goodman.

On Monday the 8^th. inst. a Chapter was held at S. Joseph's, at which we inspected the acc^ts., and discussed the expediency of several alterations in the hours for various duties.

Trimmed vines at S. Joseph's.

11. Paid Mr. Manning $7 for the repair of the Blackrock piano.

Gave $2 to the Coolie Michael out of the 12 in deposit for him.

Bought an American clock from Mr. Paraideau.

13. The poor Coolie Michael made his Confession today chiefly by signs and with the greatest fervour. He seems to be apprehensive of dying here, and certainly his appearance betokens very ill health. He unfolded a rag, from which he extracted three dollars, which he requested me to keep for him, intimating as well as I could comprehend his signs that I should offer Mass for him, in case he should die.

14. Called to enquire after Mr. Taggart, who is dangerously ill. Saw his wife and daughter, who are both much to be pitied.

1848. Georgetown. May 15^th. The Packet is due and is likely to bring news of troubles in Ireland. It is strange that the Henrys have not written to me for so very long a period. I am anxious to hear of them, for they have been truly kind and attentive during my late visit to Ireland.

What has become of M. Kelly since the late bouleversements [upheavals] in Paris? Has she fled? or has she kept her ground in the Champs Elysées?

The Packet has come in and brought me letters from Revd. D^r Walsh, Carlow, acknowledging receipt of remittance, and of the contemplated departure of Mr. Brittain for this Vicariate - also from Mr. Duffy the Bookseller.

Three letters for the Convent, two being for S.M. Alphonsus, the third for S.M. Stanislaus.

17. Saw a letter this morn'g dated 27 April from Cullen to Fitzgerald. I am more disgusted with the latter scamp than with the former treacherous and sly vagabond. O'Connor is to be got to the Morucca by a stratagem. F. has been writing some falsehood about salary, and MacNamara of Berbice is warned about his silence in not writing to me. What a set of scoundrels I have to deal with.

1848. Georgetown. 17 May. Attended Mr. Holmes's Vendue and purchased some articles for the Convent. Holmes was attentive, and by a curious chance Mrs. H., late Miss Light, was introduced to me. What a precious set of vagabonds I was surrounded by at that Vendue - Irish Apostates - Hacket, Norton, MacNulty, Ronayne and Craig.

Judge Firebrace has presented to the church two pairs plated candlesticks with shades, and a glass Jug for the Altar.

A little boy orphan Boy named Antonio brought up and perverted by Mrs. Arrindell came to offer himself in service - which I agreed to.

19. Wrote for packet sailing tomorrow to J. Sullivan, Kinsale, desiring him to test Benjⁿ. Hawes' sincerity - to Bishop Walsh, Kilkenny, about Mr. Kelly, enclosing 3 of his letters, to Revd. P. Brich of Durrow in reference to same - to Duffy, to Mr. J. Battersby - to Revd. D^r Walsh, Carlow, respecting Brittain and Dugan, and to Messrs. Colley Smith & Co., Lincoln's Inn.

Received 12 copies of Battersby's Directory for 1848 forwarded via Trinidad.

Governor Light is off at last. Strange that one of the last messages from his private Secretary was about the purchase of his Piano Forte.

1848. Georgetown. 20^th. May. Preparing to start for Essequibo. Purchased several articles for the Convent at Holmes's Vendue.

Sailed with Cap^t. Garret for the Arabian Coast - made the trip in 41/2 hours.

Sunday 21^st. Said Mass in the miserable temporary chapel on Plⁿ. Perseverance. Confirmed five persons, one of them a very aged African.

None of them had been prepared for the Sac: by the Clergyman - neither had any of them been at Confession.

[The two entries above are followed here by another, expanded, version]

Saturday 20^th. May 1848. Prepared to visit the Essequibo District.

Engaged a passage in the Zorg schooner, commanded by Cap^t. Garret, with whom I sailed some twenty-one years ago. He was then a slave boat captain of Mr. Stephen Cramer, proprietor of Plantation Perseverance, Essequibo, and was, I believe, baptised by me about that time. Made the trip in 41/2 hours. By arrangement I proceeded to Plⁿ. Perseverance, where the temporary chapel of the district stands, and where I was hospitably received by the worthy manager, an Irishman named Kelsh, whom I have known from my earliest connexion with the Colony. The missionary of the district (the Revd. J. O'Connor) was in waiting.

Took a look before night at the little building which serves for a chapel. It is indeed of the meanest description, and altho' it is now two years' nearly since I have placed a Priest on this station with an income of 1,000 dollars per ann:, little or nothing has been done, save a little hushing up of this wretched Negro hut to meet my eye (which has cost about 40 dollars, subscribed by the poor people) either to improve its appearance or to procure a more suitable place of worship. If the map of the Catholic missionary world was before me I do not then with all its details I do not think that I could find a more miserable or less *inviting* substitute for a Temple consecrated to the worship of God, and the celebration of the Divine Mysteries. A simple wooden building raised hardly a foot from the earth, about 12 feet high, and capable covered with shingles and capable of containing from 50 to 60 people affords the only accommodation for religious meetings in a district numbering some thousands of Catholics.

Sunday 21. It was fortunate that I came down for, Mr. O'Connor being unwell, the Congregation would have been otherwise deprived of Mass. The usual hour of Service is 11 o'clock - at its approach the Estate's bell, which usually lies on the ground, was hoisted by a branch of a neighbouring tree [and] was rung to assemble the people.

About fifty attended - Portuguese and Creoles. After Before Mass Mr. O'Connor baptized the child of a Portuguese couple, during which I catechized a few who were presented for Confirmation. Only seven were hastily got together for the occasion without any previous preparation. Of these I rejected two, and admitted the others only because one of them was a very aged poor African who seemed well disposed, and the other five were children, who answered in their Catechism tolerably well - thanks exclusively to their parents.

Monday 22. Last night and all this day the rain has been incessant - staid in no stirring out. A visit from Mr. Millar, Manager of Plantation Richmond, accompanied by a Mr. Wentworth, Manager of Plantation Bathesba's [Bathsheba's?] Lust - D^r Austin's property.

Tuesday 23. Drove down the Coast with Mr. O'C., but the roads were so heavy that we could not get farther than Queen's Town, where we stopped to refresh the horse. Visited a Catholic family there - Mrs. Francom.

On our return to Perseverance looked at the piece of ground promised for the future church.

Wednesday 24. Here I am in a pretty fix - a deluge of rain - nothing to do - and no schooner for Georgetown before tomorrow.

Thursday 25. No schooner offers as yet for Georgetown. It may be well, however, to let this boisterous weather pass over. It blew a hurricane all night and even now that I write, 1/2 past 8 a.m., the sky looks angry and squally. What shall I do with myself - my host is sick, and I have already dipped into all the books that I see in the house.

27. Returned from the Coast last evening after a very short trip of 5 hours.

29. Had an interview by appointment with Mr. Walker, the Lieutenant Governor. Found him very affable, and seemingly liberal. He speaks in high terms of the Governor, S. W. Colebrooke, whose locum tenens he is.

Introduced for the first time to Mr. Wolseley.

The Fraskini [Fraschini] case is again postponed - now to the 30^th. Jan^'y June.

Drew up a Petition to the Court of Policy for assistance toward the erection of a new church in Essequibo.

1848. Georgetown. May 29^th. A visit from Judge Firebrace last night. He startled me by informing me that there was a meeting held in the schoolroom adjoining the church on the day immediately after my departure for Essequibo at which he spoke. The purport of the meeting he stated to be, to raise funds for paying Mr. Somers the balance due to him for repairing the organ, and to devise means for employing Manning as Organist at $480 per ann: It was proposed to send a deputation to me to allow a collection to be made in the church once a month for the purpose etc, etc.

The meeting being called without my sanction and approval, and presuming to discuss matters connected with the Church, I at once denounced it as an insult to my authority, and an encroachment on my Episcopal Jurisdiction, directly tending to schism or an establishment of the baneful system of Trusteeship or Es lay Espionage. I spoke rather warmly, but not, I think, more so than the case required. The Judge felt it. He even wept - but he has the gift of tears.

I set down D^r Clifton as the busy, intermedling [sic] author of this imbroglio.

1848. Georgetown. 30^th. May. After Mass at the Convent this morning announced to Mary and Honoria this morning the decision of the Community for their being received as lay Sisters, which seemed to give them great joy.

31^st. S. Angela's Day and the termination of the month of Mary. Celebrated the Festival with becoming solemnity at S. Joseph's. Some fifty females who attended the exercises given in the Convent during the month, wh were permitted to approach the Holy Communion in the Convent Chapel.

Our dear Mother Regis, tho' labouring under fever, contrived to get up to participate in the joy of the Solemnity.

A visit from Janet Murdoch and one of the Burkes - arranged for board and lodging Janet at the Burkes for $6 per month, payable Quarterly.

Gave Janet $20 to purchase clothing, which she seems much in need of.

A letter from Judge Firebrace written in a very hoity toity, touchy style.