Domestic Diary, 10/8/46
An extract from Orwell's diary, written on Jura
Very fine day, except for a very light shower of a few minutes in the afternoon. Experimentally applied a small quantity of sodium chlorate to nettles, at the rate of 1lb to the gallon & about 1 gallon to 10 square yards. If this kills them, I shall apply in the same strength to the rushes.
One lobster (medium-sized) in creel. Tied his claws. I hope satisfactorily, but I had no string & had to unpick a strand of rope. Tied scissor claw first, making a slip knot & pulling it tight before winding round, holding him down with my foot while doing so.
Today saw lizard (brown one) - the first time that I have seen one here.1 In digging, accidentally killed a toad which was buried a few inches deep in the earth. At this time of year, I think this would have been a toad which had failed to wake up for the spring. They would hardly begin hibernating again yet.
Wind in north much of the day.
[…]
In May 1946, Orwell moved to the island of Jura in the Scottish Inner Hebrides, renting a farmhouse, Barnhill, from the Fletcher family. He was back in London later that year, before returning again in 1947 to complete Nineteen Eighty-Four. Jura was an escape from Orwell’s busy life in London as a newly famous author, and his doctors hoped that the environment would help with his recovery from tuberculosis (most likely caught in Spain). He left Jura for the last time in January 1949.
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