CHAPTER XVIII.

Browns River.-Potatoes.-Cordage-trees. - Hobart Town Jail.—Meetings.— Baptism.-Condemned Criminals.—Ministry.-Comparison of the Stockkeepers with the sons of Jacob.-Musk Rat.-Convincement by reading "Barclay's Apology."- Ministry.-Kangaroo Hunter.-Naming of Places in V. D. Land.-Penguins. Albatross.-Morepork.-Delay.-Ministry of G. W. W.-Penitent Prisoner.-Trying Occurrences.-Seven-mile Beach.Holothuridae.-Drunken Prisoners, &c.-Awkward Travelling.-Arrival at Kelvedon.-Fruit Trees.-Black Swans.-Arrival of D. and C. Wheeler.— Coralines, &c.-Cranes.-Track Lost.-Return to Hobart Town.

5th mo. 30th.

WE walked to Browns River, a small settlement on the side of the Derwent. It is accessible by carts, but sends sawn and split timber and potatoes, by water, to Hobart Town, which is seven miles distant. Potatoes grow here to great perfection, on light loam bordering a rivulet, which rises on Mount Wellington.-Sprengellia incarnata, a heath-like shrub, was in flower in some marshy ground on the road; and in the gullies about Sandy Bay, Plagianthus discolor, a shrub of the Mallow tribe, bearing clusters of small, white blossoms, was beautifully in flower. There are other species of this genus in the colony, all of which are called Currijong. This name is also given in the Australian territories, to all other shrubs, having bark sufficiently tenacious to be used instead of cordage.

31st. We accompanied Thomas Bannister, the Sheriff, over the Jail at Hobart Town, which is a very defective building, and often much crowded, but it is kept clean, and appears to be made the best of.

6th mo. 1st. We returned to Browns River, where, in a tidy, weather-boarded barn, we met a decent-looking congregation of about thirty persons. After spending some

time in silence, I had a little to say to them, but there did not seem to be much way open for expression, nor was there much before my mind to communicate. Nevertheless, I thought there was with us, a comforting sense of the Lord's presence. We left this hitherto much-neglected spot, with the hope that an interest on religious subjects, that seemed to be awakened in several minds, was an omen for good. We returned along the ridge of a tier of woody hills, of which Mount Nelson is one, on which there is a signal station, answering to that at Hobart Town. From this station we again enjoyed a fine view of the latter place, and of the extensive bays of the Derwent, as well as of the surrounding country, which rises in almost every direction, into hills, covered with sombre forest, here and there invaded by the hand of culture, which has introduced green fields, that make a lively contrast with the dark olive of the widely-spread bush.-From Mount Nelson, we descended to Sandy Bay, and met another congregation, of about forty persons. After a season of silence, I was enabled clearly to point out the evil of sin, and the way to escape from it, through repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. We parted under solemn feeling, after prayer had been vocally put up, on behalf of this company.

3rd. We had a long discussion with some of our acquaintance, on water-baptism, a subject upon which we are often called to explain our views. We rarely meet with people so free from educational prejudice, as to be willing to look upon the commands of Christ to his disciples, to baptize, as separable from the idea of water, and in their proper connexion with spiritual influence; or who are sufficiently enlightened, to discern the liberty of Christians to abandon all those things, that in their nature accord with the dispensation of types and shadows, rather than with the spirituality of the Gospel.

Persons often tell us, that they see the accordance of the principles of Friends with the Gospel, except in regard to Baptism, and what is called the Lord's Supper; but that on account of our disuse of these, they cannot join us. I

believe, however, that most of these persons deceive themselves, as to their reason for not joining us; and that the truth of the matter is, that they have not yet apprehended the nature of the simple teaching of the Divine Spirit, as true Friends have been privileged experimentally to receive it. The cross of sitting down in silence to wait upon the Lord, in order to be taught of him, and of bearing to be humbled under a sense of helplessness, is also too great for this description of people. We have noticed, that when any attain to this humbled, teachable, state, they generally become satisfied of the propriety of ceasing to use ceremonial rites, and feel the importance of bearing those testimonies to the simplicity, peaceableness, and spirituality of the Gospel, which Friends maintain to be its true characteristics, and in which, the faithful among them, endeavour to walk; and in so walking, know their communion to be with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ, under the baptizing influence of the Holy Spirit.

8th. Our meetings were not particularly lively; but I had a few words to express, near the close of that in the afternoon; at which nineteen persons were present. An individual who, when resident in London, occasionally attended Gracechurch Street Meeting, now frequently meets with us: he acknowledges himself to be more fully convinced of the accordance. of the principles of Friends with the Gospel, than formerly; especially in regard to the doctrines of the universal offer of Divine grace to man, and of the perceptible teaching of the Holy Spirit to the attentive mind.

15th. After dinner Abraham C. Flower came to our lodging, and signified that he felt an impression of duty to visit three men in gaol, ordered to be executed, to-morrow, for murder. G. W. Walker conferred with William Bedford, the Colonial Chaplain, on the subject, who said that he had no objection whatever to the visit being paid. Observing, from the Act, that the Sheriff possessed power to grant liberty for such a visit, we went to him, and he, with his wonted benevolence and urbanity, immediately granted this liberty, subject only to its being agreeable to the poor culprits to see us. The keeper of the gaol accompanied us into the cell, where there

was also a fourth prisoner, under similar sentence. Though the murder, to which these men confess, was one of the most deliberate kind, the bond of hardness of heart under which it was committed, now appeared to be broken, and they seemed to be in a tender frame of mind. They were far from being men of ferocious countenances. We each had a little to communicate to them, encouraging them to yield to their convictions of sin, and to seek pardon, in unfeigned repentance, through faith in the atoning blood of Christ, in the hope that they might find mercy with God, with whom << one day is as a thousand years," and who will forgive the sincerely penitent. The poor men expressed much thankfulness for our visit; toward the conclusion of which, prayer was put up on their behalf.

20th. The Lieutenant Governor having invited us to prepare a report upon the state of the Prisoners and Penal Discipline, of Van Diemens Land; with observations on the general state of the Colony, we drew one up, and presented it to him. This document is introduced to the reader in APPENDIX. F.

7th mo. 3rd. Our week-day meeting was small, but it was one of remarkable exercise. A well-disposed young man was present, who had come from the country to endeavour to obtain an appointment to the office of Catechist. A Friend, who was quite ignorant of such a person being in town, was led, in commenting upon some passages of Scripture, to point out with remarkable clearness, the mistakes of those who thought themselves advancing the Lord's work, by entering in their own wills, upon formal services, and thus holding up imitations of religion, in the place of religion itself. He also showed how, in this way, they wasted their own strength, when, if they would have remained patiently under the baptizing power of the Holy Spirit, self would have been subdued in them, and a concern on behalf of others excited by this holy influence; which concern, as it was given way to in simplicity, would have edified others, and have been attended with peace to the labourers, even though they might appear to themselves to do but little. More to the same import was added by G. W. Walker and myself, under

what we apprehended to be a right exercise, but which might have been more liable to be called in question, as we were aware of the views of the individual. He received the whole well, and appeared thankful that he had been placed in the way of such counsel.-In our meetings, we have of late had much evidence, that the simple-hearted are often baptized one for another.-Circumstances needing religious counsel, have in this way been spoken to, by parties who had no outward knowledge of them, but who gave way to express the exercises that settled upon their own minds, often in the feeling of much weakness and fear.

4th. In referring to the circumstance of an individual, formerly a prisoner at Macquarie Harbour, having been lately recorded as an approved minister, by Hobart Town Monthly Meeting of Friends, a person of our acquaintance, belonging to another body of Christians, writes: "The intelligence conveyed in yours, is exceedingly gratifying to me. That one of the despised, hated, and persecuted little band at Macquarie Harbour, should become an accredited minister of a body of Christians, whose steady piety and arduous labours are heard of through the world, and acknowledged as extensively as they are known, cannot but be considered as one of those glorious triumphs of grace, which cause the saints to rejoice, to adore, and to love the Saviour with increasing ardour. To me, who have seen something of the trials and difficulties of that penal abode, it appears truly wonderful. But why should I wonder? Does it not often please the Great Disposer of events, to prepare his choicest instruments in the hottest fire? I fervently pray that *** may continue a faithful standardbearer in the cause of Truth, until his earthly pilgrimage shall close."

6th. In reading the book of Genesis lately, I have been much struck with the similarity of character exhibited among the sons of Jacob, to that which is to be found among the stock-keepers of Tasmania, and among some of the settlers. Similar occasions of "evil report," and exhibitions of hardness of heart, such as induced them to deal hardly with Joseph their brother, and other descriptions of

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