with it eighty feet high, and with a trunk sixteen and a half feet round.

18th. I attended the interment of the prisoner, before alluded to, who died yesterday. After the "Burial service," of the Episcopal Church had been read, I spoke a few words to those assembled on the occasion, I was never more struck with the inappropriateness of much of this service, and of its danger of misleading the ignorant, and of lulling them into a state of ease, by holding out the idea, that all would be well with them at last, without distinction as to their past lives. We afterwards had an interview with a considerable number of the prisoners, in the Court-house, in which much openness was felt in preaching the Gospel. 19th. The dryness of the weather having stopped the mill stream, a number of men are employed in grinding Maize, or Indian Corn, in hand mills. This is hard work, in this climate, where the thermometer is usually at about 80°, at this season of the year. We had a religious interview with these men, and were sensible of the love of our Heavenly Father bringing a feeling of sweet solemnity over our minds. This we could not but regard as an evidence of the continued extension of divine mercy to our auditors, and we esteem this feeling as one of the greatest of comforts to ourselves; we had also a religious interview with the agricultural gangs at Longridge. On speaking to an overseer, who had been long on the island, he informed us, that there had been a progressive improvement among the prisoners for some time past; especially, since Major Anderson had availed himself of the means within his reach, for their religious instruction, and had regulated the appropriation of punishments to the nature of the offences committed.

A man spoke to us of the defective quality of their provisions, and complained of the dryness of the maize bread, and the hardness of the salt meat. To be restricted to such diet is felt to be a privation, but the state of the health of the prisoners, shews that it is not unwholesome; and they are not designed to be pampered by indulgence. The supply of vegetables and wild fruits, keeps off scurvy, at this settlement.

The more orderly prisoners are allowed to cultivate small portions of ground as gardens. They grow chiefly the Sweet Potato, Batatas edulis, a plant of the Convolvulus tribe, producing large, tuberous roots, which are excellent for food, either roasted, boiled, or fried in slices. When prepared by frying, this root resembles sweetish cake, and sometimes supplies the place of toast at breakfast.

20th. Visited the hospital and jail. In the former, one of the patients was a man whose ankles had become chafed by his chains. In the latter, a man confined for indolence, and awfully blasphemous language, complained of his sentence, for what he termed, a frivolous offence. No person can be long on Norfolk Island without discovering, that he is indeed, amongst a people, extremely depraved. His ears are assailed by dreadfully profane language, especially if the prisoners are not aware of his presence. Other crimes, most degrading in their character, are not unfrequent; and to avoid punishment for offences, perjury is committed with the most hardened recklessness.

21st. I spent much of the day on the east coast; where, in some pools, among the rocks, there were several species of Madrapore, of the kinds called Corals, and of those which, when fossilized, are called Brainstones. One deep bason was lined with them, and presented a scene of uncommon beauty. A kind of Coral stood up in broad, thin, leaf-like tables, rising one above another on a common stalk. Some, on the sides, were variously branched and diversified. Their colours were white, light-blue, and olive. There were holes through those on the sides, that would admit a finger, out of which tubular Polyps, of the Sea Anemone tribe were protruded, displaying in the sunny water, their crests of variegated feelers, of the richest hues, resembling gorgeous flowers.

22nd. In the morning, we visited the congregation of free Roman Catholics, consisting chiefly of soldiers and their families, with a few officers. The service was conducted by a sergeant. The order and attention of the people was exemplary, but it was sorrowful to hear some of their prayers addressed to the Virgin Mary and other "saints;" especially

when remembering, that they had been trained in this delusion, by those who were not content with the one Mediator between God and poor fallen man, provided of the Father, in his mercy and wisdom, even the Lord Jesus, who ever liveth to make intercession for us. We did not, however, feel it our business, to point out to them their errors of doctrine; but rather, in connexion with those points in which their profession of faith is sound, to lead them to a practical attention to the teaching of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, which, when implicitly obeyed, leads out of error, and into all truth. In the afternoon, we visited the adult-schools, and the congregation of the Protestant prisoners. At the conclusion of their service also, I had something to communicate, of the same tendency. How lamentably has the teaching of the Holy Spirit been neglected by professing Christians, notwithstanding the promise respecting this Spirit as the Comforter, that He should take of the things of Christ and show them unto his disciples. -From this neglect arose the apostacy of the Christian church, in early days, both in faith and practice; and from the same source, arises in the present day, the unscriptural provision of most churches, in regard to ministry, and various other subjects, by which the people are drawn to lean unduly upon man, instead of being instructed to seek, to know the Lord to be their teacher, and to trust in him alone. The professors of Christianity, are consequently very generally, kept in great weakness, and in great shallowness of Christian experience.

24th. In a gang which we visited, at an out-station, there was a man, who was under sentence of death, and expecting to be executed, at a time when we had an interview with the prisoners in the Jail, at Launceston, in V. D. Land. This man referred to the meeting we had, at that time, with the prisoners, with expressions of gratitude, and seemed thankful to receive another visit.

CHAPTER XXIII.

Norfolk Island.-Disinclination to receive Religious Instruction.-Prisoners' Barracks.-Iron.-Flagellation.-Overseers.-Sentence to Penal Settlements. -Sick Prisoners.-Rocks.-Cape Gooseberry.-Palm.-Wood-quest.—N. I. Pines.-Roman Catholic Prisoners.-Cleanliness.-Temperature.-Reckless Prisoner. Felling-gang.-Plants.-The Cascade.-Flora of N. I.-Sugar Cane.-Rum.-Christian Doctrine.

3rd mo. 25th. Major Anderson allowed such of the prisoners as were inclined to meet with us, for the purpose of hearing the Scriptures read, and of receiving such counsel as we might have to impart, to remain behind, when the bell rung for work, at noon. This was designed to prevent any unpleasant feeling respecting encroachment upon their leisure. The number who chose to remain was, however, small.

26th. We visited the Prisoners' Barracks, which form a large tier of buildings, of three stories. They are kept very clean, and are frequently whitewashed. The wards are large, which is disadvantageous. Opportunity is thus afforded to considerable numbers of men, to unite in plotting mischief. The prisoners are lodged in hammocks, suspended in two tiers, to wooden frames. The bedding is kept perfectly free from vermin, by being not only washed, but baked in an oven. For this purpose it is placed on bars of wood, which are kept clear of the sides of the oven to prevent its burning.

27th. The case of a prisoner, who complained of rigorous treatment, underwent examination by the Commandant. The man was formerly a soldier: he had been sentenced to wear irons for life. Good conduct would have entitled him to have had the irons only on one leg, at the expiration

of twelve months; but he had been concerned in a mutiny and had conducted himself improperly in other respects; his irons were therefore heavy, and attached to both legs; and it did not appear that he had any just cause of complaint.

Flagellation is now but seldom resorted to here; when it was frequently inflicted, some of the more callous prisoners said, they would stand a hundred lashes for a small piece of tobacco; and the recklessness with which they committed offences, to which this punishment was attached, accorded with their declaration. It was accounted a mark of bravery among them, to bear the punishment unmoved.

Overseers, selected from among the first-class men, have the time of their sentence reduced, by every two years counting for three; but if they misconduct themselves, and be removed from office in consequence, they lose the benefit of the previously reduced time. Two of the overseers on Norfolk Island are free men. A number who are called Volunteer-overseers, are prisoners, of New South Wales, holding tickets-of-leave, who have volunteered to become overseers on Norfolk Island, for salaries of from 1s. to 2s. 3d. a day, with the hope of obtaining free or conditional pardons, as a reward for the faithful discharge of their duty. The time spent on Norfolk Island, under a colonial sentence, is not reckoned as any part of an original sentence. Thus, a man transported from England, or from Van Diemens Land, to New South Wales, for seven years, committing an offence at the expiration of three years, and being sentenced to Norfolk Island for seven years, will have, at the expiration of that period, to serve the four years remaining of his original sentence, in New South Wales, on being returned thither.

We had an interview with the prisoners, in the Jail and Hospital. In the latter, there was an aged man, who said he had lived so wicked a life, that there was no hope for him! How awful is such a reflection on a sick bed! Yet we were glad to find, even so much reflection as this, hoping, even against hope, that it might lead the man to seek for divine mercy. Another man, who was suffering severely