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storm. A spaniel dog that accompanied us, rolled itself on the partially decomposed carcase of each of these as he came at it; I could not discover for what object.

Parties of Aborigines resort hither at certain seasons. They cross the mouth of the harbour on floats, in the form of a boat, made of bundles of the paper-like bark of the Swamp Tea-tree, lashed side by side, by means of tough grass. On these, three or four persons are placed, and one swims on each side, holding it with one hand. These Aborigines are said to be shy, but not to have committed any outrage. One of them exchanged a girl of about fourteen years of age, for a dog, with the people at the Pilot Station; but the girl not liking her situation was taken back, and the dog returned.

23rd. We went on shore close by the vessel, and on the way to the Pilot Station passed some large patches of a species of Blandfordia-a lily-like plant, with a crest of scarlet tubular flowers-which abounds also at Port Davey.

We afterwards traversed a portion of the beach, open to the sea on the south, near Cape Sorell. It consisted of numerous little bays; some sandy, others shingly, some rocky, and others covered thickly with decomposing kelp of enormous size, the smell of which was very disagreeable. Multitudes of maggots are produced in it, on which flocks of White Cockatoos feed, that roost among the large bushes on the shore. Ducks and other sea-fowl also find a plentiful supply of food in the maggots, which are floated off in abundance by the rising tide. The rotten kelp affords a manure to the peaty garden of the pilot, so congenial to the growth of potatoes, that those grown there exceed the best I ever saw in England.-There was a lichen on the neighbouring hills, of the same race as the Reindeer-moss, but of a texture resembling delicate net-work. In the abundant rain, it was distended into masses resembling cauliflowers. Like some

of its congeners, it seemed as if it might be used for food: its taste was insipid, and I found no inconvenience from eating it.

We remained all night at the pilot's house, and in the morning had a meeting with the men, in which we were

made deeply sensible of the goodness and mercy of the Lord; before whom we also spent some time in silent waiting, greatly to our comfort.

27th. In a walk, I found the scrub so thick and entangled, that I was under the necessity of cutting my way through it with the back of a saw; but when weary of doing this, I waded past it in the salt-water.-In some places, in this wet country, cyperaceous plants, which somewhat resemble rushes, entwine themselves among the larger shrubs, and ascend to their tops, and lichens hang to a great length from the boughs of some of the trees. The sandbanks at the mouth of Macquarie Harbour are covered with Boobialla, a species of Acacia, the roots of which run far in the sand. Black Cockatoos and some other birds enlivened the bush. Sometimes large White Eagles were seen sitting on boughs overhanging the water, watching for fish.

On the 9th of 7th mo. the Commandant and the Surgeon paid us a visit; they had previously sent us a fresh stock of provisions from the Settlement, those with which we originally set out being nearly consumed; and now, after waiting eighteen days for a fair wind, we crossed the bar without touching; and soon passed the northernmost rocks of Cape Sorell. The following evening we were in sight of South West Cape. We laid-to till daylight on the 11th, and then entered D'Entrecasteaux Channel; where, on passing some whalers, they informed us that we were reported in Hobart Town to be lost. In consequence of

adverse winds we were unable to relieve our friends from anxiety on this point till the 13th, when we were favoured again to land in safety and received many greetings.

Our old lodging being engaged, arrangements were made for a temporary residence with Thomas J. and Sarah Crouch, a pious young couple, who received us into their family in Christian good-will, and to whose house we continued to resort, as lodgers, for several years.

CHAPTER V.

Report to the Lieut. Governor.-Thanksgiving.-Death of a Pensioner.-War. -Clarence Plains.-Hospitality.-Government Schools.-Chain-gang.-Scorpions. Centipedes. Muddy Plains.-Settlers.-South Arm.-Liberty.— Kangaroo.-Box and Cow Fishes.-Illicit Spirit Dealer.-Princess Royal stranded. Snow Storm.-Richmond.-Trees.-Imported Fruit-trees.-New Houses. Bush-rangers.-Security.-Meeting.-Coal River.-Settlers.-Oven Hills. Orielton.-Wages paid at Public Houses.-Sorell Town.-Windmill.Rich Land.-Temperance Meeting -Lower Settlement.-Sober Anglo-Tasmanians.View.-Spring. - Birds, &c.-Anniversary of Departure from

England.

WE remained in Hobart Town a month; in the course of which, in compliance with a request from the Lieutenant Governor, we presented him with a report on the state of the Penal Settlement at Macquarie Harbour; the substance of which is contained in the preceding remarks.

Our meetings for worship, during this period, were often attended by pious persons in an inquiring state of mind, to whom we were enabled to impart religious counsel. We had also discussions with some of them on the principles of the Society of Friends, which we endeavoured to show were those of the Gospel practically carried out.

When taking a meal with pious persons, I was frequently requested to give thanks. This being intended as a mark of Christian courtesy to a stranger minister, I received it as such; but we found it necessary to explain, that it was our practice on such occasions, to endeavour to feel thankful, but not to give expression to their feeling on behalf of ourselves and others, unless under such a sense of divine influence as warranted the belief that it was done in spirit and in truth.

Though, in the course of our travels, we were sometimes present when thanksgiving was uttered in a formal way, which left upon the mind, the impression, that God was drawn nigh unto with the lip, while the heart was far from him; yet we were often sensible of a measure of the influence of the Holy Spirit, when thanksgiving was devoutly uttered by those who were in the constant practice of using expression on such occasions. Nevertheless, when we were present, where the attention of the company was individually turned to the Lord, in a short period of silence, in order to feel thankful, and to acknowledge this feeling in the secret of the heart, we were sensible of a greater measure of divine influence, which comforted our minds, under the belief that the Father of mercies condescended more decidedly, to mark this homage with approbation.

One of the pensioners who came to this land by the Science, died in the Hospital about this time. He came under powerful convictions for sin, on the passage hither, and appeared to find a measure of peace through faith in Christ, and to be seeking help from God, in a humble frame of mind. At that time he abstained from drunkenness, but he could not be persuaded to give up taking his ration of spirits, alleging that the water was bad, and required qualifying. He had formerly been affected with dropsy, and having kept alive an appetite for intoxicating drink, his old shipmates succeeded, after he landed, in prevailing upon him to drink largely. This soon produced a recurrence of the disease, and again brought darkness over his mind, and in his last days, nothing could be learned to afford any ground of hope in his death.

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Meeting with a young man who had thoughts of entering the artillery, I endeavoured to dissuade him. Nothing seems to me more clear, than that if we do to others as we would that they should do to us,' we cannot fight; and that if we love our neighbour as ourselves, we cannot make war upon him. That if the keeping of the commandments of Jesus be a proof of our love to him, it is impossible to make war, and love him; for this evil is as much opposed to his commandment, If thine enemy hunger, feed him, and if he thirst, give him drink,' as darkness is to light. It seems a vain attempt

to elude the force of this injunction, by saying it applies to persons, and not to nations. Is not this making the commandment of none effect by the tradition of men?

8th mo. 15th. We crossed the Derwent to Kangaroo Point-a distance of about three miles-in an open boat; and travelled along a cart track through the Bush, to the house of a Government Surveyor on Clarence Plains, whose wife was our fellow-passenger from England. Here we were received with that hospitality for which the settlers in this country are justly celebrated, and of which we largely partook during our journeying among them. There are several houses in this direction; but as is generally the case in this country, most of the land is unenclosed, grassy forest. The few fields which are near the houses are fenced with posts and rails.

16th. We visited one of the Government Schools, many of which are established in different parts of the Island. They are generally imperfectly organized on the plan of the English National Schools, which is far from working well with the small and irregular attendance general in this country. This originates in the lack of interest, induced by the schools being free, the want of a proper value for education on the part of parents, the unsettled and undisciplined habits which prevail extensively, and from the circumstances in which the settlers in a newly-occupied country are generally placed. Many of the people in this district were formerly resident on Norfolk Island; from whence they were removed by the Government: they have had too little education themselves to be able to estimate its value for their children.

17th. We visited a chain-gang stationed at Kangaroo Point, consisting of twenty-nine men, employed in making roads, &c. While speaking to the men as they sat on the ground at the dinner hour, a Scorpion came out of a log upon their fire, and attempted in vain to escape from the heat; it became affected with convulsive movements, by which its tail struck its back. Probably something of this kind may have given rise to the notion, that a scorpion commits suicide by stinging itself when surrounded by fire. Scorpions are common in this country among decayed timber; they are of small size, and their sting is not much worse than that of a wasp. A green,

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