west coast differed from those on the east, in some of their customs. The former did not mark their bodies with the same regularity as the latter: the scars upon those of the west coast appeared to have proceeded from irregular surgical cuts, and were principally upon the chest, which is very liable to be affected by inflammation, that often speedily issues in death. A large proportion of these people died from this cause, in the course of the late inclement season.

Lately, several of these people were sick upon the West Hunter or Barren Island, and one of the women died. The men formed a pile of logs, and at sunset, placed the body of the woman upon it, supported by small wood, which concealed her, and formed a pyramid. They then placed their sick people around the pile, at a short distance. On A. Cottrel, our informant, enquiring the reason of this, they told him that the dead woman would come in the night and take the devil out of them. At daybreak the pile was set on fire, and fresh wood added as any part of the body became exposed, till the whole was consumed. The ashes of the dead were collected in a piece of Kangaroo-skin, and every morning, before sunrise, till they were consumed, a portion of them was smeared over the faces of the survivors, and a death song sung, with great emotion, tears clearing away lines among the ashes. The store of ashes, in the mean time, was suspended about one of their necks. The child of the deceased was carefully nursed.

A few days after the decease of this woman, a man, who was ill at the time, stated, that he should die when the sun went down, and requested the other men would bring wood and form a pile. While the work was going forward, he rested against some logs that were to form part of it, to see them execute the work: he became worse as the day progressed, and died before night.

The practice of burning the dead, is said to have extended to the natives of Bruny Island; but those of the east coast put the deceased into hollow trees, and fenced them in with bushes. They do not consider a person completely dead till the sun goes down!

The chiefs among these tribes are merely heads of families

of extraordinary prowess. One of these now here, belonging an eastern tribe, has not the flattened nose common to his countrymen, but is much more like a European in features.

In the course of our tarriance at Woolnorth, we twice had meetings with such of the people as could be assembled. These, with a few Aborigines, amounted to forty-five, on one occasion, and to fifty-eight on another. The company were reverent in their deportment, while we read to them from the Scriptures, and spoke to them respecting the way of salvation. This was strikingly the case with a few of the natives who could understand a little English. The solemn feeling that pervaded the mind, especially during intervals of silence, was very comforting. The state of the people at this settlement was such as greatly needed religious instruction.

We returned to Circular Head on the 13th of 11th mo. by the Fanny, which had on board forty-eight young Merino Rams, designed for sale at Launceston, and which had been fed upon Trefoil Island.

CHAPTER IX.

Circular Head.-Anchorage.-Highfield Plain.-Work People.-Indentured Ser

vants.-Flagellation.-Eagles.-Sponges.-Shells.-Crabs.-Weather.-Ants.

-Journey.-Rivers.-Grass-trees.-Blandfordia.-Banksia serratifolia.-Human Bones.-Scrub and Fern.-Fossil Shells.-Table Cape.-Trees, &c.-Emu Bay. Magnificent Forest.-Gigantic Trees.-Tree-ferns.-Plains.—Aborigines.-Road.-Arrival at the Hampshire Hills.

On arriving at Circular Head, we found the Conch, bound for the Isle of France and the Cape of Good Hope, lying at the jetty, where she had taken shelter from adverse winds. On landing, a young man was waiting with assistants, to convey our luggage to a small cottage, which Edward Curr had kindly appropriated to our use, his large family fully occupying his own house: he received us kindly, and invited us to take our meals at his table during our stay here.

Circular Head is a basaltic peninsula, on a flat part of the coast it takes its name from a large circular bluff, facing the east, and at the south side of which is the anchorage. Portions of the peninsula, which contains about 4,000 acres, are hilly and clothed with wood: much of the soil is good, and notwithstanding some of it is light, it is very productive. On the main land, the coast is sandy, or swampy, and further in, the forest is dense and lofty.

The whole grant of the V. D. Land Company here, is 20,000 acres. The dwellings of persons in their employment, are chiefly on the portion of the peninsula called Highfield Plain, which lies to the north-west of the bluff. We had several meetings with the work-people at this place, generally in the carpenter's shop. Their remote situation excited our sympathy, and we endeavoured to direct them

to Christ, the Shepherd and Bishop of souls.-Many of the people who emigrated hither under the auspices of the V. D. Land Company, came out as their indentured servants; but these, finding they had agreed for less wages than they could readily obtain in the Colony, took every opportunity to run away; and the Company having in but few instances, agreed specifically what rations the people should receive, in addition to wages, this also became a fruitful source of dissatisfaction, so that, at present, they have few indentured servants left.

The people here have the advantage of being generally secluded from strong drink, but a Colonial vessel putting in at the jetty, a few of the prisoners, in defiance of admonition, obtained some. I was present when two of these recelved flagellation, to the amount of twenty-five lashes each, for this offence. Witnessing this punishment tended to confirm me in its inefficiency compared with solitary confinement.

Pelicans and other wild-fowl, resort to the bays adjacent to Circular Head. Eagles also are common here, as well as in other parts of the Island. One day, I saw a large Eagle sallying over my companion, while he was busily occupied in picking up shells. It approached nearer every time it swept over him, until, being afraid he should receive a stroke from its talons, I called to him, and on his resuming an erect posture, it flew away.-On the western shore of Circular Head, there is a remarkable bank of sponges, of several hundred yards long, and more than a yard thick. There are also some others of smaller dimensions. The species

are numerous and curious. Sponges, as we see them in England, are merely skeletons. In their living state, those of this coast are filled with a scarlet, crimson, or bright yellow pulp, and covered with a thin skin; they are of great beauty, when seen in clear water.

Shells are also numerous here, we picked up more than a hundred species. The sand north of the bluff, was sometimes covered with myriads of globular crabs, about the size of a hazel-nut. On going among them, they made a noise like a shower of rain, and by a rotatory motion, in a

few seconds, buried themselves in the sand, the surface of which they left covered with pellicles like peas.

Seals are not now frequent on this part of the coast; one of large size was killed on the beach during our stay; in the course of which the weather was occasionally inclement for a few days at a time. Rain was often attended by thunder: previous to it, the Ants were busy raising mounds around their holes, to prevent inundation.

12th mo. 13th. Accompanied by Edward Curr, and three assigned servants of the Company, we set out for the Hampshire Hills: the weather previously had rendered the rivers on the way impassable. We travelled on horseback, and were each equipped with a long bundle, formed by a blanket, containing sundry needful articles, and with a tin pot, and a tether-rope, attached to the fore part of the saddle. We crossed a muddy bay, and rode eight miles along a sandy beach, to the Black River, which we forded without difficulty, the tide being low. On this river, there is blue slate, of good quality, limestone, and quartz-rock. Continuing on the beach five miles further, we crossed Crayfish River, and in four miles more, came to the Detention River, which we also passed on the bar. Here we halted, on a grassy place, where there was a small spring, and made tea, while the horses grazed; they being relieved from their burdens, and tethered to the bushes. When the horses were a little rested, we ascended the white quartz hills, of Rocky Cape, which were but thinly covered with sandy peat. A species of Xanthorrhea, or Grass-tree, is scattered over them, having a root-stock of a few inches high, supporting a crest of stiff spreading rushy leaves, from the centre of which rises a stem from 2 to 5 feet high, thickly covered, excepting a few inches at the base, with rough buds, and with flowers resembling little white stars. A beautiful Blandfordia was also scattered in this district: its stems were 1 ft. high, and supported crests of from 10 to 20 pendulous, red blossoms, margined with yellow, 1 inch long, and inch wide, at the mouth.

Beyond these hills is a level, upon which, and on some