military establishment. In one of these we found, as temporary residents, the family of George P. Ball, an officer lately returned from service in India, with whom we had previously become acquainted, and by whose assistance, several of the inhabitants were collected at the military barracks, where I preached to them the Gospel of peace through Jesus Christ, and pointed out the necessity of repentance, and the danger of impenitence.-Having been long in a part of the Island where there are no publichouses, and where the evils arising from strong drink are little seen, we were forcibly struck with their exhibition at Westbury, where intoxication, profane language, and depravity of countenance, bespoke in an appalling manner, man led captive of the devil at his will.

28th. Our kind friend G. P. Ball accompanied us as far as the settlement of P. Ashburner, a respectable magistrate, also returned from India, to whose family we paid a pleasant visit.-Some of the locations of settlers in this neighbourhood are upwards of 20,000 acres. We crossed the South Esk at Entally Ford, and when it became dark, got involved among unfinished, post and rail fences, which perplexed us greatly. This is a trial of patience not unfrequent in a country in which enclosure is commencing, and one which we generally avoided by travelling on foot. It was late before we reached the town, notwithstanding we had been long in sight of it. We found comfortable accommodation for the night, at the Launceston Hotel. The distance from the Hampshire Hills to Launceston is 113 miles.

CHAPTER XI.

Launceston.-Foolish Washerwoman.-Lizard and Grasshopper.-Religious Meetings.-Perth.-Norfolk Plains.-Wheat Crops.-Rioter.-Lake and Macquarie Rivers. Summer Snow. -Hummocky Hills-Profanity.-Campbell Town and Ross.-Salt Pan Plains.-Oatlands.-Jericho.- The Jordan.Cross Marsh.-Green Ponds.-Constitution Hill.-Bagdad.-Blistered Feet. -Rate of Walking.-Hobart Town.

ON calling upon our friends Isaac and Katharine Sherwin, they pressed us again to take up our quarters at their house, to which we consented: we continued their guests till the 21st of 3rd mo., making in the interval an excursion into the country, to the southward.

2nd mo. 1st. Washing is an expensive item in new colonies: here we are charged 5s. per dozen articles. To-day, our washerwoman laid out £3 in a coral necklace for herself, and a watchchain for her husband! forgetting, I suppose, that this foolish indulgence of pride would not alter her station in society.

2nd. The climate here is much warmer and drier than that to the westward; the harvest is ripe, and under the sickle, and the grass dry and brown upon the ground. Large Grasshoppers, with yellow underwings, margined with black, are very numerous, as are also several species of Lizard. In my walk this morning, I saw a lizard run into a hole with one of the grasshoppers in its mouth, and was induced to watch another, catching its more active prey. The lizard waited till a grasshopper alighted near it, and seized the insect with agility: it then broke off the wings, which it took up and eat; it afterwards laid hold of the grasshopper again, transversely, and by a few movements of the jaws, brought the head of the insect into its mouth, and

by continued efforts it swallowed the whole grasshopper. The lizard was 8 inches long: it did not use its feet in capturing the grasshopper, which was two inches long, nor in arranging it in its mouth.

3rd. Our kind friend I. Sherwin invited a few persons, whom he knew to be piously inclined, to meet us for worship at his house. After spending a considerable time with them in silence, I called their attention to the greater profitableness of feeling our own necessity before the Lord, in this state, and of putting up our petitions to him in secret, according to our feeling of need, than of having the time occupied continually in hearing. I stated that I did not despise true, gospel ministry, but wished people to learn the way to the fountain set open in the blood of Jesus, for themselves, and not to lean unduly upon their fellow men.— In the evening, we met a little company, in a very humble cottage: they were persons professing with the Wesleyans, who at that time had no congregation in Launceston. recommended them to meet regularly for worship, though they might be without a preacher, and to seek to know the Lord to teach them himself.

5th. On the way to Perth, we visited a company of prisoners, who were very destitute of religious instruction.— The road to this place is through open forest, except where there are habitations of settlers. The town of Perth consists of ten houses, two of which are inns; it is prettily situated on the high banks of the South Esk River, which is about 60 yards across, at the ferry.

From the 6th to the 14th, we visited the settlers in the vicinity of Perth, as well as on Norfolk Plains, and on the Macquarie and Lake Rivers, and held some meetings among them. Many of these people are in good circumstances, and are living in substantial, brick houses.-Norfolk Plains is a fine agricultural district: the wheat crops are often selfsown, and continue for several years in succession, till the land becomes almost overrun with Wild Oats; but these form useful hay in this dry country. The average yearly crops of wheat, are estimated at from twelve to fifteen bushels per acre; but this is perhaps from mismanagement,

and there are places that yield much more abundantly.Many of the original settlers on Norfolk Plains, resided previously on Norfolk Island: being generally intemperate, many of them killed themselves, or came to ruin, and their property has passed into other hands. Some of the finest land, on the Lake River, belongs to various branches of a family of the name of Archer, who have been very successful, both in agriculture and sheep-farming.

At the house of Rowland R. Davies, the Episcopal Chaplain of Norfolk Plains, we met with a man who was transported from Wiltshire for rioting: he said that he was thoughtful on religious subjects before he left home; that his wife kept a little shop, and that he was a carrier; that he was about his lawful concerns when a mob passed his residence, and compelled him to accompany them; that he was seen among them by some one who knew him, and who appeared against him on his trial: he did not however say that he was altogether clear of blame; but he thought he saw the hand of the Lord in permitting him to be apprehended; for in calling at public-houses, &c. in connexion with his business, he had been gradually sliding into habits of intemperance, which he thought might have proved his ruin. By means of his apprehension, this snare had been broken; and he now enjoyed more comfort in his bondage, as the Lord's free man, than he did when free in body, but Satan's bond servant. He said also, that he was educated in a Sabbath-school, and that he now found the benefit of such an education, and was, with his master's leave, doing what he could in assisting in the Sabbath-schools at Perth and Norfolk Plains. Himself and a few others in the lower walks of life, meet occasionally for mutual edification. A short time ago this man was ill, and appeared as if near his end, and his master told us that he often visited him, not so much to give him counsel, as to be edified by his pious remarks, to which it was delightful to him to listen.

The country along the Lake and Macquarie Rivers, is generally open forest, except where it has been cleared. To the west, it is bounded by a high mountain range, called the Western Tier.

14th. We returned to Launceston, where we visited the prisoners in the jail, and penitentiary; the latter are about 170 in number; we also held a meeting for worship in the Court House, and distributed a considerable number of

tracts.

17th. This morning the mountains visible from Launceston, to the north-east, were covered with snow. This was also the case in the south of the Island, down to 1,000 feet above the level of the sea. Snow is unusual in summer in this country, notwithstanding summer frosts are by no means of rare occurrence.

21st. We set out for Hobart Town, and had a religious opportunity with Nottmans Road-party, consisting of 130 prisoners, several of whom work in chains. They are lodged in huts of the humblest character; twenty-one to twentyeight in each hut. They were very still and attentive while we revived among them the invitation, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God for he will abundantly pardon." We became the guests of Theodore B. Bartley, of Kerry Lodge, a pious man, who had previously invited us to resort to his house when in the neighbourhood.

22nd. On the way to the Eagle Inn, a solitary house in the forest, we passed through Perth, and round one end of the Hummocky Hills, which form the only striking exception to low country, in this part of the extensive vale of the South Esk and Macquarie Rivers.

23rd. We proceeded to breakfast to an inn, by the side of a rushy lagoon or pool, such as is common in this part of the Island, and were grieved on entering it, to hear a man cursing and using blasphemous language, because one of his horses had strayed, as they often do in a country so sparingly intersected by fences.-The conduct of a poor black native, who cut the feet of seven women, whom he attacked as they slept, because his wife had broken a bottle that he valued, has been referred to as a proof of savage character and want of intellect; but what is it when compared with the conduct of persons, who, because offended