CHAPTER XV.

Launceston.—Meetings.-Pious Prisoner.-Improvements.—Aborigines' Merchandise. Meeting at George Town.-Rambles.-York Town.-Trout.-Voyage. Flinders Island.-Kangaroo Apple.-Greeting.—Distribution of Clothing.-Native Chief.-Fire.-Notions of Supernatural Influence, and a Future Existence. Departure from Flinders Island.-Intemperance.-Cutter driven upon the Rocks.-Recklessness.-Dangerous Situation.—Arrival at Kelvedon.

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SINCE our former visit to Launceston, considerable improvements have been made in the place. A bridge across the North Esk is in a considerable state of advancement, and a Penitentiary for females is nearly completed. latter is to supersede one at George Town, which is in a ruinous state, and to which the transfer of the prisonerwomen, in boats, is highly objectionable.

The Aborigines now residing on Flinders Island have a small flock of sheep, that were given them by a benevolent individual in the Colony. These are fed upon Green Island; and the wool which they have produced, was committed to my charge, to dispose of, for the owners. The proceeds were to be applied in the purchase of hardware and clothing; this was effected accordingly, and some of the inhabitants of Launceston, liberally added to the stock of goods, in a variety of useful articles that were not very saleable in their shops, and of partially worn garments, so that on returning to Flinders Island, we had some considerable packages of goods for the Blacks.

12th mo. 15th. We had two meetings in the Courthouse, at Launceston, which were attended by a considerable number of people. To me, they were seasons of laborious exercise, under a sense of great weakness of flesh and of spirit: I was enabled, however, to hold up the standard of

the Truth as it is in Jesus, and to show that the salvation. proposed in the Gospel, is not only the forgiveness of past sins, through faith in the atoning blood of Christ, but deliverance from the power of Satan, by the effectual operation of the Holy Spirit; by which the sincere disciples of a crucified Lord are created in him unto good works, in which God hath ordained that we should walk. I had also to point out the great benefit of waiting on the Lord in silence, with the attention turned to the teaching of the Spirit, by which a true sense is given of the state of the soul, and thus a right preparation is received, to ask in the name of Jesus, the supply of our spiritual necessities. There was a degree of solemnity pervading my own mind in the times of silence, in which the creature, bowed before the Lord, felt its own nothingness, and was sensible that God was all in all; in which there was not only the silence of all flesh, but something also of a reverent silence of spirit.

16th. In a religious interview with a few persons, who have manifested an attachment to the principles of Friends, and three of whom have occasionally met on First-days, for the purpose of worshipping God unitedly, I expressed a few words, to encourage them not to be cast down, when in their silent waiting, they might be sensible, only of their own emptiness, and of the natural depravity of their own hearts. I also pointed out the importance of our learning these things, in order that we may be humbled, and be taught not to trust in ourselves, but in the Lord alone. After this, one of them, in a weighty manner, related a little of his own experience, both in his early life, before he came under the power of religion, and of his comforts and conflicts since that time. This was followed by similar communications from the rest. One of them mentioned, that the first recollection of condemnation which he had, was on an occasion on which his father had given him three half-pence, in mistake for a penny, when he was very young: he kept the whole sum, notwithstanding powerful convictions that he was doing wrong in not returning the half-penny; and, from that time, he added sin to sin, until it brought him under the

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sentence of the law. He also noticed his awakening, when a prisoner; losing ground by unwatchfulness on his passage out, and giving way to the gratification of pride in his dress after his arrival in this country, by which he had been brought under great condemnation; his renewed convictions and conflicts; his sense of pardon through the atoning blood of Jesus, and his comfort under the remembrance of the declaration, that nothing should be able to separate us from the love of God. He has adopted the plain language, habits, and manners common among Friends, and appears to maintain a deep exercise of soul before the Lord.

We embarked again on board the Shamrock, and drifted a few miles down the Tamar with the tide. The settlements on the banks of the river, appear much improved within the last fourteen months, and present an enlivening interruption to the continuous forest.

22nd. A favourable breeze brought us to George Town, early. On arriving, we made arrangements to hold a meeting with the inhabitants, at five o'clock in the evening, and occupied the forenoon in giving notice to such people as were not at their place of worship, which is very thinly attended, except by persons, such as prisoners, who have no option in regard to staying away. George Town is going fast to decay; the whole population now amounts to only a small number. It was, however, a satisfaction to have this meeting with them, which was well attended. I had been impressed with a belief that we should be with them to-day; but yesterday, when the wind was contrary, and we made little progress, I was ready to think this impression was only from the activity of my own imagination.

Contrary winds delayed the Shamrock a few days at George Town. We had now added to our company James Allen, from Tyrone, in Ireland, who was on his way to Flinders Island, to succeed A. Mc. Lachlan in the office of Surgeon to the Establishment for the Aborigines. We found this young man a pleasant companion in our rambles in the neighbourhood. We visited the light-house, on the eastern head of the Tamar; near to which there is a lagoon of nearly fresh water, just within the shore, a circumstance common on

low parts of these coasts.--In this direction Correa speciosa is found, which though abundant in some parts of N. S. Wales, is scarcely known in V. D. Land. Correa alba, the Cape Barren tea, becomes a large bush, and covers the sand hills of the western head of the Tamar. Shrubs of this genus, as well as of some others in this country, shed their seeds while the seed-vessels remain green, the seeds are consequently, difficult to collect. We also visited the remains of York Town, which was one of the first settlements in this island. The country around it looked temptingly green, but this greenness proved to be rigid herbage, unfit for cattle, consisting chiefly of a stemless Xanthorrhæa, or Grass-tree; and the place was consequently abandoned, except one or two cottages, to which labour has added productive gardens, well stocked with apple, pear, and cherry trees, gooseberries and vegetables. The cherries and gooseberries were now ripe, the former sold at ls. per pound, and the latter at 1s. 6d. per quart.-Near this place, a beautiful Bauera, with pink blossoms, as large as a shilling, was in flower. The hills in this neighbourhood are very arid, but covered with wood; they abound in iron ore, and asbestos, which last is here called "Cotton Stone." Some of the pools near George Town produce a small speckled fish, which is named Trout, but is far inferior to the Trout of Europe; yet it is a pleasant fish for the table. Many European names have been given to things here, at the antipodes of Europe, which have very little resemblance to the originals.

On the 27th, we put to sea, but made little progress. At night we were off the seal rock, called Barren Joey, or Eleventh Island; and, on the night of the 28th, off Twentyday Island. A westerly breeze sprung up before sunset. My mind had been under great exercise for the last two days, from a strong sense of temptation, and of the danger of falling away. The mercy of God in Christ Jesus was the ground of my hope, and my prayer was that he might cut the thread of my life rather than permit me to bring dishonour upon his holy cause. Still I felt an appalling sense of my own weakness and danger, and of the necessity

to watch and pray, lest I should enter into temptation. My trust was in the Lord for strength, and my desire that his strength might be made perfect in my weakness, and that he alone might have the glory. So far as I could discover I was in my right place, and the Lord was pleased, in great mercy, to confirm this feeling, by some precious and clearly perceptible intimations of his Spirit.

29th. We were favoured again to come safely to anchor, under Green Island, after a gale in the night, in which the cutter was driven through a channel between two Islands, the depth of which was unknown to those on board; but the mate, by keeping a good look out from the mast head, was enabled to direct the course of the vessel, so as to avoid the shallows.

30th. The wind having moderated, we were again put on shore on Flinders Island.-While waiting at a creek, for the ebbing of the tide, we cooked some Mutton-birds for dinner, and having no salt, dipped the morsels in salt water as we eat them, which made them palatable. The fresh water at the Lagoons, to the south of which we landed, being dried up, we could obtain no drink till evening, but we got a few Kangaroo-apples, which resemble potato-apples in form, but are slightly acid, and rather mealy though not dry. We reached Wybalenna soon after sunset. On approaching this place, we were discovered by some women who were cutting wood: they now recognized us as old acquaintance, and gave us a clamorous greeting, which brought all the people and dogs out of their huts, with such a noise as, had we not known that it was the expression of friendship on the part of the people, would have been truly appalling.

1st mo. 3rd, 1834. The weather having become moderate, the Shamrock came to the settlement and discharged her cargo; and we had the pleasure of distributing among the Aborigines the various articles purchased with their wool, and contributed by their friends at Launceston. The dressing of many of them in clothes, such as they had not been accustomed to wear, was not a little amusing, but all were made to fit. One of their chiefs took a great fancy to a japanned comb, such as he saw a woman use, that had been