Parrots, to settle down at once to some useful occupation. In the course of this excursion for amusement, he sustained an injury by falling from a horse, that long disabled him from earning a livelihood. Pursuing our route over low hills, some clear of wood and others covered with Black Wattle, Acacia affinis, yielding a gum like Gum Arabic, we at length reached Green Valley, where we received a hearty greeting from Agnes Dixon, a native of Lewis, one of the Western Islands of Scotland, who soon prepared a refreshing cup of tea; after which, we gladly resigned our weary limbs and blistered feet to rest.

George Dixon emigrated to this colony eleven years ago, he was trained to agricultural pursuits, and has brought a portion of his location of land into cultivation, both in the growth of wheat and other grain; he has also formed a good garden, which is well stocked with fruit trees and has a Hawthorn hedge. The common fences of the country are formed of logs, branches, or posts and rails. His house is built of split wattles, plastered and whitewashed, the roof projecting in front and resting on wooden pillars so as to form a verandah, a common style of building in this country. The house consists of two front rooms with boarded floors, and two behind,—a kitchen and store room,-floored with stone. His land consists of basaltic hills with grassy forest, and he has about a mile of frontage on the Clyde, which at this season of the year is little more than a chain of pools-called here lagoons -of various length and depth, and about 30 ft. in width. In winter this becomes a considerable river. Some parts of its banks are open, others bushy, and some rocky. In one place a rock like a steeple stands between a cliff and the margin of the river; this is depicted in the annexed etching, which presents also a fair representation of the woody hills of Tasmania, and their white barked Gum-trees. G. Dixon's shepherd is a prisoner, but a man of religious sensibility: he became a thief from the influence of intoxicating drink, but does not shew any dishonesty when he abstains: he had a ticket-ofleave, but lost it, in consequence of being persuaded to drink a glass of porter, which immediately revived his thieving propensity.

feed chiefly on their leaves: they are shot in considerable numbers on moonlight nights to diminish them, and for the sake of their fur, which is very thick and warm. When shot they sometimes hang by their prehensile tails, by which they can lay firm hold of a branch. While warm, their fur readily comes off, but it becomes fast when they are cold. The skins sell for about four pence each, and are black, brown, or grey. Birds of various

kinds also abound in this country; among them may be enumerated Green Parrots, that are great pests in gardens, Nonpareil Parrots, that are very troublesome in corn fields, and pick about on the roads, Green Paroquets, that frequent farm yards, Lemon-crested Cockatoos, which are likewise a great annoyance to the farmer, several species of Crow and Magpie, also the Wattle-bird, the Miner, the Wedgetailed Eagle, &c. The Emu is now extinct in this part of the island.

In the course of one of our walks, we passed the remains of a hut that was burnt about two years ago, by the Aborigines of the Ouse or Big River district. An old man named Clark lost his life in it, but a young woman escaped; she rushed from the fire and fell on her knees before the natives, one of whom extinguished the flames which had caught her clothes, and beckoned to her to go away. They killed a woman on the hill behind the hut. A few weeks after, they surrounded the house of G. Dixon, who received a spear through his thigh, in running from a barn to his house. Previously to this period, the natives had visited this neighbourhood peaceably and excited no alarm. They have now been removed to Flinders Island; but a detachment of soldiers, such as was placed in various situations to defend the settlers against the Aborigines, still remains at Elengowen, near the house of a fine old Scotch woman, named Jacobina Burns; who emigrated from her own country many years ago, and has induced several of her relatives to follow her. She has improved her circumstances, and is noted for hospitality, which is indeed a very general virtue among the settlers in this land.

While at Green Valley, walking alone, and meditating on

the clear evidence I had had of its being my religious duty to visit this part of the world, for many years before the right time seemed to be come for me to set out, and querying within myself as to how we should proceed, so as to be found acting in accordance with the divine will, the words "Go through the breadth of the land," were impressed on my mind with such authority as left no doubt but this was the counsel of the Lord, mercifully granted for our direction. For the Lord still condescends to lead about and instruct those who put their trust in him; notwithstanding it may seldom be by impressions exactly of this kind; but more frequently by a constraining sense of his will independent of any distinct form of words, or by the overruling of his providence.

3rd mo. 19th, we visited a little agricultural settlement called the Hollow Tree, and a place named Cockatoo Valley, celebrated for the fineness of its timber, which is chiefly of the kinds called Stringy-bark and Peppermint. Some sawyers were at work here. Their hut was entirely built of large slabs of bark, which are obtained from several species of Eucalyptus, and serve many useful purposes. At the Woolpack Inn, in returning toward Hobart Town, we obtained beds made up on wooden sofas, for the use of each of which two shillings a night was charged, this also was the price of each of our meals.

20th. The mornings are cold at this autumnal season, but mid-day is as warm as an English summer. Numbers of Piping Crows called also White Magpies, were hopping about near the inn, and raising their whistling notes to each other at an early hour, and the chattering of Miners, Wattle birds, Black Magpies, and Paroquets was very enlivening to us on our journey. On the way to New Norfolk, which we reached in time for the coach to Hobart Town, we had interviews with the Deep-gulley-road-gang, in three detachments; whose attention we called to the end of their being, the incapacity of persons whose affections are estranged from God, and set on carnal things, to enjoy heaven, and the consequent necessity of being born again of the Spirit, by yielding to its convictions, which produce repentance toward God and faith toward Jesus Christ.

CHAPTER III.

Hobart Town.-Pious Persons.-Penitentiary.-Temperance Society.-Kings Pits. Shrubs.-Fern Valley.-School Meeting.-Voyage to Macquarie Harbour.-Prison Ship.-Piracy of the Cypress.-Prisoners.-Loss of the Science. -Fish.-Penguin. - Storm.-Port Davey.-Cockatoos.-Land Lobster.Excursions. Sharks.-Swearing.-Storm.-Sea Fowl.-Entrance of Macquarie Harbour.

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WE remained in Hobart Town till the 7th of 5th month and were much occupied in putting religious tracts and books into circulation, visiting the prisons, conversing with various persons, on the eternal interests of man, and holding or attending meetings for the promotion of religion and morality. During this period we became acquainted with several pious persons; one of whom, Captain William Jacob, from India, was temporarily residing in this island, on account of his health; Van Diemens Land being much resorted to by invalids from India, and often with great benefit, from its fine, dry, salubrious climate. Another, was a drummer, who went into the army at fourteen years of age, and had remained in it fourteen years. He said he had spent much of his time in sin, but had now learned the value of his Bible, and was glad when opportunity offered, to retire into the bush to read it alone he had found peace of mind through faith in Christ, but was in a situation requiring great watchfulness, to retain the sense of the Divine presence being with him. Another, was a young man, who, when in London, sometimes stepped into Friends' Meeting House, in White Hart Court; where a solemn feeling pervaded his mind, without his knowing from whence it arose; but as he supposed the congregation while sitting in silence, were exercised in

examining the state of their own hearts before the Lord, he endeavoured to be similarly occupied.

We several times visited the prisoners in the Penitentiary, who assembled for religious purposes in a mess-room accommodating about 450 at a time: their quietness and attention were very striking; notwithstanding many of them wore chains, the least clink was rarely to be heard; many of them appeared truly grateful for a little religious counsel extended in Christian sympathy.

The Penitentiary contains upwards of 600 prisoners: it is the great receptacle of convicts on their arrival in the Colony those returned from assigned service for misconduct, or other causes, are also sent here; and those retained for some of the public-works are likewise lodged in this place. Considering the class of its inmates, they are under good discipline. They are sent out in the morning under overseers and guards, to work on the roads, and in the various departments, as sawyers, carpenters, builders, &c. and they are all mustered and locked up at night. This precaution renders property remarkably secure in Hobart Town; where formerly robbery was very common. The Penitentiary has a large day-room, and numerous sleeping wards. The men are lodged on two tiers of barrack-bedsteads. These are large platforms without any separation, which is a great evil. In every room there is a man in charge, who is answerable for the conduct of the rest; but it is rare for one to dare to complain of the misconduct of his fellow. Each individual has a bed, blanket, and coverlet; and the place is well ventilated and clean. A tread-mill is attached to this building, which serves the purpose of special punishment, and grinds corn for the institution.-At a subsequent period, a large addition was made to this prison, including a number of solitary cells, and an Episcopal chapel, part of which is open also to the public.

In the latter part of the 4th month, a Temperance Society was first established in Hobart Town, but not without considerable opposition. The Lieut. Governor became its Patron; and the senior Colonial Chaplain, stated, in support of the object, that he had attended between three

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