in water, to take out the bitter principle, after which it is eaten. M'Gill thought potatoes were better than most vegetables they used: he said, the Blacks, in this neighbourhood, had "thrown away" the use of fern-root. These people find maize, potatoes, bread, and other articles produced by the industry of white people, so much better than their own native articles of diet, that they stay much about the habitations of the European population, and do little jobs, for which they get these articles in return: they also find this kind of provision more certainly to be relied upon, which induces them to keep near to the usurpers of their country, notwithstanding the abuse and indignity they sometimes meet with, and their liability to be fired upon, if seen helping themselves among the growing Indian corn.

The sun had just set, when we reached the residence of L. E. Threlkeld and his numerous family, from whom we received a kind welcome.

28th. L. E. Threlkeld has applied himself diligently to attaining the language of the Aborigines, and reducing it to writing, compiling a grammar, preparing a translation of the Gospel according to Luke, and some smaller selections from Scripture, also a vocabulary. He has been employed several years in the mission, in which he has been unassisted by any other Missionary. He has had, at the same time, to provide for his own family, which now consists of nine children, and is living on his own land, a portion of which he has cleared, with much labour. In the afternoon, we walked to a woody point, extending into the lake, which is twenty-five miles long, and seven broad, and has a narrow opening into the sea. Some Blacks were fishing, to whom L. E. Threlkeld spoke a few words, in reference to the Deity, to which they attended with gravity.

29th. We accompanied L. E. Threlkeld, in a boat, rowed by three Blacks, to the site of the old missionary station, at the head of the Lake, where we landed on a fine seam of coal. This station was abandoned some years ago, by the London Missionary Society, on account of its expense, and the misrepresentations of persons who had never been upon the spot; and thus an opportunity was lost for

benefiting the Blacks, such as will never occur again in this part of N. S. Wales. Those who were collected here, have become dispersed among the settlers, toward Newcastle; and through the acquired love of strong drink, and other causes, such as occasion Black men "to fade away," have become greatly diminished in number. The Natives obtain fish and oysters in the lake; which they exchange for flour, tobacco, &c. In the forest, at the north end of the lake, the variety of trees is considerable; among them is Achras australis, which bears a fruit like an inferior plum: its seeds are something, in form, like the handle of a gimlet, but are pointed and polished. The Blacks scratch various figures upon them, and amuse themselves by guessing what the figure is, on the one held in the hand of another person. 30th. Was very rainy: it was spent in examining into the labours of L. E. Threlkeld, which have been very persevering and disinterested. He has succeeded in imparting to the Blacks, some general ideas respecting the Deity and the responsibility of man; but so far as yet appears, without that effect by which, under the influence of the divine Spirit, such knowledge becomes practical, in leading to repentance and faith in Christ. We have come to the conclusion, that no impediment exists, to the Aborigines of New South Wales becoming civilized, or receiving the Gospel, beyond what applies to other tribes of human beings, destitute of civilization. In these, the wandering habits, induced by living on the wild produce of the earth, are uncongenial to the settlement requisite for instruction; but this might be overcome, especially in the rising generation. But there have been impediments of another class, in New South Wales, such as the demoralizing influence of the white population, and the prejudices of benevolent persons, who had given way to discouragement, in consequence of individual Blacks, who had been brought up among the Whites, returning to their own tribes. This circumstance has arisen from the feeling that such had, that they were looked down upon as black men among Whites; while they were looked up to, because of their enlarged knowledge, among their own people. The

amount of the Black population of Australia has been a subject of much variety of opinion; but it has probably been greatly over-rated. On comparing the number of Aborigines, known to exist between Batmans Bay and Port Macquarie, with the whole extent of N. S. Wales, and this with the whole of Australia, making large allowance for the reduction of the tribes, by European influence, and doubling the amount for contingences, we came to the conclusion, that the whole Black population of Australia, probably did not exceed fifty thousand; and nothing that we subsequently saw in Southern or Western Australia altered our impression on this subject.

5th mo. 1st. We were present during the season devoted to public worship, in the mission family, in which opportunity was afforded us, for the expression of what was upon our minds. It is seldom that any of the Blacks are present on these occasions. Among the marks of improvement, in regard to civilization, exhibited by the Natives of this neighbourhood, none of whom can be said to remain permanently here, may be noticed, their wearing clothes, and their consequent abandonment of the practice of ornamenting themselves by cutting their flesh; their ceasing to knock out a tooth, on their youths attaining to manhood; their intelligence and friendly feeling toward the white population, and their willingness to do little turns of work, for rewards in flour, tobacco, clothing, &c.

2nd. Taking leave of Ebenezer, L. E. Threlkeld conveyed us in a boat, to the head of the lake; from whence we proceeded by a road, originally cut from the old missionary station to Newcastle, through forest of Red Gum, Angophora lanceolata, Apple-tree, A. augustifolia, Iron Bark, Stringy Bark, Blood-tree, Bastard Box, Spotted Gum, and other species of the genus Eucalyptus. About two miles from Newcastle, there is a singular spring of water, that rises a few inches above the surface of the ground, inside of the trunk of a Spotted Gum-tree, a root of which has probably tapped the spring: the water is accessible by an inversely heart-shaped hole in the tree, and occasionally flows out in wet weather. The beautiful Blandfordia grandiflora,

with yellow, bell-shaped, lily-like flowers, was growing in the forest, along with many other pretty plants. In the course of our walk, we fell in with some regiments of hairy caterpillars, following one another in long lines, the head of each, except the first, touching the tail of the one before it. A friend of mine told me, that once, on meeting some of these caterpillars, traversing a rock, he directed the head of the first, with a stick, to the tail of the last, and they continued following one another in a circle, for several hours, without seeming to discover the trick that had been played upon them! Our sable guides were joined on the way through the forest, by another of their tribe, whose name was Macquarie, and we saw several other parties, passing backward and forward. They sometimes amused themselves and us, by throwing their boomerings, which made circuits, almost like the flight of birds. On reaching Newcastle, they received their wages in bread, tea, sugar, and tobacco. This kind of payment, they seemed to understand better than one in money; of which it has not been the policy of the settlers to teach them the value; perhaps more from seeing that they appreciated more readily the worth of useable commodities, than from an intention to keep them in ignorance of a point, that would have been desirable for them to understand, in order to save them from imposition, in regard to the value of their own labour. In the afternoon, we embarked on board the Ceres, a fine vessel, built on the Williams River, carrying two engines, each of forty horse power, and once more put to sea, with a contrary wind.

3rd. We landed at Sydney, after a rough passage of sixteen hours, and were kindly welcomed by our friends. The Isabella, on board of which was our luggage, arrived before us, having beaten up, against the wind, in three days.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

Sydney.-Tidings of D. and C. Wheeler.-Aborigines in Towns. -Work of the Spirit.-Grant of a Burial Ground.-Reformed Prisoner.-Wills.Trial of Blacks.-Bibles in Strange Tongues.-Meetings.-Voyage to Maitland.-Drunkenness.-Season.-Ironed-gangs.- Fossils.-Country.- Plants. -Arthurs Vale.-Management of Prisoners. St. Aubins. "Prisoners of Australia."-Plants.-Rain.-Sheep.-Snow.-Mount Wingen.-Objects of Curiosity. Return to Maitland.-Compass, &c.-Geology.-Cock-fighters Bridge. -Prisoners.-Bibles and Card-playing.-Small Congregations.-Friends' Principles. Self-delusion.

5th mo. 7th. We had the satisfaction of hearing of our dear friends, D. and C. Wheeler, through the medium of a letter from Charles Barff, to William P. Crook, of this place, dated "Huaine, Jan. 19th, 1836;" he says, "I mentioned in my last, that I accompanied Mr. Daniel Wheeler and Son, to Pora Pora, as interpreter. The Natives listened with profound attention, to their pious, pointed, and Scriptural addresses."

8th. Very wet. Only seven persons were at our meeting in the morning, and eight in the afternoon. Both were silent seasons, except that I gave expression to a few sentences in prayer, in the morning.-Our black guides, M'Gill and Boatman, called to see us. They are in town, in consequence of the trial of some Aborigines, to whom, on behalf of the Government, in conjunction with L. E. Threlkeld, M'Gill acts as interpreter. We gave them some articles of clothing, with which they were much pleased. These poor creatures called upon us several times afterwards, during their stay in Sydney. They were mostly in a state of excitement, from strong drink; which they are easily persuaded to take. The Blacks are not like the same people,

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