CHAPTER XL.

Hobart Town.-State of the Meeting of Friends.-Sir John Franklin.-Party Spirit. Temperance.-Pensioners.-J. Johnson.-Weight.-Aurora australis. -Schools.- Infants at Meeting. -Journey.-Improvements.-Kelvedon.— Baptism for the Dead.-Drought.-Increase of Opossums, &c.-Affecting Accident. Gibbet.- Launceston. - Barton.-Successful Emigrant.—Campbell Town and Ross.-Frost.-Observations on Temperature.-Vale of Bagdad.— Prisoners at Work.-Return to Hobart Town.

ON landing in Hobart Town, we found that our old friends, T. J. and S. Crouch, had removed from their former residence, into Harrington Street, and their family had increased, so as to render them unable again to receive us as their lodgers; we therefore took apartments at the Freemasons Hotel, a quiet, clean house, next door to them.

The day after landing, we had again the privilege of meeting for worship, with the persons professing the same religious principles as ourselves. Their number was still but small, but some of them had evidently grown in grace, and a few more of them occasionally spoke in the line of Gospel ministry. The family of Mathers had removed into the town, greatly to their own comfort, and the satisfaction of their friends. Some of them were very helpful in our little church; the members of which, by seeking to the Lord for help, had been enabled to maintain the ground of true gospel-fellowship, and to deal with a few of their number, who had turned out of the right way. Some of this class had been convinced of their error, and restored to unity, and others, on whom labour proved unavailing, were testified against and disowned.

We took an early opportunity of paying our respects to Sir John Franklin, the new Lieutenant Governor, who

received us kindly, and offered to forward, what he was pleased to call, our objects of "benevolence and philanthrophy," in any way in his power. We were glad to see a man, whose intention appeared to be to do good, succeed to Colonel Arthur; but we felt no sympathy with a great part of the Colonists, with whom the latter had become unpopular, through the influence of dissatisfied men, of party spirit, who being in a wrong mind themselves, took great pains to prejudice others against this worthy man.

The cause of Temperance had made some progress during our absence. The town had been divided into districts, in which meetings for the promotion of this object were held periodically, in rotation.-Since this time, a further step has been taken with a view to stem the torrent of iniquity, connected with the use of intoxicating drinks, and a society has been formed to promote total abstinence from them; which it is devoutly to be hoped, may be blessed, to the removal of the example of respectable persons using that, which often proves a deadly snare to their own souls, and which presents one of the greatest impediments to the moral and religious improvement of mankind.

A few of the pensioners who came to the Colony with us, in the Science, were still in this neighbourhood, but several had been removed by death, chiefly from drinking intoxicating liquors. A very small number of the remnant, maintained themselves above poverty.

4th mo. 14th. One of the pensioners called upon us, presenting a forlorn specimen of the effects of instability and inebriety. According to his own statement, he gave up a little farm in England, on which he was doing well, to follow a vicious woman, who forsook him upon the voyage, after having wasted all that he had. Since he came to this Land, his propensity for strong drink had been a constant hinderance to his prosperity. About two years ago, a tree fell upon him, on Bruny Island, from the effects of which he still suffers. Thus, "a stranger in a strange land," and half a cripple, he is a burden to the public and to himself.-Bitter indeed is the fruit of sin! But when sin is forsaken, great is the mercy extended, and

sweet is the fruit of righteousness! Of this we had an interesting illustration, in a visit we paid to-day, to John Johnson, of Glenorchy, who is now in his seventy-seventh year. He is an affecting picture of human infirmity, so tottering as scarcely to be able to walk, and when he falls, he is unable to rise again without help; his speech is so nearly gone, as scarcely to be intelligible; and he has a bleeding-cancer on his breast, that often pours out blood till it runs into his shoes; but he has many who care for him, out of Christian love, and on whose beneficence he is entirely dependent. The state of his mind, though not exempt from occasional conflict, is generally peaceful. Often he is favoured with the aboundings of the consolations which are in Christ Jesus, which, in his simple language, he describes, as being as if heaven broke over his head; such an overflowing as he cannot convey an idea of. He says he is quite willing to go, whenever his Master shall be pleased to call him, but is endeavouring to wait patiently, knowing that he shall be called, when the Lord sees him to be fully prepared.

While we were with this good old man, some of his pious neighbours came in, who occasionally hold a meeting at his house, as he is unable to go out. He says he has now many comfortable "blanket prayers," not being able to get out of bed to kneel down, as was formerly his practice. The necessity of this, he was led to question, by his inability, and his views have become much more simple and scriptural, both upon the nature of prayer, and of worship generally.

18th. While in Sydney, I was reduced in weight, by the heat of the climate, to 111 lbs. nevertheless my health was good. At the time of our last arrival in V. D. Land, I weighed 112 lbs. and to-day I weigh 119 lbs. having gained 7 lbs. in two weeks, in this cooler climate. I continued to gain flesh rapidly, till reaching my usual weight of about 124 lbs. which I never much exceeded.

22nd. The Aurora australis was very brilliant, notwithstanding the moon was shining brightly. This beautiful, electric phenomenon presented vivid shades of crimson,

yellow and white; the last was in columnar streaks. It was also striking, in the same colours, on the 1st instant, when we landed from the Francis Freeling. The common appearance of the Aurora australis, in this latitude, is a diffuse, yellowish light, on the horizon. It rarely presents bright corruscations, or a columnar figure, like the Aurora borealis, as seen in England.

25th. We joined Philip Palmer, one of the Colonial Chaplains, in a visit to the schools for boys and girls, that are under his superintendence, and are conducted on the plan of the British and Foreign School System. They are supported by the Government, and by the payments of the children, who are admitted at from 6d. to 9d. a week. In the boys' school, the average attendance, is seventy-three, out of one hundred and five, on the list. The school for girls has a daily average of forty-six out of fifty-six. The premises, which are not well adapted, were not erected for the purpose; but the experiment of the application of the system, has proved satisfactory, notwithstanding a little opposition from the prejudice of some persons, that it has to contend with. In the institution of these schools, we furnished a stock of lessons, &c. from those committed to our care, by the committee of the British and Foreign School Society.

30th. Our meetings were held at half-past ten and three o'clock, these hours being convenient to many of those who attend. In the forenoon twenty-two adults were present, with nine children; and in the afternoon about the same number of adults. Many of the children who are brought to meeting here, are infants, the mothers of which have no suitable persons with whom to leave them. They occasion, surprisingly little disturbance, and the children derive a great advantage from being thus habituated from infancy, to quietness, and consequently to self-denial.

On the 1st of 5th month, we set out on horseback, to visit some other parts of the Island, and were absent from Hobart Town till the end of the month. We made interesting calls on several of the settlers. Their circumstances had generally become greatly improved, since our

former visits. This improvement was not generally attributable to any thing resulting from their own industry, or good management, but from the increased value of Australian wool in the English market, from the demand for sheep to export to the new settlement of Port Philip, from the increase of Emigrants, bringing capital into the Colony, and from the extension of Banks, supplying more copiously a circulating medium. These changes had occasioned such an advance in the value of property, as placed many persons in comparative affluence, who were before, in embarrassed circumstances. Many of these, however, increased their expenditure proportionately to their improved income, and subsequently felt severely, the pressure of a falling market. We travelled to Kelvedon, by way of Richmond and the Eastern Marshes. A small road-party was employed in improving the rugged path, across the Rocky Hills, in Great Swanport, which was yet impassable for carriages.

On reaching the peaceful habitation of our dear friends, Francis and Anna Maria Cotton, and their large family, we found them in good health, and in sitting in silence with them, before and after their frugal meals, as well as at their family readings of the Holy Scriptures, and in their meetings for worship, we were permitted to partake with them, of a sweet sense of our Heavenly Father's love.

We held a few meetings in this neighbourhood, to which the inhabitants were invited, and in which Francis and Anna Maria Cotton, Dr. Story, and a young man, formerly a prisoner, sometimes joined us in Gospel labour. In some of these meetings, the exercise of our minds was much of the character of being baptized for the spiritually dead. But this ought to be borne with patience, and even with thankfulness, "if so be that the dead be raised" through this means; and as "the servant is not greater than his Lord," it is to be expected, that where the government of Christ is rejected, his servants will feel painfully oppressed in spirit; for to them it is given, even in this sense, not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for his sake.

On the 16th, we set forward toward Launceston, by way of Waterloo Point, St. Pauls Plains, and Perth. So little