to him, and tried to persuade him to drink, saying that as he had drunk, chewed, and smoked so long, he would certainly die from leaving off these practices! The poor man is now working for 10s. per week, as a builder, and is in a very humble, thankful state of mind: he walks eight miles into town, to attend our meetings, and is likely to stand his ground, so long as he continues in humility and watchful

ness.

Having engaged a passage to King Georges Sound, by way of Port Phillip and South Australia, on board the barque Eudora, of 208 tons, Stephen Addison, of Hobart Town, master, we embarked, on the 3rd of 11th month, taking rather a hasty leave of many of our friends. A few of them accompanied us on board, among whom were Daniel and Charles Wheeler, to whom we had been much united in the fellowship of the Gospel, and who sailed for England a few days afterwards. The vessel was quickly got under weigh, our friends bid us farewell, and before we had well arranged our luggage, we were at the mouth of the Derwent. After watching the places, in which we continued to feel a deep interest, recede from our view, till they disappeared, we retired to rest, overpowered by nausea and fatigue.

See Memoirs of the Life and Gospel Labours of the late Daniel Wheeler, published by Harvey and Darton, London, 1842.

CHAPTER XLII.

Voyage to Port Phillip.-Passengers.-Mutton Birds.-Islands.-Port Phillip. -Mission Station.-Effect of Fear upon a man bitten by a Serpent.-Indifference.-Melbourne.-Business and Wages.-Aborigines.-Influence of Society. -Esculent Roots.-Animals.-Country.-Natives' Baskets.-W. Buckley.— Lyre Bird.-Wild Dog.-Sheep.

11th mo. 6th. THERE were ten cabin passengers on board the Eudora, eight of whom were persons in the prime of life, going to Port Phillip, with a view to improving their circumstances; either by obtaining a more extended range for their flocks, than they had commanded in Tasmania, or in the expectation of obtaining more lucrative situations in this new settlement, on the south coast of the Australian Continent. In the steerage, there were several mechanics and their families, who were hoping to obtain better wages at Port Phillip, than they could get in Van Diemens Land.

At the entrance to Bass's Straits, we passed large flocks of Mutton-birds, some of which were on the wing, and others, resting on the water. The latter could not rise without difficulty, on account of the smoothness of the sea. On the Eudora coming among them, they afforded an amusing spectacle, diving in all directions, around and under the vessel, and using their long wings under the water, as if flying in that element. When the ship had passed them, they fluttered along the surface, for a considerable distance, and at length rose into the air. When once upon the wing, for a great length of time,

they can continue their flight being more at home in the air, than either upon the water or the land.

7th. The weather was beautifully fine. We passed within a short distance of the Fourneaux Islands, which looked interesting. The desolate mountains of Cape Barren, the rugged peaks of Flinders, the smooth pyramid of Chapel Island, and the low, flat surfaces of Preservation, and Green Islands, and others of similar character, revived pleasant recollections, unaccompanied by the fatigues, and other drawbacks upon enjoyment, that attended our former voyages in these Straits. The Blossom and the John Pierie, which sailed from Hobart Town a few days before us, were just leaving the anchorage under Preservation Island, with a press of canvas, that rendered them beautiful objects. They had taken refuge under this island, from a gale that we escaped. We passed to the southward of a high rock, called The Pyramid. The evening was very fine and moonlight, with a freshening favourable breeze.

A visiter who came on board the Eudora, from one of the other vessels, was much habituated to the use of profane language, a practice, lamentably common among seafaring men. I was greatly pained with his conversation, on this account, and not seeing any opportunity for speaking to him privately, I enclosed two tracts, entitled A Christian Memento, and Thoughts on the Importance of Religion, in the following note, which was slipped into his hand, and which he afterwards acknowledged gratefully, on shore.

"Permit a stranger to commend to thy notice, the enclosed tracts, under the feeling that thy soul is precious in the sight of God, and that it ought to be precious in thy own sight, and that the days for securing its salvation are fast hastening away.

8th. The early part of the day was very foggy. We passed a little to the southward of Curtis's Islands, which are three, huge masses of rock, standing high out of the water, and having upon them no appearance of vegetation. In the same direction, we sighted the Rodonda Rock. The evening became clear, and the breeze freshened, so as to carry us along, at the rate of eight knots an hour.

9th. We passed in sight of Cape Schauck. While going at about four knots an hour, many Barracootas were taken

from the stern, by means of large hooks, baited with pieces of red rag, or of their own gills: they are fine, large fish, in form, resembling Pike, but of a bluish, silver colour, and having long, slender bones; the texture of their flesh is like that of mackerel, but tougher. Toward noon we entered Port Phillip, having just sufficient breeze to carry us in, against the nearly spent ebb-tide, and we dropped anchor under Point Nepean, where some of the passengers immediately went on shore. The rock here is soft, and Calcareous, and rises into low hills. These are covered with Kangaroo-grass, trees, and shrubs; the beach is sandy, with shells, among which were the Zigzag Volute, and Paper Nautilus. Casuarina quadrivalvis, Banksia australis, and other Tasmanian trees grow here, also a N. S. Wales Eucalyptus, and several shrubs and plants that are found on Flinders Island. I likewise met with a shrub, belonging to the genus Croton, and two Goodenias, that I had not noticed before. We bathed in shallow water, to avoid sharks, and got on board again, after being wet by a heavy thunder-storm.

10th. We made a good passage, to the anchorage at Gellibrands Point, at the north-east angle of Port Phillip, passing up the eastern channel. Though it is not yet marked by buoys, we only once touched, on the end of a sand-bank, when the vessel was in stays, and she immediately worked off again. An officer, connected with the customs, who boarded us, and took our mail on shore, gratefully accepted a few tracts, intimating, that there was much need for the attention of the people here, to be stirred up to the importance of temperance and religion; both being greatly neglected. Our captain went up to Melbourne with this individual, but the hour being late, we remained on board. The day was very warm, the thermometer on ship-board 80°. We afterwards learned, that it had stood at 107°, on shore, during this and the three previous days, but several of those following were very cool. Port Phillip may be called a small, inland sea; the land is not visible across it, except where elevated. In the course of our day's sail, we were close in with the shore, below Arthurs Seat, a

considerable range of hills, on the east side of Port Phillip, which are grassy, with trees thinly scattered upon them. These are chiefly the spherical-headed Casuarina quadrivalvis, of Tasmania, which I have only seen in one other place in N. S. Wales, viz. on Mount Arthur, Wellington Valley, where it grew sparingly, and was very small; here it is vigorous and abundant.

11th. Some horses and a bullock, belonging to our fellow-passengers, were landed on the beach, by means of boats. We left the Eudora, and entered the bush, at a place, marked by a red flag. A track toward Melbourne, led us through a wood, but upon reaching a salt marsh, we were guided by a way-mark, which had been previously described to us. Much of the land between the beach and the town, is sandy, and covered with grassy, open forest. The trees are chiefly like those of V. D. Land, as are also the plants, but the former are marked by several species of Loranthus growing upon them, none of which, I believe, exist in Tasmania.

We were conveyed across the Yarra-yarra, by a voluntary ferryman, whose practice was to make no charge, but to accept what his passengers pleased, finding, that in this way he got the best paid. On landing from the ferry boat, we were recognized by George Langhorne, whom we had known in Sydney: he was at one time employed as a Catechist, upon Goat Island, where a few Natives, who had become prisoners, were under his care. These made considerable progress in knowledge, but they were ultimately, either discharged or sent to the Missionary Stations, at Lake Macquarie and Wellington Valley; and George Langhorne was appointed, by the Government of N. S. Wales, to form a Missionary Station, at Port Phillip, placed under the care of a committee of the Episcopal Church Missionary Society, in Sydney. When we met with him here, he was setting out for this Missionary Station, two miles up the Yarra-yarra River, in a boat, managed by four native boys, and a young man who became a proselyte to temperance views, on our first visit to Launceston. We accepted a pressing invitation to accompany this party, and