CHAPTER VIII.

George Town. The Tamar River.-Launceston. -Meeting.-Aborigines. Plants.-Leeches.-Kangaroos.-Middle Arm.-Tide Ripple.-N. Coast.Blacks charged with Murder.-Mode of transferring fire -Black women rescued.-Circular Head.-V. D. Land Company's Establishment.-Islands.Woolnorth.-Rocks.-Cape Grim.-Bird Islands.-Kelp.-Mutton-fish.---Native Doctor.-Seeking a Needle. -Decoration.-Remembrance of absent Friends.-Habitations.-Tribes.-Burning the dead.

GEORGE TOWN is a small assemblage of scattered houses, a few of which are of stone, and the rest of weather-board. This place was originally intended to be the chief port in the north of V. D. Land; but Launceston took the precedence, having greater advantages, notwithstanding its distance is forty miles from the sea; and the police, and other establishments were removed thither. In the afternoon, the wind and tide serving, we proceeded up the Tamar, which is devious in its course, and opens out into many pretty bays. The shores present traces of basalt. The adjacent country is hilly, and wooded down to the water, except in places where the land has been cleared; on which corn and grass are verdant. Some of the habitations of the settlers look comfortable. We completed the last few miles of our voyage in the dark, in a boat, and met a hearty welcome at Launceston, from Isaac and Katharine Sherwin, a thoughtful young couple from whom we had received a previous invitation.

21st. We visited a school that does not belong to any particular denomination of Christians, but is supported by several, and is in a thriving condition: we also had a meeting in a small court-house, at which two hundred persons might be present. I went to this meeting feeling poor and empty, but

deriving some comfort from the expressions of the apostle Paul: "I was with you in weakness and in fear, and in much trembling." In this state, I found it my duty to attend to the injunction: "Thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face," and to put my trust in the Lord.— I had not sat long, before I apprehended it to be right for me to stand up, and explain briefly our views of worship, and to point out the necessity of sincerity, and of the sacrifice of our own wills, in order to being prepared to obtain the blessings of the Gospel. I was led also to speak on other points, connected with the glorious plan of redemption through faith in Jesus Christ, and on the necessity of good works, as the fruit of this faith; and on the benefit of frequent and fervent prayer, as well as on communing with our own hearts before the Lord, in order to feel our spiritual necessities, and to know what to pray for, &c. Thus, in condescending mercy, help was afforded to the weak, and the grain of faith that was exercised, was strengthened. There seemed to be an open ear in the congregation.

22nd. The population of Launceston is about 2,000. The streets are regularly laid out. Most of the houses are weather-boarded, but there are a few substantial ones, of brick. The Episcopal place of worship-the only one here— is a neat edifice of stone. The town is situated at the confluence of the North and South Esk, which here discharge themselves into the head of the Tamar. The South Esk rushes through a deep, narrow, picturesque, basaltic gorge, called The Cataract, distant about half a mile from the town, which is pleasantly situated, and has anchorage for ships of considerable burden near its quay.

W. J. Darling had the four natives that he brought with him from Flinders Island, dressed in decent clothes, and he took them into the town, where their cheerful, intelligent appearance excited a favourable impression in the minds of many who had known little of the Aborigines but as exasperated enemies, charged with treachery and implacable cruelty.— We called on Major Fairtlough, the Commandant, who received us politely. At his house we learned that the cutter was going to sail immediately; we therefore proceeded to

the jetty, where we were requested to take seats in the Port Officer's boat. A dispute arose between the cockswain and the harbour-master, both of whom, we soon discovered, were intoxicated, and this proved also to be the case with several of the crew. The harbour-master remonstrated against the boat proceeding, but the cockswain persisted in putting off: he soon brought us alongside of a ship lying at anchor, where he took in two prisoners to assist in pulling the boat: they were not very expert hands; and when the cockswain recovered from the effects of his intemperance, he desired to know who they were, and from whence they came, and he turned them both on shore! Committing the steering of the boat to G. W. Walker, and himself taking an oar with the men, they brought us in safety to the cutter, which had proceeded some miles down the Tamar.-When the tide was spent, we dropped anchor and went on shore. The natives pursued some kangaroos, casting off all their clothes in the chase. -We supped at a public-house by the water-side, where we had some conversation with a settler, respecting the atrocities committed by some reckless individuals upon the Aborigines; these were of such character, as to remove any wonder at the determination of these injured people, to try to drive from their land a race of men, among whom were persons guilty of such deeds. In our ramble this evening, as well as in one at the Cataract, this morning, we noticed several striking shrubs in blossom; among them were a Prostanthera, with long spike-like branches of beautiful, purple flowers. Veronica formosa-a myrtle-like bush with lovely, blue blossoms, and Clematis blanda, with a profusion of fragrant, white flowers, an inch across. When out this evening, Jumbo turned up her heel, and with a laugh, asked what that was, pointing to a leech as large as a black snail, that was biting her: she plucked it off and threw it away. One of the men pointed to the ground, and said in broken English, "Two more crackne here," i. e. rest, remain, or are here. One of the Blacks got the Commandant's hat and decorated it with the twining branches of Comesperma volubilis, covered with bright blue flowers resembling those of Milkwort.

23rd. The tide not serving till noon, I took a walk alone,

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and saw some Forester Kangaroos; these are a large species, which is gregarious. The Brush Kangaroo, the commonest kind in this island, is rather solitary in its habits. In the evening we reached George Town, where we again received much kindness from M. C. Friend and his wife, and from a magistrate named John Clark, whose guest I became till the 29th.

In this interval we put to sea, but were driven back. This gave me an opportunity of speaking to the inhabitants of George Town, on their religious state. I also visited some prisoners, employed in quarrying and burning lime, up a branch of the Tamar, called Middle Arm. The limestone is accompanied by silicious sandstone, which, as well as the linestone, contains marine fossils, and is in connexion with micacious veins of a silvery appearance.

On the 29th, we got to sea, with a light breeze. At the mouth of the Tamar there was a tremendous tide-ripple, that occasioned the cutter to pitch violently, and seemed ready to swamp the pilot's boat; the men who were in it cried out through fear, notwithstanding the boat was made fast to the vessel by a rope.-The country on the north coast, between Port Dalrymple and Port Sorell is mountainous, that between Port Sorell and Port Frederick is low toward the shore, and has a gentle rise further inland, where there is some fine pasture.-On passing one part of the coast, two of the Aborigines shewed some uneasiness and fear. This, we afterwards found, resulted from circumstances connected with the destruction of two settlers, on account of which one of these men had been in prison, but had been discharged. The other had actually been of the party, who put the settlers to death; but it appeared, that their misconduct had been such as, in a civilized country, would have rendered the case one of what is termed in law, Justifiable homicide:" but notwithstanding this, and without further evidence than that the parties had been killed by Blacks, a verdict of wilful murder was given at the inquest, and the whole Colony was thrown into excitement through fear of the barbarous Aborigines, so that few people thought of going from home without guns or pistols. This occurred about the time of our arrival in the Colony, when many

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persons expressed apprehension at our travelling without fire-arms.

30th. Some person having suggested that Proper-a native of the country near Circular Head-would probably run away if we put in there, W. J. Darling, who at the time was lying on a bed on the cabin floor, inquired what was his intention. Proper, with characteristic cheerfulness, answered this question by slipping into bed to Darling, and thus assuring him that he would not forsake him.-From this man, I learned, that the Aborigines of V. D. Land had no artificial method of obtaining fire, before their acquaintance with Europeans: they say, they obtained it first from the sky-probably meaning by lightning. They preserved fire by carrying ignited sticks, or bark, with them, and if these went out, they looked for the smoke of the fire of some other party, or of one of the fires that they had left, as these often continued to burn for several days. In the afternoon we brought up under Circular-head, where a whale-boat belonging a sealer, residing on Stack Island, came along side the cutter. Seated at the stern, was a native young woman, of interesting appearance, neatly dressed, and having her hair cut off, according to the common custom among her sex in this Land. The mild expression of her features was beclouded by sadness. When she spoke, which was rarely, it was in a low tone. The sealers appeared to treat her kindly, but there was something in their manners that excited suspicion. On being asked, if she would like some soup, she replied in the affirmative, and was requested to come on board for it. Having finished the soup, she sat in silence: Jumbo was asked, if she knew the woman. She replied, Yes, she is my country woman. Jumbo was then inquired of, why she did not talk to her. She replied, She wont speak to me. W. J. Darling ordered the two women into the cabin, and desired Jumbo to ask Jackey-for this was the name that the sealers had given this woman-if she would go to Flinders Island, and live with her own people there. No, was her answer. He then requested, she might be informed, that if she wished to go, he had power to take her, and that the sealers should not hurt her.