# Narrative of a Visit to the Australian Colonies/Chapter 3

CHAPTER III.
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 ​and four hundred criminals to execution, nineteen out of twenty of whom, had been drawn into the commission of the crimes for which they forfeited their lives, either directly or indirectly by intemperance.
On the 15th of 4th month, we held a meeting with some sawyers, in their huts, at a place called the Kings Pits, on the ascent of Mount Wellington, at an elevation of about 2,000 feet, and about four miles from the town. These people seemed a little interested in the counsel given them, and received a few tracts gratefully. The forest among which they are residing is very lofty: many of the trees are clear of branches for upwards of 100 feet. It caught fire a few months ago, and some of the men narrowly escaped. The trees are blackened to the top, but are beginning to shoot again from their charred stems. The brushwood is very thick in some of these forests. A shower of snow fell while we were at the place. Acacia Oxycedrus, 10 feet high, was in flower on the ascent of the mountain. This, along with numerous shrubs of other kinds, formed impervious thickets in some places; while, in others, Epacris impressa, displayed its brilliant blossoms of crimson and of rose colour.
A Fern Valley, V. D. L.
​the forest, a Gum-tree of large dimensions, which had been uprooted by some blast from the mountain; and in its fall, had subdued many of the neighbouring bushes, and made a way where otherwise the forest would have been inaccessible. On descending from this natural bridge, to examine a tree-fern, I found myself at the foot of one of their trunks, which was about 5 feet in circumference and 10 in height. The lower part was a mass of protruding roots, and the upper part clothed with short remains of leaf-stalks, looking rough and blackened: this was surmounted by dead leaves hanging down, and nearly obscuring the trunk from distant view: above was the noble crest of fronds, or leaves, resembling those of Asplenium Filix-fæmina in form, but exceeding 11 feet in length, in various degrees of inclination between erect and horizontal, and of the tenderest green, rendered more delicate by the contrast with the dark verdure of the surrounding foliage. At my feet were several other ferns of large size, covering the ground, and which, through age and their favourable situation, had attained root-stocks a foot in height, crowned by circles of leaves three times that length. Other plants of tree-fern, at short distances, concealed from my view, by their spreading fronds, the foliage of the lofty evergreens that towered a hundred feet above them. The trunk of one of the tree-ferns was clothed with a Trichomanes and several species of Hymenophyllum—small membranaceous ferns of great delicacy and beauty. On a rocky bank adjoining, there were other ferns, with creeping roots, that threw up their bright green fronds at short distances from each other, decorating the ledges on which they grew. In the deepest recesses of this shade I could enjoy the novel scene—ferns above, below, around—without fear of molestation; no dangerous beasts of prey inhabiting this interesting island. The annexed etching will give the reader some idea of a tree-fern, many species of which exceed in beauty the stately palms of warmer climates.
5th mo. 7th, 1832. Having obtained a letter of introduction from the Lieut. Governor to Major Baylee, the commandant of the Penal Settlement, at Macquarie Harbour; ​and other necessary arrangements having been made for our passage on board the Government brig Tamar, we embarked, after dining with the senior colonial chaplain, William Bedford, and his family, from whom we received much kind attention during our sojourn in V. D. Land. The vessel not sailing till the 10th, we spent the evening at the house of Nathaniel Turner, the Wesleyan Minister stationed at Hobart Town, in company with John Allen Manton, a Wesleyan Missionary, also proceeding to Macquarie Harbour. At N. Turner's we also met the teachers of four sabbath schools, containing together about 200 children. Two of these schools are in Hobart Town, and the others at Sandy Bay and O'Briens Bridge. After the teachers had transacted the business of their monthly meeting, we had a solemn and highly favoured religious opportunity; in which, in the fresh feeling of heavenly love, I endeavoured to encourage them to live under a sense of the divine presence, and to seek to the Lord for counsel and direction, in order that their well-intended labours might be blessed.
There were in the cabin of the Tamar, John Burn, the captain for the voyage, Henry Herberg, the mate, David Hoy, a ship's carpenter, Jno. A. Manton, George W. Walker, and myself. Ten private soldiers and a sergeant, as guard, occupied a portion of the hold, in which there were also provisions for the Penal Settlement, and a flock of sheep. Two soldiers' wives and five children were in the midships. Twelve seamen, several of whom were convicts, formed the crew; and 18 prisoners under sentence to the Penal Settlement completed the ship's company. The last occupied a jail, separated from the hold by wooden bars, filled with nails, and accessible only from the deck by a small hatchway. One of the soldiers on guard stood constantly by this hatchway, which was secured by three bolts across the opening, two walked the deck, the one on one side returning with his face toward the prison, at the time the other was going in the opposite direction, and two were in the hold, seated in view of the jail. The prisoners wore chains, and only two of them were allowed to come on deck at a time ​for air; these were kept before the windlas and not allowed to converse with the seamen. This was rigidly observed, in consequence of two of these men having, at a former period, been parties in the seizure of a vessel named the Cypress, making the same voyage; which was carried off to the coast of China or Japan. They put the persons, now our captain and mate, on shore, along with several others, in Recherche Bay, at the mouth of D'Entrecasteaux Channel; from whence they reached Hobart Town with great difficulty. The jail occupied by these men was not high enough for them to stand erect in, but they could stretch themselves on the floor, on which they slept, being each furnished with a blanket.
On the 8th, I paid my first visit to the prisoners, just after they had been searched, lest they should have concealed any implements for effecting their escape. After enquiring respecting their health, I told them that if they had no objection, I would read them a chapter in the Bible, and desired to know if there was any one in particular they would prefer. One of them replied, there was some very good reading in Isaiah. I opened the book, and read the 42nd chapter, and at the conclusion commented upon it, pointing out the effect of sin, the object of the coming of the Saviour, and his power, not only to deliver out of darkness and the prison-house, in a spiritual sense, but also in an outward one; expressing my conviction, that if they would attend to that grace which reproved them for evil, they would be led to repentance, and into that faith in Christ, through which they would obtain forgiveness of sin, and a capacity to love and serve God; that this would produce such an effect upon their conduct, as to restrain them from evil, and enable them to work righteousness, procure them a remission of their sentence, and introduce them to peace and joy, beyond any thing of which they could form an idea while in the service of Satan, whom, I did not doubt, they had found in their own experience to be a liar, as they had been tempted by him to expect pleasure from sin, but had found in its stead trouble and loss. Several of them were attentive and appeared thoughtful, and on taking leave, one of them placed ​his hand to my foot and helped me to ascend from the prison.
The day the Tamar sailed was very fine. The Science, by which we came to V. D. Land, was passing down the Derwent at the same time, on her voyage for England; we parted from her on entering D'Entrecasteaux Channel, little anticipating the disaster by which she was lost off Cape Horn; where she was struck by a heavy sea, that swept away four of her men, and left the remainder, who were ultimately rescued by another ship, in a forlorn and perilous situation.—The various bays and islands of D'Entrecasteaux Channel, with their wood-covered hills looked beautiful. We came to anchor in the evening off Mount Royal. Numbers of fish called Flat-head and Rock Cod were taken. The former is firm, and resembles in figure the Bull-head of English rivers, but weighs about l½lb. The other is softer than the English cod, and weighs from 3 to 7lbs. When stewed with but little water it nearly dissolves, and makes very palatable soup;—at least so we sometimes found it when at sea, and having little but salt meat.
11th. Anchor was weighed early, and passing between the Acteon Islands and Recherche Bay—a navigation requiring great care—we rounded the Whales-head, and came into the open sea. The evening was beautifully fine. We passed close by the Mew Stone by moonlight. Jelly-fish, such as are said to be food of the whale, and resembling glass-beads, were in myriads in the day time, and at night the sea was illuminated by phosphorescent species. Sometimes we heard the cry of a small Penguin common in this vicinity, known by the name of the Jackass Penguin.
Entrances to Port Davey
​the open sea. We came to anchor in the middle of a bason a mile and a half across, surrounded by hills, with little wood. One on the north, which may be 800 feet high, called Spring Hill, exhibits little but white quartz rock; which is abundant every where around. There were trees, many of which appeared to be dead, on the distant mountains. This was the first time we had taken refuge in a harbour in an uninhabited country; but solitary as it was, we were thankful for the refuge from the storm.
We remained in Port Davey seventeen days. During this time the wind was contrary, and often blew with great violence; sometimes threatening to drive the vessel on shore, notwithstanding it was moored with two heavy chain cables.
During our stay the sheep were placed on a small island, on which were a few bushes and some coarse rushy herbage, such as was also the covering of much of the adjacent shores.
There were low Gum-trees on some of the hills, and the brushwood in some of the gullies was very thick, as it was also toward the sea beach; on which, here and there, logs of the Huon Pine, a fine species of timber, were washed up. Several low shrubs of the Epacris tribe were growing in the clefts of Spring Hill: among them a species of Richea with a single head, resembling a pine-apple plant, mounted on a stick 6 feet high; two species of Decaspora—thyme-like bushes, with flattened purple berries, and Prinotes cerinthoides—a straggling little shrub, with cylindrical, inflated, pendulous blossoms, an inch long, of a deep rose colour.
I once ascended Spring Hill alone, taking the rocky part of it, which is composed of projections of white quartz, sometimes tinged with pink or blue, amongst which I could climb as on a rude stair-case. Being sheltered from observation by the rocky spires, I came among a flock of White Cockatoos, which are too shy knowingly to admit the presence of a stranger: they chattered to each other, and shook their beautiful lemon-coloured crests with an amusing degree of consequence, until at length I threw a stick among them, which dispersed the assembly. Much of the ground running ​back from the top of this hill, was perforated by a land-lobster, the size of a prawn; its holes were carried up with conical towers of earth about a foot high. This animal seems common in this wet part of Van Diemens Land.
One of my objects in this excursion was to endeavour to ascertain, if there existed beyond Bathurst Harbour—the sheet of water east of where the Tamar was lying—a lake doubtfully laid down on some maps; but this object was frustrated, by the coming on of a fog and heavy rain, just as I had reached a remote peak, from which I had hoped to see the desired spot. Previously, however, I had noticed the sea breaking on the south coast, at a much shorter distance, than I had expected from the map.—The top of the peak was composed of large blocks of white quartz, with thick scrub between them. From one to another of these I skipped to the opposite side of the peak; and from thence descending, passed through a thick scrub as high as my shoulders, hoping to reach the vessel by a nearer cut; but I had not proceeded far, before a deep woody ravine obstructed my course: and now was put to proof, the advantage of having my mind stayed on the Lord; the feeling of whose good presence had been with me in my solitary wandering, and in my musing upon the novel scenes presented by his creation in this part of the world; for had I become agitated I should probably have been lost. Evening was drawing on, I was alone and several miles from my companions; the scrub through which I had come had closed as I had left it, and it was necessary to retrace my steps. Fixing my heart more steadfastly on the Lord, in prayer, and taking the bearing of a prominent rock by a compass, which in all my wanderings I carried in a pocket opposite to that occupied by my watch, I patiently parted the opposing scrub with my hands, now somewhat weakened by fatigue; and after some time, again reached the rocky peak, which I mounted under such a sense of my Heavenly Father's love, as I hope not soon to forget, and which comforted and invigorated me, and constrained me, on bended knees, to give him thanks.
The fog parted a few times, and opened a fine view of the northern harbour of Port Davey, the Davey River, Mount de ​Wit, and other mountains in that direction. Losing little time in observations, and being favoured to find my way across the rocks in safety, I took to my heels upon the more open ground, and came in sight of the Tamar before the sun had set. I was much surprised not to see the boat off, as I had requested the men who came on shore for water in the morning, to come for me in the evening, saying, they might then expect to see me somewhere on the face of Spring Hill. Like men of their class, they had so little regarded the instructions, that when inquired of, a few hours after, they could give no account of me. My companion had become uneasy at my absence; and, at length, I saw him with some seamen leave the vessel in a boat and come toward the shore, and heard the V. D. Land cry of Cooey, borrowed from the Aborigines, to which I answered; but to my dismay, saw the boat again pushed from the land. Not having taken into account that sound does not readily descend, they had concluded, as they did not hear me, that I was not there. No time was to be lost. I left the rocky part of the mountain for a slope on which I hoped to run; but on reaching it, my feet slipped among a fungus resembling moistened glue—a species of Tremella?—with which the ground had become covered during the rain. I arose and fell until my legs shook under me; and giving up the hope of standing, I launched off in a sitting posture; and besmeared with this slimy vegetable, passed rapidly to the bottom of the hill. Here again I ran and shouted: my voice reached far over the still water, and the boat, to my great comfort, returned. I met it in the sea, for the purpose of washing my clothes, that previously, for several hours, had been soaked with rain, which fell at times so heavily that I had had no occasion to stoop to drink during the whole day.
While detained in Port Davey, we made an excursion, in the ship's boat, with the carpenter, to examine the northern entrance into the bason in which the Tamar lay. It proved sufficiently deep for ships of moderate size; but there is a sunken rock half a mile N. and by West of the largest pyramidal rock, which is called by the seamen Big Caroline. We also went into the southern opening, called Kelleys River, ​which is an estuary 5 or 6 miles long, 1 broad, and from 2 to 3 fathoms deep, and consequently only fit for boats. There were several Black Swans upon it. These birds are abundant in this neighbourhood in the breeding season. Among the scrub on the shore there was a flock of Black Cockatoos. The Wombat—a burrowing, herbivorous animal, in figure somewhat like a small bear,—abounds in this neighbourhood: its flesh, when young, resembles that of the hare.
We likewise visited the Davey River, or northern harbour; in which, under a point from the west, in the turn toward Cockburn Cove, vessels sometimes take shelter from a southerly gale. Oysters are obtained at low tides in this cove, on the smooth waters of which, Pelicans, Red-bills, and Gulls were swimming. On the north of it there is mica rock containing Garnets. Here we spent a night by a large fire, sheltered by a few bushes, near to heaps of oyster shells, accumulated from time immemorial by the Aborigines, who occasionally resort hither. The middle of the night was stormy and wet. The distant mountains were covered with snow in the morning.
Fishing formed a frequent occupation on board the Tamar. Rock-cod and occasionally eels about 5 feet long and 14 inches round, were caught. Sometimes a small shark would take the bait; and we had to expostulate with the soldiers against a cruel practice they adopted, of running a stick through the breathing apparatus of these animals, and in this state throwing them overboard to perish. This was done in the spirit of revenge, because of the annoyance, as they not only spoiled the baits, but drove away the fish. We succeeded in convincing the men that they were wrong in giving way to this spirit, and that it was their duty either to kill the sharks by the most speedy means or to liberate them, as they had as much right to take the baits, as the soldiers had to take the fish; seeing that in so doing, they only followed an instinct given by their Creator. One of the species is spotted, and is called in this country, the Nurse.
Reading in the cabin, and the religious instruction of the respective groups of the prisoners, sailors, soldiers, and soldiers' ​wives and children, also occupied portions of the time we were delayed here, which without employment, would have been tedious. In pleading with some of these people on the importance of a practical application of the doctrines of the Gospel, by those who profess to be christians, we desired them to judge of the corrupt state of their own hearts, at least, by that token which was obvious to others; viz., the practice of cursing and swearing. They took our counsel in good part; and whether changed from principle or not, became more circumspect.
There was something peculiarly interesting and affecting to my mind, in bringing the sound of the Gospel into this desolate part of the earth: where perhaps, since the days in which the world itself was called into existence, it was never before heard; and in proclaiming it as the message of mercy, to the people we brought with us—the only human beings in the place—whose hearts appeared to be as desolate as the hills by which we were surrounded.
5th mo. 29th. The wind having become more favourable, the sheep were brought on board, and while preparation was making for sailing, G. W. Walker and the carpenter landed me on one of the islets at the mouth of the harbour, to cut Native Parsley and a variety of shrubs for provender. This islet is composed of a substance resembling Asbestos, and is fronted on the inside by vertical veins of quartz. In the middle is a deep cove with a hole through to the outside, the surf beating against which forms a jet of spray within many feet high, resembling the blowing of a whale. We boarded the Tamar on her passage out, and were soon again at sea, where the fair wind failed, and we stood off the land for the night.
On the morning of the 30th, we had a view of Point Hibbs, and of a high, domed rock named the Pyramid. A series of heavy gales in the course of the four succeeding days, drove us far northward of our port. When we were laid to, the wind blew the topsail out of the bolt-rope, and while it was undergoing repair, we beat down the rocky coast with sails only just sufficient to enable us to keep off the shore. Scarcely anything was cooked during this period, and few ​persons on board were disposed to eat. Most of the time we kept in our berths, which were warm and dry. The motion of the vessel was too great to allow a person to walk, or even to stand without hold, and we were unable from this cause combined with sickness, to wash or shave.
Some Black and Wandering Albatrosses were continually soaring around us; and a flock of the beautiful Petrels, called Cape Pigeons, kept close to our stern, generally on the wing, but often swimming, or running on the water after anything cast from the ship. The wind howls, and the sea rages in vain to these birds. They keep on the wing in the fiercest tempests, and swim with ease on the most boisterous waves. It was a trying time for all on board, especially for the poor women and children; into whose quarters the water several times found its way in torrents. The perplexities that sometimes arose, occasioned some of the soldiers to quarrel and swear, even when the vessel seemed ready to be overwhelmed; so inveterate was this evil habit! It was a season of trial both of our faith and patience; but the belief that we were in our right places was sustaining.
On the morning of the 4th of 6th month, land was descried through the hazy atmosphere, and all sail was made with a varying but generally favourable wind, till we came distinctly in view of Cape Sorell, at the entrance of Macquarie Harbour. On approaching nearer, we were thrown into much perplexity, no signal being made from the pilot's station for an hour and a half, either to approach nearer or to stand off. During this time we stood backward and forward outside the dangerous bar, which is of wide extent, while the sea was again getting up. At length, when about to run back for shelter to Port Davey, we were descried, and a signal to enter was hoisted. We immediately stood in, and in a few minutes the opportunity to return was past. The pilot put off, knowing better than ourselves, our danger: his boat could only be seen now and then above the billows; but he was soon alongside, and ordered all the sails to be squared, that we might go right before the wind. On coming on board, he commanded the women and children below, and then came to me, and advised me to go below also. I replied, that if we were lost I should ​like to see the last of it, for the sight was awfully grand. Laying hold of a rope at the stern, he said, "Then put your arm round this rope and don't speak a word." To my companion he gave similar instructions, placing him at the opposite quarter. A man was sent into the chains on each side, with the sounding lead. The pilot went to the bows, and nothing was now to be heard through the roar of the wind and waves, but his voice calling to the helmsman, the helmsman's answer, and the voices of the men in the chains, counting off the fathoms as the water became shallower. The vessel was cast alternately from one side to the other, to prevent her sticking on the sand, in which case the billows would have run over her, and have driven her upon a sand-bank a mile from the shore, on which they were breaking with fury. The fathoms decreased, and the men counted off the feet, of which we drew 7½, and there were but seven in the hollow of the sea, until they called out eleven feet. At this moment a huge billow carried us forward on its raging head into deep water. The pilot's countenance relaxed: he looked like a man reprieved from under the gallows, and coming aft, shook hands with each individual, congratulating them on a safe arrival in Macquarie Harbour.
We now soon entered into the inlet, which is about twenty-five miles long, and from three to seven miles broad, by a narrow passage between two rocks, called "The Gates," or from the nature of the settlement, "Hells Gates;" many of the prisoners recklessly asserting that all who entered in hither, were doomed to eternal perdition. We had a fine sail up the Harbour; and on arriving off Sarahs Island, about twenty miles from the entrance, were boarded by the commissariat officer, surgeon, &c.—all anxious to hear what was going on in the world, they having had no tidings for more than three months. They gave us a hearty welcome, and conveyed us to the Settlement, where I became the guest of Major Baylee, and G. W. Walker took up his quarters with our fellow-voyager, J. A. Manton; for whom, as missionary, a house was in readiness.
After a short time spent in conversation, each of us retired to rest, thankful to the Lord, who had answered the prayers ​put up to him on the raging seas, for deliverance from the stormy tempest; when the billows, spiritually as well as outwardly, at times went over our heads. We cried unto God, who commands the winds and the seas and they obey him. We called to mind the situation of the disciples of his Son, when he was asleep in a tempest and they were afraid, and remembered, that when he arose and rebuked the wind, there was a great calm. We put our trust in his name, and renewed our confidence in the Father of mercies through him. Our minds became comforted by his Holy Spirit: we laid us down and slept, being sensible that he sustained us. And now that he had permitted us again to land in safety, we could adopt the language of the Psalmist. "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies."