The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-02-05

8 THE BENEDIcTfNEs IN QuEENsLAND.--C.l
B. Kennedy has recently published ID Lon Z
don . narrative. of q four years residence
IN this British Colony. Wetake the follow
ing account of visit to Benedictine
Monastery: 49,
His Excellency and I started off On an
expedition to q monastery situated about
eighty miles north of this most charming
city. We made the journey in truly buell.
like fashion. The governor rode police
horse, and rode q small horse, three years
old, which 1 purchased in Perth. Our
afternoons journey was only thirty miles, I
which we easily got over. On the follow
ing day, however, we had to travel nifty
i've miles, aud be in before dark. 10 90
this we started at in the mOrDiDg, a9d
rode fourteen miles by the light of the
moon. To cut the matter short, at In the |
afternoon we came to the brow ct the NIL
looking down upon the monastery. 1t GER
tainly was pretty sight, quite an oasishn
the Wilderness. After travelling for eighty
five miles through, wild, uucnltivasea io.-
ests, without asblade OF grass or anything
that could give snstenapce to the mose
sagacious kangaroo, it was very pleasant 20
look down into the pretty little valley ana
scattered village with stream running
through the tnadst,s In the. centre OF large
corr. fields Add sgrassy4 meade ws, the whote
the result of the energy of the SPANISH
monks who have founded the settlement'1
| There are between eighty and ninety monks
/ and novices there at the present momentJ
the priests instructing and satten ding to the
souls of the surrounding" settlers and ma
tiyes. the noyices and Brothers working in
the fields, and conducting the business OF
I the monastery and farms adjoining. On
our arrival the Fathers came out, and, with
the hospitality usual to the "reminiscences
| testified their pleasures at our visiting onem,
and Immediately offered us all they had IN
| the way of Refreshments. Their hGspitafity
was unbounded, and the appears fP of all
! these swarthy Spaniards in their C6Wls was
very unlike what one should expect TO
meet in an English Protestant colony. The
monks, notwithstanding their laborious
duties on the farm, get up at three IN the
morning and chant -matins, and In every
way conform to the rules of Benedictines.
Their object in coming out here and start
ing q settlement is to teach religion to the
natives and civilize them if possible. Ihey
have been in many ways very successful,
but the race they have to deal with is 80
wild, and SO much attached to a savage
life, that for many years believe Unese
attempts to instruct them were fruitiess
They give food and clothing to any native
who will come for them, and there are
consequently, but few natives who have no,
received some act of kindness from them
. They found for q long time that the mere
y confinement, living in houses, killed OF
produced illness among the blacks. IN.
? Fathers have at length overcome many aiI
! ticultie,, and have succeeded in bringing
Q up many of the young natives to trades
= Aithoug h it has been believed that the ma
:. tives are incapable of being taught any
y thing, not merely mechanical, there at
. natives ut the monastery who read an
. writs we'll, and work as bootmakers, forgeI
!. and tailors Tho establishment is great
- respected by the Professionals, who ADM
:, that however unsuccessful their Efforts ma
~ have been in instructing the natives, tn
.e monks of New Murcia have done wonder