Page:Narrative of a Visit to the Australian Colonies.djvu/106

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CHAPTER VI.

Attendance of Meetings.—Religious Communications.—Embarkation for Flinders Island.—Cape Roaul.—Port Arthur.—Perilous Situation.—Cape Pillar.— Birds.—Maria Island.—Spring Bay.—Prisoner Seaman.—Octopodia.—Freycinets Peninsula.—Trees, &c.—Black Swans—Shouten Passage.—Mutton Birds.—Swan Island.—Banks's Strait.—Superstition of Sailors.—Wreck.—Preservation Island.—Sealers and Native Women.—Black Snakes—Green Island.

With the exception of holding a meeting with a road party at a place called Robleys Barn, and another with the inhabitants of Clarence Plains, in a school-house, on the east side of the Derwent, we remained in Hobart Town till the 25th of 9th month. In the mean time, a few persons began to meet with us frequently for public worship; among these was a member of our Society, who came out to the Swan River, but not succeeding there, proceeded to V. D. Land, and took up his residence in Hobart Town, where he has not found it easy to obtain a livelihood. At the conclusion of one of our meetings, a young man informed me, that he felt burdened in mind from not having expressed something that had impressed him, believing that he ought to have communicated it. I therefore requested the company again to take their seats; and he proceeded in a humble but feeling manner, to comment on the declaration of Christ, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light;" saying, he had felt it so, when he had waited on the Lord for strength; but that when he had attempted in his own will and strength to perform religious acts, he had become burdened by them. At another time, after I had made some remarks on the advantage of allowing the mind to dwell under the