Page:Narrative of a Visit to the Australian Colonies.djvu/132

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96
LAUNCESTON.
[10th mo.

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