Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/327

 RELIGIOUS INSTEUCTION UNDER GROSE. 277 fonndation of a church had been laid at Parramatta, but '^'^^^ before it was finished it was converted into a lock-up house, The church and afterwards used as a granary.* At Sydney, as well Pwrnunatto. as at Parramatta, the Chaplain had generally to perform service in the open air. The difficulties he had to contend with are described in a letter to the Governor, dated 29th February, 1792, in which he pointed out that at times not one-quarter of the convicts were present, andofflcewand that he had received frequent excuses from officers— civil, »?«»n*, military, and naval — whose sole reason for non-attendance was the absence of proper accommodation. He declared that those who desired to attend public worship were in a much better position to do so when the first tent was pitched at Sydney Cove, four years before, for then the trees afforded §f^*"*^ them some shelter. He himself had suffered so much from exposure that he did not wonder that others attended so seldom and so reluctantly.t In a letter written a few weeks later, Mr. Johnson referred to the absence of any place of worship or of any prospect of such being provided at Parramatta and Toongabbie, and mentioned that on the then ensuing Sunday service was to be held at Sydney in an old boathouse — ''not fit or safe and in an old for ^ stable or cowhouse.^t This state of things continued throughout Phillip's Governorship, greatly, no doubt, to his regret. That he valued religious observances is shown by the order he issued with the object of enforcing the attend- ance of the convicts. Phillip will perhaps be blamed in some quarters for omitting to erect buildings for public worship. Delay in but it must be remembered that he was in circumstances of ohurchf peculiar difficulty. It was as much as he could do to find food and shelter for the people. It is not likely that he would have turned the proposed church into a lock-up, and afterwards into a granary, had it been possible to avoid doing so. Not until eight months after Phillip's departure t lb., p. 69i. J lb., p. 602.
 * •*• convicts
 * ' themaelves.
 * Historical Records, vol. i, part 2, p. 603.