Page:Narrative of a Visit to the Australian Colonies.djvu/102

66 house near the town; who, when he came to this country, brought a variety of fruit trees, packed and stowed at the bottom of the ship's hold. The Ribstone Pippin, French Crab, Golden Harvey, and a few other sorts of choice apples, survived the voyage, and have stocked the gardens of the Colony, in which fruits of this kind are produced in greater abundance and perfection than in England. People in this country often occupy houses as soon as they are built, and finish them as they have opportunity. In the earlier days of the colony J. H. Butcher, as well as many others, was robbed of much of what was available in his house, by Bush-rangers; but these marauders have been so reduced, that the inhabitants now live in such security, as often to be without fastenings to their doors and windows.

26th. We had a religious interview with the prisoners in the jail, and a meeting with the inhabitants in the court-house. In the latter, it did not seem to be my place to express much; nevertheless I was well satisfied in having appointed the meeting; believing that if people were directed to wait more singly upon the Lord, they would not omit assembling for worship because no minister was present, as some did to-day, when their minister was prevented from arriving by the stormy weather. It is a hurtful thing to lean upon man, in that which is a duty to God, and which ought to be performed in spirit and in truth.

27th. Accompanied by J. H. Butcher, we visited some of the settlers upon the Coal River. The district which bears this name is remarkably rich and fertile: it consists chiefly of extensive grassy levels, and gentle undulations, thinly timbered, and bounded by more thickly wooded hills, of various height and form. In this district there is a striking variety in the settlers. One of them is an intelligent man from one of the West India islands, who is improving a beautiful park-like estate, on which he has put up about 17 miles of post and rail fence, at the rate of £70 per mile, by free, and £60 by convict labour. Another was a prisoner, in the earlier days of the Colony: he became free and obtained a location of land, but retained such a love for strong drink as was incompatible with