Page:Narrative of a Visit to the Australian Colonies.djvu/483

1836.] blue, mixed with dark colours, and the King Parrot, of crimson and green, were sitting in flocks, on the post-and-rail fences; they are very mischievous in the gardens.

Kiama is situated on the coast, at a little boat-harbour: it consists of about a dozen cottages, built of wood, occupied by a blacksmith, a carpenter, a shoemaker, &c. and a constable's house, where the police-magistrate holds his court. We passed a mile beyond it, to the house of a settler, where we were hospitably entertained, and had a religious interview with his establishment. The roads were too miry, to allow other persons to meet with us after sunset. Our black guide, who speaks English intelligibly, and is of an industrious disposition, joined some of his country-people in the bush, notwithstanding the inclemency of the night, preferring their company, and the shelter of a few sheets of bark, to the company of white people, in a house.

28th. The day was showery, but we prosecuted our journey, in the course of which we passed several Blacks, with whom our guide was acquainted, and called on a few settlers. One of the latter spoke very respectfully of the Society of Friends, in Ireland, but said she knew little of their principles, as they did not admit persons of other persuasions into their places of worship. We endeavoured to correct this mistaken idea, which there is reason to believe, prevails in some quarters, assuring the party, that our meetings for worship were always open to the public, notwithstanding we sometimes invited a special attendance, at the request of a minister, feeling specially the constraining influence of the love of Christ, toward persons not connected with the Society.

In the course of our walk we noticed large masses of Acrosticum alcicorne and Asplenium Nidus, growing upon the limbs of enormous Fig-trees; the latter is a large fern, with a circle of long, entire leaves. Even some of the lofty Cabbage Palms were encircled by the ''Acrosticum. Polypodium tenellum and quercifolium, and Niphobolus rupestris were climbing the trunks of trees, adhering to them like Ivy, and on the ground, there were Adiantum formosum and assimile, Doodia aspera, Lomaria Patersonii,'' and a tree-fern, of the