Page:Narrative of a Visit to the Australian Colonies.djvu/82

46 put up to him on the raging seas, for deliverance from the stormy tempest; when the billows, spiritually as well as outwardly, at times went over our heads. We cried unto God, who commands the winds and the seas and they obey him. We called to mind the situation of the disciples of his Son, when he was asleep in a tempest and they were afraid, and remembered, that when he arose and rebuked the wind, there was a great calm. We put our trust in his name, and renewed our confidence in the Father of mercies through him. Our minds became comforted by his Holy Spirit: we laid us down and slept, being sensible that he sustained us. And now that he had permitted us again to land in safety, we could adopt the language of the Psalmist. "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies."

We remained 17 days at the settlement on Sarahs Island, making occasional excursions to the out-posts; and, notwithstanding, the place has since been abandoned, on account of its distance from Hobart Town, and the difficulty of access to it, and the prisoners have been transferred to Port Arthur, on Tasmans Peninsula, I propose in the ensuing chapter to introduce some notice of it, and of the discipline of the prisoners, as being an interesting portion of the nearly uninhabited, western side of V. D. Land, and exhibiting a specimen of the discipline of one of the older Penal Settlements.