A PLACE OF WORSfflP. 339 The building of a place of worship during the summer 1788 months was one of the many improvements which Phillip 28 Sept. had designed in connection with the foundation of a town ; but it was never carried out, owing — as Collins says — ^to "the pressure of other works/** It was not until July, 1793, that the building of a place of worship was begun, -niefiret and then it was at the expense of the chaplain, the Eev. **""^**- Bichard Johnson. Although his Majesty had instructed Phillip, by all proper methods, to enforce a due observance of religion and good order among the inhabitants of the new settlement, and to take such steps for the due celebra- tion of public worship as circumstances would perm^t,t p^wic nothing was done for the purpose of enabling him to carry out this instruction beyond the appointment of a chaplain. It was quite consistent with the character of the age that ^he interests of religion were considered to be duly pro- vided for, when a chaplain had been appointed at ten shil- lings a day and his rations. No provision was made for the necessary expenses connected with religious services ; still less for the erection of a proper building. This country is supposed to have mines of iron and tin, or Minerals, silver, by those who have been used to work in mines ; but I give no encouragement to search after what, if found in our present situation, would bo the greatest evil that could befall^ the settle- ment. A convict used to work in the Staflfordshire lead mines says the ground we are now clearing contains a large quantity of that metal ; and copper is supposed to lie under some rocks which have Lead, Ijeen blown in sinking a cellar for the spirits. I have no doubt Md'uSn. but that the earth contains iron and other metals, and that mines maj hereafter be worked to great advantage. The red used by the painters, and which they call Spanish brown, is found in great abundance ; and the white clay with which the natives paint them- selves is still in greater plenty, and which the Abb6 that came out oay for with Monsieur la Perouse as a naturalist told me, if cleared of the ^ *°'^' sand (which may be done with little trouble), would make good • Account of the Colony, p. 297. t Post, p. 485. Digitized by Google
