spoke to them on the importance of securing the salvation of their souls.—This proved an awakening time to a poor prisoner, who died some years after at Launceston, in a hopeful state of mind.
While here, we saw some fires, at a distance, to the eastward, along the coast, which were supposed to be those of lime-burners; but I felt no mental attraction toward them, at which I was surprised. On afterwards ascertaining that they were the fires of a few natives, who showed hostility, by spearing one of the servants of the Company, I could not but regard this as a mercy from Him, who can keep his dependent children out of danger, as well as preserve them when in it.
24th. We returned to the Hampshire Hills. On the way I ascended the trunk of a prostrate Stringy-bark, by climbing a small Black-wood tree. The Stringy-bark having laid long on the ground, was covered with moss and ferns: it measured 200 feet, to the first branches, where the trunk was about 12 feet in circumference. It was amusing to look down from the butt of this tree, upon my friend, who was on horseback below. We also measured some White Gums, supposed to be 180 feet high, which varied from 30 to 35 feet in circumference. While taking tea, our attention was arrested by a noise like a peal of thunder, which proved to have been occasioned by the fall of a lofty tree, at the distance of half a mile!
28th. We came to Chilton last night, and this morning ascended the mountain called St. Valentines Peak, which is probably 4,000 feet above the level of the sea, the Surrey Hills, from which it rises, being upwards of 2,000. It is of whitish, silicious conglomerate. The imbedded pebbles are small and rounded: some are translucent, and of various appearance, from that of semi-opal to flint; others are opaque, and white, red, or scarlet. The Myrtle forest extends part of the way up one side of the mountain, and is so thick and difficult to pass through, that though the distance is only six miles from the Hampshire Hills, the road taken to reach it, is sixteen. In the line between these places there are some scrubs, so tangled that to cross them, a person must travel among their
