ill adapted to the day. The absence of all religious feeling, as well as of religious observances, in the Australian Bush, where there is no town or considerable village near, having its regularly appointed minister of God, is indeed striking and fearful. Many young men settle there who previously have been well instructed in all the principles of religion, and have had their minds imbued with a proper sense of it, and their conduct guided by it, but who nevertheless, after living some time in the Bush, become apparently dead to all religious feeling, if not at open variance with the laws and precepts of Christianity. This more commonly arises in the absence of a minister, without whom the settlers apparently think themselves exempted from the obligation of public worship: and omitting that, they, in too many instances, proceed to the neglect also of private prayer and religious reading, and the result is, that painful spectacle-a life spent without God. No one will deny that the farther we are removed from any minister of our religion, and the regular administration of holy ordinances, the more it is incumbent upon us to "watch and pray lest we enter into temptation;" for if, in such remote and lonely places as up-country stations in Australia, we ourselves fail to observe religious practices, what remains to awaken us to a sense of our estrangement from the Almighty? What hope is there for our reclamation other than that, in His infinite mercy, He may make

us alive to the desperate nature of our condition, by the infliction of some heavy calamity, the more heavy as we have not a friend in Him who so touchingly offers rest unto all who are "weary and heavy laden?" Moreover, it will be admitted by all that the squatter is clearly responsible, not merely for his own godly faith and practice, but also, as far as any efforts of his can extend, for those of the people in his employ. It is clear that much of the crime and dishonesty amongst the labouring population of Australia may be attributed to the neglected state, with regard to religion, in which they are left by their masters, not to say to the contempt of it into which their examples too often lead them.*

The station where we are now passing the Sabbath does not call for the severity of remark which I have been led to make upon others. There was, indeed, the great omission of public worship, but otherwise nothing occurred unbecoming the sacredness of the day; and did it not savour of impertinence, I would add my belief that my host was a religious as well as moral man.

The following morning was devoted to the kangaroo

It is right to say, that many of these observations might, with no less truth, be applied to other colonies, East India, &c. Religion, I fear, must be brought to every man's door before he will heed it; and as this is at present impossible in such extensive and thinly populated countries as Australia, we ought not to be surprised at the religious indifference of many of our squatting countrymen.

chase, when three of us started, accompanied by a huntsman, and a leash of hounds. The ride to the hunting ground afforded a favourable opportunity for seeing a portion of my friend's station, which, as we passed through field and wood, and over hill and dale, appeared to be boundless. This fine range of hills, and that beyond—these extensive sheep-walks, those fine cattle runs-the river, the woods, "the hunting-grounds,"-all were his. And what beautiful scenery it embraced, and how amply stocked with "fish, flesh, and fowl!" But who was the lord of this fine territory? I looked at him every now and then as he rode by my side, under the impression that he must be a Duke of Sutherland or Northumberland; and I could with difficulty force my mind into any continued conviction of the real truth, that he was nothing more than what any one with a small capital might become, if so minded,—an occupier of boundless acres, under yearly license from the crown. Here is freedom, indeed, for the spirit which frets at its imprisonment in England, where, surrounded on every side by hedges, fences, and park palings, by "no thoroughfare" boards, and harsh warnings that trespassers will be prosecuted with the utmost rigour of the law," and that "all dogs found in these premises will be shot ;" to say nothing of the boards bearing on them those alarming words, "steel traps and spring guns are set in these grounds,"-many of which, on the strength of old recollections I suppose,

are still kept up in terrorem, a man is confined to narrow hard roads, for the use even of which he has to pay heavily, and so often, that before he has well replaced his purse, buttoned his coat, and resumed his glove, he has the whole tiresome, exacting, delaying, chilling process to go through again. Yes, if any one chafe and fret at imprisonment like this, let him exchange his cottage and meadow in England, for a hut and county in Australia, and there enjoy that personal liberty which, however much boasted of here, is but seldom enjoyed. There he may ride far and wide, fearless of turnpike or trespass-fine scenery around him, a beautiful sky above, and gay plumaged birds carolling aud cheering him on, as he canters lightly over the pleasant turf, blessing his Maker for health and freedom. There, instead of losing or impairing the healthful functions of his lungs, inhaling a heavy and contaminated atmosphere, while he is creeping slippered by the side of a row of wallflowers, or a bed of mignonette, or taking what is termed exercise, or a "constitutional walk," by parading a garden, enclosed by a "fine wall" thirty feet long by twenty wide, or at best perhaps a single meadow, as wet as water almost all the year round: instead of these, he will enjoy an atmosphere dry and elastic enough in itself to make him light of heart and agile in body, and which will contribute indeed to raise his animal spirits to a tone that perhaps he has never before experienced. But, hush! my friend points to a mob of kangaroos-yes, there

they are,―at a distance in the wood 'tis true, but near enough to see that some among them are fine fellows. Ah! there go the dogs in full scent. Now for it, stick fast, hurrah! away we tear, horse and horsemen vying in eagerness. "Gently," says my friend: "mind the holes, or your horse's leg and your own head will both be broken-don't let him take you under too low a branch, for I cannot stop to pick up the pieces, though they may be of your body,-and don't fatigue him too much by jumping him over fallen trees-steady, not too fast." Away we go! wild and exciting sport!-a noble object to run down, and sufficient danger in its pursuit. The dogs have separated one of the finest from the mob, and are close upon him; but, no! there he goes some way a head-leap-leap-his hind legs and tail alone at work-he's on the brow of that hill, and will escape! What bounds he takes! yes, I thought he'd get away. Two of the dogs are at fault, as well as ourselves. But where 's Juno-the best of the lot; she must be still upon him! We must wait here awhile to breathe both horses and dogs, and perhaps if we use the whistle she may come in. Ah! there she is ; but limping painfully along, poor thing! The kangaroo must have struck her; no, in her eagerness she has come in contact with the sharp point of some fallen wood, and cut her shoulder too severely for her to run again.

This "untoward event" spoiled our sport; for Juno