QUARANTINE ESTABLISHMENT. 245 



probably fall very far short of the truth. It is 

 sufficient for us to know that Providence has in- 

 trusted to England a new empire in the Southern 

 seas. Nor can we doubt that there as elsewhere 

 throughout the various regfions of the habitable 

 globe, the same indomitable spirit which has 

 achieved so many successes, will accompany those 

 whom heaven has appointed as pioneers, in that 

 march of moral regeneration and sound improvement 

 long promised to the repentant children of earth. 



We were sorry to find that it had been necessary 

 to form a quarantine establishment in the North 

 Harbour, in consequence of the diseases brought to 

 the country by emigrant ships. A number of tomb- 

 stones, whitening the side of a hill, mark the locality, 

 and afford a melancholy evidence of the short 

 sojourn in the land of promise which has been 

 vouchsafed to some. 



It not being the favourable season for commenc- 

 ing operations in Bass Strait, we remained at 

 Sydney until November, and embraced the oppor- 

 tunity of clearing out the ship. Our stay was un- 

 diversified with incidents, and it may as well 

 therefore be briefly passed over. Among the few 

 occurrences worth mentioning, was the departure of 

 the expedition sent out to form a settlement at Port 

 Essington on the northern coast. Its object was simply 

 military occupation, it having been deemed advisable 

 about that time to assert practically the supremacy 

 of Great Britain over the Continent by occupying 

 some of its most prominent points ; but as soon as 



