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Fate of Rev. Mr. Williams. 



NEW SOUTH WALES. 



Description of Sydney. 



Its resemblance to American towns. 



I may in this place acknowledge the open-hearted 

 welcome we met with from all the government 

 officers, military and civil, as well as from the 

 citizens. Our reception was gratifying in the ex- 

 treme, and cannot be too highly appreciated. The 

 Australian Club was thrown open to us by its com- 

 mittee, and parties, balls, &c., were given in our 

 honour ; in short, all our leisure time was fully 

 occupied in the receipt of these hospitable atten- 

 tions. 



The day after we anchored at Sydney, the brig 

 Camden also arrived. By her we learned the 

 melancholy intelligence of the death of the Rev. 

 Mr. Williams, from whom we had parted so short 

 a time before at the Samoan Group. He was then, 

 as will be recollected, about setting forth to propa- 

 gate the Gospel among the savages of the New 

 Hebrides, and was in full health and high spirits, 

 in the ardent hope of success in his mission. My 

 information in respect to this sad event, was de- 

 rived from his associate, Mr. Cunningham. They 

 had placed native missionaries at Rotuma and 

 Totoona. Mr. Williams then landed at Tanna, 

 which they found in a high state of cultivation, 

 and where they were hospitably received by the 

 natives. These were Papuans, and spoke a lan- 

 guage much like that of the Hervey islanders. At 

 1'auna, Samoan missionaries were also left, and 

 they thence proceeded to Erromango. Here they 

 found a barren country and a different race of 

 men, black, with woolly hair, who did not compre- 

 hend a word of any of the languages known to the 

 missionaries. 



The natives, although apparently suspicious, ex- 

 hibited no symptoms of actual hostility. Mr. 

 Williams, with Mr. Harris, Mr. Cunningham, and 

 the master of the vessel, landed, and were strolling 

 about, amusing themselves with picking up shells. 

 While thus engaged, they had separated from each 

 other, and Messrs. Harris and Williams were in 

 advance of the others. On a sudden the war- 

 shout was heard, and Mr. Harris was seen running, 

 pursued by a crowd of natives. He was soon over- 

 taken by them, and killed. Mr. Williams then 

 turned and endeavoured to reach the boat, but he 

 had delayed too long, and although he reached the 

 water, he was followed into it and slain also. 



Mr. Cunningham and the captain escaped, al- 

 though with difficulty, and after some fruitless 

 attempts to recover the body, left the island. Mr. 

 Cunningham was of opinion that the attack had 

 not been premeditated, but arose from a sudden 

 desire to obtain possession of the clothes of the 

 persons who were on shore ; he was also satisfied 

 that a single loaded musket in the hands of those 

 left in the boat, would have been the means of 

 saving these two valuable lives. 



I had, in a conversation with Mr. Williams at 

 Upolu, expressed my belief that the savage inhabit- 

 ants of the New Hebrides would not be safely 

 visited without the means of defence. He had in 

 reply declared himself averse to the use of fire- 

 arms or any other weapon in the propagation of 

 the Gospel; being of opinion that it would be more 

 easily and effectually disseminated without them. 



The missionary cause has sustained a great loss 

 in Mr. Williams's death; for in him were united a 

 true spirit of enterprise and fervent zeal, with 

 great perseverance and a thorough knowledge of 

 the native character. I still think with melancholy 



pleasure of the acquaintance I had the good for- 

 tune to form with him. 



The town of Sydney may, for convenience of 

 description, be considered as divided into two 

 parts; the line that separates them coincides nearly 

 with that of George Street, the broadway of Syd- 

 ney. The old town lies on the east side of this line, 

 and occupies the eastern promontory of the Cove ; 

 it is the least reputable part, and is almost filled 

 with grog-shops and brothels, except at its extreme 

 eastern quarter, where there are a few genteel 

 buildings, in agreeable situations. The streets to 

 the south and west of George Street are well laid 

 out, and are rapidly filling up with good houses. 



The houses of Sydney are for the most part well 

 built and commodious. On the western side of the 

 town are many handsome buildings and extensive 

 public grounds ; towards the eastern side is a large 

 square, called Hyde Park, upon which are situated 

 the offices of the colonial government, the church 

 of St. James, and the Catholic cathedral. 



Sydney contains about twenty-four thousand in- 

 habitants, which is about one-fifth part of the whole 

 population (120,000) of the colony ; and about 

 one-fourth of this number are convicts. In truth, 

 the fact that it is a convict settlement may be at 

 once inferred from the number of police-officers 

 and soldiers that are every where seen, and is ren- 

 dered certain by the appearance of the " chain- 

 gangs." The latter reminded us, except in the 

 colour of those who composed them, of the coffee- 

 carrying slaves at Rio ; but the want of the cheer- 

 ful song, and the apparent merriment which the 

 Brazilian slaves exhibit in the execution of their 

 tasks, was apparent. 



When viewed from the water, Sydney appears 

 to great advantage. It lies on the south side of the 

 harbour, and covers two narrow promontories, 

 separated and bounded by coves. The ground 

 rises gradually, and thus exhibits its buildings to 

 great advantage, giving it the air of a large com- 

 mercial city. It is chiefly built of a drab-coloured 

 sandstone, resembling that employed in the new 

 public buildings at Washington, but of a lighter 

 hue. Red brick is also used in building, and the 

 suburbs contain many neat cottages and country- 

 seats. The sandstone is a beautiful material, but is 

 not very durable. The view of the town is diver- 

 sified with the peculiar foliage of Australian trees, 

 among which the pines of Norfolk Island and 

 Moreton Bay are most conspicuous. At the time 

 of our arrival, the trees were infested with locusts 

 (cicada), which made a noise absolutely deafening. 

 The sound this insect produces is the same as that 

 made by the analogous species in the United States, 

 but is continued here during the heat of the day, 

 and ten times more deafening. 



Handsome equipages abound ; and the stage- 

 coaches are numerous. These, with the costume 

 and demeanour of the more respectable part of 

 the population, struck us as being more like what 

 is seen in our towns than in those of Europe. Every 

 thing has a new look about it, and the people ma- 

 nifest more of the bustle and activity of our money- 

 making and enterprising population than are to be 

 seen in old countries. The acquisition of wealth 

 seems to be the only object of all exertion here, 

 and speculation was as rife as we had left it in the 

 United States. Cutting down hills, filling up valleys, 

 laying out and selling lots, were actively going on. 



