Macquarie Harbour. 
25 
object as the look-out-house before mentioned. A flag¬ 
staff was also erected here ; but, alas! there was no flag 
at the settlement to hoist to its truck. Here also was 
the cemetery of the free. It was at this spot that the 
remains of the first Commandant were deposited. 
The funeral of a soldier at Macquarie Harbour caused 
an unusual feeling of melancholy all over the settlement. 
The free were but few,—out of that few one had ceased 
to exist. The soldier who, undaunted in the midst of the 
galling fire of an enemy, knows that if he die, the spot 
on which he falls will, most probably, be liis grave, cares 
not whether that spot be on holy or unconsecrated ground. 
That same soldier shudders, in a penal settlement, at the 
idea of being buried in unconsecrated ground. There was 
no drum or fife to play the dead march. The cortege in 
solemn silence with reversed arms would be seen to wind 
up the hill. The last compliment to the brave was heard 
all over the settlement: all was again silent. The guard, 
instead of the lively quick air in which they usually 
return from the funeral of one of their comrades, retraced 
their steps with grave dejected looks; the death of 
their comrade forming, for a long period afterwards, the 
theme of the guard-house conversations. 
There was a small cottage in the midst of a garden, 
occupied by the convict clerks and gardeners: nearer 
the water-side, and a little further on, some saw-pits, 
substantially roofed in, afforded room for several pairs of 
sawyers. It was at this spot that the rafts of timber 
were broken up, and formed, by means of levers or hand¬ 
spikes, into immense piles. Piles of sawed pine occu¬ 
pied some of the quays. All the ground unoccupied by 
buildings was converted into gardens. Near the “look¬ 
out” stood the hospital, containing two rooms, a dispen¬ 
sary, and a dead-house. 
Having thus taken a survey of the settlement, we will 
