"It was the duty of the Cape man who accompanied me to mark a tree every here and there by chipping the bark, so that the party might the next day easily recognise the route which they had to pursue; upon looking back I now perceived that he had neglected a very remarkable tree about twenty or thirty yards behind us, and which stood close to the spot where I had fired at the kangaroo. I desired him to go back and chip it, and then to rejoin us; in the mean time I stood musing as to the best means of avoiding the little rocky ravine in our front. "Finding that the man remained absent longer than I had expected, I called loudly to him, but received no answer, and therefore passed round some rocks which hid the tree from my view to look after him. Suddenly I saw him close to me, breathless and speechless with terror, and a native with his spear fixed in a throwing-stick, in full pursuit of him; immediately numbers of other natives burst upon my sight; each tree, each rock, seemed to give forth its black denizen, as if by enchantment. "A moment before, the most solemn silence pervaded these woods; we deemed that not a human being moved within miles of us, and now they rang with savage and ferocious yells, and fierce armed men crowded round us on every side, bent on our destruction. "There was something very terrible in so complete and sudden a surprise. Certain death appeared to stare us in the face: and from the determined and resolute air of our opponents, I immediately guessed that the man who had first seen them, instead of boldly standing his ground, and calling to Coles and myself for assistance, had at once, like a coward, run away; thus giving the natives confidence in themselves, and a contempt for us and this conjecture I afterwards ascertained was perfectly true. "We were now fairly engaged for our lives; escape was impossible, and surrender to such enemies out of the question. "As soon as I saw the natives around me, I fired one barrel of my gun over the head of him who was pursuing my dismayed attendant, hoping the report would have checked his further career. He proved to be the tall man seen at the camp, painted with white. My shot stopped him not: he still closed on us, and his spear whistled by my head; but whilst he was fixing another in his throwing-stick, a ball from my second barrel struck him in the arm, and it fell powerless by his side. He now retired behind a rock, but the others still pressed on. and our fate seemed inevitable. The light-coloured || man, spoken of at the camp, now appeared to direct their movements. He sprang forward to a rock not more than thirty yards from us, and posting himself behind it, threw a spear with such deadly force and aim, that had I not drawn myself forward by a sudden jerk, it must have gone through my body; and as it was, it touched my back in flying by. Another well-directed spear, from a different hand, would have pierced me in the breast, but, in the motion I made to avoid it, it struck upon the stock of my gun, of which it carried away a portion by its force. "All this took place in a few seconds of time, and no shot had been fired, but by mc. I now recognised in the light-coloured man an old enemy, who had led on the former attack against me on the 22d of December. By his cries and gestures, he now appeared to be urging the others to surround and press on us, which they were rapidly doing. "I saw now that but one thing could be done to save our lives, so I gave Coles my gun to complete the reloading, and took the rifle which he had not yet disengaged from the cover. I tore it off, and stepping out from behind our parapet, advanced to the rock which covered my light-coloured opponent. I had not made two steps in advance when three spears struck me nearly at the same moment, one of which was thrown by him. I felt severely wounded in the hip, but knew not exactly where the others had struck me. The force of all knocked me down, and made me very giddy and faint, but as I fell, I heard the savage yells of the natives' delight and triumph; these recalled me to myself, and, roused by momentary rage and indignation, I made a strong effort, rallied, and in a moment was on my legs; the spear was wrenched from my wound, and my havresack drawn closely over it, that neither my own party nor the natives might see it, and I advanced again steadily to the rock. The man became alarmed, and threatened me with his club, yelling most furiously; but as I neared the rock, behind which all but his head and arm was covered, he fled towards an adjoining one, dodging dexterously, according to the native manner of confusing an assailant and avoiding the cast of his spear; but he was scarcely uncovered in his flight, when my rifle-ball pierced him through the back, between the shoulders, and he fell heavily on his face with a deep groan. and my two men close to me behind the rocks, in the attitude of deep attention; and as I looked round upon the dark rocks and forests, now suddenly silent and lifeless, but for the sight of the unhappy being who lay on the ground before me, I could have thought that the whole affair had been a horrid dream. "The effect was electrical. The tumult of the combat had ceased: not another spear was thrown, not another yell was uttered. Native after native "I now made the two men retire behind some dropped away, and noiselessly disappeared. I stood neighbouring rocks, which formed a kind of pro-alone with the wretched savage dying before me, tecting parapet along our front and right flank, whilst I took post on the left. Both my barrels were now exhausted; and I desired the other two to fire separately, whilst I was reloading; but to my horror, Coles, who was armed with my rifle, reported hurriedly that the cloth case with which he had covered it for protection against rain, had become entangled. His services were thus lost at a most critical moment, whilst trying to tear off the lock-cover; and the other man was so paralysed with fear, that he could do nothing but cry out,|| 'O God, sir, look at them; look at them!' "In the meantime, our opponents pressed more closely round; their spears kept whistling by us, "For a second or two I gazed on the scene, and then returned to my former position. I took my gun from Coles, which he had not yet finished loading, and gave him the rifle. I then went up to the other man, and gave him two balls to hold, but when I placed them in his hands they rolled upon the earth, he could not hold them, for he was completely paralysed with terror, and they fell through his fingers; the perspiration streamed from every pore; he was ghastly pale, and trembled from head to foot; his limbs refused their functions; his eyes were so fixed in the direction in which the natives had disappeared, that I could draw his attention to nothing else; and he still continued repeating, 'Good God, sir! look at them,-look at them!' "The natives had all now concealed themselves, but they were not far off. Presently the wounded man made an effort to raise himself slowly from the ground some of them instantly came from behind the rocks and trees, without their spears, crowding round him with the greatest tenderness and solicitude; two passed their arms round him, his head drooped senselessly upon his chest, and with hurried steps the whole party wound their way through the forest, their black forms being scarcely distinguishable from the charred trunks of the trees as they receded in the distance. "To have fired upon the other natives, when they returned for the wounded man, would, in my belief, have been an unnecessary piece of barbarity. I already felt deeply the death of him I had been compelled to shoot: and I believe that when a fellow-creature falls by one's hand, even in a single combat rendered unavoidable in self-defence, it is impossible not sincerely to regret the force of so cruel a necessity. "I had now time to attend to my own state and that of my men, and found that they were uninjured. I had been severely wounded in the hip; another spear had just cut my right arm, and a third had deeply indented my powder-flask, whilst lying in a haversack immediately over my stomach. The men were not, up to this moment, aware of my being wounded, as I had thought it better to conceal this circumstance from them as long as I could. The natives had gone off in the direction of the tents; and as I felt doubtful whether they might seize upon a favourable opportunity to surprise the party there, and thus revenge their defeat, I was anxious to reach the encampment as soon as possible. We therefore bound up my wound as well as we could, picked up the spear which I had drawn out from my hip, and started homewards. "We did not take with us any of the other spears or native weapons which were lying about in abundance; for I still wished to shew this people that I was actuated by no ill will towards them. They did not, however, deal so generously with us; for Coles, unfortunately, forgot a note-book which he was carrying for me, containing many observations of great value; and I sent back a party to look for it, but the natives had returned to the place, and carried off all their own spears and other weapons, and my note-book likewise. "The first part of our march homewards was managed tolerably well: we saw the tracks of the natives, as if they were still retiring in the direction of the tents; and at one place, close to a group. of detached rocks, were several tame native dogs, near which, I have no doubt, a party of men or women were concealed, as these animals seldom wander far from their masters. We did not, however, see any natives, and continued our route unmolested. My wound began, by degrees, to get very stiff and painful, and I was, moreover, excessively weak and faint from loss of blood; indeed, I grew so dizzy that I could scarcely see, and neither of the others were capable of leading the party back to the tents; yet I was afraid to halt and rest, for I imagined that if I allowed my wound to grow cold and benumbed, I should then be unable to move; leaning, therefore, on Coles's arm, I walked on as rapidly as I could, directing the men which way to go. Unfortunately, however, we lost our track, and after walking for nearly two hours, I found that we were far from the encampment, whilst my sight and strength were momentarily failing. Under these circumstances I told Coles to walk in a direction which I gave him, and which led directly across the beaten track of the party; having reached which, he could easily make out the encampment, and, leaning on his arm more heavily than before, we again moved on. "Having reached the track of the party, and turned southward to follow it, I still pushed on || until we were within two miles of the tent, when, as I tried to cross a stream, I strained my wounded hip severely, just reached the opposite shore, and fell utterly unable to rise again. Coles, with his usual courage and devotion to me, volunteered to go on alone to the party, and send assistance; the other man was to remain with me, and keep a look-out for the natives; and had they again attacked us, I should still have had strength enough to have shot two of them, and thus have sold my life dearly. I desired Coles to say that a tent, stores, the surgeon, and two men were to be sent to me, for that I was not well enough to be moved. "The water of the stream revived me considerably. My wound, however, was very painful, and the interim between Corporal Coles leaving me, and assistance arriving from the tent, was spent in meditations, arising naturally from my present circumstances. I sat upon the rocky edge of a cool clear brook, supported by a small tree. The sun shone out brightly, the dark forest was alive with birds and insects: on such scenery I had loved to meditate when a boy, but now how changed I was! -wounded, fatigued, and wandering in an unknown land. In momentary expectation of being attacked, my finger was on the trigger, my gun ready to be raised, my eyes and ears busily engaged in detecting the slightest sounds, that I might defend a life which I at that moment believed was ebbing with my blood away; the loveliness of nature was around me, the sun rejoicing in his cloudless career, the birds were filling the woods with their songs, and my friends far away and unapprehensive of my condition,-whilst I felt that I was dying there. "And in this way very many explorers yearly die. One poor youth,' my own friend and companion, has thus fallen since the circumstances above described took place; others have, to my knowledge, lately perished in a similar way. A strange sun shines upon their lonely graves; the foot of the wild man yet roams over them: but let us hope when civilisation has spread so far, that their graves will be sacred spots, that the future settlers will sometimes shed a tear over the remains of the first explorer, and tell their children how much 1Mr. Frederick Smith. they are indebted to the enthusiasm, perseverance, and courage of him who lies buried there." We are accustomed to think of the great benefits which the settlement of Christian colonists will confer on these savage tribes. God grant it may be So. As without doubt it would, if we conveyed to them the pure doctrines and discipline of the Church of Christ. But, alas! the benefit is sadly deteriorated by the heresies and schisms which, together with the word of God, we too commonly spread throughout the world. And in no point of view is the evil of dissent more striking, than in the obstacles which it presents to the spread of Gospel truth. For how can it be expected that the heathen should be impressed with the truth of the doctrines which we teach them, when they observe that we are not agreed upon them ourselves? "We should have a better opinion of Christianity," said an Indian Brahman to a missionary, "if there were not so many sorts of it." We will take this opportunity, in connexion with Australia, of stating the exemplary conduct of W. Leigh, Esq., of Little Aston Hall, in Staffordshire. This gentleman purchased 4,000 acres of land in South Australia, near the town of Adelaide; and with a pious munificence worthy of better days, at once dedicated the tenth part to God, by setting apart 400 acres for the endowment of a church;and, not content with this, he has, at his own expense, caused a church to be built on his estate, after the model of the old churches of our native land, which it is to be hoped may serve as a pattern for the ecclesiastical buildings of the new country. Poetry. BROUGH BELLS. [Old John Brunskill, the honest yeoman, had given of his substance to buy Brough Bells, in Cumberland.] He knew how wholesome it would be What feelings and what impulses Their cadence might convey, That when his brethren were convened He, too, admonish'd by the call, In spirit might be there : And when the blithesome sound was heard Some kindly sympathies therewith His opening heart might feel. Or when a glad thanksgiving sound, And 'stablish'd by her strength,— The sound should stir his blood, and give THE SONG OF THE WESTERN MEN. [When Sir Jonathan Trelawny, one of the seven bishops, was committed to the Tower, the Cornish men rose, one and all, and marched as far as Exeter in their way to extort his liberation.] A GOOD Sword and a trusty hand, And have they fix'd the where and when? Out spake their captain, brave and bold, "If London Tower were Michael's hold, We'll cross the Tamar land to land- All side by side and hand to hand; And when we come to London Wall, A pleasant sight to view, Come forth! come forth! ye cowards all, Trelawny he's in keep and hold- But here's twenty thousand Cornish bold Notices of Books. 1. Robert and Frederick. Seeley and Burnside. 2. The History of the Fairchild Family. By Mrs. Sherwood. Hatchard. 3. Conformity: a Tale. By Charlotte Elizabeth. Dalton. IN compassion to our readers, we notice but few of the books which fall in our way; and especially is it a rule with us to eschew those which belong to the class of religious tales and children's books. They are of all the most unprofitable, and, we regret to say, the most numerous, being, with really few exceptions, unnatural and unsound. It : is a duty, however, that we owe to those who hon- placed at the head of this notice, their errors being MR. BURNS' series of tracts continues to put forth some excellent numbers, e. g. The Honour of the Sanctuary, intended and well adapted for distribution in places where new churches are being built; The Gospel Invitation, being an address in behalf of the Society for the Employment of Additional Curates in Populous Places. The tract on The Duty and Advantage of Obeying them that have the Rule over you, and of submitting yourselves (Harrison, Leeds), is well calculated to impress upon the mind of the reader the awful obligation of the duty on which it treats. may also be said in reference to the Sermon against Insubordination, especially in Spiritual Things (Lee, Strand), by Philalethes, the author of "Six Plain Sermons." The same Kingdom there is dependent seven-ninths on agriculture, and two-ninths on manufactures. The total ordinary revenue of the country is 51,634,0817. The excise duties on spirits amounts annually to 5,201,662.! on tobacco the custom duty is 3,588,1927.! and yet while enormous sums like these can be expended in ruining men's souls and bodies, the amount received for Church-rates is only 506,8127., while the whole net revenue of the English Church does not exceed 3,490,4971.! In 1839 there were 62,207 emigrants embarked to our different colonies. In the same period there were 1058 suicides committed in England and Wales. There is one item, under the head of "Contributions of Dissenters to Bible and Missionary Societies" which we do not understand: the Dissenters are said to contribute annually 64,9857. 17s. 5d. to the Church Missionary Society. After all, then, is that society chiefly supported by Dissenters? WE have much pleasure in recommending an English Grammar, by the Rev. T. K. Arnold (Rivingtons). It is by far the most scientific treatise that has been published of late; and though it professes to be intended for "classical schools," we see no reason why it should not be introduced into the better sort of commercial schools. In Seven Paris. Lady Alice: a Ballad Romance. WE cannot help thinking it to be among the good mance. Those of our readers who wish for information on the agriculture, shipping, colonies, manufactures, commerce, and population of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and its dependencies, will do well to provide themselves with Mr. Spackman's little book lately published (Longman and Co.) on these subjects. The statistical tables are very numerous, Christian Institutes: a Series of Discourses and and that they are interesting the following extracts Tracts, selected, arranged systematically, and Ilwill shew. The British army in the United King- lustrated with Notes. By Christopher Wordsdom and colonies consists of 137 regiments, which worth, D.D., Master of Trinity College, Camcontain collectively 121,121 men. The number of bridge. 4 vols. 8vo. London: Rivingtons. ships of all kinds belonging to the British navy is IN our last No. we noticed both the great merit of about 570, and the number of seamen, boys, and ma- this work, and its two principal drawbacks. We rines employed in the navy amounts to 41,528. The will now give our readers some further information total population in Great Britain, by the last census, concerning it. The first volume contains the "eviis 18,664,761; that in the colonies belonging to dences of natural and revealed religion-the printhe British empire amounts to 130,708,323. It ap-ciples of natural law and of Christianity." Vol. 2 pears that of the entire population of the United exhibits the principal doctrines of the Christian "Wes religion. Vol. 3, the principles of society and of in other words, propping a falling cause: government, civil and ecclesiastical. Vol. 4 is oc- leyan Chapel, ****.-You are affectionately invited cupied with "polemical theology," in reference to attend during the following Special Services :both to popish and protestant dissent. Of these 1st, An Address to Christian Professors; 2d, ditto volumes, the third appears to us the most useful; to Backsliders; and 3d, ditto to the Unconverted, and it contains a galaxy of names not to be sur by three Ministers, on Tuesday; three Addresses, on passed, as Sanderson, Horsley, Butler, South, Burke, various subjects, ditto on Wednesday; three ditto, Clarendon, Hooker, and Hey. The whole work, we ditto on Friday. Service to commence at half-past understand, is now to be had at a reduced price; || Six o'clock." What a delightful jumble, by the way, and we advise those of our readers who desire to a man's mind must be in, after having first been possess a sound body of divinity within a moderate addressed as a "professor," next as a "backslider," compass, to avail themselves of the opportunity. and last of all as one 66 unconverted!" We wonder at least they do not invert the order of proceedings. Or is this the common way with dissenters,- to begin with profession, and to end with apostacy? Miscellaneous. INVALIDITY OF DISSENT.-The Irish courts of law have recently pronounced marriages performed by Presbyterian ministers to be invalid. Dissenters, of course, are very angry. We would rather suggest to them, the possibility that there may be a Court above which will pronounce all their acts both invalid and sinful. THE ENGLISH REFORMATION.-I set myself, in the first place, to justify the Church of England as to the way and manner of her reformation, so loudly and so falsely clamoured on so little ground: and by this tract it will be proved that nothing was done here in the Reformation but what was acted by the clergy, in their convocations, or grounded on some act of theirs precedent to it, with the advice, counsel, and consent of the bishops, or other learned men assembled by the king's appointment; and, secondly, that the parliaments did nothing in it, but that sometimes, upon the post-fact, it was thought fit to add some strength to the decrees and determinations of the Church (especially in inflicting punishments on the disobedient) by the civil sanctions.-Heylin. SIGNS OF THE TIMES.-It appears from the following announcement that the doctrine of the Apostolical Succession, at which certain weak and ignorant Churchmen have taken offence, is found by || dissenters to be a powerful weapon against them: "Wesleyan Tracts for the Times.'-Within the last twelve months, the most strenuous efforts have been made, by the distribution of tracts, to unsettle the minds of the members of the Wesleyan societies on the subject of religion. They are told that the ministry which they attend is in every respect invalid; so that they have no sacraments, and, in fact, no scriptural warrant to expect any spiritual blessing from God. They are also vehemently accused of having departed from the principles of their founder, to which they are solemnly pledged. || Most of these publications are drawn up with singular unfairness, so far as the views of Mr. Wesley are concerned; the writers making them, by the suppression of truth, vehicles of direct falsehood. Some of these tracts are printed in Oxford; others in London; and the most active agents in their distribution are junior clergymen, who abet the pernicious errors of Dr. Pusey and his party. It was hoped that this evil would be of short continuance; as it was thought that no men, bearing the sacred name of Christian, and professing to be scho- SOUTH-HACKNEY CHURCH-FUND.-The followlars, and men of honour, would permanently lending is the result of the third annual collection, themselves to a practice which compromises some made in the parish church of South-Hackney, at of the most sacred principles of morality. This the offertory on the first Sunday after the Epihope, however, has been disappointed. The nui-phany, 1842 :sance is widely extended, and increases daily. The Wesleyan ministers and societies are therefore informed, that a series of tracts is in course of preparation, and will be published with all convenient speed, under the general title of 'Wesleyan Tracts for the Times,' unfolding Mr. Wesley's real views of ecclesiastical order, vindicating the ministers and people who at present bear his honoured name, and supplying an antidote to the ill-disguised popery which has ominously arisen in the heart of the Protestant Establishment of this country. The first of these tracts, it is hoped, will be published on the 23d of February, and the rest will follow at stated intervals, of which due notice will be given. The attention of the Wesleyan connexion in general is respectfully invited to this announcement. The Wesleyan Tracts for the Times' will not be an attack upon any body of Christians, but an earnest defence of an injured people against a race of intolerant and unscrupulous assailants."-We have also lately stumbled upon another characteristic way of what is vulgarly called "getting up the steam," or, 1 See note p, 80 of this number. Entelligence. To the Society for Promoting Christian £ s. d. 37 0 0 55 2 56 2 46 11 43 5 To the Society for the Propagation of 0900 33 17 6 £271 18 0 ADDITIONAL COLONIAL BISHOPRICS.-In consequence of the following Pastoral Letter, addressed by the Lord Bishop of London to the clergy throughout his diocese, a collection was made in aid of the Colonial Bishops' Fund, on Palm Sunday last : "London House, 7th Feb. 1842. "Rev. Sir,-You are no doubt aware, that a declaration was agreed to by the Archbishops and Bishops of the United Church of England and Ireland, at a meeting held at Lambeth, on the Tuesday in Whitsun week, 1841, setting forth the in-. |