light!

[207] See Grey's Travels in Western Australia, vol. ii. p. 188.

CHAPTER XIV.

STATE OF RELIGION AND EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIA.

The religious state of the inhabitants of the Australian colonies,
especially of the two oldest and most populous settlements, has been so
frequently the subject of allusion in this work, that the reader must
already have become acquainted with its general aspect. Nevertheless,
there are many interesting particulars which have not yet been detailed;
and no subject, surely, can concern more nearly the _mother country_
than the religious condition of her children and offspring. Upon the
mere surface of things, judging from appearances only, the religious
habits of England would seem perhaps to be transferred to the Australian
colonies no less perfectly than its social customs; but, although the
resemblance to our spiritual pride and spiritual ignorance, our needless
divisions and contempt of lawful authority, is perfect enough, except
when it occasionally degenerates into caricature, yet, in points more
deserving of imitation, the likeness between the mother country and her
daughters is not always so striking. Probably it would be difficult to
sum up the matter better than in the words of Bishop Broughton, who
says, "My own opportunities of observation have been very numerous,
and I do not hesitate to say, that, in either colony, surrounded, it
cannot be dissembled, by much that is base and disgusting, there is,
nevertheless, an extensive, and in point of actual influence, a
preponderating proportion of integrity and worth, which, if suitably
encouraged and supported now, there may hereafter spring up a wise and
understanding people to occupy this land."[208]

[208] Letter of the Bishop of Australia to the Society for the
Propagation of the Gospel, dated May 22, 1838.

The way in which the Lord's Day is observed in New South Wales, or Van
Diemen's Land, may serve for an index of the general amount of religious
feeling among many of its inhabitants. Sunday desecration,--despising
the day of rest which the Lord has appointed, is notoriously one of the
first steps which a man is tempted to take in that downward course of
sin which leads him to the penal colonies; and accordingly, it must be
expected that a large quantity of the old leaven should remain working
in the convict population. And especially was this to be anticipated,
when so little pains were taken to teach the