his errors, he was resolved to turn from them and to lead a new
life. Under this belief I spoke seriously to him, and reminded him that
he could not go on in his own strength, that the best man alive could
not; and that if he would do right he must seek for aid from God the
Father, through the influence of the Holy Spirit, trusting entirely and
alone to the perfect sacrifice of Christ. He listened attentively. The
doctrine seemed entirely new to him, but he did not in any way appear
inclined to reject it. He walked on by my side, often silent, now and
then he made a remark. His voice faltered. I saw that he was in tears.
"Can God pardon such a vile, mad sinner as I have been?" he asked at
length.

"If you are looking to Christ as the Lamb slain for you, you are
pardoned, completely, entirely," I answered; "though your sins be as
scarlet, they shall be white as snow in God's sight."

His step became elastic; a brightness spread over his countenance. "I
see it, I see it, but I would not have believed it," I heard him saying
to himself.

I cannot describe all the incidents of our journey.

One painful sight was a road-gang of convicts chained by the legs. They
were certainly a villainous-looking set, mostly doubly convicted felons.
Despair was depicted in the countenances of many. Jacob told me that
he had known several who had been guilty of murder, that they might be
hanged, and as they thought put out of their misery; others had
committed suicide. Yet these men were once joyous, bright-cheeked,
innocent little boys, the pride of their parents. Some had grown into
manhood before they fell into open sin, though many probably were born
among scenes of vice, ignorant even of the name of virtue or religion.
"Still, debased as they are, all have souls to be saved," I thought to
myself, and I resolved that, though I could do those poor wretches no
good, I would do my best to improve the convicts assigned to me as
servants.

We soon came to the end of the road, and struck across the country.
Here Jacob's guidance became of great value. We were much interested by
the novel appearance of the country, so different from anything we had
seen before.

The huge gum-trees (_eucalypti_), with their evergreen,
mistletoe-looking leaves, standing apart from each other, impressed us
most. It seemed to us as if we were walking through a large park, with
wide open spaces and clumps of trees here and there; only the leaves