ghly worthy of
him, and ruled his house admirably, never calling him back from any duty,
but so managing that his open-handed charity never brought him into
difficulties. They were obliged to take their passage in a convict ship,
which was to sail from Hull. Marsden was engaged to preach in a church
near the harbour, and was just about to enter the pulpit when the signal-
gun was fired to summon the passengers on board. He took off his gown,
gave his arm to his bride at her pew door, and walked to the beach, the
whole congregation streaming out after them down to the boat, where the
young clergyman stood for a few moments ere pushing off, to give his
parting benedictions.

The ship went round to Portsmouth to receive her load of convicts; and
while she was lying there, Marsden visited the Isle of Wight, and one
Sunday preached in Brading Church. The effect of his sermon in touching
the heart of one young woman was long remembered, in consequence of a
memoir of her, entitled "The Dairyman's Daughter," which was drawn up
after her death by the clergyman of her parish, the Rev. Legh Richmond.

It was as trying a voyage as Henry Martyn's, except that even less was to
be expected from his shipmates. The captain was unwilling to allow
prayers to be read even on Sunday, saying he had never known a religious
sailor; and though, after a time, Mr. Marsden prevailed, he never felt
himself making much impression for good. One of his books on the voyage
was the Life of David Brainerd, that torch of missionaries, and who
proved the example which served to stir Mr. Marsden to look beyond his
own immediate field of labour, severe though that was, and unflinching as
was his toil.

His arrival at Paramatta, his new home, was in the March of 1794, when
the convict system had prevailed about seven years, and had been
sufficient to form a population disgraceful to human nature. None of
those endeavours to reclaim the prisoner which now prevail had then been
attempted, and jails were schools and hotbeds of crime, whence the
transported were sent forth to corrupt each other more and more on board
ship; and then, though employed on Government works or assigned to free
settlers as servants, so soon as they had worked out their time of
servitude they were let loose to live after their own will.

Such as had any capacity for steady industry soon made their fortunes on
the parcels of land allotted to them by Government, to which they add