obedient to the laws of the country,) is now denied by no one; and toleration, one might have supposed, would have been all that those who dislike a state church would have accepted; but the duty of government to _encourage_ and _foster_ separation in places where it does not at present exist, is inculcated neither by reason, policy, nor Scripture; neither can dissenters consistently accept of aid from the state in Australia, and exclaim against it in England. [164] See Australian and New Zealand Magazine, No. 1, p. 28. [165] See Rev. ii. 15. One more commencement of colonization in the island of New Holland must be mentioned in order to complete the circle. An attempt to form a settlement on the northern coast was made as early as 1824, at Melville Island, rather more than five degrees to the west of the Gulph of Carpentaria; but this establishment was moved in 1827 to Raffles Bay, an adjacent inlet of the main land. The new station was in its turn abandoned in the year 1829, and a fresh settlement, at the distance of a few miles, was planted at Port Essington, by Sir Gordon Bremer, who sailed thither with His Majesty's ships _Alligator_ and _Britomarte_, in 1838. The colony is still quite in an infant state. No clergyman accompanied the expedition, although the commander was desirous of securing the blessings of Church communion for his little settlement.[166] In the immediate neighbourhood some native Christians (Australians) were found, who had many years ago been converted by the Dutch; they had churches, and appeared to behave well. Upon application to the Bishop of Australia, 300_l._ was obtained towards a church at Port Essington, and his endeavours to get a chaplain appointed there were promised. It may be observed that Port Essington is situated 2000 miles, in a direct line, from Hobart Town, and both places were until very recently within the same diocese, that of Australia! In like manner, when the five clergymen stationed in Western Australia had memorialized the Bishop to visit them, that he might consecrate their churches, confirm their children, and "set in order things that were wanting," one great obstacle to his compliance was the necessity of having his life insured in the interim, for Western Australia, though within his diocese, was not within the limits of his policy of life assurance! [166] Thus, as recently as the year 1838, two ships were sent from _Christian_ England to found a colony; having on board upwards of 500 souls, but unprovided with any minister of religion! How strange a method, _if we really believe God's word_, of gaining a blessing from Heaven, either for ourselves or our colonies! [Illustration: CAPE PILLAR NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF RIVER DERWENT, VAN DIEMAN'S LAND.] CHAPTER XI. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS UPON THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES.