Emancipists--Their general Character--Their conduct in the Jurors' Box no argument in favour of bestowing upon them a Representative Government--Free Population--Ancient Nobility of Botany Bay--Prevailing taste in New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land--Love of Gain--Land Sharks--Squatters--Overlanders. CHAPTER XIV. [Page 338.] Importance of Religion--The Lord's Day--Habits of duly observing it nearly lost among many of the inhabitants of our Australian Colonies--Opposition to Improvement--Religious strife prevails where religious union is needed--Sir R. Bourke's novel system of religious Establishments--Its practical working--Efforts of the Church coldly seconded or else opposed, by Government--Petty Persecutions--Similar opposition to National Religious Education as to National Church-- Blunders respecting the Irish System of Education in 1836--Attempt in 1840 to banish the Creed and Catechism from Protestant Schools having Government support--Schools of a higher rank in New South Wales--King's School, Paramatta--Sydney College--The Australian College--The Normal Institution--Proposed College at Liverpool--Other Schools--Population of New South Wales in 1841--Emigration--Conclusion. #Illustrations.# PAGE Map of Australia _Frontispiece_ Reduced Map of Van Diemen's Land 1 Travellers in the Bush 8 Explorers finding the Bed of a dried-up River 42 Opossum Hunting 97 Natives of the Murray Islands in Boats 120 Sydney in its Infancy--View from the South 186 North View of Sydney 243 Hobart Town 266 Cape Pillar, near the Entrance of the Derwent, Van Diemen's Land 286 Conveying Cattle over the Murray, near Lake Alexandria 325 * * * * * [Illustration: VAN DIEMEN'S LAND.] INTRODUCTION.