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February 13th
At home all morning. In the afternoon rode Bryant's horse beyond Roseway across the stream and into the woods on the other side. Magnificent scenery - Mount Wellington rearing his giant head above the tall trees at every turn - and the deep purple shadows of the Ravines formed fine contrasts with the bright parts rich with streams of yellow light from the declining sun.
Such scenes never fail to have a powerful effect over my mind and heart. The one appears to become sensible of its adaptation for the highest conceptions; seems to feel its connection with the great creator of all things; imbibes as it were conviction of its immortality. The other swells with gratitude to the being of whose fatherly protection and animating though awful presence, it feels itself the peculiar object. These sensations lose none of their freshness and strength by repetition; on the contrary, they seem to become more intense and perfect in their development by the frequency of their occurrence. This is not enthusiasm - there is no fanaticism in this. The heart and soul expand under the influence of such natural objects, wild and magnificent 'tis true, in the greatest degree - increase as it were in volume, become eminently susceptible of their enlarged capacity for enjoyment and all these as naturally as the lungs become inflated and invigorated with the pure and balmy breeze which seems to infuse new life and health and elasticity into the most secret recesses of our animal being. 
If my sensations are participated by others generally - there requires little urging from our spiritual teachers to inspire us with a pure and a holy love of our creator.
Read in Joshua.
October 16th
Raining and blowing hard in Squalls. More snow upon the mountain than yesterday, and more yesterday than the day before. Cold wind.
At home all day reading prayers and lessons and some chapters in the Bible. Flag up for a brig.
In my last visit to New Norfolk I was accompanied by a promising young man, the Assistant Surgeon of the 63rd Regiment - previously to our leaving on the Monday he had been requested to visit the Hospital at Bridgewater where there is about 100 men working in chains forming a bridge and causeway across the Derwent. A Mr Officer of New Norfolk whose duty it was to attend the sick at Bridgewater had, with the view of saving himself a twelve mile ride, made the request of my companion and apparently he could not have selected a substitute better calculated for summary proceedings:
The Chain gang is composed of Convict assigned servants and others, whose misconduct has brought them into a situation which to men not entirely callous to bodily suffering nor lost to a sense of human degradation, must be one of exquisite moral and physical misery.
The Convicts are there for a definite time varying from one to twelve months - and on expiration of their sentence they are either returned to their Masters or transferred to Public Works of less painful employment.
Wooden Barracks have been erected for their use and also for the military guard placed over them, the latter commanded by some subaltern officer - whose apparent tact has pointed him out to the Government as well adapted for such a duty. Here the convicts labour, and with short intervals of refreshment and repose it may be said incessantly. They quarry stone, break it, shape it - or not as required, wheel it to the Causeway and apply it either to form a foundation or in the erection of piers upon foundations already formed. The work is almost of an endless description - from the extent and depth of the mud in