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Article INTERESTING MASONIC NARRATIVE. ← Page 2 of 3 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Interesting Masonic Narrative.
ordered for execution in three days . On my return from the courthouse to the prison , 1 begged to speak a word to the captain of thcguard who conducted me ; I saw something in him I liked , I told him 1 was a FHEE . IIA .-ON ; 1 showed him my papers , and stated to him the whole truth in a few sentences . " He was touched with my misfortunes , but remained silent . Howeverat our parting he cordiallgrasped handand whispered in
, y my , my ear . ' BROTHER , keep up your spirits ; I have some interest and influence ; I will do my best . I will visit you to-morrow . ' " Morning came , the day passed , and night coming on , but no appearance of him whom I now considered my only friend , my heart began to sink within me ; however , at a late hour he arrived , " having posted upwards of fifty miles from the time of our parting ; but the settled calm of joy was on his countenance , as he announced to me the
happy news that my sentence was commuted to seven years' transportation . He ordered me to make ready , as the guards were then preparing , and in a few hours I would be on my way to Dublin . Wo parted like brothers indeed ; my heart was bursting with gratitude . " I was a week sailing on my passage to New South Wales before I came to a serious reflection of my situation , or was awake to the sad reality of my state ; the last few weeks appeared to me like a disturbed dream .
" On my arrival at Port Jackson I was allotted to a rich landed proprietor . After I had remained upwards of five years with him in his home-farm , he sent me , with eleven others , about twenty leagues into the country , with horses laden with the necessary implements , to markout and ditch , where practicable , a large tract of land which he had purchased . We erected a hut , formed beds , and proceeded Well , stretching far and wide , according to the map given us for our guide .
We had crossed a river , and were cutting the boundary moorings over the most beautiful sloping hills I ever beheld , when a number of the Aboriginal inhabitants came forward , and used very threatening gestures towards us . They walked back to the river , and beckoned us to come also . They put down stakes of wood on the banks , and by their threats we understood plainly they ivould attack us if we attempted to cut , or dig , or even go over the river . One of the servants , a free man , and
our superintendent there , rode off to his master to know what should be done , and the next day returned , with orders to proceed over the river to the very extent of the maps and plans . The next day , while we were engaged in marking forward , a whole host of them attacked
us with clubs and stones , and would have murdered us , only one of our men snatched a fowling-piece , and shot the ringleader tlead on the spot . We retired to our little hut , which was so far removed from the river on our own side , that we thought ourselves secure ; but in the dead of night we were alarmed by the hut being on fire , and one of our nien running out , was killed by a blow ; a second and a third rushing from the flames , met the same fate . I stood in the door like a statue ,
uiy mind for a minute gliding over the past , present , and future ; and petrified with horror , in an agony of despair , while the flames were raging ou every side , and tho roof falling in in masses of burning ruins , I accidentall y , as if by instinct , made the last solemn appeal , the dernier resort of a Freemason , when a tall figure sprung forward , and clasping '" e in his arms , pulled me from the spot where I stood , and which "'as that moment falling down and would have destroyed mc , exclaimed , VOL . iv . 3 o
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Interesting Masonic Narrative.
ordered for execution in three days . On my return from the courthouse to the prison , 1 begged to speak a word to the captain of thcguard who conducted me ; I saw something in him I liked , I told him 1 was a FHEE . IIA .-ON ; 1 showed him my papers , and stated to him the whole truth in a few sentences . " He was touched with my misfortunes , but remained silent . Howeverat our parting he cordiallgrasped handand whispered in
, y my , my ear . ' BROTHER , keep up your spirits ; I have some interest and influence ; I will do my best . I will visit you to-morrow . ' " Morning came , the day passed , and night coming on , but no appearance of him whom I now considered my only friend , my heart began to sink within me ; however , at a late hour he arrived , " having posted upwards of fifty miles from the time of our parting ; but the settled calm of joy was on his countenance , as he announced to me the
happy news that my sentence was commuted to seven years' transportation . He ordered me to make ready , as the guards were then preparing , and in a few hours I would be on my way to Dublin . Wo parted like brothers indeed ; my heart was bursting with gratitude . " I was a week sailing on my passage to New South Wales before I came to a serious reflection of my situation , or was awake to the sad reality of my state ; the last few weeks appeared to me like a disturbed dream .
" On my arrival at Port Jackson I was allotted to a rich landed proprietor . After I had remained upwards of five years with him in his home-farm , he sent me , with eleven others , about twenty leagues into the country , with horses laden with the necessary implements , to markout and ditch , where practicable , a large tract of land which he had purchased . We erected a hut , formed beds , and proceeded Well , stretching far and wide , according to the map given us for our guide .
We had crossed a river , and were cutting the boundary moorings over the most beautiful sloping hills I ever beheld , when a number of the Aboriginal inhabitants came forward , and used very threatening gestures towards us . They walked back to the river , and beckoned us to come also . They put down stakes of wood on the banks , and by their threats we understood plainly they ivould attack us if we attempted to cut , or dig , or even go over the river . One of the servants , a free man , and
our superintendent there , rode off to his master to know what should be done , and the next day returned , with orders to proceed over the river to the very extent of the maps and plans . The next day , while we were engaged in marking forward , a whole host of them attacked
us with clubs and stones , and would have murdered us , only one of our men snatched a fowling-piece , and shot the ringleader tlead on the spot . We retired to our little hut , which was so far removed from the river on our own side , that we thought ourselves secure ; but in the dead of night we were alarmed by the hut being on fire , and one of our nien running out , was killed by a blow ; a second and a third rushing from the flames , met the same fate . I stood in the door like a statue ,
uiy mind for a minute gliding over the past , present , and future ; and petrified with horror , in an agony of despair , while the flames were raging ou every side , and tho roof falling in in masses of burning ruins , I accidentall y , as if by instinct , made the last solemn appeal , the dernier resort of a Freemason , when a tall figure sprung forward , and clasping '" e in his arms , pulled me from the spot where I stood , and which "'as that moment falling down and would have destroyed mc , exclaimed , VOL . iv . 3 o