Hehadthechurchkeysinhishand，andopenedthechurchyardgate，andopenedthechurchdoor；andwewentin。

Itisalittlechurchofgreatantiquity；thereisreasontobelievethatsomechurchhasoccupiedthespot，thesethousandyearsormore。Thepulpitwasgone，andotherthingsusuallybelongingtothechurchweregone，owingtoitslivingcongregationhavingdeserteditfortheneighbouringschool-room，andyieldedituptothedead。TheveryCommandmentshadbeenshoulderedoutoftheirplaces，inthebringinginofthedead；theblackwoodentablesonwhichtheywerepainted，wereaskew，andonthestonepavementbelowthem，andonthestonepavementalloverthechurch，werethemarksandstainswherethedrownedhadbeenlaiddown。

Theeye，withlittleornoaidfromtheimagination，couldyetseehowthebodieshadbeenturned，andwheretheheadhadbeenandwherethefeet。SomefadedtracesofthewreckoftheAustralianshipmaybediscernibleonthestonepavementofthislittlechurch，hundredsofyearshence，whenthediggingforgoldinAustraliashallhavelongandlongceasedoutoftheland。

Forty-fourshipwreckedmenandwomenlayhereatonetime，awaitingburial。Here，withweepingandwailingineveryroomofhishouse，mycompanionworkedaloneforhours，solemnlysurroundedbyeyesthatcouldnotseehim，andbylipsthatcouldnotspeaktohim，patientlyexaminingthetatteredclothing，cuttingoffbuttons，hair，marksfromlinen，anythingthatmightleadtosubsequentidentification，studyingfaces，lookingforascar，abentfinger，acrookedtoe，comparingletterssenttohimwiththeruinabouthim。’Mydearestbrotherhadbrightgreyeyesandapleasantsmile，’onesisterwrote。Opoorsister！wellforyoutobefarfromhere，andkeepthatasyourlastremembranceofhim！

Theladiesoftheclergyman’sfamily，hiswifeandtwosisters-in-

law，cameinamongthebodiesoften。Itgrewtobethebusinessoftheirlivestodoso。Anynewarrivalofabereavedwomanwouldstimulatetheirpitytocomparethedescriptionbrought，withthedreadrealities。Sometimes，theywouldgobackabletosay，’I

havefoundhim，’or，’Ithinksheliesthere。’Perhaps，themourner，unabletobearthesightofallthatlayinthechurch，wouldbeledinblindfold。Conductedtothespotwithmanycompassionatewords，andencouragedtolook，shewouldsay，withapiercingcry，’Thisismyboy！’anddropinsensibleontheinsensiblefigure。

Hesoonobservedthatinsomecasesofwomen，theidentificationofpersons，thoughcomplete，wasquiteatvariancewiththemarksuponthelinen；thisledhimtonoticethateventhemarksuponthelinenweresometimesinconsistentwithoneanother；andthushecametounderstandthattheyhaddressedingreathasteandagitation，andthattheirclotheshadbecomemixedtogether。Theidentificationofmenbytheirdress，wasrenderedextremelydifficult，inconsequenceofalargeproportionofthembeingdressedalike-inclothesofonekind，thatistosay，suppliedbyslopsellersandoutfitters，andnotmadebysinglegarmentsbutbyhundreds。Manyofthemenwerebringingoverparrots，andhadreceiptsuponthemforthepriceofthebirds；othershadbillsofexchangeintheirpockets，orinbelts。Someofthesedocuments，carefullyunwrinkledanddried，werelittlelessfreshinappearancethatday，thanthepresentpagewillbeunderordinarycircumstances，afterhavingbeenopenedthreeorfourtimes。

Inthatlonelyplace，ithadnotbeeneasytoobtainevensuchcommoncommoditiesintowns，asordinarydisinfectants。Pitchhadbeenburntinthechurch，asthereadiestthingathand，andthefrying-paninwhichithadbubbledoverabrazierofcoalswasstillthere，withitsashes。HardbytheCommunion-Table，weresomebootsthathadbeentakenoffthedrownedandpreserved-agold-digger’sboot，cutdownthelegforitsremoval-atrodden-

downman’sankle-bootwithabuffclothtop-andothers-soakedandsandy，weedyandsalt。

Fromthechurch，wepassedoutintothechurchyard。Here，therelay，atthattime，onehundredandforty-fivebodies，thathadcomeashorefromthewreck。Hehadburiedthem，whennotidentified，ingravescontainingfoureach。Hehadnumberedeachbodyinaregisterdescribingit，andhadplacedacorrespondingnumberoneachcoffin，andovereachgrave。Identifiedbodieshehadburiedsingly，inprivategraves，inanotherpartofthechurch-yard。

Severalbodieshadbeenexhumedfromthegravesoffour，asrelativeshadcomefromadistanceandseenhisregister；and，whenrecognised，thesehavebeenreburiedinprivategraves，sothatthemournersmighterectseparateheadstonesovertheremains。Inallsuchcaseshehadperformedthefuneralserviceasecondtime，andtheladiesofhishousehadattended。Therehadbeennooffenceinthepoorasheswhentheywerebroughtagaintothelightofday；

thebeneficentEarthhadalreadyabsorbedit。Thedrownedwereburiedintheirclothes。Tosupplythegreatsuddendemandforcoffins，hehadgotalltheneighbouringpeoplehandyattools，toworkthelivelongday，andSundaylikewise。Thecoffinswereneatlyformed；-Ihadseentwo，waitingforoccupants，undertheleeoftheruinedwallsofastonehutonthebeach，withincallofthetentwheretheChristmasFeastwasheld。Similarly，oneofthegravesforfourwaslyingopenandready，here，inthechurchyard。

Somuchofthescantyspacewasalreadydevotedtothewreckedpeople，thatthevillagershadbeguntoexpressuneasydoubtswhethertheythemselvescouldlieintheirownground，withtheirforefathersanddescendants，by-and-by。Thechurchyardbeingbutastepfromtheclergyman’sdwelling-house，wecrossedtothelatter；

thewhitesurplicewashangingupnearthedoorreadytobeputonatanytime，forafuneralservice。

ThecheerfulearnestnessofthisgoodChristianministerwasasconsolatory，asthecircumstancesoutofwhichitshoneweresad。

Ineverhaveseenanythingmoredelightfullygenuinethanthecalmdismissalbyhimselfandhishouseholdofalltheyhadundergone，asasimpledutythatwasquietlydoneandended。Inspeakingofit，theyspokeofitwithgreatcompassionforthebereaved；butlaidnostressupontheirownhardshareinthosewearyweeks，exceptasithadattachedmanypeopletothemasfriends，andelicitedmanytouchingexpressionsofgratitude。Thisclergyman’sbrother-himselftheclergymanoftwoadjoiningparishes，whohadburiedthirty-fourofthebodiesinhisownchurchyard，andwhohaddonetothemallthathisbrotherhaddoneastothelargernumber-mustbeunderstoodasincludedinthefamily。Hewasthere，withhisneatlyarrangedpapers，andmadenomoreaccountofhistroublethananybodyelsedid。Downtoyesterday’spostoutward，myclergymanalonehadwrittenonethousandandseventy-fiveletterstorelativesandfriendsofthelostpeople。Intheabsenceofself-assertion，itwasonlythroughmynowandthendelicatelyputtingaquestionastheoccasionarose，thatIbecameinformedofthesethings。ItwasonlywhenIhadremarkedagainandagain，inthechurch，ontheawfulnatureofthesceneofdeathhehadbeenrequiredsocloselytofamiliarisehimselfwithforthesoothingoftheliving，thathehadcasuallysaid，withouttheleastabatementofhischeerfulness，’indeed，ithadrenderedhimunableforatimetoeatordrinkmorethanalittlecoffeenowandthen，andapieceofbread。’

Inthisnoblemodesty，inthisbeautifulsimplicity，inthissereneavoidanceoftheleastattemptto’improve’anoccasionwhichmightbesupposedtohavesunkofitsownweightintomyheart，Iseemedtohavehappilycome，inafewsteps，fromthechurchyardwithitsopengrave，whichwasthetypeofDeath，totheChristiandwellingsidebysidewithit，whichwasthetypeofResurrection。Inevershallthinkoftheformer，withoutthelatter。Thetwowillalwaysrestsidebysideinmymemory。IfIhadlostanyonedeartomeinthisunfortunateship，ifIhadmadeavoyagefromAustraliatolookatthegraveinthechurchyard，Ishouldgoaway，thankfultoGODthatthathousewassoclosetoit，andthatitsshadowbydayanditsdomesticlightsbynightfellupontheearthinwhichitsMasterhadsotenderlylaidmydearone’shead。

Thereferencesthatnaturallyaroseoutofourconversation，tothedescriptionssentdownofshipwreckedpersons，andtothegratitudeofrelationsandfriends，mademeveryanxioustoseesomeofthoseletters。Iwaspresentlyseatedbeforeashipwreckofpapers，allborderedwithblack，andfromthemImadethefollowingfewextracts。

Amotherwrites:

REVERENDSIR。Amongstthemanywhoperishedonyourshorewasnumberedmybelovedson。Iwasonlyjustrecoveringfromasevereillness，andthisfearfulafflictionhascausedarelapse，sothatIamunableatpresenttogotoidentifytheremainsofthelovedandlost。MydarlingsonwouldhavebeensixteenonChristmas-daynext。Hewasamostamiableandobedientchild，earlytaughtthewayofsalvation。WefondlyhopedthatasaBritishseamanhemightbeanornamenttohisprofession，but，’itiswell；’Ifeelassuredmydearboyisnowwiththeredeemed。Oh，hedidnotwishtogothislastvoyage！OnthefifteenthofOctober，IreceivedaletterfromhimfromMelbourne，dateAugusttwelfth；hewroteinhighspirits，andinconclusionhesays:’Prayforafairbreeze，dearmamma，andI’llnotforgettowhistleforit！and，Godpermitting，Ishallseeyouandallmylittlepetsagain。Good-

bye，dearmother-good-bye，dearestparents。Good-bye，dearbrother。’Oh，itwasindeedaneternalfarewell。Idonotapologiseforthuswritingyou，foroh，myheartissoverysorrowful。

Ahusbandwrites:

MYDEARKINDSIR。Willyoukindlyinformmewhetherthereareanyinitialsupontheringandguardyouhaveinpossession，found，astheStandardsays，lastTuesday？Believeme，mydearsir，whenI

saythatIcannotexpressmydeepgratitudeinwordssufficientlyforyourkindnesstomeonthatfearfulandappallingday。WillyoutellmewhatIcandoforyou，andwillyouwritemeaconsolinglettertopreventmymindfromgoingastray？

Awidowwrites:

LeftinsuchastateasIam，myfriendsandIthoughtitbestthatmydearhusbandshouldbeburiedwherehelies，and，muchasI

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