Epigraph: "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: Ye ... have both spoken with you (sic) mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of Heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows." - Jer. xliv 25.
Dedication: TO "ISIS." The old-time Canaanites, with grateful care, / The fairest of their first-fruits always chose, / And brought them as an offering to God; / So I, from the first harvest of my pen, / Have gathered these - they were the best I had - / And brought them as an offering to thee; / For art not thou my goddess and my pride? / I would that they were worthier of thee, / But no man can give better than his best; / And, even if the verse be full of faults, / The love that prompted them is rich indeed, / And so should make amends for such defects, / And be mine incense unto thee, my Queen. SIGISMUND WOOLLEY.
In his Preface, the author expresses the belief that his poems are 'not meritless' and makes no apology for them, 'for no Tasmanian should apologise for doing that which may, in ever so small degree, bring honour to his country'. He claims that 'the truths and wisdom' contained in the poems 'make them worthy of perusal and worthy to be remembered afterwards.'