VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY OF SOUTHERN LANDS.

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feemed mortified at appearing before us in a drefs fo truly wretched that with difficultydid it allow of our difcriminating between the mafter and the men. He haftily ran tothe houfe, in order to drefs himfelf, and in a fhort time was with us again.

The interior of the rural manor houfe, into which we entered, combined, with thegreateft fimplicity, a fpecies of elegance, which clearly evinced the genius and tafteof the owner ; and this the more from the total abfence in it of any thing like pomp.

Mr. Paterfon now introduced me to M. de la Clampe, and informed him of my objedlin vifiting this country. On hearing I was a Frenchman, the unfortunate emigrantadvanced towards me, and embracing me with tranfport: “ Ah Sir,” faid he, “ howis it with our dear France ?” What pleafure did I not receive in detailing to ourinterefting countrymen the fucceffion of prodigiea by which a great man had fucceededin reftoring happinefs and peace to our common country ! With what attention wasmy narrative heard! With what tender earneftnefs did the good colonel imprecate thebleffings of Heaven on the head of the Firft Conful, and put up prayers for his longlife!

After a frugal repaft, we fallied forth to examine the farm of our hoft, he himfelfbeing our guide, and dilating, with vifible gratification, on the rnoft minute works, andtheir fuccefs : but of all that he pointed out nothing fo forcibly excited my attention asa beautiful plantation of cotton and cocoa-trees, in a very promifing condition. M. dela Clampe affured me that, by a feries of tedious and very nice experiments, he hadfucceeded in raifing cotton-trees, yielding cotton of various fhades, and efpecially thatpeculiar to the fine nankeens of China , a faft colour hitherto not obtained, whether bydint of culture, or by dyeing. u Either I am much miftaken,” faid the colonel, <s orin a fhort time I fhall have created two branches of commerce and exportation for thiscolony of the greateft value ; I have but this means left of acquitting the facred debtI owe to a nation which gave me fhelter in the hour of misfortune ; and I am the moreimpatient for the moment which will enable me to fatisfy this firft defire of my heart,as a teftimony of gratitude like this will belt agree with my fentimerits of delicacy andpatriotifm.”

While I was thus employed in inveftigating a conftderable portion of this fingularcolony, two of my colleagues, Meffrs. Depuch and Bailly, mineralogifts, belonging tothe expedition, paid a vifit to Tongabee and Hawkefbury, the two. laft towns of thecounty of Cumberland, and penetrated as far as to the weftern mountains. I fhallhere tranfcribe the chief details of their interefting excurfion from the manufcript *afforded me by M. Bailly.

Our friends left Sydney Town , in company with the chief phyfician Mr. Thomfon,in the morning of the at ft of Odloher, proceeding by water as far as Rofe Hill, landingwhen at about two-thirds of the diftance, to vifit a fmall brewery at which beer of aninferior quality is made from maize and a decodtion of hop fent from England.

On arriving at Paramatta our two mineralogifts vifited the bed of the river, or ratherthe rivulet of this town. “ The breadth of this bed, aud its depth, “ fays M. Bailly,

“ compared with the fmall ftreant of water flowing in it at that time, but too forciblyfhew the prodigious fwell to which it is fubjedt, and which occaiionally defolates theland ; but thefe inundations, fo alarming for the inhabitants, Angularly aflift the geolo-gift in expofing to his view the conftitution of the country.

“ As we fhall foon demonflrate, the ftrata of freeftone, of which the wholeof the country of Sydney Town and its environs is conftituted, extend thus far, andeven much beyond this point; but thefe ftrata at Paramatta are diftinguifhed fromthofe at the former place by being incumbent on bituminous fchiftus impreffed with the

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