934 VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY OF SOUTHERN LANDS.

of rock fait, as in various parts of the county of Cumberland large blocks of this faithave been found.

“ Croffing the rivulet, until we reached the parilh of Hawkefbury, we faw neitherhoufes nor culture. The whole intermediate fpace is covered with wood, and is onlyremoved from a perfect flat by a few very flight undulations of furface. Here andthere ponds of frefli water are feen apparently formed by the rains.

“ The thicknds of the foreft had hitherto excluded all fight of the Blue Mountains ,when, at la If, a few miles before we reached Hawkefbury, a natural opening prefentedthem to our view. From this point they fhewed themfelves in form of a vail curtainftretched towards the N. W. along the horizon. No break, no peak was perceptible,the courfe of this immenfe chain was marked by one regular horizontal line.

“ At about a mile from Hawkefbury we quitted the foreft, and the eye wanderedwith pleafure over well-cultivated lands, meeting with no obftrudtion but the mountains,which, at a diftance of feven or eight miles, rife like an immenfe rampart. A numberof houfes, irregularly diipofed on the right bank of the river, in this place very fteep,forms what is denominated Hawkefbury Town. Among thefe houfes, that of thegovernor is diftinguifhed from the reft by its handfome appearance, and by its favorablefite; it is feparated from the river only by a very large garden terminated by a hand-fome terrace. A number of other houfes difperfed over the adjacent country announcefo many rich farms to which they belong. A fheet of frefh water curves in a ferpentineform through the country comprized between the foreft we had juft left and theHawkefbury River. This fheet of water, confined by lofty banks, is of great depth,and about twenty paces over : it is crofted by a wooden bridge, erefted by a privateperfon to whom in confequence the government granted a right of toll for a certainnumber of years.”

At Hawkefbury our friends took up their abode at the houfe of M. Arndell thephyfician and chief magiftrate of the town # , to whom Governor King favoured themwith letters of recommendation, and who received them with the mod friendly kind-nefs. At the fpot where the town is fituate the river is about as broad as the Seine atParis, and high as here veffels of fifty tons are able to afcend. “ This river,” fays M.Bailly, “ did not appear to us to abound in fifh, but it produces fparingly two kinds, onerefembling the carp, and the other the gudgeon.”

After a curfory glance over the town, my companions proceeded to the foot of theBlue Mountains by water. The benevolent M. Arndell procured them a guide whoknew the country, on which M. Bailly thus purfues his remarks. “ We travelledthrough well cultivated fields, in midft of which were fprinkled houfes and farm-yardsforming a pleafing contraft with the forefts by which a portion of the country continuesyet to be covered. Three or four miles beyond the town cultivation ceafes, and at thisdiftance the foreft again is feen uncleared, ftretching along both fides of the river,which in this part is conftantly of confiderable breadth, though become fo much fhalloweras to have but five or fix feet water. Numerous trees here obftruct its courfe and renderit difficult of navigation; running foul of one of thefe we with great difficulty weredifengaged.

“ On the left bank of the river, where the foreft begins, an efcarpment is feen, thetalus of which forms an angle of more than 80 degrees. This efcarpment continuesalong the river the fpace of two miles, and is wholly compofed of black fchift apparentlyin horizontal layers. Notwithftanding the fteepnefs of this declivity, paths were dif-

* This gentleman polTcfles an eftate of 630 acres, of which 70 confift of wheat, 40 of maize, zoof barley, &c.

tinguifhed