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Jan. 183G. Jan. 1836. b l u e m o u n t a i n s .
5 2 2 N E W S O U T H W A L E S .
From these facts it would almost appear as if, the effluvium
of one set of meu shut up for some time together, was poisonous
when inhaled hy others {and perhaps more so, if the
men be of different races). Mysterious as this circumstance
appears to be, it is not more surprising than that the
body of one’s fellow-creature, directly after death, and before
putrefaction has commenced, should often be of so deleterious
a quality, that the mere puncture from an instrument used in
its dissection should prove fatal.
J a n u a r y 1 7 t h .—Early in the morning we passed the
Nepean in a ferry-boat. The river, although at this spot
both broad and deep, had a very small body of running
water. Having crossed a low piece of land on the opposite
side, we reached the slope of the Blue Mountains. The
ascent is not steep, the road having been cut with much
care on the side of a sandstone cliff. At no great elevation
an almost level plain extends, which, rising imperceptibly
to the westward, at last attains a height of more than three
thousand feet. From so grand a title as Blue Mountains,
and from their absolute altitude, I expected to have seen
a bold chain of mountains crossing the country ; but instead
of this, a sloping plain presents merely an inconsiderable
front to the low land of the coast. From this first slope, the
view of the extensive woodland to the eastward, was striking,
and the surrounding trees grew bold and lofty. But when
once on the sandstone platform, the scenery becomes exceedingly
monotonous; each side of the road is bordered
by scrubby trees of the never-failing Eucalyptus family; and
with the exception of two or three small inns, there are no
houses, or cultivated land : the road, moreover, is solitary ;
the most frequent object being a bullock-waggon, piled up
with hales of wool.
In the middle of the day we baited our horses at a little
inn, called the Weatherboard. The country here i.s elevated
2800 feet above the sea. About a mile and a half from this
place, there is a view exceedingly well worth visiting. By
following down a little valley and its tiny rill of water, an
immense gulf is unexpectedly seen through the trees which
border the pathway, at the depth of perhaps 1500 feet.
Walking on a few yards one stands on the brink of a vast
precipice, and below is the grand bay or gulf (for I know not
what other name to give it), thickly covered with forest.
The point of view is situated as if at the head of a bay, the
line of cliff diverging on each side, and showing headland
behind headland, as on a bold sea-coast. These cliffs are
composed of horizontal strata of whitish sandstone; and so
absolutely vertical are they, that in many places, a person
standing on the edge, and throwing down a stone, can see it
strike the trees in the abyss below. So unbroken is the
line, that it is said, in order to reach the foot of the waterfall,
formed by this little stream, it is necessary to go a distance
of sixteen miles round. About five miles distant in front,
another line of cliff extends, which thus appears completely
to encircle the valley; and hence the name of bay is justified,
as applied to this grand amphitheatrical depression. If we
imagine a winding harbour, with its deep water surrounded
by bold cliff-like shores, laid dry, and a forest sprung up on
its sandy bottom, we should then have the appearance and
structure here exhibited. This kind of view was to me quite
novel, and extremely magnificent.
In the evening, we reached the Blackheath. The sandstone
plateau has here attained the elevation of 3400 fe e t;
and is covered, as before, with the same kind of scrubby
wood. From the road there were occasional glimpses into a
profound valley, of the same character as the one described;
but from the steepness and depth of its sides, the bottom
was scarcely ever to be seen. The Blackheath is a very
comfortable inn, kept by an old soldier; and it reminded me
of the small inns in North Wales. I was surprised to find
that here, at the distance of more than seventy miles from
Sydney, fifteen beds could be made up for travellers.
J a n u a r y 1 8 t h .—Very early in the morning, I walked
about three miles to see Govett’s Leap : a view of a similar
but even perhaps more stupendous character than that near