the Weatherboard. So early in the day the gulf was filled
with a thin blue haze, which, although destroying the general
effect, added to the apparent depth at which the forest was
stretched below the country on which we were standing.
Soon after leaving the Blackheath, we descended from the
sandstone platform by the pass of Mount Victoria. To
effect this pass, an enormous quantity of stone has been cut
through; the design, and its manner of execution, would
have been worthy of any Hue of road iu England,—even that
of Hol)'head. We now entered upon a country less elevated
by nearly a thousand feet, and consisting of granite. With
the change of rock, the vegetation improved; the trees were
both finer, and stood further apart; and the pasture between
them was a little greener, and more plentiful.
At Hassan’s Walls, I left the high road, and made a short
detour to a farm called Walerawaug; to the superintendent
of which, T had a letter of introduction from the owner in
Sydney. Mr. Browne had the kindness to ask me to stay
the ensuing day, which I had much pleasure in doing. This
place offers an example of one of the large farming, or
rather sheep-grazing, establishments of the colony. Cattle
and horses are, however, in this case, rather more numerous
than usual, owing to some of the valleys being swampy, and
producing a coarser pasture. The sheep were 15,000 in
number, of which the greater part were feeding under the
care of different shepherds, on unoccupied ground, at the
distance of more than a huhdred miles, and beyond the
limits of the colony. Mr. Browne had just finished, this
day, the last of the shearing of seven thousand sheep; the
rest being sheared in another place. I believe the profit of
the average produce of wool from 15,000 sheep, would be
more than 5000/. sterling. Two or three flat pieces of
ground near the house were cleared and cultivated with
corn, which the harvest men were now reaping: but no
more wheat is sown than sufficient for the annual support
of the labourers employed on the establishment. The
usual number of assigned convict servants here is about
hi '
forty, but at the present time there were rather more.
Although the farm was well stocked with every requisite,
there was an apparent absence of comfort; and not even
a single woman resided here. The sunset of a fine day
will generally cast an air of happy contentment on any
scene; but here, at this retired farm-liousc, the brightest
tints on the surrounding woods could not make me forget
that forty hardened, profligate men, were ceasing from their
daily labours, like the slaves from Africa, yet without their
just claim for compassion.
Early on the next morning, Mr. Archer, the joint superintendent,
had the kindness to take me out Kangaroo-
hunting. We continued riding the greater part of the day,
but had very bad sport, not seeing a kangaroo, or even a
wild dog. The greyhounds pursued a kangaroo rat into a
hollow tree, out of which we dragged i t : it is an animal as
big as a rabbit, but with the figure of a kangaroo. A few
years since, this country abounded with wild animals; but
now the emu is banished to a long distance, and the kangaroo
is become scarce; to both, the English greyhound is utterly
destructive. It may be long before these animals are altogether
exterminated, but their doom is fixed. The natives
are always anxious to borrow the dogs from the farm-houses:
the use of them, the offal when an animal is killed, and
milk from the cows, are the peace-offerings of the settlers,
who push further and further towards the interior. The
thoughtless aboriginal, blinded by these trifling advantages,
is delighted at the approach of the white man, who seems
predestined to inherit the country of his children.
Although having bad sport, we enjoyed a pleasant ride.
The woodland is generally so open that a person on horseback
can gallop through it. It is traversed by a few flat-
bottomed valleys, which are green and free from trees: in
such spots the scenery was like that of a park, and pretty.
In the whole country I scarcely saw a place without the
marks of fire ; whether these had been more or less recent—
whether the stumps were more or less t)lack, was the greatest
change which varied the uniformity, so wearisome to tlie
( IT.
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