Official Tour, and more Business-Visit to a Station occupied by "New Chums"-Important Boundary Decision-Arrival for the Night at the Hut of a newly Married Pair-A London Lady in the Bush, and Three "Learned Gentlemen of the Bar"- Family Prayers-A long Ride to Geelong-A Narrow Escape The Climate-The Scenery-The Timber-The Birds-Pastoral Pursuits of the Settlers-No Land bought now for Sheep or Cattle Farming-Reasons-Summary of Modes of Sale and Prices of Land in the principal Colonies-The Squatting System— Petition of Stockholders to Parliament - Comments thereon- Plenty of Room for New Settlers-Superiority of the Province for the Breed of Cattle-A Purchase of 300-Rapid Increase in Sheep-Amount of Exported Wool in 1837-39, and 1841- Price of Sheep-Cattle and Sheep do not always bear a proper Relative Value-Horses-Exportation of them to India-Goats Voyage to Sydney-An unpleasant "Fix "-Bass Straits-Port riages-The Australian Club-Some of the Troops destined for India are first sent to New South Wales-The 28th-Their Me- lancholy Fate Society at Sydney-The Law as administered there-The Bar-Heat of Sydney-The Country Round-Excur- sion to Paramatta-The " 'Factory" there, or Establishment for Female Convicts-Literary Morceau on a Handsome Tomb-Ex- cursion to Canterbury The Sugar Works The number of Medical Men in the Colony-Their great Facility of Passage to Some mention of their Habits, Manners, and Customs-Their Col- lision with the Settlers in the Portland Bay District-Attempt to civilize the Adult Native hopeless-What 's to be done?—A Sug- Its great Distress, but not irretrievable Ruin-No Failure in any one of Bishop Broughton to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts-Future Prospects of the Colony-Sounder System of Trade-New Markets opened for Surplus Stock-Boiling the Sheep and Cattle for Tallow-Salting Beef-Suggestion for a Public Company to undertake it-Why is not a society formed in England to Promote the General Interests of New South Wales?— Or why does not the Colony appoint an Agent here for the Pur- pose?-The New Legislative Council-The Act of Parliament establishing it — Benefits to be expected from the Deliberations of the Council-The superior Eligibility of New South Wales, as a Colony to which to Emigrate, proved by its Climate-Its Com- bination of Youth and Age-Its Internal and Coasting Commu- nications-Its great Intercourse with England and the rest of the World-Its Admirable Situation-Its Coal-The Cheapness of Living-Its Freedom from any Land-Jobbing Company-Its being no longer a Penal Settlement-The Inoffensive Character of the Aborigines-And the great Facility it affords for an Emigrant to set to work at once-Present Time peculiarly favourable for Emigration to New South Wales-The Capital necessary for Sheep and Cattle Farmers-Particular Articles of Outfit recommended to be taken -Advice upon Packing-Capital necessary for Professional Men- Sydney to Singapore-Wrecks in Torres Straits-Dangers of the Messina, Naples, Civita Vecchia, Rome, Leghorn, Pisa, Genoa, 211 NEW SOUTH WALES, &c. CHAPTER I. THE VOYAGE AND MELBOURNE. In the latter end of 1841, I sailed from England in a vessel of about 500 tons, bound to Port Phillip and Sydney, New South Wales. By embarking at Plymouth, the last port at which the ship touched, instead of accompanying her from Gravesend, I avoided, in a great measure, the dangers of the Channel, and the liability to rough and cold weather, as well as other désagréments usually attending the passage "down Channel," in consequence of the great confusion almost inseparable from a start upon so long a voyage, and which are felt the more keenly in proportion to the degree of comfort and happiness of the home that has just been relinquished. Vessels, too, are not unfrequently windbound in the Channel, during which passengers, by deferring to join the ship, might be enjoying themselves amongst their families and friends, or be B |