1827.] [ 577 J 



T E ?, R A 1 X <' O Ci X IT A' : 

 No, II. 



THE Amazonian island, now known as Australia (Austral- Asia, con- 

 tracted and cuphonated), was called by its Dutch discoverer New Hol- 

 land. It extends from the eleventh to the thirty-ninth degree of south 

 latitude, and from the 1 13th to the 154th degree of east longitude ; but, till 

 about twenty-eight years ago, it was believed to extend four and a half 

 degrees further south, including Van Dieraen's Land, which, by the dis- 

 covery of Bass's Straits, proved to be distinct from the greater island, or 

 main land. 



On the report of Captain Cook and Sir Joseph Banks, our government 

 determined to form a penal settlement on the east coast of New Holland ; 

 and, taking formal possession of about three-fifths of the whole island 

 (including Van Diemen's Land), named their part of it New South Wales ; 

 and, in the year 1787, sent thither a number of transports with convicts, 

 under the command of Captain Phillip, who accompanied his charge in the 

 Sirius sloop of war. Botany Bay, which is in latitude thirty-three and a 

 half degrees, had been explored, and so named, by the great navigator, and 

 the no less great naturalist, and was the destined haven of the transport 

 fleet. Captain Phillip, however, on arriving there, was not satisfied with 

 the site proposed ; and, proceeding thence to explore Broken Bay, he 

 stopped on the way to examine an inlet about half way between the two, 

 that Captain Cook had noticed and named Port Jackson. His satisfaction 

 equalled his surprise on discovering it to be the magnificent harbour it is; 

 and, in the exercise of sound discretion, he chose the shores of Sydney 

 Cove (which I have described as being within Port Jackson, and about 

 eight miles from its mouth) to be the site of his capital, instead of those of 

 Botany Bay, which are now as wild and almost as tenantless as they were 

 in 1788. 



Ten or twelve miles north of " the heads" (of Port Jackson), Broken Bay 

 receives the waters of the Hawkesbury, which rising about forty miles 

 south of Sydney, and not more than eight or ten miles from the sea, at first 

 a shallow limpid stream, is called the Cow-pasture river. Meandering in a 

 north-west direction, till it is between thirty and forty miles from the coast, 

 it becomes navigable for boats, changes the name Cow-pasture for Nepean, 

 and then, pursuing nearly a direct north course till it reaches Richmond, 

 it there feels the tide, and, assuming its greatest consequence, flows on, with 

 the name of Hawkesbury, through the most fertile land in the colony for 

 about twenty miles, north-easting as it goes ; and then the water becoming 

 salt, the banks become barren, and it winds along almost due east, till it 

 reaches the coast in Broken Bay. Several tributary streams and creeks 

 join the Hawkesbury in its semi-lunar course. 



That portion of the country, then, which is so nearly insulated by the 

 Hawkesbury and the sea is the county of Cumberland south of it is that 

 of Camden north (of Broken Bay and the river) is that of Northumber- 

 land and on the west, the blue mountains, which rise out of the Hawkes^ 

 bury and Nepean, border the county of Westmoreland. 



It was not till the year 1804 that Van Diemen's Land was colonized- 

 six years after the fact of its insularity had been ascertained,, Differing in 

 soil and climate, and consequently in productions from the mother colony 

 M.M. New Series. VoL.III. No. 18. 4 F 



