226 PORT JACKSON. [1S39. 



Jackson. The last is, in a commercial point of view, of much 

 greater importance than any of the other harbors that have 

 been mentioned. This magnificent bay, or inlet, is of irreg- 

 ular form, and stretches about fifteen miles into the country. 

 It is completely land-locked, and protected from every wind. 

 The anchorage is excellent, its soundings being more than 

 sufficient for the largest ships; and the whole British navy 

 could safely ride within it. Its shores are indented by nu- 

 merous small bays and coves, which also afford shelter from 

 the wind, and have, in many cases, good anchoring grounds. 

 Two gigantic cliffs, not quite two miles apart, and from two 

 hundred and fifty to three hundred feet high, rise on either 

 side of the main entrance ; upon the most southerly of which 

 is a lighthouse, whose lantern is elevated sixty-seven feet 

 above the ground, and consequently, near three hundred and 

 fifty feet above the sea. The bay is navigable for ships of 

 any burden seven miles above Sydney. 



Besides these more important harbors, there are a great 

 number of smaller inlets, and estuaries at the mouths of the 

 rivers, which are easy of access, safe and spacious, and may 

 one day become serviceable. 



Owing to the vicinage of the great dividing ranges to the 

 eastern and western coasts, large rivers cannot accumulate; 

 but as they mostly run through parallel valleys, the streams 

 which are found at these two extremities of the continent, 

 have longer courses than might be supposed. The rivers on 

 the western coast are neither numerous, nor important ; al- 

 though burns of excellent water, many of which issue to the 

 sea by noble estuaries, are abundant. The chief streams are 

 the Swan and Canning rivers, which unite in Melville water, 

 near the parallel of 32° southern latitude. The most import- 

 ant rivers that rise in the Blue mountains, on the east, are 

 the Murroo, Clyde, Shoalhaven, Hawkesbury, Hunter, Has- 

 tings, and Brisbane, which have their out lets between the 

 parallels of 27" and 36° S. The Boyne, a rapid mountain 

 stream, falls into Port Curtis, in latitude 23° 56' 30" S., and 

 the Pumice-stone into Moreton Bay, in 26° f>4'30". Endeav- 



