LATE ALLAN CUNNINGHAM, ESQ. 125 
description of it cannot be better given than in his own 
words, which Í shall extract from the close of the journal of 
his proceedings in that country. 
* My collections and baggage being so far in a forward 
state for immediate removal by water to Sydney, I fixed on 
the afternoon of the 12th of February to leave Paramatta, 
and as the commauder of the Forth, Captain Robertson, had 
advised me that he would be ready for sea on the 15th, I lost 
no time in taking a final leave of such of the extensive circle 
of friends I had formed in the course of my long residence in 
the colony as were within the range of a day's journey, from 
whom, as well as from others residing in remoter districts, 
whose numerous civilities to me on various occasions have 
laid me under a great weight of obligation, I was happy to 
receive commissions to attend to in London for them. These 
farewell visits occupied me a week. I returned to Paramatta 
on the evening of the 8th, and, next day, the few articles I 
possessed of household furniture were disposed of by public 
auction, and my two horses (saddle and draft) were pur- 
chased by friends. Upon the llth, two large government 
boats having been dispatched from Sydney by the Master 
Attendant of the dockyard for the conveyance of my collec- 
tions and baggage to the Forth, the whole were sent off in 
charge of my servant,* and, on the following day, I gave up 
the possession of my cottage and premises which I had held 
during the last eight years, and having no further employ- 
ment for a native lad who had been in my service from the 
period of my return from Norfolk Island, I discharged him, 
Whilst my government servant, (a prisoner for life), was, by 
permission of the superintendent of convicts, transferred, for 
the time being, to the employ of a friend, until government 
Should grant him a ticket of leave, for which indulgence I 
* Among them were eight large plant cabins, containing choice collec- 
tions of living plants from Moreton Bay, Norfolk Island, Illawarra and 
the Blue Moun tains; two cases of terrestrial Orchidee, containing the 
roots of thirty-two species of that beautiful family, six cases of f seeds, 
Specimens of wood, &c, 
