BY THE HON. A. NORTON, M.L.C. Hi 



a great fissure the depth of which I cannot now remember, 

 and forms a magnificent waterfall. It then drains down the 

 gorge, and in the sharp bend below the first fall there is 

 another deep perpendicular drop. From this point the gorge 

 gradually widens and the hillsides slope into it very sharply. 

 Every creek from each side empties by a series of cascades and 

 f-udden drops into the gorge. Some of these are most pic- 

 turesque, notably that where the ever-running Tia River rushes 

 down like a silver thread to a depth of probably more than 

 2,000 feet. And now I must end this part with a recommenda- 

 tion to those of my friends who would become acquainted with 

 the beauty of Australian scenery, to take the earliest oppor- 

 tunity of visiting the Gostwych Falls, near Armidale, and the 

 Apsley Falls, near Walcha. 



PART II 



(Iic'dd before the lloi/al Societi/ of Qneenslini(l, 21st .hine, 1902 ). 



In a paper which I had the honour of reading before the 

 members of the Royal Society some weeks ago, I briefly 

 described my first trip to the New England district in 1852 and 

 the settlers with whom I became acquainted in their bush 

 homes. Of these I write now, as I have always thought of 

 them, in terms of commendation and appreciation. Those who 

 were the first to occupy the country had many and serious 

 difficulties to contend against. They were by no means free 

 from dangers of attacks by the blacks, but this is a subject I 

 have no desire to enlarge upon ; I never took part in any place 

 in the scrimmages, to use a mild term, of which I have heard 

 very much, and it gives rae only pain to recall the scenes which 

 others have described to me. Such incidents I trust will never 

 be repeated in any part of Australia. When I first went to New 

 England the dark chapter had been closed in that district, and 

 the blacks who remained went to and from station to station 

 without let or hindrance. At that time, however, two great 

 difficultes were ever present- — that of obtaining the labour which 

 was required to carry on the station work, and the supplying of 



