88 NEW ENGLAND (n.S.W.) ETC. 



many changes in the condition of that river and its most 

 important town must have taken place since the time I write of. 

 Very little settlement had been effected alon^ the banks of the 

 river, and by far the greater part of its fine alluvial flats were 

 covered with the original vine scrubs, and the cattle which took 

 shelter in them were wild and troublesome. At the Devil's 

 Elbow was a new township, St. Lawrence, about midway 

 between the bar and Grafton. The " Devil," I fancy, has since 

 been put out of sight, and the place is spoken of simply as " The 

 Elbow." I have no doubt that he retains his place in the 

 memory, if not in the affection, of the original settlers. At the 

 time I speak of he presided over a small wharf and store, a 

 public house, and a very limited number of other buildings. 

 We arrived at Grafton at about 4 p.m. I find the place thus 

 described in my notes — " A small township and very much 

 scattered. The principal side is the North, where the post 

 office and court house are situated." My recollection of the 

 place does not bring before me many of the buildings. I put 

 up at an inn near the wharf where the steamer lay ; I cannot 

 recall any other. There was a store kept by Lardner, another 

 by Shoveller. I recolbct a Church of England at which the 

 Rev. Mr. Selwyn officiated. Mr. Greaves, the Government 

 surveyor, lived in a cottage of his own in a clearing in the scrub. 

 I suspect the spot now is well in the town. There were a few 

 tradesmen's shops and a number of cottages, some of which had 

 very pretty gardens. Captain Marsh, late owner of Camira Station, 

 occupied one of these. On the lower side of the town there was 

 a great deal of scrub, and in it the finest specimen of Moreton 

 Bay fig I have ever seen ; its roots above the surface of the soil were 

 said to cover more than two acres. Thousands of cape goose- 

 berry plants grew on the river flats, where these were moderately 

 free from scrub. On a creek a mile or two from the town stood 

 Kirchner and Co. soap and candle works, and there was a 

 boiling down establishment not far from these. I forget the 

 name of the gentleman — I think he was a Frenchman — who 

 had started a sugar farm ; he intended making the sugar from 

 sorghum, but I never heard that he succeeded. So much can I 

 remember of the north side, the site of the more important part 

 of the township. I made Mr. Joseph Sharpe's station, four 

 miles up the river, my head quarters while I was in the district 

 at that time, and again a year later ; Mr. Gale was the manager. 



