4 Voyage from England to Australia. 
and interesting appearance, not easily 
tanhe.deseribed. 
>) Phere are several remarkably hand- 
- some private seats and public buildings, 
onthe rising grounds on the approach to 
Sydney; which have a very grand and 
imposing effect. 
On the 29th July, we moored in 
Sednag Cove, and. were at length made 
acquainted with our final destination, 
which was, to proceed to the north 
coast of Australia, and take possession 
of all the islands and territories com- 
prized between longitude 129° and 
135°, including Apsley and Clarence 
Straits, Melville and Bathurst Islands, 
and Port Essington, in the Cobourg 
Peninsula; and to form a new settle- 
ment, on the most eligible of any of 
those places. The next day the ship 
Countess of Harcourt was chartered, 
and. the brig Lady Nelson purchased by 
the Colonial Government, for the pur- 
pose of conveying troops, stores, provi- 
sions, convicts, &c. &c.; in short, every 
thing necessary for the use, or comfort 
of those who were to embark in the 
expedition. From this day forward all 
was bustle, anxiety and eagerness. to 
earry into effect the necessary repairs 
and equipment of the ship. So great 
were the exertions of the officers intheir 
respective departments, that all the 
defects were made good, the water, pro- 
visions and victualling stores, &c. com- 
pleted, andthe Tamar fully ready for sea 
by the 12th of August; the Countess of 
Harcourt and Lady Nelson by the 
18th; troops, convicts, &c. embarked 
by the 21st; and on the 24th we sailed 
from Port Jackson, the ships Countess 
of Harcourt and Lady Nelson in com- 
pany—(the latter in tow)—in execution 
of our orders, and through passages 
hitherto very little known, and which 
had never been navigated except by two 
or three small vessels—the Tamar being 
considerably the largest ship that ever 
attempted it, 
. The town of Sydney presents the 
most convincing proofs of the talent 
and proud. superiority of our country- 
men, It has hardly existed thirty years, 
and is now a large, flourishing, well- 
built town, occupying the sloping sides 
of two gentle hills, with the intervening 
valley. The streets are rectangular; 
the houses, many of them, are elegant, 
and all are neat, and have the exterior 
of ‘comfort. - The public buildings are 
superb, and. would do credit to the Bri- 
tish, metropolis—and evince the taste 
and splendid ‘ideas of the late Governor 
Macquarrie. 
f Aug. 1; 
The climate of New South Wales 
is delightful. Sydney may safely be 
reckoned the Montpelier of the East. 
The soil is deep and highly fertile, pro- 
ducing every thing i in abundance that is 
to be found in England, and the greater 
part of all tropical fruits. The neces- 
sary articles of life, such as beef, mut- 
ton, poultry, &c. are extremely good, 
and at moderate prices; and, were I to 
form the resolution of emigrating, I 
certainly would become an Australian, 
in preference to the adoption of any 
other place I ever saw:—as the rapid 
advancement of Sydney may be taken 
as the sure earnest of the immense im- 
portance this vast and highly interesting 
colony is destined to attain. 
During our stay at Sydney, we visited 
a tribe of Aborigines who had taken up 
their quarters on the opposite shore— 
(this was King Bungaree’s, and were 
found here when the place was first 
settled). We found them naked, stary- 
ing wretches, huddled indiscriminately 
together round a large fire. At first, 
they were indifferent to our being pre- 
sent, and appeared unwilling to be 
roused from their lowly repose: how- 
ever, by giving them rum and tobacco, 
of which they are immoderately fond, 
they were induced to dance, and exhibit 
themselves. The dance was- savage, 
licentious and disgusting ; but the most 
rigid puritan could not take offence, as 
it was not promiscuous. The men alone 
danced, whilst the.females sung a wild 
and monotonous. ditty during the per- 
formance. It is not known that these 
wretches venerate any object of worship 
whatever; and they have not the most 
distant idea of a future state. Thirty 
years’ intercourse with Europeans has 
not effected. the slightest change in their 
habits or pursuits; as they seem to con- 
sider the superior enjoyments’ of  civi- 
lized life a poor compensation for the 
loss of any part of their natural liberty. 
Political association, the first step in 
emerging from barbarism, they know 
nothing of, beyond the mere congrega- 
tion of families. Though living, per- 
haps, in the finest climate and most fer- 
tile soil under the sun, they derive no 
other sustenance from it than fern roots,” 
and a few bulbs; and ate often driven, 
fromthe failure of their . precarious 
resource—fish, to the most reyolting 
food, as frogs, lizards, .and larve of 
insects.—What.an. afflicting contrast 
does, the melancholy truthof this de- 
scription; draw between. man »in his 
natural and civilized state ! 
(To be continued.) 
