138 ON AND OFF THE TUEF. 



of their beauty and of their extraordinary formation^ 

 and their mighty underground rivers. 



We pass Lithgow, the colliery district of the 

 mountains^ and come to Bathurst. A charming city 

 is the Cathedral City of the Plains. It is situate in 

 the midst of a vast fertile plain^ teeming with flocks 

 and herds, and yielding the richest grain and crops. 

 Many rich men reside here, and their vast estates 

 surround the town oh every side. The Stuarts of 

 Mount Pleasant, the Lees of Holmlee, the Suttons, 

 the Macphillameys, the Cousins, and the Sullivans, all 

 have big interests here, as also have Mr. Gilmore and 

 Mr. Rutherford. Tradition says that an ancestor of 

 Mr. Stuart, in the olden days, when convicts ranged 

 about in gangs, for his services to his country — he was 

 an officer in the army — was told to ascend the highest 

 eminence at Mount Pleasant and take possession of 

 the land all round, as far as he could see. This he did, 

 and the Stuart estate is an extensive one. This Stuart 

 lies buried on the top of this eminence, and a monu- 

 ment is erected over his remains. I think the name 

 Stuart is spelt correctly, but I will not be certain. 



I was eighteen months in this district, and a 

 charming place it is. Bishop Camidge rules over 

 this diocese, a man universally respected. The 

 Cathedral is a fine building, and the public park, on 

 the site of the hideous old convict prison, is a credit 

 to the city people. There is a fine hospital, a school 



