ELIZABETH BAY. 71 



In company with my friend, Lieutenant Bre- 

 ton, R. N., I visited Elizabeth Bay, about two 

 miles distant from Sydney, and the property of 

 the Honourable Alexander Macleay. The situ- 

 ation is beautiful, being in a retired bay or cove 

 of Port Jackson, and the garden arid farm is 

 near the sea. This spot, naturally of the most 

 sterile description, has been rendered., at a great 

 expense and perseverance, in some degree pro- 

 ductive as a nursery for rare trees, shrubs, and 

 plants, from all parts of the world. We were 

 much gratified with the valuable and rare speci- 

 mens the garden contained, and surprised that a 

 spot possessed of no natural advantages should 

 have been rendered, comparatively, a little 

 paradise. 



In the garden, a species of cactus was pointed 

 out to me by the gardener, Mr. Henderson, 

 which Mr. Macleay had brought some years 

 affo from Rio Janeiro : it had flowered at the 



o 



usual time, and they had changed into what had 

 the usual external form of the fruit. On making 

 a section of one, it had the usual fructual cha- 

 racter, although in an immature state. I was, 

 however, informed that the fruit never attained 

 maturity, but became as one of the branches, 

 blossoms being produced from it, which would 

 again produce fruit, and that fruit would not 



