314 LOMEBBAES. 



less oat," said to be brought from China, that 

 yields greater returns than the usually cultivated 

 kind. 



On riding through plains, &c. a number of 

 quails are usually started by the dogs, and nu- 

 merous eagle hawks, (Mollien of the natives,) 

 and others of the same rapacious tribe, hover 

 about for the purpose of darting upon the unfor- 

 tunate quails when started ; these hawks will 

 also destroy and feed upon snakes, lizards, &c. 



On the 23d of December I left Yas Plains for 

 Sydney ; in the evening I arrived at " Lome- 

 braes," or " Willowdalong, " the farm of Mr. 

 John Hume, after a journey of twenty-two miles. 

 This farm is situated close to a river, which I 

 was surprised to find was the " Lachlan." At 

 this season it was merely a chain of shallow 

 ponds, abounding with weeds, and even in the 

 winter season, from the extent of the banks, it 

 cannot attain any magnitude ; probably by aid 

 of tributary streams, it may in its course become 

 a river of more importance. About this country 

 the heat of the summer had not been so great as to 

 parch up the land, which still maintained its 

 verdure ; but the utter want of variety in several 

 parts of the colony, produces a tedious vacuity 

 in the mind of the traveller when journeying 

 over it. 



A pleasing object in domestic life among the 



