222 NEW SOUTH WALES. 



the side of a sandstone cliff. On the summit an 

 almost level plain extends, which, rising imper- 

 ceptibly to the westward, at last attains a height 

 of more than 3000 feet. From so grand a title as 

 Blue Mountains, and from their absolute altitude, I 

 expected to have seen a bold chain of mountains 

 crossing the country ; but, instead of this, a sloping 

 plain presents merely an inconsiderable front to 

 the low land near the coast. From this first slope, 

 the view of the extensive woodland to the east 

 was striking, and the surrounding trees grew bold 

 and lofty. But when once on the sandstone plat- 

 form, the scenery becomes exceedingly monoto- 

 nous ; each side of the road is bordered by scrubby 

 trees of the nevei'-failing Eucalyptus family ; and 

 with the exception of two or three small inns, there 

 are no houses or cultivated land : the road, more- 

 over, is solitary ; the most frequent object being a 

 bullock-wagon, piled up with bales of wool. 



In the middle of the day we baited our horses at 

 a little inn called the Weatherboard. The coun- 

 try here is elevated 2800 feet above the sea. About 

 a mile and a half from this place there is a view ex- 

 ceedingly well worth visiting. Following down a 

 little valley and its tiny rill of water, an immense 

 gulf unexpectedly opens through the trees which 

 border the pathway, at the depth of perhaps 1500 

 feet. Walking on a few yards, one stands on the 

 brink of a vast precipice, and below one sees a 

 grand bay or gulf, for I know not what other name 

 to give it, thickly covered with forest. The point 

 of view is situated as if at the head of a bay, the 

 line of cliff diverging on each side, and showing 

 headland behind headland, as on a bold sea-coast. 

 These cliffs are composed of horizontal strata of 

 whitish sandstone, and are so absolutely vertical, 

 that in many places a person standing on the edge 



