NEW SOUTH WALES. 501 



T)iemen\sland related, it may be esteemed highly 

 proper, to point out the manner in which this 

 country and new South Wales appear to differ 

 in their most essential quality, that of their soil. 



In adjusting* the comparative fertility of the 

 soils of Van Diemen's land, and New South 

 Wales, their contrasted dispositions are more pro- 

 minent than any inequality in their quantity. 

 They are poor countries ; but, as far as the eye 

 of discovery has yet penetrated in either, the 

 cultivable soil of the latter is found lying in a 

 few distinct patches of varying quality; while 

 the soil of the former, being more equally 

 spread, those spots of abundant richness, or 

 large wilds of sterility, are less frequently seen. 



Although Van Diemen's land seems to possess 

 few or none of those depths of soil which the 

 happiest spots of New. South W r ales are blessed 

 with, it seldom excludes the hopes of its tra- 

 veller with those tracts which disarm industry. 



In point of productive soil Mr, Bass gives 

 the advantage to Van Diemen's land. 



Two rivers only, Port Dairy mple and the 

 Derwent, are known to descend from Van Die- 

 men's land ; and by Point St. Vincent possibly 

 there may be a third. But two or three rivers 

 fcear but a scanty proportion to the island. 



On the 3d of January they quitted the River 

 Derwent, and proceeded tothe Northward, coast- 

 ing the East side of Frederick-Henry Bay. The 

 figure of the shore, between what is now called 

 JBasaltes and Cape Pillar, exhibited one of those 

 great works of nature which seldomfailsexciting 



