1836.] BATHURST. 425 



lating but nearly smooth plains arc very remarkable in this 

 country, from being absolutely destitute of trees. They support 

 only a thin brown pasture. We rode some miles over this country, 

 and then reached the township of Bathurst, seated in the middle 

 of what may be called either a very broad valley, or narrow plain. 

 I was told at Sydney not to form too bad an opinion of Australia 

 by judging of the country from the road-side, nor too good a one from 

 Bathurst ; in this latter respect, I did not feel myself in the least 

 danger of being prejudiced. The season, it must be owned, had 

 been one of great drought, and the country did not wear a favour- 

 able aspect ; although I understand it was incomparably worse two 

 or three months before. The secret of the rapidly growing pros- 

 perity of Bathurst is, that the brown pasture which appears to the 

 stranger's eye so wretched, is excellent for sheep-grazing. The 

 town stands, at the height of 2200 feet above the sea, on the banks 

 of the Macquarie : this is one of the rivers flowing into the vast and 

 scarcely known interior. The line of watershed, which divides the 

 inland streams from those on the coast, has a height of about 3000 

 feet, and runs in a north and south direction at the distance of from 

 eighty to a hundred miles from the sea-side. The Macquarie 

 figures in the map as a respectable river, and it is the largest of 

 those draining this part of the water-shed ; yet to my surprise I 

 found it a mere chain of ponds, separated from each other by spaces 

 almost dry. Generally a small stream is running ; and sometimes 

 there are high and impetuous floods. Scanty as the supply of the 

 water is throughout this district, it becomes still scantier further 

 inland. 



22nd. I commenced my return, and followed a new road called 

 Lockyer's Line, along which the country is rather more hilly and 

 picturesque. This was a long clay's ride ; and the house where I 

 wished to sleep was some way off the road, and not easily found. 

 I met on this occasion, and indeed on all others, a very general and 

 ready civility among the lower orders, which, when one considers 

 what they are, and what they have been, would scarcely have been 

 expected. The farm where I passed the night, was owned by two 

 young men who had only lately come out, and were beginning a 

 settler's life. The total want of almost every comfort was not very 

 attractive ; but future and certain prosperity was before their eyes, 

 and that not far distant. 



The next day we passed through large tracts of country in 



