Prevalence of intoxication. 

 Government-house. 



NEW SOUTH WALES. 



Mr. Cunningham, the botanist. 

 His melancholy fate. 



119 



There are, in truth, many particulars in which the 

 people of Sydney resemble those of America. This 

 is observable, among other things, in the influence 

 of the public press. In Australia, however, it is 

 more licentious than any except the lowest of our 

 newspapers ; taking unwarrantable liberties with 

 private character, and is far from being remark- 

 able for discrimination. 



In one particular, a most striking difference is 

 to be observed between the scenes to be witnessed 

 at Sydney, and in the cities of the United States. 

 This consists in the open practice of the vice of 

 drunkenness, which here stalks abroad at noonday. 

 It is not rare at any time, but on holidays its pre- 

 valence surpasses any thing I have ever witnessed. 

 Even persons of the fair sex (if they may be so 

 called) where there to be seen staggering along 

 the most public streets, brawling in the houses, or 

 borne off in charge of the police. However highly 

 coloured this picture may be thought, it is fully 

 corroborated by the police reports of the Sydney 

 papers on Monday mornings. The police-officers 

 themselves are among the venders of the intoxica- 

 ting liquid. 



The facilities for indulgence in this vice are to 

 be seen every where in the form of low taverns 

 and grog-shops, which attract attention by their 

 gaudy signs, adapted to the taste of the different 

 orders of customers, as the " King's Arms," the 

 " Punch-Bowl," the " Shamrock," the " Thistle," 

 the " Ship," the " Jolly Sailors." Of these, two hun- 

 dred and fifty are licensed by the government, or 

 more than one to each hundred souls. Among 

 them a small shop was pointed out which from the 

 extent of its custom yielded the enormous amount 

 of 2W)l. for rent to its owner annually, a sum far 

 beyond the apparent value of the whole property. 

 The quantity of rum which is consumed in the 

 colony may be estimated from the facts, that the 

 revenue derived from its importation was in 1838, 

 189,450^., and that the supply amounts nearly to 

 eight gallons annually for every individual in the 

 colony. 



It is related, that a highly respectable individual 

 transmitted complaints against Governor Macquarie 

 to the home government ; and that, by way of 

 answering these expostulations, the reply of the 

 governor was: " There are but two classes of per- 

 sons in New South Wales, those who have been 

 convicted, and those who ought to be." 



The old government-house, where I had the 

 honour of seeing Sir George Gipps, is a low, cot- 

 tage-shaped building, which has no pretensions to 

 beauty, and appears to have been built at different 

 times, having been enlarged as often as additional 

 accommodation was needed. During the summer 

 months the governor resides at the government- 

 house at Paramatta. 



A new palace or government-house is at present 

 building in the public grounds which lie to the 

 eastward of the old one, from which a road extends 

 through them towards the South Head of Port 

 Jackson. This road is the usual promenade and 

 drive of the citizens of Sydney. After leaving the 

 government domain, it enters Wooloomoloo, a 

 region covered with the country-seats and cottages 

 of the higher classes, which although originally 

 little more than a barren rock, has been brought 

 into a high state of cultivation by its occupants. 

 The drive in this direction may challenge compari- 



son for beauty with any part of the world. It pre- 

 sents innumerable and picturesque views of the 

 noble bay, and of the promontories that jut into it, 

 occupied by mansions and ornamental grounds. 

 On reaching the South Head, a view of great 

 beauty is also seen. The point thus named, is a 

 bold headland, about two hundred and fifty-four 

 feet in height, on which stands the light-house, a 

 fine tower, with a brilliant revolving light. 



The public grounds are in part occupied by a 

 botanical garden, which was laid out by Mr. Cun- 

 ningham, the botanist of the colony, to whoso 

 memory a monument is about to be erected in the 

 garden, which is itself a memorial of his fine taste, 

 and his successful cultivation of the science he 

 professed. Mr. Cunningham perished by a melan- 

 choly death, which is still spoken of with regret. 

 He had, in his capacity of botanist, accompanied 

 Major Mitchell, the surveyor-general of the colony, 

 on a tour of exploration in 1835. In the pursuit 

 of his researches, he wandered from the part}', and 

 did not return. As soon as he was missed, the 

 native guides were sent in search of him, but re- 

 turned without having succeeded in finding his 

 traces. Major Mitchell then instituted a fresh 

 search, in which the trades of Mr. Cunningham's 

 horse were found, and followed for ninety miles. 

 Within this space three places were seen where 

 he had stopped and encamped. From the last of 

 these, the tracks of the horse were again followed, 

 until the carcass of the animal was found dead 

 through fatigue and starvation, with the whip tied 

 to the bridle, and all his accoutrements about him. 

 Retracing their steps to his last encampment, they 

 ascertained, on close examination, that he had 

 there killed his dog for food, and his footsteps were 

 seen as if making rapid strides for the bed of a 

 river, which he had followed to a pool, into which 

 he had plunged. Further down the river, some 

 shells were found near the remains of a fire, which 

 had evidently been kindled by a white man. Here 

 all further traces of him were lost, and the search 

 abandoned in despair. 



Some months afterwards a second search was 

 made by Lieutenant Vouch. In the course of this, 

 some natives were taken near the Brogan river, in 

 whose possession a part of Mr. Cunningham's 

 clothing was found. They stated that a white man 

 had come to them in a state of great exhaustion; 

 that he was hungry, and they fed him, but that 

 during the night they had become afraid, and 

 killed him. The body was never found. 



Lieutenant Vouch inferred that Mr. Cunningham 

 had become deranged by the severity of his suffer- 

 ings, and that this had caused him to wander about 

 at night, which, with other suspicious movements, 

 had alarmed the natives, who, under the influence 

 of their terrors, had murdered him. 



Thus ended the useful life of one who had raised 

 himself to eminence by his own exertions, and had 

 by his virtues and scientific acquirements gained 

 the esteem of all the pure and good of the colony, 

 by whom he will be long affectionately and honour- 

 bly I'emembered. 



At the end of the walk around the government 

 domain, the following inscription is calculated to 

 excite a smile : " Be it recorded, that this road 

 round the inside of the government domain, called 

 Mrs. Macquarie's Road, so called by the governor 

 on account of her having originally planned it, 



