BEEEIMA AXD MITTAGONG. 109 



almost identical, and the elevation is considerable, being only 700 

 feet less than that of Mount Toinah, many of the same shrubs and 

 trees are found in both places. The principal gum-tree of the 

 range is the Messmate, which in appearance is very similar to 

 stringy bark, but the upper branches are smooth and the bark in- 

 ferior. The origin of the name " Messmate" is somewhat 

 singular. At first the tree was supposed to be stringy bark, but 

 when it was found to differ from that species in the grain of the 

 wood and the fibre of the bark, some one remarked that if the tree 

 were not stringy bark, it was certainly "messmate" to it: hence it 

 was called the Messmate. This species is of gigantic dimensions, 

 being more than 1GO feet high and six or seven feet in diameter, 

 and, therefore, the labour of clearing the ground, one would 

 imagine, is somewhat discouraging to settlers. And yet, as I 

 passed along, I heard few complaints on that head, all hands being 

 cheerfully engaged in felling timber, or burning off, or preparing 

 ground already cleared. Most of the men seemed pleased at 

 the idea of being landed proprietors, how limited soever their 

 farms might be ; and one in particular spoke in glowing terms of 

 his future prospects, and said that he already valued his land at 

 10 per acre. There is, doubtless, a pleasing satisfaction arising 

 from the possession of anything which a man may justly call his 

 own ; and this feeling is probably enhanced by the amount of 

 labour which he expends upon it in improvements. The terms 

 on which land is obtained, are at the rate of 1 per acre, one 

 quarter of the purchase money being paid as a deposit. Accord- 

 ing to the Act of Parliament, no farm can be less than 40 acres 

 nor more than 320 ; so that a person on selecting the smallest 

 block of land has to pay 10, and, at the expiration of three 

 years from the date of purchase, he is expected to tender the 

 remaining 30 to the Colonial Treasurer ; but, should that be 

 inconvenient, the payment ot the balance may be deferred from 

 year to year at a charge of 5 per cent., or on the payment of 30s. 

 per annum. If the terms of the Act be not complied with, the 

 land will revert to the Crown, be liable to be sold at auction, 

 and the deposit be forfeited. 



Without regarding the political aspect of the question, and the 

 evils which may or may not arise from free selection without 

 survey, in other parts of the colony, I could not but be impressed 



