NEW ZEALAND. 247 



form an opinion that those who bought lots of them 

 must in the end be ruined ; even their right to sell 

 these lands at all was at the time much questioned. 

 This being the case, the difficulty any Governor 

 must have to contend with, who should attempt 

 to solve the intricate problem involved in the land- 

 question, was apparent, and it will be evident also 

 that those who pretend to form a judgment on the 

 conduct of Captain R. FitzRoy, must take into 

 consideration the character of the people, both white 

 and coloured, with whom he had to deal, and various 

 other circumstances that are usually kept out of 

 sight. 



During our long stay at Sydney 1 visited the 

 mouth of the Hunter, for the purpose of determining 

 the position of Newcastle. The court-house, ac- 

 cording to my observations, is in lat. 32° 55' 50'' 

 S. and long. 0" S4f' 45" E. of Sydney. This is the 

 district from which all the coal used in New South 

 Wales is brought, and a good harbour is therefore 

 of importance. A party of convicts were employed 

 in buildincr a breakwater, connecting a cliffv island 

 at the entrance with the south point of the river, for 

 the purpose of deepening the mouth, but I much 

 question whether it will answer, as the silt that is 

 washed down by the stream not finding its former 

 exit may by meeting the sea form a bar. 



In ascending the valley of the Hunter I saw suflS- 

 cient to convince me that a railroad could easily be 



