CH. I.] THE HAWKESBURY. 9 



batidittl, v^hich, happily, can no longer exist, except in places 

 inaccessible to the mounted police. The ascent northward 

 from this ferry on the Hawkesbury, is a substantial and 

 permanent work, affording a favourable specimen of the 

 value of convict labour, in anticipating the wants of an 

 increasing population. 



The country traversed by this new road is equally barren, 

 and more mountainous than the district between Paramatta 

 and the Hawkesbury. Amid those rocky heights and depths, 

 across which I had recently toiled on foot, marking out Avith 

 no ordinary labour, the intended line, I had now the satisfac- 

 tion to trot over a new and level road, winding like a thread 

 through the dreary labyrinth before me, and in which various 

 parts had already acquired a local appellation not wholly 

 unsuited to their character, such as " Hungry Flat," " Devil's 

 Backbone," " No-grass Valley,"* and " Dennis's Dog-ken- 

 nel." In fact, the whole face of the country is composed of 

 sandstone rock, and but partially covered with vegetation. 

 The horizon is only broken by one or two summits, which are 

 different both in outline and quality from the surrounding- 

 country. These isolated heights generally consist of trap- 

 rock, and are covered with rich soil and very heavy timber. 

 The most remarkable is WarraAvolong^whose top I first 

 observed from the hill of Jellore in the south, at the distance 

 of 108 miles. This being a most important station for the 

 general survey, which I made previously to opening the 

 northern road, it was desirable to clear the summit, at least 

 partly, of trees, a work which was accomplished after consi- 

 derable labour — the trees having been very large. On re- 

 moving the lofty forest, I found the view from that summit 

 extended over a wild waste of rocky precipitous ravines, 

 which debarred all access or passage in any direction, until I 

 could patiently trace out the ridges between them, and for this 



* Originally Suodgrass Valley — but " Vox impuli vox Dei." The present 

 name is shorter, and has the additional merit of being descriptive — for the 

 valley contains but little grass. 



