10 CRUISE OF TEE ' GUB.AQOA: 



the sea, at about 500 j^nrds from the shore. ■ The principal 

 street, in which the best houses, stone villas with gardens 

 surrounded by walls of the same materials, are found, is 

 composed of finely-broken stone, and, though ill kept up, is 

 still ill tolerable condition. This stone, taken from a quarry, 

 is a sort of concrete sand. A pretty little brook, about five 

 feet wide, has been brought from the environs to irrigate 

 the town, and amply suffices for the wants of the inhabit- 

 ants. A small quantity of taro (Caladium escidentum), used 

 occasionally for making poi, is grown on its banks. The 

 hill from which the stream sjDrings, and at the bottom of 

 which the town is built, is from 360 to 370 feet high. 

 Formerly there were several roads branching off from this 

 hill towards different parts of the coast, but which, from 

 want of being attended to, are already- in a very bad state, 

 and rapidly disappearing. The officials who lived in the 

 island while a penal settlement passed, it is said, their 

 time pleasantly enough, and contrived to make it a tolerably 

 comfortable place of residence, having good horses and 

 carriages at their command for making pleasure trips ; 

 nothing of which is now to be found. 



Sydney Bay, near which the town is built, is bounded on 

 the west by Point Ross, and on the east by Point Hunter 

 near the windmill. When the tide is out a coral reef is 

 seen stretching from the shore at varying distances of from 

 100 to 700 yards. Boats landing are obliged to cross the 

 reef. The sea all along the coast is of great depth. 

 . The undulating surface of the soil, the woods and vei'dure 



