70 THE ENGLISH AT THE DERWENT. 



Fvenclimen who were so enthusiastic on the grandeui' 

 and beauty of the harbours and rivers whicli they had 

 Collins, ii., entered. He describes our noble river as a " dull, lifeless 

 p. 183. stream, which after a sleepy course of not more than 25 



or 27 miles to the north-west, falls into Frederick 

 Henry Bay. Its breadth there is two miles and a 

 quarter, and its depth ten fathoms." He further remarks, 

 " If the Dervvent River has any claim to respectability, 

 it is indebted for it more to the paucity of inlets into 

 Van Diemen's Land than to any intrinsic merits of its 

 own." Yet his impression of the country on its banks 

 was distinctly favourable. "The river," he says, '' takes 

 its way thi'ough a country that on the east and north 

 sides is hilly, on the west and north mountainous. The 

 hills to the eastward arise immediately from the banks ; 

 but the mountains- to the westM^ard have retired to the 

 distance of a few miles from the water, and have left in 

 their front hilly land similar to that on the east side. All 

 the hills are very thinly set with light timber, chiefly 

 short she-oaks ; but are admirably covered with thick 

 nutritious grass, in general free from brush or patches of 

 shrubs. The soil in which it grows is a black vegetable 

 mould, deep only in the valleys, frequently very shallow, 

 with occasionally a mixture of sand or small stones. 

 Many large ti-acts of land appear cultivable both for 

 maize and wheat, but which, as pasture land, would be 

 excellent. The hills descend with such gentle slopes, 

 that the vallej's between them are extensive and flat. 

 Several contain an indetei'minate depth of rich soil, 

 capable of supporting the most exhausting vegetation, 

 and are tolerably well watered by chains of small ponds, 

 or occasional drains, which emj^ty themselves into the 

 river by a cove or creek." Black swans were seen in 

 great numbers, and kangaroo abounded, but Bass came 

 to the conclusion that the natives must be few in number, 

 as although they frequently found their rude huts and 

 deserted fires, during a fortnight's excursions they fell in 

 with none of the aborigines, except a man and two 

 women, Avitli whom they had a friendly interview some 

 miles above Herdsman's Cove. Bass contrasts New 

 South Wales and Van Diemen's Land in respect of 

 their fitness for agricultui'e : his opinion was that they 

 were both poor countiies, but in point of productive soil 

 the preference was to be given to Van Diemen's Land. 

 He found on the banks of the Derwent various tracts of 

 land which he considered admirably adapted for grain, 

 for vines, and for pasturage, and no place combined so 

 many advantages as Risdon Cove, Bass grows almost 



