and of Riwal Improvement, during 1835. 637 



and West Indies, as far as they were tried, arrived at perfection. 

 This colony has since been abandoned ; but the experiment 

 shows what may be expected when this part of Australia is sub- 

 jected to cultivation. The settlements in the neighbourhood of 

 Port Jackson are in a prosperous state, and every year are ac- 

 quiring greater comforts for themselves by the increasing cul- 

 tivation of the soil, and are proving a greater benefit to the 

 parent country, by their demand for its manufactures. By far 

 the most valuable product both of the country in the neighbour- 

 hood of Port Jackson, and in Van Diemen's Land, at present, is 

 wool ; and that article might be supplied by Australia, to the rest 

 of the world, to an almost unlimited extent. The botanic garden 

 at Sydney is now under the care of Mr. Richard Cunningham, 

 late of Kew ; and we expect to hear of its being considerably 

 improved, though Mr. Cunningham is at present absent on a 

 grand expedition into the unknown interior. Great exertions 

 are making to introduce vineyards in the neighbourhood of 

 Sydney ; and the Australian public are deeply indebted to Mr. 

 Busby for having twice visited the vine countries of Europe, and 

 for having introduced into the Sydney Botanic Garden, for the 

 benefit of the colony, all the best European varieties of the 

 grape. Mr. Busby's book on the subject, which we have re- 

 viewed at p. 90., will be read with extreme interest. We have 

 learned, from various sources recorded in this Magazine, that 

 several vineyards have been established in Australia, and some 

 good wine produced. The olive has also been tried, and there 

 can be little doubt that it will succeed perfectly. So anxious 

 are some proprietors in the district of Port Jackson to try every 

 means of improvement, that we know a recent instance in which 

 an order was sent from Sydney, to a London nurseryman, to 

 send out one of every description of cultivated tree, shrub, and 

 plant, that would stand the open air in the neighbourhood of 

 London, as far as could be purchased for the sum of 200/. A 

 number of villas have recently been formed in the neighbour- 

 hood of Sydney, a plan of one of which, showing the arrange- 

 ment of a gentleman's house suitable for that climate, and also 

 the manner in which the grounds are laid out, will be found in 

 the second volume of the Architectural Magazine. 



There is a botanic garden on the Swan River, under the care 

 of Mr. Drummond, of which we have lately heard but little. 



The most interesting part of Australia to us is Van Diemen's 

 Land, because there the climate resembles that of the mildest 

 part of England, but with a drier atmosphere. It is such a cli- 

 mate as would add ten years to the life of any healthy resident 

 in the neighbourhood of London, and ten years, too, of cheerful 

 enjoyment instead of morbid existence. Van Diemen's Land 

 is also more interesting than Sydney, both to the botanist and the 



