122 OUE COAL AS3 COAL POETS. 



But in the event of the railway coming up by Westmacott's Pass behind 

 Bulli, as contemplated by residents in Wollongong, &c., I beg to remark that 

 the remainder of the 9 miles along the Bottle Forest to its junction with the 

 Appin Eoad on the top of the Bulli Pass is a continuation of a very good 

 road through Madden's Plains, interrupted here and there by small depressions 

 and rises, which may probably be aToided ; but these nine miles, by my 

 measurements, and, as far as the aneroid can be trusted, give an extra elevation 

 of 164 feet, and consequently give an equally greater descent down the 

 mountain than where I shall show the hue, in my opinion, ought to go. 



Passing from the turn-off of the Bottle Forest and Stanvrell Park Roads, 

 we reached StanweU Park, near the seaside, by a distance of three or four 

 miles, with the last mile ridden down the mountain after dark by a road that 

 baf&es description. 



The next morning we were mounted on fresh horses, kindly supplied by 

 Mr. Hargraves, and being conducted by the overseer we again ascended the 

 mountain by another pass, known as Mitchell's Appin Pass. We ascended 

 this mountain, close to Stanwell Park House, expressly to see from the tops of 

 the cliifs, at various points, where it might be possible to make a railway line. 

 By this track we intersected a seam of rich clay iron ore at an elevation of 

 460 feet, and reached the table-land at a place showing only 820 feet, and at a 

 point that was almost in sight of the Bottle Forest Road, and distant about two 

 miles from where we had left it the night before to descend by the du-ect track 

 to Stanwell Park. 



In order that I may be easily understood, I beg to say here that I 

 afterwards found that at or about this very spot it proved, m my opinion, 

 to be by far the best way to make the proposed descent to the lower lands. 



Passing along on horseback and on foot from cliff-top to cliff-top, we com- 

 manded views in eveiy direction down and over the frightful but magnificent 

 abysses, with the whole of Illawarra before us for fully fifty mUes. The view, 

 was bounded by the high Saddleback mountain behind Xiama to the south, 

 by the cliffs beyond Sydney and Broken Bay to the north, and by an enormous 

 expanse of ocean to the eastward, with a few white sails showing in the dis- 

 tance, and two pigmy steamers approaching the coast, the one from Sydney 

 to Bulli, and the otber by Five Islands, steering its course for Wollongong. 

 Splendid and expansive views were then obtained from point to point over 

 elevations exceeding 1,000 feet. When all seemed hopeless for a roadway to 

 the lower country, we passed on until we again skirted the Bottle Forest Road, 

 and came to the Bulli Pass, where the descent is made by a road which, once seen, 

 can never be forgotten, because of the impressions made by its grand scenery. 



BuUi being reached by a descent of about two miles, I saw at a glance from 

 the lowest ground that a i-ailroad could be made here by a long, gradual, and 

 straight descent, which would give a gradient of about 1 in 45, as I had before 

 been informed; and here I think that heavy trains of coal might pass up at 

 a moderately high speed if aided by a second engine. 



After resting some time at Bulli we returned by the coast to where we 

 started from in the morning, in order that we might view the cliffs and possible 

 passes, from below upwards, and also from a desire to see if there was any 

 possibility of getting out of this coal country by means of tunnelhng through 

 the Biilgo range, which fences in the extreme north of lUawarra, this having 

 been a suggestion which had formed matter for discussion at the Royal 

 Society's last meeting. 



I may at once dispose of this tunnelling question by saying that it is quite 

 impracticable, and would be futile if even the first great Bulgo range was 

 tunnelled at the bottom ; because when once thi-ough it, and stationed on its 

 north side, the same difficulties would have to be overcome of clearing away 

 out of the broken hiUs and gullies at the head of Port Hacking Creek on to the 

 level of the Bottle Forest Road before it would be practicable to pass on. 



