132 OUR COAL AND COAL POETS. 



the gi^adieuts and height of tunnel by aneroid observation, he 

 proceeded to inspect the contouring of the two creeks and two 

 large spurs, with a view in the first place of connecting the coal 

 cliff with the Bulgo Eange for the new line by a gradient that 

 should not exceed 1 in 150, and also with the view of seeing if 

 my first proposed road from the Coalcliff tunnel (which would be 

 common to both) would admit of my stated ascent by contouring 

 same ranges higher up to my proposed landing-place at 752 feet 

 on the tableland. That day, being devoted satisfactorily to this 

 work, we passed on from Coalcliff next day to Bulli and to 

 "Wonoona, when Mr. Stephens found that he could not pass a 

 railway line satisfactorily for the three first miles from Coalcliff 

 by a safer gradient than about 1 in 80 or 90, owing to the prox- 

 imity of the cliffs to the sea, and then to pass on by an almost 

 level line partly on the seaward side of the road, and repass the 

 road at foot of Plunkett's Hill, to take the line as near the foot 

 of the coal-bearing ranges as possible from near Brokersnose 

 Point on to Mount Keira, and then on by Mount Kembla, 

 Dapto, Kiama, Jamberoo, and Shoalhavcn. 



The direct line to Wollongong would be by a short branch line 

 from Fairy Meadows on by the road to the Wollongong wharf, 

 which would thus connect the Sydney and the Illawarra waters. 



We reached Wollongong on Thursday, where we had a very 

 pleasing meeting with several gentlemen who have been most 

 prominent in the railway matter. The result of our discoveries 

 took them all by surprise, and created much pleasurable excite- 

 ment. 



In the afternoon we returned to our previous night's quarters 

 at the Wonoona Inn, going by Mount Keira and Mount Pleasant, 

 where the main trunk line would pass round that promontory of 

 land, and then via Mount Kembla, &c., to Shoalhaven. From 

 Mount Keira we passed along, on foot, across every fence and 

 other obstruction under the coal-bearing cliffs all the way to the 

 tramroads of the Bellambi coal mine, near Mr. M'Cabe's house 

 — thus sighting the whole of this country with careful aneroid 

 measurements, after viewing it only, by the direct road course to 

 Wollongong, in the morning. The future course for the trunk 

 coal line, and for the branch line to Wollongong wharf, became 

 clearly defined to us, and will be quite practicable, and so 

 adjusted that the former should pass close to the present and 

 future "inclines" of the various coal companies. Next morning 

 we started very early on hired horses to go up Westmacott Bulli 

 Pass, at the summit of which range of grand scenery we com- 

 menced a survey, on foot, of every elevation and depression, from 

 the junction of the Appin and Bottle Forest roads, where we 

 found the rise to be 1,178 feet. The elevations continued along 

 the road for 4^ miles more towards Sydney, until we reached the 



