178 NEW SOUTH WALES. 



opinions existing about the climate. During our stay, the weather was 

 unfavourable for all astronomical observations, and almost the whole 

 time cloudy or rainy. It was amusing to find many of those to whom 

 I had the pleasure of an introduction, apologizing for the badness of 

 the weather. It brought forcibly to my recollection, the fault that 

 Captain Basil Hall finds with the people of the United States, but was 

 far from being annoying to me. I have but little doubt, that the 

 climate is, generally speaking, a healthy one, and not unlike that of 

 some parts of our own country. The colony is subject to occasional 

 epidemics, and from the best information I could procure, it is thought 

 that the mortality is about one in forty-three ; this may be called a 

 very small proportion, when one takes into consideration the great 

 quantity of ardent spirits that is consumed. 



The general appearance of the vegetation of New South Wales 

 presents many peculiarities. The character of its productions is 

 totally distinct from those of the other portions of the globe. The 

 gum trees, Norfolk pines, and those of Moreton Bay, attract attention 

 from their scattered appearance, and peculiar foliage. All these have 

 a dark and sombre hue. A remark made by one of our gentlemen is 

 characteristic of the former, " that they were ghosts of trees." The 

 leaves being set edgewise causes this appearance, and in consequence 

 give little or no shade. This peculiar position of the leaf is more 

 conspicuous in the Eucalypti than in other genera, for in them the 

 leaves are all pendant, while the leaves in the other genera are usually 

 upright, rigid, and somewhat as may be seen in the acacias and other 

 tribes. It was observed that both surfaces of the leaves were much 

 alike, having as it were, two upper surfaces. Whether any physiolo- 

 gical purpose has been assigned for such an arrangement I have not 

 been informed. 



According to observations made by the gentlemen of the Expedition, 

 the great mass of the vegetation of Australia belongs to the natural 

 orders of Myrtacese, Leguminosse, Proteacese, Epacridea3, and Com- 

 posite. 



The most common genera are Eucalyptus and Acacia. Many 

 trees of one of the species of the former genus were seen one hundred 

 and twenty feet in height, and with a girth, about six feet from the 

 ground, of eighteen feet. This species is called by the settlers black 

 gum, and is much used for domestic purposes, particularly its bark, 

 with which they cover their huts and houses. The dilated foliaceous 

 acacias are very numerous, and are objects of attraction from their 

 gay and fragrant blossoms. The trees which present the greatest 

 variety of species, are those known as gum trees, viz. : blue gum, 



