Jan. 1836. 



BLUE MOUNTAINS. 



523 



immense gulf is unexpectedly seen through the trees which 

 border the pathway^ at the depth of perhaps 1500 feet. 

 Walking on a few yards one stands on the brink of a vast 

 precipice^ and below is the grand bay or gulf (for I know not 

 what other name to give it)^ thickly covered with forest. 

 The point of view is situated as if at the head of a bay, the 

 line of cliff diverging on each side, and showing headland 

 behind headland, as on a bold sea-coast. These cliffs are 

 composed of horizontal strata of whitish sandstone ; and so 

 absolutely vertical are they, that in many places, a person 

 standing on the edge, and throwing down a stone, can see it 

 strike the trees in the abyss below. So unbroken is the 

 line, that it is said, in order to reach the foot of the waterfall, 

 formed by this little stream, it is necessary to go a distance 

 of sixteen miles round. About five miles distant in front, 

 another line of cliff extends, which thus appears completely 

 to encircle the valley; and hence the name of bay is justified, 

 as applied to this grand amphitheatrical depression. If we 

 imagine a winding harbour, with its deep water surrounded 

 by bold cliff-like shores, laid dry, and a forest sprung up on 

 its sandy bottom, we should then have the appearance and 

 structure here exhibited. This kind of view was to me quite 

 novel, and extremely magnificent. 



In the evening, we reached the Blackheath. The sand- 

 stone plateau has here attained the elevation of 3400 feet ; 

 and is covered, as before, with the same kind of scrubby 

 wood. From the road there were occasional glimpses into a 

 profound valley, of the same character as the one described ; 

 but from the steepness and depth of its sides, the bottom 

 was scarcely ever to be seen. The Blackheath is a very 

 comfortable inn, kept by an old soldier ; and it reminded me 

 of the small inns in North Wales. I was surprised to find 

 that here, at the distance of more than seventy miles from 

 Sydney, fifteen beds could be made up for travellers. 



January 18th. — Very early in the morning, I walked 

 about three miles to see Govett^s Leap : a view of a similar 

 but even perhaps more stupendous character than that near 



