lihwjrra district. -Soil of Sydney, wnv CiirTlI U'U rc V.ititu Kroun in the colony. . 

 Hurticullutml exhibition. >hW hOUllI WALES. Naiivci of Aumalia. R> 



Iji the Illawarra district a totally distinct state of 

 tiling exists. Here is to be found all tins luxu- 

 riance of the tropics— lofty palms, among them the 

 corypha austral is, with tree-ferns of two or inure 

 varieties, tliff^ruivt species of ficus, n seandeul piper, 

 ami very many vines. The forest of this district is 

 thick, and alive with animal life. 



This district is about fifty miles long, and forum 

 a semicircular area about thirty miles in its great « st 

 w iilth. The peculiarity of the situation (if litis di ; 

 trict would tend to show what would have been tin 

 probable Btate of New Holland, or rather its east- 

 ern side, if the mountains were sufficiently high to 

 intercept the moisture of the ocean, and prevent 

 the access to it of the. dry hot winds from the 

 interior. Illawarra may bo termed the granan ot 

 New South Wales ; hen* the crops seldom, if ever, 

 fail, and are very abundant. 



The soil of Sydney consists of black mould, 

 mixed with a clean white hand. The quantity of 

 '•and is such, as Ln the dry seasons to affect the 

 v. s tation. This Rand, I understood, is now ex- 

 ported to England at a groat profit, being found a 

 valuable article in the manufaeturo of plate glass. 

 This soil, however, is made to yield a plentifui.sup- 

 ply of fruits and vegetables ; and the display exhi- 

 liited at the horticultural exhibition was highly 

 creditable, not only for the perfection to which the 

 productions had been brought, but for their great 

 variety. The exhibition was laid in the largo mar- 

 ket-house in George Street, which was tastefully 

 decorated for the occasion with branches and fes- 

 toons of flower*. In front of the door was an arch 

 formed of beautiful flowers, with the motto, "Ad- 

 vance Australia I" surmounted by a crown, and 

 the letters V. U. in yellow flowers. Behind this the 

 band was stationed, which, on our entrance, struck 

 up Yankee Doodle. Tickets were sent to the con- 

 sul for those belonging to the squadron. There 

 were a great many South American plants in pots. 

 A premium was received for tropandum penta- 

 phvlfum, maurandya harelayatia, and for two Hpe- 

 eics of calceolaria. There were likewise amarylhs 

 belladonna ami umbellata, bouvardia triphylla, 

 cob:ea scaudcus, and several passilloras, and a 

 variety of hyacinths, dahlias, tuberoses, &c, all 

 line. 



The grapes exhibited were beautiful, and some 

 of them iu very large clusters Nectarines, peaches, 

 apples, pears, small oranges, shaddocks, pine- 

 apples, chebiiuLs, and walnuts, were also iu abun- 

 dance. 



After viewing the fruit we examined the vegeta- 

 bles, which consisted of potatoes, carrots, turnips, 

 very large pumpkins, cucumbers, cabbages or dif- 

 ferent kinds and very line, particularly the curled 

 Savoy and early York, tomatoes, celery, squashes, 

 vegetable marrow, beets, capsicums, and beans. 



After the vegetables came specimens of native 

 wines, and a silver cup was given as a premium 

 for (he best. The white wine resembled hock in 

 last.- ; the red, claret, The climate is thought to 

 be favourable to the production of the grape. The 

 licit wine mad.: iu the colony was by Mr. Bluxland, 

 on his estate at Newington. 



The grains grown in the colony are, wheal, rye, 

 barley, Indian corn, and oats. The wheat yields 

 from six to twenty- five bushels to the acre, and 

 some low ground as high as thirty-live bushels. Its 

 weight per bushel is sixty-two pounds. The crops 



of this grain are subject to great fluctuations, and 

 the must promising appearance may in a single 

 dta be entirely destroyed. 



Tobacco has been cultivated, and it is thought 

 will succeed ; but the frequent frosts reuder it 

 a very uncertain crop. 



Cotton has been attempted, but. with little suc- 

 cess. The value of pasturage, and its profitable 

 yield in sheep-walks, will lung be a bar to the 

 extensive cultivation of any plants that require 

 much labour in their production. Our horti- 

 culturist remarks, that cherries do not succeed 

 well, being affected by the dry cutting winds which 

 occur hi the blossoming season. 



The orange, citron, and lemon trees present a 

 scraggy and yellow appearance, and produce small 

 and insipid fruit, iu comparison with that of the 

 tropics. Peaches thrive, and grow in large quan- 

 tities, arid of high flavour. Every farmer has Ins 

 peach orchard; and the fruit is so plentiful that 

 they fatten their pigs on them. 



The natives of Australia are fast disappearing. 

 The entire aboriginal population has been estimated 

 as high as two hundred thousand ; this estimate is 

 founded on the supposition that tho unexplored 

 regions of the country do not differ materially from 

 that part of it which is known, which cannot well 

 he the case. Other estimates, and probably much 

 nearer the truth, nro given at from sixty to seventy* 

 Ave thousand. 



The ravages of intoxication and disease, combined 

 with their occasional warfare, will readily account 

 for the rapid disappearance of the native popula- 

 tion; and but a Tew more years will suffice for the 

 now scanty population to become extinct. In 18.15, 

 the surveyor-general, Mitchell, estimated that in 

 nboul one-seventh of the whole colony, which lie 

 had examined, the ualives did not exceed six 

 thousand in number ; they are in many parts most 

 wretched looking beings, and incorrigible beggars : 

 tho moment they bcu a stranger, he is fairly 

 tormented to give something; a shilling or a six- 

 pence contents many, and when laid out for rum, 

 or bread, is shared by all present. 



The introduction of European arts has caused 

 but little improvement, while the vices which 

 necompauy them have been the bane of the native 

 population, which has thus acquired a fondness for 

 ardent spirits and tobacco. The natives usually 

 lead a wandering, vagabond life, hanging about the 

 houses ,d the settlers where they are well treated, 

 and doing little jobs for a slight recompense in the 

 above articles. Their habitations are mere tempo- 

 rary shelters, formed of boughs and bark piled up 

 against the stump of a fallen tree, rather to shield 

 them from the wind than for a regular habitation; 

 the reason for this may be, that owing to super- 

 stitious scruples they never encamp in one spot 

 three night* in succession. At Illawarra, their 

 huts were made by setting two forked sticks up- 

 right, on which another was laid horizontally; on 

 the latter, one end of pieces of bark, taken from 

 the nearest gum tree, is laid, while the other cud 

 rests upon the ground. A lire is built on the open 

 side, which not only warms them, but keeps off 

 the myriads of musquitocs and other insects. As 

 many as can enter such a hut, take shelter in 

 it, lying upon the soft bark of the ti tree. 



The natives of Australia differ from any other 

 race of men, in features, complexion, habits, and 



