DISADVANTAGES OF DISTANT SETTLERS. xlix 
coast. The Blue Mountains are in this respect 
a serious bar to the internal prosperity of the co- 
lony. By this time, however, a magnificent road 
will have been completed across them to the 
westward, over parts of which I travelled in 1831. 
Indeed the efforts of the colonial government 
have been wisely directed, not only to the con- 
struction of this road, which the late Governor, 
General Darling commenced, but also in facilitat- 
ing the communication to the southern districts, 
by an almost equally fine road over the Razor 
Back Range, near the Cow Pastures ; so that as 
far as it is possible for human efforts to overcome 
natural obstacles, the wisdom and foresight of the 
executive have ere this been successful. 
The majority of the settlers in the Bathurst 
country, and in the more remote interior, are wool 
growers ; and as they send their produce to the 
market only once a year, receiving supplies for 
home consumption, on the return of their drays 
or carts from thence, the inconvenience of bad 
roads is not so much felt by them. But to an 
agriculturist, a residence to the westward of 
the Blue Mountains is decidedly objectionable, 
unless he possess the means with which to pro- 
