lii PORT MACQUARIE, AND FIVE ISLANDS. 
numerous tribe of the accipitrine class soar over 
its dense and spacious forests. 
We again see a break in the sandy line of the 
coast at Broken Bay, at Newcastle, and still fur- 
ther north at Port Macquarie ; at which places 
the Hawkesbury, the Hunter, and the Hastings 
sevei-ally debouche. Of Port Macquarie, as a 
place of settlement, I entertain a very high opi- 
nion, in consequence of its being situated under 
a most favourable parallel of latitude. I am con- 
vinced it holds out many substantial advantages. 
One of the most important of these is the circum- 
stance of its having been much improved when 
occupied as a penal settlement. And since the 
shores of the colony are now navigated by steam- 
boats, the facility of water communication would 
be prbportionably great. 
I believe the Five Islands or Illawarr district 
is considered peculiarly eligible for small settlers. 
The great drawback to this place is the heavy 
character of its timber and the closeness of its 
thickets, which vie almost with the American 
woods in those respects. The return, however, 
is adequate to the labour required in clearing 
the ground. Between the Five Islands and 
