AT SYDNEY 123 
The interior of the house, a striking specimen of Colonial 
architecture, the individual trees and creepers, flowers and 
shrubs, the revival of nature when the rain ceased and ' a few 
insects came out, the Diamond birds flitted from tree to tree 
and the large Sea Eagle or Osprey left his lonely lair and 
commenced wheeHng over the calm waters of the baj^' and 
beyond the bay ' a rocky precipice christened Sunium, on 
which it is the intention to build a temple ' — all this is fully 
set forth in the Journal with one very homely touch as to 
* Mr. William's workshop ' : 
The smell of camphor and specimens, so well known to 
me at home, reminded me strongly of olden times, especially 
as I found everything in the inimitable mixture of con- 
fusion and order in which Mr. Brown's shop at the Museum 
and his rooms in Deane Street are wont to be. 
(To his Father, August 25, 1842.) — McLeay has promised 
to collect for me in New Holland, and knowing him as 
we do, when one thinks that hardly a dozen mosses have 
been described from that vast country, there can be no 
bounds to the novelties he may fall in with. He was 
quite delighted when I showed him the Sclotheimia Brownii 
growing on rocks near his house, and the Dawsonia amongst 
some roots he had brought from the forests of the interior. 
He seemed rather cautious about broaching his Quinary 
system, and I was rather anxious to hear how he thought it 
would apply to the higher orders of plants. The circular 
system no doubt holds among the Cryptogamiae, Fries 
having proved it with regard to Fungi, and Berkeley seems 
to incHne the same way.^ 
The record of the visit ends with the entry for August 5 : 
'At 11 A.M. sailing down Port Jackson along the cold-looking 
sandstone cliffs, leaving Sydney with few regrets but leaving 
Mr. McLeay 's fine establishment where there was much to see.* 
^ ' As to McLeay's theory, I fairly worked myself out of that error by the 
mosses, which I first arranged to please McLeay himself.' (To Harvey, 
June 8, 1845. Cp. p. 84.) 
