162 
MAGAZINE OF SCIENCE AND ART. 
The north head of the Clarence, like that of the 
Hunter, consists of a sandy spit on which the sea breaks 
heavily during easterly gales; the inner south head is 
formed by a beautiful grassy hill, to the north of wliich 
is a reef of rocks, which, in their present state, render 
the entrance somewhat difficult. The soundings on the 
bar vary from 2 to 3 fathoms, and for about, 15 miles 
up the river the soundings vary from 3 to 4 fathoms, 
the. average width being rather more than a quarter of 
a mile; but above this' point the liver widens into a 
magnificent reach, nearly 18 miles long and half a mile 
wicle — the breadth mid depth being sufficient to work a 
ship of large tonnago as high as Grafton, about 45 miles 
from the mouth. The town of Grafton has been laid 
out on both sides of the Clarence River, and it is rapidly 
increasing its population. It must eventually become 
a place of considerable commercial importance from its 
situation in connection with New England. There is 
also a large quantity of excellent land on the hanks of 
the Clarence River. . 
The next river of importance is the Richmond, the 
mouth of which is situated in lat. 28 deg. SO niiu, or 
thereabouts. The north head of the Richmond is a bold 
headland of basaltic formation, whilst the south head is 
a low sandy spit, thus revelling the conformation of the 
entrance to the Clarence. Cuing to the set of the cur¬ 
rent, and to other causes, a dangerous bar is formed at 
the entrance, on which at low water there is seldom 
more than 0 feet. The rise of tide averages 4 feet, 
which gives a depth of 13 feet at high water. 
For a distance of 15 miles from its mouth at which 
point it is joined by the North Richmond, the channel 
of the river preserves an almost uniform depth and 
width, and is adapted for vessels of considerable ton¬ 
nage. The North Richmond has a length, of more than 
4 (Indies, and is navigable for that, distance. 
At the village of Lisinorc, which has been laid out 
on the North Richmond River, at a distance by water 
of 75 miles from the Heads at Baltina, vessels of 150 
tons burthen are in the habit of. discharging and taking 
in their cargoes. No less than six vessels loaded here 
in the month of November, 1857 
The Richmond River itself is navigable for about 80 
miles from the entrance, aud a considerable navigable 
stream called the South Creek flows into it, together 
with numerous small crooks and streams, and a better 
watered district it would be difficult to find in the whole 
colony':* T ft . 
The banks of these rivers and streams comprise also 
some of the richest land in the colony, and little appre¬ 
hension need be entertained of their affording abundant 
returns for the labour that may be bestowed on the cul¬ 
tivation of maize, tobacco, cotton, the sugar canc, the 
coffee plant, and other plants indigenous to tropical j 
legions. 
One serious drawback to the advancement of the 
Richmond River district consists in the bar which 
exists at the mouth of the river, and which precludes 
vessels drawing more than 12 feet from entering. It 
seems, however, that a permanent deep-water channel 
might be formed by the construction of a mole or cover- 
iugVcr, projecting from the South Head, and carried 
seawards in the direction of the chh-tide- This would 
have the effect of increasing the strength of the current 
during the ebb, and consequently of deepening the 
channel. 
In this manner it is believed that the outfalls of 
many of the rivers emptying themselves into the Pacific 
might be permanently improved- Thus the bar which 
exists at the mouth of the Clarence is capable of great 
improvement, at no very considerable outlay.'The 
condition of tills river is very favourable, a reef of rocks 
projecting from the inner South Ilcad, and offering a 
solid foundation for the erection of a mole or covering- 
pier, with an abundance of stone near the site for the 
construction of the work. 
Between the Clarence River and Moieton Bay then 
are not less than the following rivers, viz.: the Rich¬ 
mond, the Brunswick, the Tweed, the Parry, the Bar- 
row, the Arrowsmith, the Logan, the Pine, the Cabool- 
tnre, the Brisbane, and the Bremer, besides innumerable- 
smaller creeks; and many of these rivers are navi- 
gable. . 
It is a mistake, therefore, to suppose that we have no 
navigable rivers in Australia, and it is the chief object 
of this paper to draw attention to some of these rivers, 
and to advocate the cause of their improvement- At 
the same time the writer wishes it to be clearly under¬ 
stood that lie is not one of those “ misguided” indi¬ 
viduals who would deprecate the formation of cheap 
railway's in the colony. 
The accompanying table affords a general view of 
the various rivers flowing into the sea, to the east of 
the dividing range, to the parallel of Moreton Bay. 
The lengths given are, however, to be taken only as the 
approximative lengths, as, owing to the extremely 
winding and circuitous coarse of most ot these rivers, 
it is difficult to ascertain their lengths with accuracy. 
Table of Australian Rivers, flowing to the East of the 
Dividing Range- 
No. 
Name. 
Flows into. 
Latitude of 
Mouth* 
Lngth. 
20 Maeleay... 
27 Macdonald 
la Albert .Logan R. .. 
1 Apsley.Maeleay It. 
2 Barnard .planning R. 
3 Bellinger ...... The sea ......... 30 d. 30 m 
4 Bremer.Brisbane It- 
Brisbane .Moreton Bay'... 27 d. 25 m. 
The sea, CapeJ 
Brunswick ... Bvron....|28d. 30 m 
Brogo .RembokaR-... 
BundoorCly'de Bateman’s Bay 35 d. 44 m. 
Clarence .!.... Shoal Bay.20 d* 30 m 
Colo .Hawkesbnry It- 
Cox ............ IVarragamba It- 
Crookhavcn ... The sea . 
Dart .Hunter R. ...... 
Ellenborough.. Hastings R. ... 
Grose .Hawkeshury R- 
lbGoulbum .Ilunter R 
George ..I Botany Bay ... 
Guyra .Apsley R 
Hastings .Port Macquarie 
Hawkesbury...|Broken Bay 
The sea at New 
Hunter. castle . 
Isis ...Page K-. 
Karnali.Port Stephens 
Landsdown ... Harrington inti.| 
Logan .The sea .\27 d. 40 m 
Miles. 
25 
35 
35 
40 
30 
95 
25 
25 
1 d. 25 m- 
33 d. 35 ni l 
32 d. 55 m. 
140 
40 
30 
\ 20 
15 
45 
15 
35 
40 
40 
Trial Bay .130 d- 50 m 
Hawkesbury R.l 
2^1 Manning ......'Faiquhar’sinletjljl d. 55 m 
29 Maria .(Hastings K'. 
^ AI-L. V. , 
Mitchell .Clarence R- 
Mongarlow ... Shoalhaven U 
Morava.The s- at Moray n 
Myall 
Nepean. 
Xambuckra . 
Odalberree . 
Page.. 
Panbula .... 
Parramatta . 
Paterson .... 
Itemboka .... 
Raikes .„ 
Richard ... 
Richmond... 
Shoalhaven 
46Teviot .. 
47 
iTowamba , 
Myall Lake 
Hawkesbury R- 
The sea . 
Bellinger R. ... 
Hunter R-. 
Tln5 sea at Pan 
bula .. 
Port Jackson.. 
Hunter R. 
The sea . 
Wollowba R..*. 
Ditto 
Thes- atBallina 
Shoalhaven Bay 
Logan R- . 
Twofold Bay. 
The sea Point 
30 d. 40 m 
100 
20 
25 
20 
40 
GO 
35 
50 
20 
40 
20 
20 
20 
30 
30 
30 
35 
30 d. 50 m. 
2Sd. 50 m 
U d. 50 m. 
15 
15 
35 
25 
130 
95 
40 
30 
