MONTHLY. 
No. 189. | 
SEPTEMBER 1, 
“MAGAZINE, 
= amma! 
Ly of Var. 98, 
Soe 
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ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
DESCRIPTION of SYDNEY TOWN, the ca- 
PITAL of the ENGLISIT COLONIES, gn 
NEW SOUTH WaLEs; translated from 
the new work of M. PERON, the NaTU- 
RALIST, who accompanied the voYsGE 
of DIscovERY made by order of Buo- 
NAPARTE, tz the SOUTHERN HEMIS- 
PHERE, between 1800, and 1804.* 
T. was on the 27th of June, in the 
evening, says M. Peron, that our. 
vessel arrived in sight of Port Jackson, 
and a few days afterwards, the other 
two ships got safe into the harbour, after 
having, through the obstinacy of Captain 
Hamelin, the commander of the expedi-- 
tion, been for a considerable tim€ in the 
greatest danger. 
Our arrival at Port Jackson, did not 
excite so much surprise amongst the co- 
Jonists, as might have been expected ; 
‘but for ourselves, we were completely 
astonished at the flourishing. state in 
which we found this singular, and dis- 
tant, establishment: the beauty of the 
Port, at first attracted our whole atten- 
tion, From an entrance, says Commo- 
‘dore Philip, (whose description is not in 
the least exaggerated,) of not more than 
two miles across, Port Jackson gra- 
dualiy opens, till it forms ,a spacious 
harbour, with sufficient depth of water 
‘for the largest ships, and roo enough to 
contain, in perfect safety, all that could 
on any occasion be collected. Even a 
thousand ships of the line might ma- 
neeuvre here with ease... The. bay takes 
* Our readers may recollect, that this ex« 
pedition was sent out by Buonaparte, soon 
after his assumption of the dignity of First 
Consul. It consisted of the ships named, Le 
Geographe, le Naturaliste, and le Casuarina. 
They touched first at the Isle of France, and 
afterwards visited several other islands in the 
Indian ocean; but the grand object of the 
‘men of science, who accompanied it, seems 
-to have been, to ascertain the present state, 
and natural advantages of our colony of Bo- 
tany Bay; of which they have given, an 
ample, and interesting report. 
Montaty Mac. No. 189, 
dore Philip’s 
-days after its arrival, there was an hos- 
pital ready to receive such of the crews 
a western direction, extends to the dis 
tance of thirteen miles inland, and has at 
least a hundred little creeks, formed by 
very narrow tongues of land, which af- 
ford excellent shelter against winds, from 
any point of the compass. 
Towards the middle of this magnificent 
port, and on its southern bank, in one of 
the principal creeks, rises Sydney Town, 
. the capital of the county of Cumberland, 
and of all the English colonies in this 
‘part of the world: seated at the base of 
two hills, that are contiguous to each 
other, and having the advantage of a ri- 
vulet, which runs completely through it, 
this. infant town affords'a view, at once 
agreeable and. picturesque. To the 
right, and at the north point of Sydney ~ 
Cove, you perceive the signal battery, 
which is built upon a tock, difficult of 
access: six pieces of cannon, protected 
by a turf entrenchment, cross their fire 
with that of another battery, which L 
shall presently mention; and.thus defend, 
in the most effectual inamuer, the ap- 
proach to. tke harbour and the tow ne 
Farther on, appear the large buildings 
that form the hospital,. and which are 
capable of containing two or three hun- 
dred sick, Amongst these buildings, 
there is one particularly worthy of no- 
tice, asall the parts of it were prepared 
in Europe, and brought eut in Commo 
squadron; so that in a few 
as were sick. On the same side of the 
town, atthe seashore, you observe a very 
fine magazine, to whiclt the largest ships 
can come up, and discharge their cargoes. 
In the same direction are several private 
docks, in which are built -brigs and cut- 
ters, of different sizes, for the purpose of 
trading either inland, or beyond the 
colony. These vessels, which are from 
fifty, to three hundred tons burthen, are 
built entirely with the native wood; éven 
their masts are obtamed from ‘tlhe forests 
of the colony. ee 
The discovery of the Stratt, which 
separates New Holland from Van 
R Diemen’s | 
