1809.] - 
borious cultivators, and happy and peace- 
able members of theircommunity. Indeed, 
murders, or robberies, are scarcely ever 
heard of amongst them; so that in this 
respect the most perfect ‘security prevails 
throughout the colony; a happy conse- 
quence of laws as severe as yea are be- 
neficent. 
In order to enjoy at our ease these 
striking scenes, M. Bellefin and £ often 
entered the rural habitations. We were 
every where received in the most obliging 
manner; and when we observed the ten- 
der cares of the mothers towards their 
children, and reflected that only a few 
years before these very women, destitute 
of every tender affection and delicate sen- 
timent, were disgusting prostitutes, the 
sudéden revolution in their moral conduct, 
ave rise to reflections of the most gentle 
oie piilanthropic nature. 
At length we arrived in sight of Parra- 
matta: it is seated in the middle of a fine 
plain, on the banks of a river of the same 
name, which can be ascended by small 
vessels, as high as the town itself. It is 
not so large as Sydney Town; but con- 
tains about a hundred and eighty houses, 
which form a grand street, parallel with 
the river, and intersected at right angles 
by another smaller street, which, at one 
end, terminates with a stone bridge, and 
has at the other the church; the latter - 
edifice, whichis built in a rude and heavy 
style, was not quite finished at the time 
of our visit; indeed, the building is con- 
ducted with less rapidity than it might be, 
because the governors of the colony at- 
tach, with reason, more importance to the 
other branches of their administration ; 
such as the hospitals, prisons, public ma- 
nufactories, the clearing of land, the 
fisheries, navigation, &c. for which they 
reserve proper fands and disposable 
hands.. 
At one of oe extremities of the great 
street of Parramatta, are barracks, capa- 
ble of accommodating from two hundred 
and fitty, to three hundred infantry. 
They are built of brick, in the form of a 
horse-shoe, and have in front, a well-gra- 
yelled parade, where the troops of the 
garrison go through their ordinary exer. 
cises: these troops consisted, at the time 
of our visit, of acompany of an hundred 
and twenty men, belonging to the New 
South Wales regiment, under the com- 
mand of Capt. Piper. 
The whole population of Parramatta, 
including the garrison, and the inhabi- 
a of the neighbouring farms, is esti- 
nated at, from fourteen to fifteen hun- 
the Capital of the English Colonies. 
dred souls ; nearly all of whom are em 
ployed in the ‘cultivation of land, the 
rearing of cattle, and the exercise ofa few 
of the mechanical arts, The town con- 
tains an hospital, which is well regu-. 
lated and of which the principal physician 
is Mr. D ’"Arcy Wentworth ; a strong pri- 
‘son, a house of industry fo) female cou- 
victs, a public school for ne young girls 
of the colony, &c. This town 1s ‘alselie 
chief residence of the jst of the 
peace for the county of, Cumberland, 
and will become in time the seat of the 
whole givil administration of the colony ; 
those branches whiclr relate to naviga- 
tion, commerce, and war, being already 
established at Sydney. 
Towards the western extremity of the 
grand street of Parramatta, you discov er 
the elevation calied Rose Hill, \ from 
which the town first received its name: 
but it was afterwards called, Parramatta: 
that being the- appellation which the 
natives give to this part of as country, 
and which has generally preva edamongst 
the English themselves. "The wheie 
eastern front of Kose Hill, which. is’ te- 
wards the town, is a very gentle declivity, 
on which appears the fine-garden be- 
longing to the government, in’ which 
many Interesting experiments are made, 
with a view to naturalize’ foreign vege- 
ables: here also are collected, the most 
remarkable of the indigenous’ plants, ins 
tended to enrich the famous royal car- 
dens of Kew. It is frow this spot that 
England has, at various times, acquired 
most of ber treasures in. the vegetable 
kingdom ; and which have enabled the 
English botanists to publish many im- 
portant volumes, An enlightened bo- 
tanical professor, who combines modesty 
with indefatigable exertion, ‘had just ar- 
rived from Europe at the time of our 
visit, to superintend the gardén of Par- 
ramatta; and the learned Colonel Pa- 
terson, to whom New South Wates is in~ 
debted for this establishment, has never 
ceased to take a lively interest in its suc- 
cess, 
‘Khe part of Rose Hill, that is opposite 
to Parramatta, presents an abrupt sec- 
tion, and forms a grand crescent, waich 
one might, at first view, suppose to be the 
work of man. Atithe base of this sin- 
gular hill, runs a rivulet, which, in com- 
mon weather, 1s not remarkable; but 
when the inundations occur, which are 
so frequent and terrible in these regions, 
it becomes a source of disasters to the 
neighbouring plantations. 
MAL the summit of Rose Hill,, is ‘the 
_ governmens 
f 
