A Journey into the Interior of NEW SOUTH WALES, across the Blue Mountains-performed by his Excellency Colonel MACQUARRIE, Governor of the Settlement. From an Official Account, dated Sydney, June 10, 1815.

THE Governor desires to communicate, for the information of the public, the result of his late Tour over the Western or Blue Mountains, undertaken for the purpose of being enabled personally to appreciate the importance of the tract of country lying westward of them; which had been explored in the latter end of the year 1813, and beginning of 1814, by Mr George William Evans, Deputy-Surveyor of Lands.

To those who know how very limited a tract of country has been hitherto occupied by the colonists of New South Wales, extending along the eastern coast to the north and south of Port Jackson only 80 miles, and westward about 40 miles, to the foot of that chain of mountains in the interior which forms its western boundary, it must be a subject of astonishment and regret, that amongst so large a population, no one appeared within the first 25 years of the establishment of this settlement possessed of sufficient energy of mind to induce him fully to explore a passage over these mountains; but when it is considered, that for the greater part of that time even this circumscribed portion of country afforded sufficient produce for the wants of the people, whilst, on the other hand, the whole surface of the country beyond those limits was a January 1816.

thick and, in many places, nearly an impenetrable forest, the surprise at the want of effort to surmount such difficulties must abate very considerably.

The records of the colony only afford two instances of any bold attempt having been made to discover the country to the westward of the Blue Mountains. The first was by Mr Bass, and the other by Mr Caley, and both ended in disappointment—a circumstance which will not be much wondered at by those who have lately. crossed those mountains,

To Gregory Blaxland and William Wentworth, Esqrs. and Lieut. Lawson, of the Royal Veteran Company, the merit is due of having, with extraordinary patience and much fatigue, effected the first passage over the most rugged and difficult part of the Blue Mountains.

The Governor being strongly impressed with the importance of the object, had, early after his arrival in this colony, formed the resolution of encouraging the attempt to find a passage to the western country, and willingly availed himself of the faci hities which the discoveries of these three gentlemen afforded him. Accordingly, on the 20th of Nov. 1813, he entrusted the accomplishment of this object to Mr George William Evans, Deputy - Surveyor of Lands, the result of whose journey was laid before the public, through the medium of the Sydney Gazette, on the 12th of February, 1814.

The favourable account given by Mr Evans of the country he had explored, induced the Governor to cause

a road

a road to be constructed for the passage and conveyance of cattle and provisions to the interior; and men of good character, from amongst a number of convicts who had volunteered their services, were selected to perform this arduous work, on condition of being fed and clothed during the continuance of their labour, and being granted emancipations, as their final reward, on the completion of the work. The direction and superintendance of this great work was entrusted to William Cox, Esq. the Chief-Magistrate at Windsor; and, to the asto nishment of every one who knows what was to be encountered, and sees what has been done, he effected its completion in six months from the time of its commencement, happily without the loss of a man, or any serious accident. The Governor is at a loss to appreciate fully the services rendered by Mr Cox to this colony, in the execution of this arduous work, which promises to be of the greatest public utility, by opening a new source of wealth to the industrious and enter prizing. When it is considered that Mr Cox voluntarily relinquished the comforts of his own house, and the society of his numerous family, and exposed himself to much personal fatigue, with only such temporary covering as a bark hut could afford from the inclemency of the season, it is difficult to express the sentiments of approbation to which such privations and services are entitled.

Mr Cox having reported the road as completed on the 21st of January, the Governor, accompanied by Mrs Macquarrie, and that gentleman, commenced his tour on the 25th of April last, over the Blue Mountains, and was joined by Sir John Jamieson at the Nepean, who accompanied him during the entire tour. The following gentlemen composed the Governor's suite: Mr Campbell, Secretary; Captain Antill, Major of Brigade; Lieut. Watts, Aide-de-Camp; Mr

Redfern, Assistant Surgeon; Mr Ox. ley, Surveyor General; Mr Meehan, Deputy Surveyor General; Mr Lewin, Painter and Naturalist; and Mr G. W. Evans, Deputy Surveyor of Lands, who had been sent forward for the purpose of making farther discoveries, and rejoined the party on the day of arrival at Bathurst Plains.

The commencement of the ascent from Emu Plains to the first depot, and thence to a resting-place, now called Spring Wood, distant 12 miles from Emu Ford, was through a very handsome open forest of lofty trees, and much more practicable and easy than was expected. The facility of the ascent for this distance excited surprise, and is certainly not well calculated to give the traveller a just idea of the difficulties he has afterwards to encounter. At a further distance of four miles a sudden change is perceived in the appearance of the timber and the quality of the soil, the former becoming stunted, and the lat ter barren and rocky. At this place the fatigues of the journey may be said to commence. Here the country became altogether mountainous, and extremely rugged. Near to the 18th mile mark (it is to be observed, that the measure commences from Emu Ford) a pile of stones attracted attention. It is close to the line of road, on the top of a rugged and abrupt ascent, and is supposed to have been placed there by Mr Caley, as the extreme limit of his tour. Hence the Governor gave that part of the mountain the name of Caley's Repulse. To have penetrated even so far was, at that time, an effort of no small difficulty. From henceforward to the 26th mile, is a succession of steep and rugged hills, some of which are so abrupt as almost to deny a passage altogether; but at this place a considerably extensive plain is arrived at, which constitutes the summit of the western mountains; and from thence a most extensive and beautiful prospect presents

itself on all sides to the eye. The town of Windsor, the river Hawkesbury, Prospect-Hill, and other objects within that part of the colony now inhabited, of equal interest, are distinctly seen from hence. The majestic grandeur of the situation, combined with the various objects to be seen from this place, induced the Governor to give it the appellation of the King's Table Land. On the S. W. side of the King's Table Land the mountain terminates in abrupt precipices, of immense depth, at the bottom of which is seen a glen, as romantically beautiful as can be imagined, bounded on the further side by mountains of great magnitude, terminating equally abruptly as the others, and the whole thickly covered with timber. The length of this picturesque and remarkable tract of country is about 24 miles, to which the Governor gave the name of the Prince Regent's Glen. Proceeding hence to the 38d mile, on the top of a hill, an opening presents itself on the S. W. side of the Prince Regent's Glen, from whence a view is obtained particular ly beautiful and grand-mountains rising beyond mountains, with stopen dous masses of rock in the fore-ground, here strike the eye with admiration and astonishment. The circular form in which the whole is so wonderfully disposed, induced the Governor to give the name of Pitt's Amphitheatre (in honour of the late Right Hon. William Pitt) to this offset or branch from the Prince Regent's Glen. The road continues from hence for the space of 17 miles on the ridge of the mountain which forms one side of the Prince Regent's Glen, and there it suddenly terminates in nearly a perpendicular precipice of 676 feet high, as ascertained by measurement. The road constructed by Mr Cox down this rugged and tremendous descent, through all its windings, is no less than three-fourths of a mile in length, and has been executed with such skill and stability, as reflects much credit

on him. The labour here undergone, and the difficulties surmounted, can only be appreciated by those who view this scene. In order to perpetuate the memory of Mr Cox's servi ces, the Governor deemed it a tribute justly due to him, to give his name to this grand and extraordinary pass, and he accordingly called it Cox's Pass. Having descended into the valley at the bottom of this pass, the retrospective view of the overhanging mountain is magnificently grand.Although the present pass is the only practicable point yet discovered for descending by, yet the mountain is much higher than those on either side of it, from whence it is distinguished at a considerable distance, when approaching it from the interior, and in this point of view it has the appearance of a very high distinct hill, although it is in fact only the abrupt termination of a ridge. The Gover nor gave the name of Mount York to this termination of the ridge, in honour of his Royal Highness the Duke of York.

On descending Cox's Pass the Governor was much gratified by the appearance of good pasture land and soil fit for cultivation, which was the first he had met with since the commencement of his tour. The valley at the base of Mount York he called the Vale of Clwyd, in consequence of the strong resemblance it bore to the vale of that name in North Wales. The grass in this vale is of a good quality, and very abundant, and a rivulet of fine water runs along it from the eastward, which unites itself at the western extremity of the vale with another rivulet containing still more water.— The junction of these two streams forms a very handsome river, now called by the Governor Cox's River, which takes its course, as has been since ascertained, through the Prince Regent's Glen, and empties itself into the river Nepean; and it is conjec tured, from the nature of the country

through

through which it passes, that it must be one of the principal causes of the floods which have been occasionally felt on the low banks of the river Hawkesbury, into which the Nepean discharges itself. The Vale of Clwyd, from the base of Mount York, extends six miles in a westerly direction, and has its termination at Cox's River. Westward of this river the country again becomes hilly, but is generally open forest land, and very good pasturage. Three miles to the westward of the Vale of Clwyd, Messrs. Blaxland, Wentworth, and Lawson, had formerly terminated their excursion; and when the various difficulties are considered which they had to contend with, especially until they had effected the descent from Mount York, to which place they were obliged to pass through a thick bush-wood, where they were under the necessity of cutting a passage for their baggage horses, the severity of which labour had seriously affected their healths, their patient endurance of such fatigue cannot fail to excite much surprise and admiration. In commemoration of their merits, three beautiful high hills joining each other at the end of their tour at this place, have received their names in the following order, viz. Mount Blaxland, Wentworth's Sugar Loaf, and Lawson's Sugar Loaf A range of very lofty hills and narrow vallies alternately form the tract of country from Cox's River, for a distance of 16 miles, until the Fish River is arrived at; and the stage be tween these rivers is consequently very severe and oppressive on the cattle. To this range the Governor gave the name of Clarence Hilly Range.

Proceeding from the Fish River, and at a short distance from it, a very singular and beautiful mountain attracts the attention, its summit being crowned with a large and very extraordinary looking rock, nearly circular in form, which gives to the whole very much the appearance of

a hill fort, such as are frequent in India. To this lofty hill Mr Evans, who was the first European discoverer, gave the name of Mount Evans. Passing on from hence the country continues hilly, but affords good pasturage, gradually improving to Sidmouth Valley, which is distant from the pass of the Fish River eight miles. The land here is level, and the first met with unencumbered with timber. It is not of very considerable extent, but abounds with a great variety of herbs and plants, such as would probably highly interest and gratify the scientific botanist. This beautiful little valley runs north-west and south-east between hills of easy ascent, thinly covered with timber.Leaving Sidmouth Valley, the country becomes again hilly, and in other respects resembles very much the country to the eastward of the valley for some miles. Having reached Campbell River, distant 13 miles from Sidmouth Valley, the Governor was highly gratified by the appearance of the country, which there began to exhibit an open and extensive view of gently-rising grounds and fertile plains. Judging from the height of the banks, and its general width, the Campbell River must be, on some occasions, of very considerable magnitude; but the extraordinary drought which has apparently prevailed on the western side of the mountains, equally as throughout this colony for the last three years, has reduced this river so much, that it may be more properly called a chain of pools than a running stream at the present time. In the reaches or pools of the Campbell River the very curious animal called the Paradox, or Water Mole, is seen in great numbers. The soil on both banks is uncommonly rich, and the grass is consequently luxuriant. Two miles to the southward of the line of road which crosses the Campbell River, there is a very fine rich tract of low lands, which has

been