Volume I Part 27 (2/2)
An instance here came under my own observation of the beneficial results which so the difficulty of getting good servants, I was curious to learn how Mr
Boydell had procured his excellent butler, and on inquiry was surprised to learn that he had been sent out for robbing Madame Vestris of her jewels
CULTIVATION OF TOBACCO
Mr Boydell was cultivating tobacco to so able to supply the colony; others who speculated on a larger scale were ruined; for it soon turned out that it was impossible to compete in cheapness with American tobacco This was in consequence of the extensive establish sheds that had to be erected, the nuh price of labour
Mr Boydell was also cultivating the vine, of which he ht kind of wine, a very excellent species of hock The Messrs McArthurs have been at great expense in pro this branch of cultivation, and are entitled to their share of credit But to Mr Bushby the colony owes the first introduction of the grape, which will hereafter prove of inestiive rise
I hly of his fellow-colonists, by having been the ood water from some distance into Sydney The importance of this to the toas very apparent even to us transient visitors, fro the severe drought, patiently waiting their turn to fill froh to find two gentlemen to return with as couidance of a native, mounted on one of Mr Boydell's horses We were to have oing souide at fault, and he very innocently acknowledged hi ti however provided myself with a sketch of the country and a compass, I was enabled to conduct the party out of this dile the banks of Williae, whose occupants, I found, held a s lease--that is to say, they were allowed to retain possession of it for sothe land Many an industrious poorall that is necessary to set the away the fallen ti to see ork oxen will do; they drag drays over al theht up, be the hills ever so steep
We learnt here that the townshi+p of Dungog, through which our road to Stroud lay, was close by We should readily know it, ere informed, by the lock-up, a place of confine in Australian towns The particular erection alluded to, seehbourhood As we crossed the William river I was much struck with the richness of the flats on its banks
CROSSING THE KARUAH
In fording the Karuah, just before reaching Stroud, the effect was singular and startling The thick foliage arching over the river, quite shut out the little light the stars afforded, and as we had to descend into it, down a very steep bank, it was like plunging into a dark bottomless pit; the noise of the strea below Into this gloo out when he had reached the botto across to prevent the horse carried by the ie of the bank, I contemplated with pleasure the heavylike dark shadows behindline of verdure at , gushi+ng sound of the stream, whilst overhead, the vault of heaven was thick inlaid with patterns of bright gold But the plunge ofout that all was right, soon drewin utter darkness the rapid though shallow streaht at Stroud, and nextbeen soed to push over the first seven miles in littlewaited for me over his time
PORT STEPHENS
On the 15th, the requisite observations were obtained for rating the chronoular manner; so much so, that in spite of the short interval that had elapsed since our departure fro meridian distance between that place and Port Stephens, to be very defective This fact illustrates the unaccountable changes that sometimes occur in the rates of chronometers, and the necessity of repeated itude to arrive at the truth
On the ain sailed for the North coast with a fine southerly wind
June 19
At noon, when in 30 fatho North-North-West 10 miles, it is a dark cliffy point; but there is another more remarkable in the shape of a quoin, three or four miles to the northward At 8 PM, ere in the sa a low point streaked with patches of white sand, bearing West-South-West eightvery hard from East-South-East, with constant squalls and thick rainy weather, the shi+p was brought to the wind under snug sail, for the night
June 20
At daylight ere in 18 fatho South-East by South three miles
LARGE SHARK
It hen anchored under this Spit that in HMS Brito, in which were found the bones of soe animal, possibly those of a bullock, that had been carried out to sea by so North-North-West we deepened the water in eightthe northern extremity of Breaksea Spit, which appeared to be formed of a few detached breakers, steered West by North for Bustard Bay In 28 fathoms, with fine sand, we passed three miles south of Lady Elliott's Island, a sed with a coral reef, particularly to the South-East, and for the south eastern isle of Bunker's Group It was first seen at the distance of sevenfifteen feet, and at that number of miles east of it we had thirty fathoms The weather was still very hazy, but the wind had subsided to a light breeze fro Breaksea Spit, a westerly current was felt of nearly a knot an hour, which was also found to be the case in June, 1841
June 21
The e after several days of thick, rainy, and boisterous weather The re of Round Hill, Peaked Hill, and Mount Larcoainst the pure blue of an Australian sky
(Footnote This hill was seen 35 uide for Bustard Bay Peaked Hill we found to be 2000 feet high, and Mount Larco the position of the groups of isles fronting this part of the coast)
CORAL BANK