s the solid rock had to be cut away. Yet, in
less than fifteen months, a good carriage highway stretched from Sydney
across the mountains; and the Governor was able to take Mrs. Macquarie
on a trip to the fine pasture lands beyond, where he founded a town and
named it Bathurst, after Lord Bathurst, the Secretary of State. This was
a measure of great importance to the colony, for the country between the
mountains and the sea was too limited and too much subject to droughts
to maintain the two hundred and fifty thousand sheep which the
prosperous colony now possessed. Many squatters took their flocks along
the road to Bathurst, and settled down in the spacious pasture lands of
the Macquarie and Lachlan Rivers.

[Illustration: BLUE MOUNTAIN SCENERY, WENTWORTH FALLS, NEW SOUTH WALES.]

#3. Governor Brisbane.#--In 1821 Governor Macquarie left for England, much
regretted by the colonists. The only serious mistake of his policy had
been that he had quietly discouraged the introduction of free settlers,
"because," as he said, "the colony is intended for convicts, and
free settlers have no business here". His successor--Sir Thomas
Brisbane--and, afterwards, Sir Ralph Darling--adopted a more liberal
policy, and offered every inducement to free immigrants to make their
homes in the colony. It was never found possible, however, to obtain
many of that class which has been so successful in America, consisting
of men who, having with difficulty gathered sufficient money for their
passages, landed in their adopted country without means and with no
resources beyond the cheerful labour of themselves and of their
families, yet settled down in the deep, untrodden forests, and there
made for themselves happy and prosperous homes. This was not the class
of immigrants who arrived in New South Wales during the times of
Brisbane and Darling. For in 1818 free passages to Australia had been
abolished, and the voyage was so long and so expensive that a poor man
could scarcely hope to accomplish it. Hence, those who arrived in
Sydney were generally young men of good education, who brought with them
a few hundred pounds, and not only were willing to labour themselves,
but were able to employ the labour of others. In America, the "squatter"
was a man who farmed a small piece of land. In Australia, he was one who
bought a flock of sheep and carried them out to the pasture lands,
where, as they increased from year to year, he grew rich with the annua