es of valuable
timber which are not found elsewhere, and promise to become
articles of considerable export: it has already established in an
eligible position, a small nucleus of settlers to which others
may adhere, and thus both communicate and receive the advantages
of society and protection; and it has a town which affords a
considerable market for agricultural produce, and of which the
commanding localities must rapidly increase the extent and
population.

COUNTRY WEST OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

The country to the westward of the Blue Mountains ranks next
in contiguity to Sydney, and claims pre-eminence not so much from
any superiority of soil in those parts of it which have been
explored, as from its amazing extent, and great diversity of
climate. These mountains, where the road has been made over them,
are fifty-eight miles in breadth; and as the distance from Sydney
to Emu Ford, at which place this road may be said to commence, is
about forty miles, the beginning of the vast tract of country to
the westward of them, it will be seen, is ninety-eight miles
distant from the capital.

The road which thus traverses these mountains is by no means
difficult for waggons, until you arrive at the pass which forms
the descent into the low country. There it is excessively steep
and dangerous; yet carts and waggons go up and down it
continually: nor do I believe that any serious accident has yet
occurred in performing this very formidable undertaking.

Still the discovery of a safer and more practicable pass would
certainly be attended with a very beneficial influence on the
future progress of colonization in this great western wilderness.
Every attempt, however, to find such a one has hitherto proved
abortive; and should the future efforts which may be made with
this view prove equally so, there can be little doubt, that the
communication between the eastern and western country will be
principally maintained by means of horses and mules with packs
and panniers.

The elevation of these mountains above the level of the sea,
has not yet been determined; but I should imagine that it cannot
exceed four thousand feet. For the first ten or twelve miles they
are tolerably well clothed with timber, and produce occasionally
some middling pasture; but beyond this they are excessively
barren, and are covered generally with a thick brush,
interspersed here and there with a few miserable stunted gums.
They bear, in fact, a striking