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SOME ACCOUNT OFBOTANY BAY,Extracted from a Letter written by a Native of Derby, in the NewSouth Wales Corps.Sydney (Port Jackson), Dec. 13, 1794.THE settlement on the coast of New South Wales contains two principal towns; Sydney the capital, and Paramatta (formerly named Rose Hill), distant about 17 miles. Sydney is situated at the bead of a beautiful cove, which leads into a very fine harbour; Major Grose has made great improvements : Sydney contains 700 good comfortable huts, exclusive of numerous brick buildings, the property of Government. The soil is all sandy, but by industry will produce sufficiently ; most of the gentlemen have farms about four miles from Sydney, which have grown a good crop of wheat; and I am of opinion that wheat will be plentiful in a few years: there are many settlers in different parts.The only or principal thing wanting is cattle, which might be kept * in any number, grass being in plenty : we have many pigs and goats, hut they are chiefly in the hands of gentlemen : poultry and fish are tolerably cheap; but it must be remembered, that this is the most nourishing period the colony ever experienced.Spirits being now plentiful, a number of persons retail the same, but the price, as well as quality, vary much; the gentlemen always purchase the cargoes; and this watery mixture is sold at 16s. per gallon. A convict was not (until very lately) suffered, on any account, to take spirits in payment for work; but now the prisoners have plenty of liquor. Liquor, or more properly grog, purchases what money will not, viz. settlers farms, or oops unripe, also their stock. Kangaroos formerly v^ere plentiful, but now they are retired up the country; the colony produces the most beautiful birds, opossums, c. c. The trees never entirely shed their leaves; the summer is intensely hot, and the winters are very cold at nights and in the mornings, though the climate is much milder since I have been here, owing to the country being cleared; the seasons here are exactly opposite to the seasons in England, your winter being our summer.Paramatta is a town situated at the extreme cove of Port Jackson'* on j'our ascending the wharf appears a row of huts 011 each side, and a spacious road to the distance of a mile; at the upper end Governor Philips erected his country seat. The garden that surrounds it is beautiful, abounding in the season with grapes, melons, pumpkins, and every other fruit and vegetable. The florist may also amuse himself. In short, the country may well be called Botany Bay; for the botanist, I believe, may here find the most beautiful shrubs and evergreens that produce very fragrant flowers. The governor’s
Newspaper Details
London Free Mason Magazine
London, Middlesex, GB
Sat, Aug 01, 1795
Page 28
Full Page
Clipped by
Laura D.
AU 14 Mar 2024
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