The London pickpockets are considered to make the best shepherds in the colony, as it suits their naturally idle habits; the industrious labourer cannot endure the very wearisome and lazy employment of looking after sheep; the petty larcener soon gets attached to his woolly charges, and the sheep, no doubt, by a natural instinct, to him; and thus the animals are tended with some degree of care; but the regular workman, detesting the occupation, (unless incapacitated from a more active employment, by age or accident,) seldom takes any interest in the valuable property entrusted to his care; the former are, therefore, to be preferred. The shepherds, when tending their flocks in the pasturage, wile away their leisure time by manufacturing coarse but durable straw hats.
There is, no doubt, much truth in the remark I have heard in the colony, that some of the lower orders contrive to get government servants assigned to them, ostensibly for the purpose of cultivating the soil, but in reality to assist in plundering. This may also be inferred from the very limited means they can otherwise have for procuring a livelihood. As a veil to such practices, and to lull any suspicion that might be created, they dig, and plant a few potatoes and other vegetables, in a small spot of ground, laid out near their bark residence, as a garden; and the crown prisoners are procured ostensibly to assist in cultivating this “bit of earth;” and thus the vegetable garden affords a cloak to many crimes.
Convicts ought (if by transportation any punishment is intended) to be sent, according to the nature of their crimes, to the whole of our colonies, whether in the East and West Indies, coast of Africa, &c. &c. solely for the purpose of being employed upon the public works, and free emigration to be encouraged to Australia, Cape, &c. on a very extended scale. The influence of the emancipist class of the New South Wales population is great, and they are also possessed of great wealth. As wealth is one degree of power, they must be regarded both as an influential and powerful body. There is also that system adopted, which is much to be regretted. I allude to no distinction being made between those banished for trivial offences, and those who have committed deeper crimes. Many atrocious characters are assigned to persons of the highest respectability, well clothed and fed; and from them often have I witnessed most unbounded insolence: so that a stranger would imagine the master to be under obligations to the servant, and would be astonished when told that the servant was a convicted felon.
On the 17th of September, I left Raby, in company with Mr. Henry O’Brien, for the Yas country, intending to visit several parts of the Bathurst district by the way. Our mode of travelling was on horseback. We passed “Fleurs,” (formerly Baily Park,) the property of R. Jones, Esq.: it is a neat farm, with extensive sheep runs; and several suitable spots of land were in progress of being laid out as vineyards. The vine having now become an object of cultivation over most parts of the colony, and the prolific bearing of fruit[39] in a very short period of time after the cuttings have been planted evidently proves that the Australian soil is extremely suitable for its cultivation.
From the sameness of the forest scenery in this colony it is difficult even for one endowed with a large development of locality in his cranium to regain the right path, on making a deviation, in however slight a degree, from it. As we, for a short time, were in this predicament, it afforded a practical instance of what I had only heard before, as sometimes occurring: we, consequently, did not arrive at “Erskine Park” the residence of Mr. Campbell, until two P.M., who received us in the kindest manner: this was an agreeable farm, and the view from the mount near the house was extensive and beautiful.
After a short rest and refreshment, we resumed our journey, passed a neat farm, belonging to the Reverend Mr. Marsden, and, coming upon the western road, crossed it, and, taking a bush path for a distance of probably four or five miles, passed the cottage and extensive farm belonging to Captain P. P. King, R. N., and, two or three miles further, arrived at a gate, which had near it a board requesting persons passing to “shut the gate, and oblige John Harris.” This, after having attained with our horses the other side of the gate, we acceded to, and, passing “Shute Park,” the property of Dr. Harris, we arrived, late in the evening, at Clydesdale, the farm of Mr. Tompson, where we remained for the night, heartily tired, after a sultry ride across the country of thirty-five miles.
The great deficiency of animation in the Australian vegetation, except when in flower, casts a gloom over, rather than exhilarates the mind of the traveller, producing none of those mental delights which the liveliness of the vegetable kingdom, combined with picturesque scenery, excites in other countries. As the traveller journeys through the Australian forests, there is a sameness, which creates a degree of melancholy feeling, excepting when the Angophora lanceolata, or apple-tree[40] of the colonists is seen, when its more verdant foliage and elegant growth imparts some degree of animation and beauty, particularly when contrasted with the other forest trees about it. When we came upon a cultivated spot, where the young wheat was springing up, together with the lucerne fields, it formed a smiling feature in the landscape, and a most agreeable relief from the sameness of the bush of New South Wales.
The Melaleuca, or tea-tree, was very abundant in some parts of the forests, attaining the elevation of thirty-five to forty feet, and a diameter of nearly two feet: the bark is nearly as smooth as velvet, and, like most of the Australian trees, is deciduous: the wood is stated to be very durable, and, the leaves being formerly used as a substitute for tea, it still retains the name of “Tea-tree” among the colonists. There is sometimes much difficulty experienced, when travelling through the wild Australian country, in finding the habitation to which the traveller may be proceeding; for, until he may be close upon it, or a patch of cultivation peeping through a small opening in the dense forest directs him to the farm, as the cultivated land is usually near the house, or, at all events, no great distance from it, he may wander very far from his destined resting place even after having been close to it without its being visible. The remainder of the estate is used as “runs” for sheep or cattle; but in this country (Cumberland) there are but few sheep-runs, as the proprietors of the estates have, for the most part, “runs” from seventy to two hundred miles inland, where the sheep have better pasturage, and there is more facility for washing the fleeces, during the shearing season. About Clydesdale farm, as well as other estates in the vicinity of this part of the country called the “South Creek,” there are patches of a fine red clay soil, which has been found very productive when laid out as vineyards.
On the following morning we left Clydesdale, retraced our path, came upon the western road, and, continuing our journey, passed Penrith, and arrived at Emu Ford, close to which a very handsome and well-furnished inn has recently been erected. Having crossed the Ford (a part of the Nepean river) in a punt, we were on the Emu plains. The appearance of these fertile plains, situated at the base of the commencement of the Blue Mountain range, was very beautiful. The weather had been stormy and showery, but, at this time, the squall having passed away, the sun shone with brightness upon the green fields on and about the Nepean river; and the neat houses, scattered profusely about this charming spot, produced a very pleasing landscape.