"I suppose there may be," said Eleanor calmly.
"Well, he bas got notice then, some hours ago," said the captain. "The pilot telegraphed to the South Head, and from the South Head the news has gone all over Sydney and Paramatta. Pretty good-looking city, is Sydney."
It was far more than that. It had been the point of the travellers' attention for some time. From the water up, one height above another, the white buildings of the town rose and spread; a white city; with forts and windmills, and fair looking country seats in its neighbourhood.
"Where is Paramatta?" said Eleanor, "and what is it?"
"It's a nice little pleasure place, up the Paramatta river; fifteen miles above Sydney. Fine scenery; it's as good as going to Richmond," added the captain.
"What is that splendid large white building?" Mrs. Amos asked, "on the hill?"
"No great things of a hill," said the captain. "That's the
Government-house. Nice gardens and pleasure grounds there too."
"How beautiful it is!" said Mrs. Amos almost with a sigh.
"It is almost like a Scottish lake!" said her husband. "I remember one that this scene reminds me of at this moment."
"A little of this is worth all Scotland," said the captain. "There's pretty much everything here that a man wants—and not hard to come by, either. O you'll stay in Sydney! why shouldn't you? There's people enough here that want teaching, worse than the savages. I declare, I think they do."