Purpose of this Chapter--Name of Australia--Impressions of its early Visitors--Character of the Australian rivers--Author's first view of Port Jackson--Extent of the Colony of New South Wales--its rapid advances in prosperity--Erroneous impressions--Commercial importance of Sydney--Growth of fine wool--Mr. M'Arthur's meritorious exertions--Whale-fishery--Other exports--Geographical features--Causes of the large proportion of bad soil--Connection between the geology and vegetation--Geological features--Character of the soil connected with the geological formation--County of Cumberland--Country westward of the Blue Mountains--Disadvantages of the remote settlers--Character of the Eastern coast--Rich tracts in the interior--Periodical droughts--The seasons apparently affected by the interior marshes--Temperature--Fruits--Emigrants: Causes of their success or failure--Moral disadvantages--System of emigration recommended--Hints to emigrants--Progress of inland discovery--Expeditions across the Blue Mountains--Discoveries of Mr. Evans, Mr. Oxley, and others--Conjectures respecting the interior. EXPEDITION DOWN THE MACQUARIE RIVER, AND INTO THE WESTERN INTERIOR IN 1828 AND 1829. CHAPTER I. State of the Colony in 1828-29--Objects of the Expedition--Departure from Sydney--Wellington Valley--Progress down the Macquarie--Arrival at Mount Harris--Stopped by the marshes--Encamp amidst reeds--Excursions down the river--Its termination--Appearance of the marshes--Opthalmic affection of the men--Mr. Hume's successful journey to the northward--Journey across the plain--Second great marsh--Perplexities--Situation of the exploring party--Consequent resolutions. CHAPTER II. Prosecution of our course into the interior--Mosquito Brush--Aspect and productions of the country--Hunting party of natives--Courageous conduct of one of them--Mosquitoes--A man missing--Group of hills called New-Year's Range--Journey down New-Year's Creek--Tormenting attack of the kangaroo fly--Dreariness and desolation of the country--Oxley's Table Land--D'Urban's Group--Continue our journey down New-Year's Creek--Extreme Disappointment on finding it salt--Fall in with a tribe of natives--Our course arrested by the want of fresh water--Extraordinary sound--Retreat towards the Macquarie. CHAPTER III. Intercourse with the natives--Their appearance and condition--Remarks on the Salt or Darling River--Appearance of the marshes on our return--Alarm for safety of the provision party--Return to Mount Harris--Miserable condition of the natives--Circumstances attending the slaughter of two Irish runaways--Bend our course towards the Castlereagh--Wallis's Ponds--Find the famished natives feeding on gum--Channel of the Castlereagh--Character of the country in its vicinity--Another tribe of natives--Amicable intercourse with them--Morrisset's chain of Ponds--Again reach the Darling River ninety miles higher up than where we first struck upon it. CHAPTER IV.