The best view of the town, shipping, and adjacent country is that seen from the “rocks,” and the prospect afforded from this elevated situation is very fine. Shops of all kinds are rapidly multiplying; and lately there have been extensive emigrations of artisans of all descriptions from every part of the united kingdom; butchers, bakers, pastrycooks, provision merchants, shoemakers, apothecaries, fancy-bread bakers, booksellers, &c. &c. are numerous, and have neat, and some even elegant shops; the press sends forth their cards and circulars, and large posting bills, printed in a neat and even superior manner, equal to any similar production in our country towns in England. Circulating libraries and literary reading rooms are now becoming numerous, for the Australians are desirous of being a reading as well as a thinking people, and are anxious to have the permission of legislating for themselves; but whilst the free and emancipist parties are each desirous of gaining an ascendancy in colonial affairs, it would certainly not be advisable to grant the boon; both have their interests at home, and the emancipists are a wealthy and powerful body; and although I am not anxious to enter into the political affairs of the colony, I would, while on this subject, merely wish to suggest the expediency, from the wealth and importance of this part of the Australian colony, to no longer use it as a penal settlement, but encourage free emigration of labourers, and send the convicts to a new colony, which might be founded at the northern portion of the extensive Australian territory; then there can be no doubt that party spirit will in some degree subside, and the colony will increase still more in prosperity, being undivided by any party feeling. It is well known that free emigration is detested by most of the convict party, and a wealthy individual of this class once remarked, “_What have the free emigrants to do here? the colony was founded for us, they have no right here_;” and that individual, from his wealth, would probably be elected a member of a future House of Assembly. The emigration of wealthy settlers has been much retarded by the government order, that no grants of land are to be given, but only purchased; until that order is repealed, no great increase of settlers for agricultural purposes will take place; _one grant_—but one grant _only_—ought to be given to the emigrant on his arrival in the colony as before; and those who may be desirous of having an additional grant, may then be able to effect it by purchase; the land sold since the new order has been in operation, has been principally, if not entirely, purchased by those among the settlers who were desirous of increasing the extent of their property, and from the vicinity of the “selection” to their former grant, can afford to give a higher price for it, than the newly arrived settler, ignorant of the quality of the land, and the district in which it may be situated.