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.