At a short distance further on, we turned off the more direct road, and arrived at Mr. Barber’s farm, close to which commences the extraordinary and extensive fissure, called the “Shoalhaven Gullies,” extending through a large tract of country to the sea coast. This farm possesses natural beauties of a sublime and romantic character; but the soil is principally rocky, and does not seem to possess the valuable requisites to a settler, that of arable land and good sheep pasturage, in any quantity. To a visitor, however, the romantic beauties of the Gullies are sufficient objects of attraction; and, accompanied by Mr. Hume, senior, I was taken, at a very short distance from the house, to as splendid a scene as has been perhaps yet discovered in this interesting and peculiar country. I much regret that time did not permit me to make a closer examination of these gullies, which appear to owe their existence to some sudden convulsion of nature that had violently rent the hills asunder; down the steep sides, a dense vegetation concealed their depth, although the eye could reach, unimpeded, sufficiently deep to enable some idea to be formed of the profoundness of these chasms. The largest and most extensive gully, said to possess the most beautiful scenery, was five miles distant. The Shoalhaven river, which runs beneath, was not visible, although its murmuring, broken torrent could be heard. The wooded hills, varying in denseness, some trees overhanging the abyss, still further increased the sublimity of the scene; and occasionally in the evenings, a small species of kangaroo, called “rock kangaroo” by the colonists, was seen skipping about the hills. To a geologist, the examination of these localities would be highly interesting, as there are several caverns, in their limestone formations, with indications of fossil remains. Highly gratified by the view, I departed; and after leaving this farm, crossed a small, insignificant rivulet: this was the river (or, according to the colonial vocabulary, “creek”) which empties itself into the Shoalhaven Gullies; and its first fall into them was at no further distance than a hundred rods from this place. The first fall is from a height of perhaps sixteen feet; and there are several falls, altogether of about eighty feet, until the stream reaches the first gully; when in its progress, it receives tributary streams from the westward, forming the Shoalhaven river, which flows through these romantic glens, until it terminates by discharging its waters into the sea. Our journey continued through a dull, uninteresting country; and late in the evening we arrived at “Wingelo,” the farm of Robert Campbell, Esq., by whom we were received with the kindest hospitality, and remained the night, after travelling rather more than twenty miles this day.