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Show 522 NEW SOUTH WALES. Jan. 1836. From these facts it would almost appear as if, the effiu vium of one set of men shut up for some time together, was poisonous when inhaled by others (and perhaps more so, if the men be of different races) . Mysterious as this circumstance appears to be, it is not more surprising than that the body of one's fellow-creature, directly after death, and be.fore putrefaction has commenced, should often ~e of so deleteno~s a quality, that the mere puncture from an mstrument used m its dissection should prove fatal. JANUARY 17TH.-Early in the morning we passed the N epean in a ferry-boat. The river, although at this spot both broad and deep, had a very small body of running water. Having crossed a low piece of land on the opposite side we reached the slope of the Blue Mountains. The asc:nt is not steep, the road having been cut with much care on the side of a sandstone cliff. At no great elevation an almost level plain extends, which, rising imperceptibly to the westward, at last attains a height of more than three thousand feet. From so grand a title as Blue Mountains, and from their absolute altitude, I expected to have seen a bold chain of mountains crossing the country ; but instead of this, a sloping plain presents merely an inconsiderable front to the low land of the coast. From this first slope, the view of the extensive woodland to the eastward, was striking, and the surrounding trees grew bold and lofty. But when once on the sandstone platform, the scenery becomes exceedingly monotonous ; each side of the road is bordered by scrubby trees of the never-failing Eucalyptus family; and with the exception of two or three small inns, there are no houses, or cultivated land: the road, moreover, is solitary; the most .frequent object being a bullock-waggon, piled up with bales of wool. In the middle of the day we baited our horses at a little inn, called the Weatherboard. The country here is elevated 2800 feet above the sea. About a mile and a half from this place, there is a view exceedingly well worth visiting. By following down a little valley and its tiny rill of water, an Jan. 1836. BLUE MOUNTAINS. 523 immense gulf is unexpectedly seen through the trees which borde~ the pathway, at the depth of perhaps 1500 feet. Walking on a few yards one stands on the brink of a vast precipice, and below is the grand bay or gulf (for I know not what other name to give it), thickly covered with forest. ~he poin~ of :iew ~s situated as if at the head of a bay, the hne. of chff diverg~ng on each side, and showing headland behmd headland, as on a bold sea-coast. These cliffs are composed of horizontal strata of whitish sandstone· and so absol~tely vertical are they, that in many places, ~ person standmg on the edge, and throwing down a stone, can see it strike the trees in the abyss below. So unbroken is the line, that it is said, in order to reach the foot of the waterfall formed by this little stream, it is necessary to go a distance' of sixteen miles round. About five miles distant in front anoth~r line of cliff extends, which thus appears complete!; to enCI~cle the v~lley; and hence the name of bay is justified, as apphed to this grand amphitheatrical depression. If we imagine a winding harbour, with its deep water surrounded ~y bold cliff-like shores, laid dry, 'and a forest sprung up on Its sandy bottom, we should then have the appearance and structure here exhibited. This kind of view was to me quite novel, and extremely magnificent. In the evening, we reached the Blackheath. The sandstone plateau has here attained the elevation of 3400 feet · and is covered, as before, with the same kind of scrubb; wood. From the road there were occasional glimpses into a profound valley, of the same character as the one described; but from the steepness and dept,h of its sides, the bottom was scarcely ever to be seen. The Blackheath is a very comfortable inn, kept by an old soldier ; and it reminded me of the small inns in North Wales. I was surprised to find that here, at the distance of more than seventy miles from Sydney, fifteen beds could be made up for travellers. JANUARY 18TH.-Very early in the morning~ I walked about three miles to see Govett's Leap: a view of a similar but even perhaps more stupendous character than that near |