Proceeding Onwards, We Skirted The Bald Hill, And Entering Rather A
Scrubby Tract, Crossed A Creek More Awkward For Our
Drays than
dangerous to ourselves; we then passed two or three little
coffee-shops, which being tents are always shifting
Their quarters,
crossed another plain, very stony and in places swampy, which
terminated in a thickly-wooded tract of gum and wattle trees. Into this
wood we now entered. After about five miles uncomfortable
travelling we reached the "Bush Inn."
I must here observe that no DISTINCT road is ever cut out, but the
whole country is cut up into innumerable tracks by the carts and drays,
and which are awfully bewildering to the new-comer as they run here and
there, now crossing a swamp, now a rocky place, here a creek, there a
hillock, and yet, in many cases, all leading BONA FIDE to the same
place.
The "Bush Inn" (the genuine one, for there are two) consists of a
large, well-built, brick and weather-board house, with bed-rooms for
private families. There is a detached weather-board, and stone kitchen,
and tap-room, with sleeping-lofts above, a large yard with sheds and
good stabling. A portion of the house and stables is always engaged for
the use of the escort. About two hundred yards off is the "New Bush
Inn," somewhat similar to the other, not quite so large, with an
attempt at a garden. The charges at these houses are enormous. Five and
six shillings per meal, seven-and-sixpence for a bottle of ale, and one
shilling for half a glass or "nobbler" of brandy.
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