Indeed We Had The Utmost Difficulty To
Get Them Back Again.
Three of them actually rolled over, and were saved
only by the trees from being precipitated to the bottom.
Quitting this
place, we proceeded up the glen, into which many small streams fell from
the most awful heights, forming so many beautiful cascades. After
travelling five or six miles, we arrived at that part of the river at
which, after passing through a beautiful and level though elevated
country, it is first received into the glen. We had seen many fine and
magnificent falls, each of which had excited our admiration in no small
degree, but the present one so far surpassed any thing which we had
previously conceived even to be possible, that we were lost in
astonishment at the sight of this wonderful natural sublimity, which
perhaps is scarcely to be exceeded in any part of the eastern world. The
river, after passing through an apparently gentle rising and fine
country, is here divided into two streams, the whole width of which is
about seventy yards. At this spot, the country seems cleft in twain, and
divided to its very foundation: a ledge of rocks, two or three feet
higher than the level on either side, divides the waters in two, which,
falling over a perpendicular rock two hundred and thirty-five feet in
height, forms this grand cascade. At a distance of three hundred yards,
and an elevation of as many feet, we were wetted with the spray which
arose like small rain from the bottom: the noise was deafening; and if
the river had been full, so as to cover its entire bed, it would have
been perhaps more awfully grand, but certainly not so beautiful. After
winding through the cleft rocks about four hundred yards, it again falls
in one single sheet upwards of one hundred feet, and continues in a
succession of smaller falls about a quarter of a mile lower, where the
cliffs are of a perpendicular height, on each side exceeding one thousand
two hundred feet, the width at the edges about two hundred yards. From
thence it descends as before described until all sight of it is lost,
from the vast elevation of the rocky hills which it divides and runs
through. The different points of this deep glen seem as if they would fit
into the opposite fissures which form the smaller glens alternately on
either side. The whole is indeed a grand natural spectacle, and is an
indubitable mark of the vast convulsions which this country must at one
period have undergone. The rocks are all slate, the upper romanae of
which are of a light brown colour, rotten, and easily separated. Nearer
the base or surface of the water they are of a dark blue, and of a firmer
texture. The waters are quite discoloured, owing to the nature of the bed
over which they run, the soluble particles of coal among the slate
tinging them a dark brown. This fine fall is not more than five miles
below the place where we crossed the river on the 9th instant, and we
were doubtless prevented from hearing the noise of the waters, by the
numerous smaller falls in the vicinity. This most magnificent fall and
the river itself were respectively named Bathurst and Apsley, in honour
of the Noble Secretary of State for the colonies. Although a week had
elapsed in effecting the passage of this river, we could not consider
it as entirely lost, especially as it enabled us to ascertain that its
direction was to the coast; and we hoped that the nature of the country
would permit us to fix its embouchure.
September 16. - The weather for some days past has been very unseasonable,
cold and tempestuous, with frequent heavy and continued showers of rain:
this remarkable coldness of temperature in such a latitude (31 degrees,)
I cannot but attribute to the considerable elevation of the country above
the sea, being certainly between four and five thousand feet. We
proceeded to the south-east during this day's journey, on purpose to
avoid the broken land in the vicinity of the river. It was good
travelling though hilly: the soil, for the most part, a poor clay; and
the timber not so good or large as usual. There was however much good
land, particularly in the valleys, through every one of which a stream of
water took its course to the river. At twelve miles, we halted on the
banks of a considerable and rapid stream watering an extensive and wide
valley. The many waters which fall into Apsley River must very
considerably increase its magnitude; and I am in hopes after it has
cleared this mountainous tract and we again fall in with it, that we
shall find it a useful as well as fine stream. The river on which we
encamped was named Croker's River, in honour of the First Secretary of
the Admiralty.
September 17. - We proceeded on an easterly course during this day's
journey; and seven miles from Croker's River crossed a smaller stream
running to the north-east. For the first ten miles the country was
very poor and badly timbered, with barren stony hills; but from the
last mentioned stream to our halting-place, at the end of twelve
miles, though the land was hilly the soil was excellent, consisting
of a rich, dark mould. The hills were particularly rich and thickly
clothed with fine timber, blue gum, and stringy bark. We halted
on the side of a hill, from the top of which we could see a great
distance to the north and east. In the first quarter, lofty hills were
seen from eighty to one hundred miles off, and generally very irregular.
To the east the land was elevated, but more divided by sloping valleys,
and we augured that at least for thirty miles in the direction of our
course, we should not meet with any such serious obstruction as the last:
indeed we imagined we could trace the course of the river nearly on a
parallel line with us.
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