LIVERPOOL.  LANSDOWNE BRIDGE.

Passing through Liverpool, which has a population of 600 inhabitants and is situated on the left bank of George’s river, I arrived at three miles beyond that town at Lansdowne bridge, where the largest arch hitherto erected in Australia had been recently built by Mr. Lennox.  The necessity for a permanent bridge over Prospect Creek arose from the failure of several wooden structures, to the great inconvenience of the public, this being really a creek rising and falling with the tide.  The obstacle, and the steepness of the left bank, which was considerable, have been triumphantly surmounted by a noble arch of 110 feet span which carries the road at a very slight inclination to the level of the opposite bank.  The bridge is wholly the work of men in irons who must have been fed, and must consequently have cost the public just as much if they had done nothing all the while; and it may be held up as a fair specimen of the great advantage of convict labour in such a country when applied to public works.  The creek is navigable to this point and, stone being abundant and of good quality on the opposite side of George’s river, one gang was advantageously employed in the quarry there while another was building the bridge.  Mr. Lennox ably seconded my views in carrying these arrangements into effect.  He contrived the cranes, superintended the stone cutting, and even taught the workmen; planned and erected the centres for the arches and finally completed the structure itself which had been opened to the public on the 26th of January.

Before venturing on so large a work I had employed Mr. Lennox on a smaller bridge in the new pass in the ascent to the Blue Mountains, and the manner in which he completed that work was such as to justify the confidence with which I suggested to the government this larger undertaking.

ARRIVE AT SYDNEY.

At length I arrived at Sydney and had the happiness on terminating this long journey to find that all the members of my family were well, although they had been much alarmed by reports of my death and the destruction of my party by the savage natives of the interior.

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GENERAL REMARKS ON THE CHARACTER OF THE SETTLED COUNTRY.

Released from the necessity for recording each day’s proceedings I may now add a few general remarks on the character of the country traversed in these various expeditions.

FIRES IN THE WOODS.

It has been observed that the soil in New South Wales is good only where trap, limestone, or granite rocks occur.  Sandstone however predominates so much as to cover about six-sevenths of the whole surface comprised within the boundaries of nineteen counties.  Wherever this is the surface rock little besides barren sand is found in the place of soil.  Deciduous vegetation scarcely exists there, no vegetable soil is formed for, the trees and shrubs being very inflammable, conflagrations take place so frequently and extensively