It must not be supposed, that because I have given a somewhat particular description of the County of Cumberland, I have done so with a view to bring it forward as a specimen of the other counties, or to found upon it a general description of the colony.  It is, in fact, poorer in every respect than any tract of land of similar extent in the interior, and is still covered with dense forests of heavy timber, excepting when the trees have been felled by dint of manual labour, and the ground cleared at an expense that nothing but its proximity to the seat of government could have justified.  But experience has proved, that neither the labour nor the the expense have been thrown away.  Many valuable farms and extensive gardens chequer the face of the country, from which the proprietors derive a very efficient income.

Country west of blue mountains.

To the westward of the Blue Mountains, the country differs in many respects from that lying between those ranges and the coast; and although, its aspect varies in different places, three principal features appear more immediately to characterise it.  These are, first, plains of considerable extent wholly destitute of timber; secondly, open undulating woodlands; and, thirdly, barren unprofitable tracts.  The first almost invariably occur in the immediate neighbourhood of some river, as the Plains of Bathurst, which are divided by the Macquarie; Goulburn Plains, through which the Wallandilly flows; and Yass Plains, which are watered by a river of the same name.  The open forests, through which the horseman may gallop in perfect safety, seem to prevail over the whole secondary ranges of granite, and are generally considered as excellent grazing tracts.  Such is the country in Argyleshire on either side of the Lachlan, where that river crosses the great southern road near Mr. Hume’s station; such also are many parts of Goulburn and the whole extent of country lying between Underaliga and the Morumbidgee River.  The barren tracts, on the other hand, may be said to occupy the central spaces between all the principal streams.  With regard to the proportion that these different kinds of country bear to each other, there can be no doubt of the undue preponderance of the last over the first two; but there are nevertheless many extensive available tracts in every part of the colony.

Means of inland transport.

The greatest disadvantage under which New South Wales labours, is the want of means for conveying inland produce to the market, or to the coast.  The Blue Mountains are in this respect a serious bar to the internal prosperity of the colony.  By this time, however, a magnificent road will have been completed across them to the westward, over parts of which I travelled in 1831.  Indeed the efforts of the colonial government have been wisely directed, not only to the construction of this road, which the late Governor, General Darling commenced, but also in facilitating the communication to the southern districts, by an almost equally fine road over the Razor Back Range, near the Cow Pastures; so that as far as it is possible for human efforts to overcome natural obstacles, the wisdom and foresight of the executive have ere this been successful.