Notes and Sketches of New South Wales: During a Residence in that Colony from 1839 to 1844 |
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animal appearance bark Bathurst beautiful birds blossoms blue body Botany Bay bright bush bush-rangers called CHAP close colony colour Cook's River creatures dark deck delicate Diemen's Land dingo distance emancipists England English Eucalyptus eyes favourite fear feet fellow fish flowers frequently gardens grand green gum-trees handsome head heard hills Homebush horse Hougong inches long kind Lapstone Hill leaves light locusts look loquat lovely luxury Macquarie Meredith miles Mount Victoria mountain native nearly never night Norfolk Island pine numbers observed opossum Parramatta Parramatta river passed poor Port Jackson portion pretty resemblance river road rocks round sail scarcely seemed seen servants settlers ship shrubs side snake soft sometimes South Wales species strong Sydney tail thick things tion trees tribe usually Van Diemen's Land veranda vessel whilst wild wind wings wood young
Popular passages
Page 86 - All in a hot and copper sky, The bloody Sun, at noon, Right up above the mast did stand, No bigger than the Moon. Day after day, day after day, We stuck, nor breath nor motion; As idle as a painted ship Upon a painted ocean.
Page 30 - He prayeth well, who loveth well Both man and bird and beast. He prayeth best, who loveth best All things both great and small; For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.
Page 77 - ... drambottle if it be by any means or in any shape accessible. I have known a female servant drink camphorated spirits of wine, and suspect the same individual of consuming a pint of hartshorn which mysteriously disappeared about the same time from my room; its evident strength being no doubt too tempting. Eau de Cologne and lavender-water, I know, they drink whenever they are left about, or anything else believed to contain spirit. The universality of this vice is most dreadful to contemplate,...
Page 50 - They marry very young, and the consequent " olive branches " are extremely numerous. The boys grow up long, and often lanky, seldom snowing the strong athletic build so common at home, or, if they do, it is spoiled by round shoulders and a narrow chest, and, what puzzles me exceedingly to account for, a very large proportion of both male and female natives snuffle dreadfully ; just the same nasal twang as many Americans have.
Page 60 - Europe, and vice versa ; where the barometer rises before bad weather, and falls before good; where the north is the hot wind, and the south the cold ; where the humblest house is fitted up with cedar...
Page 44 - These dust- winds are locally named " brick-fielders," from the direction in which they come ; and no sooner is the approach of one perceived than the streets are instantly deserted, windows and doors closely shut, and every one who can remains within till the plague has passed over, when you ring for the servant with a duster, and collect enough fine earth for a small garden off your chairs and tables.
Page 87 - Meredith, when they are crossing a brook, the lower portion of the dust is lost sight of, and a considerable agitation disturbs the water, but immediately on landing the same appearance is resumed. " As some vanish," she remarks, " others imperceptibly arise and join the giant waltz ; and when I first observed this most singular display, I amused myself by fancying them a new species of genii relaxing from their more laborious avocations, and having a sedate and stately dance all to themselves. When...
Page 107 - This is the very poetry of frogs: — ' In the Macquarie, near Bathurst, I first saw the superb green frogs of Australia. The river, at the period of our visit, was for the most part a dry bed, with small pools in the deeper holes ; and in these, among the few shining water-plants and confervas, dwelt these gorgeous reptiles. In form and size they resemble a very large English frog, but their colour is more beautiful than words can describe. I never saw plant or gem of such bright tints. A vivid...
Page 43 - English fruits, such as strawberries, &c., only succeed in a few situations in the colony, and are far from plentiful. Cucumbers and all descriptions of melon abound. The large green watermelon, rose-coloured within, is a very favourite fruit, but I thought it insipid. One approved method of eating it is, after cutting a sufficiently large hole, to pour in a bottle of Madeira or sherry, and mix it with the cold watery pulp. These melons grow to an enormous size (an ordinary one is from twelve to...
Page 34 - The entrance to Port Jackson is grand in the extreme. The high, dark cliffs we had been coasting along all morning, suddenly terminate in an abrupt precipice, called the South Head, on which stand the lighthouse and signal-station. The North Head is a similar cliff, a bare bluff promontory of dark horizontal rocks ; and between these grand stupendous pillars, as through a colossal gate, we entered Port Jackson. The...