The
nearly level country is covered with thin scrubby trees, bespeaking
the curse of sterility. Proceeding farther inland, the country
improves: beautiful villas and nice cottages are here and there
scattered along the beach. In the distance stone houses, two and
three stories high, and windmills standing on the edge of a bank,
pointed out to us the neighbourhood of the capital of Australia.
At last we anchored within Sydney Cove. We found the little basin
occupied by many large ships, and surrounded by warehouses. In the
evening I walked through the town, and returned full of admiration
at the whole scene. It is a most magnificent testimony to the power
of the British nation. Here, in a less promising country, scores of
years have done many more times more than an equal number of
centuries have effected in South America. My first feeling was to
congratulate myself that I was born an Englishman. Upon seeing more
of the town afterwards, perhaps my admiration fell a little; but
yet it is a fine town. The streets are regular, broad, clean, and
kept in excellent order; the houses are of a good size, and the
shops well furnished. It may be faithfully compared to the large
suburbs which stretch out from London and a few other great towns
in England; but not even near London or Birmingham is there an
appearance of such rapid growth.
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