The number of large houses and
other buildings just finished was truly surprising; nevertheless,
every one complained of the high rents and difficulty in procuring
a house. Coming from South America, where in the towns every man of
property is known, no one thing surprised me more than not being
able to ascertain at once to whom this or that carriage belonged.
I hired a man and two horses to take me to Bathurst, a village
about one hundred and twenty miles in the interior, and the centre
of a great pastoral district. By this means I hoped to gain a
general idea of the appearance of the country. On the morning of
the 16th (January) I set out on my excursion. The first stage took
us to Paramatta, a small country town, next to Sydney in
importance. The roads were excellent, and made upon the MacAdam
principle, whinstone having been brought for the purpose from the
distance of several miles. In all respects there was a close
resemblance to England: perhaps the alehouses here were more
numerous. The iron gangs, or parties of convicts who have committed
here some offence, appeared the least like England: they were
working in chains, under the charge of sentries with loaded arms.
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