_NEW SOUTH WALES._
_Saturday, July 2nd._--When I awoke in the morning I saw a landscape
of a very different character from the scenery of Victoria, showing
that we were getting into a warmer climate.
Our train was late, and all were glad when Sydney was at last reached
and we found ourselves driving swiftly to Government House. The way
lay through crowded streets resembling the Hammersmith Road beyond
Kensington. There were some pretty views of the harbour down the
narrow streets through which we drove on the way to Government House,
a building in the Gothic style.
The afternoon was so fine that everybody longed to be out of doors,
and I enjoyed a stroll in the gardens--from which there is a lovely
view of the harbour--immensely. I had heard so much of it that I had
fully expected to be disappointed, but it more than fully realised all
my preconceived ideas of its attractions. The water was crowded with
small boats, and the Volunteers, disappointed in the non-arrival of
the 'Sunbeam,' were taking their exercise in Macquarrie Fort. So deep
is the water beneath what is called the Tarpeian Rock that the big
ships of the Orient Line, the P. & O., and other giant traversers of
the ocean, can easily lie alongside. We spent a quiet evening, and
were glad to go to bed early after our recent short and disturbed
nights. Before retiring, however, arrangements were made for a
steam-launch to meet Tom in the 'Sunbeam' on his way in from the
Heads, and to tell him to stop at Watson's Bay, as the Volunteers
wished to go out to meet him. Saturday afternoons and Sundays are
their only possible days, and if he were to wait for Monday it would
be a serious disappointment to hundreds of people. Large numbers were
waiting about this afternoon on the look-out for the 'Sunbeam,' and
they seemed much disappointed that she did not come in.
_Sunday, July 3rd._--After a refreshing night I awoke, and was soon at
the window enjoying the view over the harbour. The morning was misty,
but the effects of light and shade were most beautiful. At 10.30 the
Governor and Lady Carrington, with their children, his Excellency's
staff, Colonel St. Quintin, myself and others, went on board the
steam-launch and steamed down the harbour towards Watson's Bay. The
views on every side were charming, both looking _up_ the harbour
towards Parramatta and also in the direction of the Circular Quay,
where the big mail steamers lie. The shores of the various little
creeks and inlets were studded by fine houses with pretty gardens
stretching down to the blue waters of the harbour. We passed Clark's
Island, which is the quarantine station for dogs, Darling Head being
the quarantine station for human beings, and then we saw the 'Sunbeam'
lying at anchor in the little inlet called Watson's Bay. The gig was
soon sent alongside, and we were speedily on board. I was delighted to
see Tom looking so much better, though he was still obliged to wear a
pair of green spectacles. After a somewhat lengthy inspection of the
yacht Lord and Lady Carrington and party returned to town, and we had
service on board.
Precisely at half-past two, as agreed, we weighed anchor, and
proceeded slowly up the harbour under steam. Not seeing anything of
the boats, which were also to leave Sydney at 2.30, we steamed as
slowly as possible in order not to meet them too soon. A very pretty
sight it was when we beheld the Volunteers approaching in two regular
lines of boats, accompanied by crowds of people in small sailing and
rowing boats, as well as launches and steamers, all apparently
perilously overloaded with passengers.
When the Volunteers reached the yacht they all tossed their oars and
stood up and saluted. Then the commanding officers came alongside, and
we received them on board. It really was a lovely sight, and my only
wish was to be, like the famous bird, in two places at once--namely,
where I was, to help to entertain the Volunteers and thank them for
their warm and kindly welcome, and on shore to look at the dear old
'Sunbeam' surrounded by the mosquito fleet, through which she had
considerable difficulty in making her way without doing any damage. It
took some time for all the officers and men to come on board to have
some refreshment and look over the yacht, and it was therefore rather
late before the commanding officer rowed us ashore in his gig. We
landed at the man-of-war steps, close to Government House, where a
large crowd had assembled to give us another welcome. They formed a
little lane for us to pass through, cheering lustily, and smiling and
nodding as if they were glad to see us. There was nothing formal or
obtrusive about their welcome. It was, in truth, a real, warm, honest
greeting from friends across the sea, and it touched both Tom and
myself deeply. All such demonstrations invariably give me a choking
sensation in my throat, and I was not altogether sorry when we had
made our way through the crowd of kindly welcomers and reached the
steep pathway leading to Government House. Halfway up we could stop
and survey the scene, and I was able to partially gratify my wish to
see the yacht from the shore with the boats around it.
After a short rest we had another quiet evening, Tom coming to dinner,
but returning to sleep on board the yacht. I went to bed early to try
and nurse a bad and rapidly increasing cold, caught during the wet
journey between Melbourne and Sydney.
_Monday, July 4th._--I awoke at five, and wrote letters. The doctor
would not hear of my going out as my cold was no better.
It continued foggy all day, and the children had to content themselves
with skating and battledore and shuttlecock in the verandahs. Lord
Carrington, Tom, and Mabelle went for a long walk, calling on Cardinal
Moran, and paying visits to the picture-gallery, the Anglican
cathedral, and other places; and after an early dinner at 6.45 all the
party went to the meeting of the Royal Humane Society. I was bitterly
disappointed at being unable to attend, and perhaps do something to
encourage the friends of the St. John Ambulance Association.
_Tuesday, July 5th._--Awoke early, and had a busy morning. The day
proved lovely, so I was allowed to walk in the garden. After lunch we
started in a carriage-and-four for a long but most delightful drive to
the South Head. We passed through the far-extending suburbs of Sydney
with their good houses and gardens. It was very charming to have the
occasional glimpses of the many inlets and creeks of the harbour.
Farther on we reached the real bush, full of flowers, the ground being
covered with the red and white epacris, and with various banksias,
hoyas, and other flowers. At the South Head the view of the city,
through the light veil of smoke and fog which hung over the landscape,
and beyond the lighthouse on the other side over the ocean, was very
fine.
[Illustration: Summer Hill Creek]
There was a large and pleasant party at dinner, and in the evening an
'At home,' at which I was interested to meet several Sussex people.
The world is very small after all!
_Wednesday, July 6th._--I had a busy morning, and at noon went on
board the yacht, returning by three o'clock to meet Mr. Montefiore at
the large picture-gallery. Thence we went to look at Mr. Bray's
collection of curiosities from New Guinea and the Islands, and spent a
pleasant and instructive hour. Some of our party returned to
Government House for an early dinner, while Tom, Mabelle, and others
went on board the yacht to entertain the officers of the Naval
Volunteer force which has been established in Sydney, on the model of
the corps which Tom was instrumental in raising at home. At eight
o'clock I went down to the shore and looked at the Volunteers drilling
in the open. They certainly are a splendid body of men, and their
drill is quite wonderful. I have never seen such good cutlass drill
anywhere, and I have 'assisted' at many similar inspections.
_Thursday, July 7th._--To-day we called on the Mayor, and were taken
all over the fine buildings which are being erected as a memorial of
the Centenary of New South Wales. Afterwards we visited the
Picturesque Atlas Printing Office, and watched the processes of
printing, engraving, lithographing, &c. Dinner was again early, and
after it, Lady Carrington, Mabelle, Mr. Egerton, and others went to a
Zerbini quartette, whilst Lord Carrington, Tom, and the remainder of
the party set off to a shoeblacks' concert, the performers at which
had originally been some of the roughest ragamuffins in the city.
_Tuesday, July 12th._--The morning was pouring wet. Tom started at
half-past nine to meet Mr. Inglis, who had arranged to conduct him
round the docks at Cockatoo Island and over the 'Vernon'
reformatory-ship, an institution which owes its origin to Sir Henry
Parkes. He was much interested with what he saw on board the 'Vernon.'
The most hopeless characters do not seem beyond the reach of the
wholesome influence of the band.
At 1.45 some friends came on board the 'Sunbeam' to lunch, and
directly afterwards people began to arrive for an 'At home,' which
lasted until 5 P.M. Luckily the weather cleared a little, or I do not
know what we should have done to amuse our guests. There were a few
gleams of sunshine at intervals, which served to dry the awnings and
to make things look more cheerful and comfortable.
At five o'clock we all went to the Legislative Council and heard Mr.
Watts speak, and then to the Legislative Assembly, where a debate was
also going on. We were afterwards shown over the Chambers and their
libraries by Sir Henry Parkes. I admired the dining-room, which was
much prettier than that of our own House of Commons. From its balcony
there is a magnificent view of Sydney town and harbour. The libraries
seemed well furnished with books and looked thoroughly comfortable. It
is the oldest Parliament House south of the Line, having been built
early in the century. The members all seemed wonderfully fresh and
untired, considering that it was 7.30 A.M. before the House rose this
morning. The powers of human endurance are possibly strengthened by
the fine climate.
_Wednesday, July 13th._--I had, as usual, a busy morning, and left at
eleven o'clock, with Tom, Mabelle, and Captain Gascoigne, to lunch on
board the German man-of-war 'Bismarck.' Captain and Mrs. Bosanquet and
several officers were there; and we had a pleasant party, enlivened by
the strains of an excellent band. We had to hurry away directly
afterwards to be in time for the meeting which the Governor had kindly
convened at Government House in connection with the St. John Ambulance
Association. The meeting, held in the drawing-room, was well attended
and successful. That over, there was only scant time to rest before an
early dinner, after which we went to a meeting of the Geographical
Society at the Freemasons' Hall, where Mr. Bevan the explorer gave us
an interesting account of his fourth and latest voyage to New Guinea.
These explorations were undertaken, the first in a Chinese junk, the
second in a big cutter, the third in a schooner, and the last in the
steamer 'Victory.'
_Thursday, July 14th._--The children and Tom went out riding, and I
had a busy morning with Mr. Wright, working until half-past eleven,
when I went with Mr. Bevan to see some interesting New Guinea
curiosities at the establishment of Messrs. Burn and Philps, the
enterprising firm who sent him out to make his explorations. Tom had
made an appointment with Captain Hammill to visit the Goodenough
Sailors' Home, but, having a great deal to do on board the 'Sunbeam,'
he asked me to go on his behalf and meet the manager and the committee
of the institution. We had great difficulty in finding the place, and,
after driving half over Sydney without discovering its whereabouts,
went to the town-hall for information, and were there directed to two
houses--Trafalgar House, and the Goodenough Home, established by Sir
Anthony Hoskins when he was out here as Commodore. The houses in both
cases are small, but look beautifully clean.
Mr. Shearston, the manager, seems a perfect enthusiast, and too much
cannot be said in praise of his self-denial. He has given up the whole
of his private house, except one bedroom and the tiniest little scrap
of an office, for the purposes of the Home. Truly the promoters of the
movement deserve every assistance in their good work; and it makes one
feel inclined to help them to secure the new site so urgently
required, when it is seen how earnestly they labour in the good cause
themselves. They not only take in good characters, but go into the
streets at night and pick up sailors, no matter how intoxicated they
may be. They put them to bed, and endeavour to send them back to
their ships in the morning, so far recovered as to escape reprimand
and perhaps dismissal. The inspection of this institution took some
time, and on our way back we passed the proposed new site for the
Home.
Captain Hammill and Mr. Bevan lunched with us on board the 'Sunbeam,'
and later on the yacht was shown to a large number of people. After
Lady Carrington's 'At home' in the afternoon, Tom, Tab, and Captain
Gascoigne went to dine at the Yacht Club, and we had a quiet dinner,
after which I did a good deal more work with Mr. Wright.
_Friday, July 15th._--An early start had to be made this morning in
order to meet Sir Henry Parkes at the station at nine o'clock. Tom,
Baby, and I were the only members of the party who turned up, and we
found that Mr. Salomons and the Chinese Commissioners had been invited
to accompany us. Precisely at nine we left the station in a
comfortable saloon carriage, and, passing through the suburbs of
Sydney, reached Parramatta at 9.30. This is one of the oldest
townships in New South Wales. Conspicuous in the landscape rise the
double spires of its handsome church, which is more than a hundred
years old. The township has for years past derived considerable
importance from its wool trade and manufactures; and has now an
excellent fruit trade, which has sprung up quite lately.
Fruit-orchards surround the town, and the orange groves look bright
and green and beautiful with their shiny leaves and globes of golden
fruit. It was almost accidentally that oranges were first grown here.
The unexpected success of the first few orange-pips, which grew and
prospered amazingly, led to the industry being taken up, and splendid
orange groves now surround the town.
[Illustration: Waterfall Gully]
After leaving Parramatta our way still lay through orchards and
vineyards, until we reached Seven Hills Grove, commanding a beautiful
view. Thence we went on to Blacktown, which takes its name from the
large number of aboriginals who formerly lived in the neighbourhood;
but they are now almost extinct. At intervals we either crossed or ran
alongside of the old bullock-track, now a good high road, to Bathurst.
Bathurst can now be reached in a few hours from Sydney. In the old
times it took four days to get there by coach, and much longer, of
course, by bullock team! We crossed a large river, the Nepean, passing
through some charming fern-gullies, and soon afterwards reached the
zigzags of the railway. They are so abrupt, that instead of the train
turning round, it is alternately pulled and pushed up the steep
incline. This seems to me a dangerous plan, and it certainly does not
economise labour or steam force. It was interesting to find at one of
the stations that the engine-driver who was taking the train up had
worked for Mr. Brassey for many years in France and elsewhere, had
married Tom's nurse, and had danced with me at the ball given in the
engine-sheds at Shrewsbury at the great _fete_ on the occasion of our
marriage. At another place where we stopped the station-master for
many years occupied a similar position at Aylesford, near my
brother-in-law's place. They were both anxious to come and see the
yacht, and I was rather amused to hear at lunch that while we were
going up the mountain they had immediately returned to Sydney and had
gone on board.
The view from Springwood is beautiful, and close by lies Sassafras, or
'Flying Fox' Gully, so called from the number of flying foxes found
there. We next passed Falconberg, Sir Henry Parkes's place, and went
on to Lawoon, where we stopped a short time, and where a man brought
us some curious little black snakes--great pets at present. Not far
from here are the beautiful Wentworth Falls, and the views became
superb; I had not expected anything half so lovely. Distant glimpses
of undulating forests were interrupted by abrupt sandstone cliffs, so
steep that it was impossible not to believe a large stream ran beneath
them. There is no river here, however, although the many small creeks
and rivulets make beautiful falls, tumbling over the sandstone cliffs
through luxuriant creepers and tropical ferns. It is impossible to
exaggerate the beauty of the scene. The charm of the landscape was the
really Indian blue of the distant hills, from which they derive their
name of Blue Mountains. It is not a blue haze, but a vivid blue, with
tints varying from darkest indigo to palest cerulean blue; but the
colour is everywhere intense, and there are no half-tones. Perhaps one
of the most attractive views is that just before reaching Katoomba,
nearly 3,500 feet above the sea-level. The train was stopped before
reaching the station to let us admire the distant landscape. I should
have liked to stay for hours.
[Illustration: Katoomba]
Further on is Blackheath Hill, from which the view is said to be the
finest in the whole of the Blue Mountains, though some maintain that
the outlook from the big zigzag near Lithgow Down is still finer. On
the return journey we had to wait nearly half an hour at Blackheath,
and as I was not able to walk far I utilised the time by taking
photographs. But no sun-picture can ever give the least idea of this
scenery. Its finest effects require the brush of the painter. On our
return journey the noonday sun had dispersed the mists, and all the
delicate details of the more distant landscapes were brought clearly
into view. We travelled at a terrible pace, and the sharpness of the
curves threatened every moment to send the train off the line. These
sudden turns and jerks had the effect of making us all rather
uncomfortable, and poor Baby and I felt quite sea-sick. The sensation
was the same as when the ship makes a deep curtsy and seems to leave
you behind as she dips into the waves!
There is a branch line at Katoomba to the Yenoolan or Fish River
Caves, which I should have liked to have visited had there been more
time. I had to console myself with the reflection that I had seen the
caves at Adelsberg, Neptune's Caves in Sardinia, the caves at
Moulmein, and other vast limestone caves in various parts of the
world.
After passing Sir Alfred Stephen's magnificent place we reached
Falconberg, and by this time I felt so tired that I was truly glad of
my carrying-chair. I do not think I could have walked even the short
distance between the station and the house. Arrived there, I was
obliged to ask leave to lie down instead of going to see the beautiful
fern-glens with the rest of the party. It was a great disappointment.
I was able, however, to enjoy the lovely distant view from the
verandah, as well as the closer view of the rocky sandstone cliffs and
fern-clad gullies; and I could hear the mocking note of the rarely
seen lyre-bird, the curious cachinnation of the laughing jackass, and
the occasional distant note of the bell-bird. Even this brief rest
amidst these pleasant surroundings refreshed me greatly, and I felt
much better when later on we resumed our journey. The engine-driver
was told to go slowly round the sharp curves, and we were spared a
repetition of the unpleasant experience of the morning. We arrived in
Sydney a little after six, feeling much indebted to Sir Henry Parkes
for his great kindness.
There was no time to think of rest, for I had to dress immediately and
go with Tom, Mabelle, and others to the Ambulance meeting at the
town-hall. It was a very good one, and afterwards the committee of the
Williamstown and Port Melbourne Sailors' Home presented me with a
testimonial, in order, as they said, to express their gratitude for
what we have been able to do for them. Tom and Mabelle went on from
the meeting to Mrs. Tooth's ball.
_Saturday, July 16th._--I awoke feeling so tired that Dr. Hoffmeister
made me remain in bed till the middle of the day in order to keep
quiet, though I contrived to get through much work with pen and
pencil.
Lunch was ordered early, and a little after two we went on board the
yacht to receive the ladies of the Wollahra centre of the St. John
Ambulance Association, to whom, according to previous arrangement, I
presented certificates. At half-past three the contractors who gave
Tom the charming picnic up the Hawkesbury River last Saturday[5] came
on board with their wives and lady friends, and were soon followed by
the members of the Royal Sydney Yacht Club and their friends. The
boys' band from the 'Vernon' played extremely well during the
afternoon, the music and brilliant sunshine adding cheerfulness to the
proceedings. When the general company had left, the boys had a hearty
meal of tea and cake, and were delighted at being shown over the
yacht.
[Footnote 5: See Appendix.]
Tom and I were obliged to hurry away at half-past four in order to see
the Naval Brigade at exercise, under the command of Captain Hixson. A
very interesting sight it proved to be. Their drilling and marching
past were admirable, as were also their volley and file firing; while
the rapidity with which they formed into rallying squares to resist
cavalry was really marvellous. Towards the close of the proceedings it
was growing dusk, and the bright-coloured tongues of flame from the
rifles showed sharply against the dark blue sky. Tom presented the
medals to the men and made them a speech; and after all was over we
returned to Government House.
_Sunday, July 17th._--Tom and Mabelle went on board H.M.S. 'Nelson' at
10.30 A.M. for church-service, and then on to H.M.S. 'Opal,' where
they met Admiral and Mrs. Fairfax, and Captain and Mrs. Bosanquet, and
a few other friends.
[Illustration: Cook's Monument, Botany Bay]
The day turned out so lovely that I was persuaded to go round the
Botanical Gardens in a bath-chair. I admired immensely the taste with
which these gardens are laid out, and the skill with which a great
portion of the site has been reclaimed from the sea. What seems so
puzzling in this climate is the existence of tropical, semi-tropical,
and temperate plants side by side. I saw violets, geraniums, roses,
strelitzias, in full bloom, some growing under the shade of palms from
Ceylon, Central Africa, and the warmest parts of North Australia,
while others flourished beneath the bare branches of the oak, beech,
birch, and lime trees of the old country.
In the afternoon I had intended to go to the cathedral with Lady
Carrington, but felt so unwell that I was obliged to lie down for a
time, and then sit in the sun and try to recruit. I had, however, to
go to bed at five; but I made an effort and got up again at seven in
order to appear at our last dinner at this charming house, where we
have spent so many happy days and received so much kindness. After
dinner we had a long talk over new and old times, and all felt quite
sad at the prospect of the inevitable parting which must come
to-morrow.
[Illustration: Signal Station, Newcastle]