Sir Richard Bourke, great improvements were
made in the streets of Sydney, particularly in the direction of the
different wharfs, from which the ascent used to be frightfully steep. To
remedy this evil, and at the same time to improve the appearance of the
town, Sir Richard cut away the brows of the ridges, and filled up the
hollows with the rubbish. This proceeding caused a great outcry among
those persons who had property where the cuttings took place, and whose
dwellings, in some cases, were many feet above the new level of the
street. In the course of time, these proprietors descended from their
airy posts, knocked down their old unsightly tenements, cut down their
ground to the proper level, and built new and more sightly houses; so
that the Governor's proceedings have improved both the streets and the
general appearance of the town, as well as enhanced the value of the
property wherever the cuttings were made.

Sydney abounds with doctors, lawyers, and parsons, all of whom thrive
here. The lawyer especially reaps a rich harvest among a population
notoriously fond of litigation, and prone to give cause for it in
various ways. As usual, however, the supply has of late exceeded the
demand; and the barristers do not now lounge in such stylish carriages
as they were accustomed to be seen in some years ago. The medical men's
harvest, a sickly season, is not a rare occurrence in Sydney, though the
Colony generally is remarkable for its salubrity. The last summer I
spent there, the deaths were very numerous, and cast a gloom over the
place. Influenza and fevers were the prevailing complaints, and were
probably attributable to the dry, hot winds prevalent at the time,
together with the badness of the water in common use, and the
intemperate habits of the people. The want of a supply of good water is
much felt. Every house has its pump, but the water is not fit for any
thing but washing, and is, for the most part, so hard, that soap will
not dissolve in it. Government had commenced laying pipes to supply the
town with this necessary article; but, when I left the Colony, they had
not been brought nearer than to within a mile; and I have not heard of
their being since carried any further. Water-carts go round, selling
water at a penny or sometimes three halfpence per bucket, which is of a
good quality.

Previously to the arrival of Sir Richard Bourke, the clergy of the
Church of England were the only persons in the Colony th