ment. The river Cox is at this point 2,172
feet above the level of the sea. It pursues its course through a wild
inaccessible mountain country, and joins the Warragamba about twenty
miles to the southward of Emu plains. This course of the Cox could be
traced by the surveyors only by scrambling on foot, or by following out
the several extremities of the mountain ranges which abut upon its rocky
channel.

MOUNT WALKER.

Mount Walker overlooks that part of the Cox which is crossed by the new
line of road. The summit of this hill consists of a dark grey felspar. At
its base and in the bed of the river is trap, which appears to be the
principal rock of the country to some distance beyond the river.

SOLITARY CREEK.

The road reaches at three miles from the Cox a small brook, named
Solitary Creek, which waters a valley where an inn was then building.
This is the first rivulet falling towards the interior country, all the
other streams previously crossed by this road flowing to the eastern
coast; consequently the apparently low ridge between Solitary creek and
Cox's river is there part of what is termed the Coast Range, which
extends from Cape Howe to Cape York, across 33 degrees of latitude.

HONEYSUCKLE HILL.

The road beyond Solitary creek winds around the side of Honeysuckle Hill,
a summit of considerable elevation, consisting of trap-rock. The country
beyond that hill is more open and favourable for road-making. An inn has
been built on a small flat, distant about twenty-three miles from Mount
Victoria, and about halfway between that pass and Bathurst.

STONY RANGE.

The only remarkable feature on the remainder of this line is Stony Range,
distant from Bathurst fourteen miles. It is a ridge of high ground which
traverses the country from north to south and terminates on the Fish
river. The road crosses it at the very lowest part, and where the rock
consists of a dark grey felspar with grains of quartz. The soil is red
and rich, and bears trees of uncommon magnitude. The timber is found
useful by the inhabitants of the Bathurst district, who keep the sawyers
constantly at work there.

PLAINS OF BATHURST.

From Stony Range the plains of Bathurst appear in the distance to great
advantage; the eye of the traveller from Sydney having long sought, in
vain, for some relief from the prospect of so much waste mountainous
country.

THE TOWN.

We reached the open plains of Bathurst, six miles from the settlement. I