THE RIVALS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8523, 30 June 1893, Page 2

THE RIVALS.

MELBOURNE AND SYDNEY AS THEY ARE TO-DAY. By C Napbr Bell. Weekly Press and Referee. Having seen enough of Sydney I toot train on the western line in order to take a view of the interior as fares Bourke. Starting from Red fern station, for the first nine or ten miles there is a succession of towns forming the suburbs, these contain handsome houses and fine villas, surrounded with gardens and shade trees, in which one sees a strange mixture of tropical and temperate plants, the beautiful crimson hybiscus, with palms of different sorts amoujr roses, hawthorn, elm and pine trees. At Parramatta Is the junction oi the line which goes to Newcastle and Brisbane, and beyond this the country is partly cultivated and partly ia pasture, beiug covered with a beautiful sward of grass; several pretty villages are passed, aud the country is watered by many sluggish creeks of dirty-brown water. There are also large patches of original bush. At Penrith there is a fine town, surrounded by a well-cultivated district aud rich soil. Wo cross tho Nepean river, a very pretty stream 250 feet wide, and then we come to the Emu Plains, crossing which we arrive at the foot of the Blue Mountains, thirty-seven miles from Sydney. The line ascends a spur of the hill*, and when the tram has climbed some 400 ft high there is a beautiful view of the Emu Plains and the groac expanse of level country extending as far an the eye can reach towards the aea. In the distance the country looks as if covered with bush, ridgo upon ridge, but near byit ia seen to be cultivated and occupied with Jdnurrrecablo orchards of orange, lemony vines, and fields of maize, lucerne, sorg#f^&_. ascends very steeply and with very sharp curves, the gradients 30,1 iv 33, and lin 66. Here was forni-OBAbe first Zig Zug, but the Commissioner > ,aye diverted the line and dono away with it". The works on this ascent are very heavy, the immense lons cuttings being all iv rock, with many viaducts in stone and brick, and lofty embankments. As we get higher the mountain assumes the appearauce of a plateau or table-land, scored and cut into by very deep gullies, so tbat the ridges are nearly level and very crooked. The Hue keeps to one ridge, and winds among a maze of ridges and gullies densely wooded with gum bush. At Springvvood we are at a height of I_oo feet, and the air ia already fresh and cool; this is a pretty township, surrounded with clearings out of the forest, in which oranges and lemons are cultivated. As we rush through the woods we see cottages peeping through clearings; small farms nere and there with maize, potatoes, pumpkins, melons, and oranges, and we pass a picnic party, where hundreds of children are being feasted aud amused in v little vale among the bush. At Falconbridge we pass Sir H. Parkes's villa, and at Linder, 1730 feet high, we have a fiuo view of wooded gullies and long rocky ridges gently rising towards the north. From here the line runs along a labyrinth of ridges with deep wooded gullies on both sides; for seventeen miles the line runs along a moderately sharp ridge gently rising toward the west, and the old coach road runs beside the railway. There are a few villages and cottages, but the soil is poor and the bush thick. The rock is sandstone and the strata are nearly level. At Wentworfeh Falls we are 2810 feet above the sea; here is a pretty village built on a small flat surrounded with deep gullies, with a fine view over a wooded country. To the south-west appears the town of Lawson, on the same level, two miles off, and a semicircular ridge enclosing a deep wooded valley shows i he course the railway takes on top of the ridge from this town to tbat. Here we see trim orchards of apricots, peaches, apples, &c, and grass fields and cottager all surrounded by the bush. As we approach KatoombaweseetotheHOUth-westttvaatdc-pression.as if the bottom had dropped out of the plateau. This depression is surrounded like an amphitheatre with lofty cliffs, and on the other side, ten miles off, the rusty red cliffs are seen among the mass of bush, while a thin bluelsh ha_e partly hides the bottom of this immense valley, which must be 1500 feet lower than the ridge on which the railway runs. Katoombals a scattered village built on a commaudine; rid_e jutting out towards the deep valley mentioned above; there are here some veiy grand hotels, as this is tho favourite resort of Sydney people seeking to avoid the heats of summer;- 1 the elevation being 3450 ft, the air is delightfully fresh and cool, creeks and running water are seen everywhere, not brown and sluggish, as is usual In Australia 5 but clear, sparkling, briskly- j flowing creeks. The village Is built to suit the peculiarities of the site, the streets running along the top of the ridge, with cottages and gardens on the slopes, and the cleared land gives a fine view of a great expanse of level bush, and the tops of distant hills rising above the ridges. As we steam past Katoomba, we see glimpses through the buah of the vast depression to the south; at a great depth down, a town i 9 seen, and cultivations aod open spaces among the imposing masa of bush which we are looking down.on from this great height. Iv some places the jagged cliff* which enclose this depression, are close to the railway, and from the carriages you can see over the precipices. We also pass a mine where bituminous shale is procured, ana there are great piles of it. along the railway, waiting to be sent to Sydney. Great quantities of this shale are found in different parts of New South Wales, and. command a roady sale for enriching the illuminaliog power of coul £ as - . , ' ■- . „. Again steaming along on our winding ridge we reach the town of Blackheath, situated on a prominent ridge in a clearing surrounded by bush. It has one street of shops and many scattered cottages and villas all round, with fine gardens and fruit trees; here there is a brewery to take advantages of the fine mountain streams, and a long grass lawn or narrow sort of park faces the railway with rows of seats.

Before arriving at Mount Victoria, we enjoy a grand view of the Jamteson Val)ey,whlch drains towards the Hawkesbury river; the valley is bounded by vast precipices of red sandstone, and makes magnificent breaks into the lofty tableland on which we are. Mount Victoria is a pretty village with some fine hotels; placed on commanding ridges, there are cottages,orchards and gardens surrounded by the eternal bush, and this is tho culmination of the line, the height being 8560 ft. We see here the reason for calling these the Blue mountains, the distant ridges covered with bush are a fine slateblue. The air here is very cool at this time and must be cold In winter, the children look rosy and healthy, and among the many specimens of mountain beauties we saw one who ia acknowledged to have no equal, and is poetically called tho Blue mountain parrot, a pet name which the young men of the mountains swear by, and will not suffer to be used lightly. We then pass through a dense bush to Hartley Vale, which is a pretty settlement with some cultivated land round it, and treat "piles of shale ready to bo Bent to ydney. After this the country gets very rocky with deep ravines bordered by precipices. At Clarence siding is a settlement with a saw mill and small gardens among the damp bush. This is at a height of 3650 feet. We pass through a long tunnel and then come abruptly to the edge of a precipice beyond which is a very deep valley/and lower country to the west. This is the Western Zigzag, and the railway here turns back and descends up a rocky narrow ravine at a gradient of 1 in 42; this descent terminates iv a level portion, and the line again descends down the ravine, then coming to another level part, it descends up the ravine, and the last portion it descends down the ravine, and proceeds onwards towards the west, Looking at the succession of switchbacks on the steep .flank of the rocky creek, the line has an imposing appearance, as it erosaes some lofty and elegant viaducts, and is in places retained by high walls. At the foot of the Zigzag is toe settlement of Lithgow, grimy with smoke from the chimneys of numerous coal mines. Here the beds of coal either outcrop or are not far below the surface, and they are covered with the great beds of sandstone which form the mountain mass over which we had come. This great sandstone mountain contains much wealth in its numerous coal and shale deposits which* are found over a very wide range of country. - Beyond Lithgow there is a fine open valley partly, cultivated and partly covered with good pasture, here we saw very long grains loaded with coal and others with sheep; the valley with its village and cottages, its grassy uplands, gardens, and orchards, summuded with dark wooded hills, makes a very .pretty landscape. We then pass through a wooded, hilly district, and again open out a country of lovely hills and vales, covered with rich pasture and dotted over with scattered trees, making the park-like scenery so characteristic of Australia. At Ttr_!!_--, _•__,_. if\w .____ ___..« _■

names!) is a fine open S lug village of brick andJ^ d .n o gsc 8 dulatlne grass fields JFJ n dhXJ« #& eorered with sheep, ca_W * n « worses. The train flies through thj__fe 0a 1,."^ d n * n . d pretty country past roJft« 8«W downs, with cottages and ferJKj^"'"J l "..» chiefly grown, then th*f#| wooded hilly valleys, out again iut»ide rolling pasture land with thick bV_Lon the distant hills, pant several pret™HK__WSes» t hen over a fine iron "X the Mocquarrie river, and pull up sBUm t( > w » of Bathurst at 145 miles from Sy_Wb', aud 2150 ft above the aea. . This is a beautiful town, built iHIWj| geutty rising slopes of the river with fin* streets, shops, public bulldiugs, aud churches, and scattered all round it are villas, cottages, and mansions, surrouuded by boautiful gardens. The valley is seven or eight mil*.* wide, and Is bouuded by grassy rolling dowu9. This is a very fertile district, where much wheat, potatoes, maize, and lucerne hay is grown. The river winds through this fine valley, its course marked by weeping willow, poplar, and native trees. Passing through fine grassy and cultivated country with several comtortabje looking villages, we come to George's plains, which consist oi high wooded ridges, grassy uplands aud vales, with a Sod deal of cultivation round scattered ■m cottages. Ascending a long and high ridge, covered with forest, at the top of it we have a fine view of roiling hilly laud stretching ahead, aod ou either hand, for a great distance apparently all bush, but really having much open grass land among it, In fact the bush iv Australia has the great advantage of having pasture grass all throt'gh it, so that pasture Is combined with shade and shelter. As we keep ascending we pass through bush with occasional opeuings, Iv which are a few desolate-looking cottages aud bark huts, this plateau being hilly and grassy bush. In the deep cuttings by which the railway passes through the long ridges, the rocks are seen to be slatey sandstone, or soft slate and shales. We pass through grassy rolling land with oush-covered hills in the distance, along i some fine open valleys with villages and farms, aud arrive at the town of Blaney, 1 17-miles from Sydney and 2800 feet above the sea. This is a small but prosperous agricultural town in the centre of a good district. All round it are grassy bills and vales, with tho ridges covered with bush. Ac Blaney there it a branch live going towards the south-west to the town of Young, 100 miles from Blaney. Youugisa very rich district, but It is far lower and hotter than Biauey, situated iv the plains at the foot of the Blue Mountain*. From Blaney the country becomes more level ana cultivate-. There are many villages, the country is undulating low ridges, with fine grass and wooded hills iv the distance. At 8 p.m. we arrive at Orauge, 102 miles, and 2840 feet high. This is a flourishing town with several fine streets, in which are some good buildings, flue shops, large hotels, aud two or three handsome churches. All the buildings are of brick, as are almost all the towns and villages I have seen in N.S.W. I stayed a day here to look at the town and the country, the latter has some, but not a large amount oi cultivation; maize, wheat, oats, potatoes and hay, being tho chief crops. I was astonished at the great quantity of hay which is seen in stacks allaloug the railway, almost all of which Is sent to Sydney. There is fine pasture all round Orauge, and at this time, the hottest pare of the summer, it i* fresh and greeu. This is the prettiest country I have seen on this route ; round about the town are many cottages and farm bouses, and a few villas surrounded with lawns, gardens and groves of trees. The country has apparently not been long cleared, as the Acids are still encumbered with dead ring-barked gum trees; the air is dellciously fresh and cool, and the sky without a cloud. Leaving Orange we pass through many miles of tine country among orchards, and fields of grass, rape and lucerne. All along the line within the railway fences I there is a brilliant display of sunflowers and hollyhocks. We steam at the rate of forty-five miles au hour through long stretches of open bush with good grass below aud cattle grazing among the trees. The air is fresh and cold aud the sun rising unclouded casts long shadows among tho grassy bush. The sleeping car people begin to feel the fresh morning air, and frowsy uncombed heads of men and women are thiust out of the windows yawning and stretching. As we fly along, the country imperceptibly chauges, it softens down, the rolling flats are wider and shallower, tHo ridges longer and lower; we aro still over 2000 ft above tho sea and as wo sweep rapidly' through the bush I get a glimpse down an immensely long wooded aud gently falling valley of the far distant plains of the west steeped in a fine transparent blue haze. We pass several stations round which are a few cottages aud bark huts, but cultivation and settlement is evidently diminishing. We pass ton or twelve miles of dry rocky bush, then come again to park-like glades, and rolling laud, v sweetly pretty country, in this fresh, cool air and brilliant sunshine. At Wellington, 248 miles and 905 feet high, we are getting down now to the Kluins. This is a pretty village of good rick houses and, as usual, surrounded by cottages arnidnt groves of acacia and pepper tree; there are wooded hills surrounding a fine vale of rich gross, with some cultivation In lucerne and other crops; the soil is dark red and appears very rich. After this we pass over the Macquarie river, 180 feet wide, with the water standing lv pools, separated by sandy beds, and then pass through scattered bush and wide grass fields, in which are many haystacks and a few farm cottages; the boautiful sweeping uplands are ploughed, showing the dark red soli, and there are many dne fields Of dcop green lucerne. All round Is bush in the distance, and the grass on the rolling ridges gives a whitey-brown colour to the country. This is a beautiful part of the country, cottages aro seen all along with verandah* densely shaded with vines ana Eassion flower; some have walks or owcrs leading from the house door to the garden gate covered over .with vines, and in tho gardens are sunflower*, hollyhocks, fig, quince, peach, apricot and mulberry trees. I saw, also, large patches of pumpkins, melons, maize and lucerne. The water supply appears to come from several email dams containing dirty brown water. At Murrumbidgerie is a small village on flat gently rolling country covered with scattered trees aud fine grass of.whitey brown colour: tho soil is a rich dark red loam', the land looks very dry, but there is abundance of grass in the form of natural hay. Here the mouotony of .he eternal gum bush begins to be relieved by groves of native pines which grow tall and straight with a conical form like Noah's Ark trees, and this tree is said to indicate good soil, still there is no lack of gum trees, in fact, the great eucalyptus family has taken Sossession of Australia., and nothing can itlodge it. Oue often hears of the danger of drought from disforesting a country; but Australia, the land of droughts, is all covered with bush or scrub of one kind or another.

At Dubbo, 278 miles and 865 feet abovo the sea, we are now on the great plains of the interior. This is a- large scattered town on a flat plain covered with open grassy bosh, above which appears a long ridge of bushy hills to the SwW. The brick houses aro surrounded by pleaiant gardens, and a wide expense of cleared land separates the town from the endless bush.

The temperataro is now pleasantly warm,'the sky is bale blue flecked with eloudsj and a balmy breeze tempers the glaring sunshine. Dubbo ia an important town at the centre of a large pastoral district ; it has many good streets and fine buildings and enjoys the luxury of gas. The soil is dark red and looks very rich : the country is flat but gently rolling, and covered with abundance of whifcey brown grass, It looks very dry and there fa aa water in the creeks.