Sydney, Friday morning, July 15/98.

Yesterday, Thursday, morning I arose soon after 7, had breakfast, & at 10 past 8 set off driving to view the celebrated sights of New South Wales, & our first view was Govett’s Leap,[1] reaching there 9:30. This is a most wonderful sight, viewed from a projecting precipice, safely fenced with galvanized rods, & it needs such. You look down into a gorge many hundreds of feet, one mass of forest, & the trees look like small bushes around a rock far above the point of view, & waterfalls here & there, gave the locality a charm that is fascinating to behold. Oh, the natural beauty here, & the vast area over which the eye can reach comprehends a world in itself, paths cut out of the rocks to reach various points to view, & seats here & there, & a neat little shelter house for picnic parties. The quietness here too is a feature amid such a vast scene, such silence, but for the many notes & calls of birds. Reminds one that the Almighty who created the wonders [5:59] of the universe works in silence & moves in a mysterious way. It was simply grand to look upon.

We, the driver & myself, next made onward to the falls of Leura which we reached 11:30, & here again were many points of view, each carefully protected & notice boards with warnings against danger. To see these falls & sights, it is necessary to descend by zig zag paths & steps, over 900, & at stages stand & view. I did not venture to the bottom, but satisfied myself with going a long way down, bearing in mind the after effects of climbing steps, an experience always vivid on my memory, & as I had climbed about Govett’s Leap & had yet another view to see. I took the best mind photos of these lovely falls & views that were obtainable from my vantage points, & these were a feast enough to grasp, the enormity of space is amazing & the many wonderful distinctions of nature, so marvellous to behold, does indeed inspire one’s thoughts as tho’ these great sights were the voice of God speaking to the beholder. I was delighted to have been an eye witness of such wonders. There is also a tree on the edge of a great precipice, called “Echo Tree”, & shouting across the great gorge you hear a very rich echo, but not so grand as the echo at Ilkley[2] on Ben Rhydding road. Mary will know it. Now, just here let me recur to a little incident during my stay at the Imperial Hotel, Mount Victoria, the previous night. After dinner & during the writing up of my journal in the drawing room, a young couple, who were travellers in the same carriage on the Tuesday going upwards, they got out at Mount Victoria & were going to stay a week (Honeymoon). They had been viewing (& had a camera too) Mount Piddington, which I mentioned in my last writing under date 13th. I met them on the Mount, & down in the Dell they were going to photo the “fall”. I couldn’t as it was too shady down below. He gave a 15 seconds exposure on tripod. Well, on exchanging our impressions on the scenes, there was one point where a rock overhangs the great Dell, & on it is a fine extensive view, both beyond & below, & whilst I was gazing from it, my mind reverted to the Cow & Calf[3] at Ilkley, only the position of the rock, I mean. [5:60] She observed that whilst they had stood there, it put her in mind of the Cow & Calf at Ilkley, & I said that whilst I stood on it I had the very same feeling as I had been on the Cow & Calf a few times. The only thing I missed was the beautiful scroll & scripture sentences on the Cow & Calf, which is said to have been carved by one who had no hopes of recovery, & these recorded his hopes for others to read of the future beyond. Singular this little incident, wasn’t it!!

Now to go on with my journeyings, the many winding paths beneath huge overhanging rocks, dripping water through fine ferns, here & there startled by looking down through cliffs into gorges where you hear in the dead silence the running water, makes the mind enlarged & fills it with an awfulness that is simply & delightfully grand. Willie can tell Mr. Crumplen, Cadbury’s representative, that at one of the resting places, & there are many, at some of which are brick erected fire places with bar across & hooks suspended on which the frequenters (& they go on holidays from Sydney by thousands) hang their “Billy” can to boil water. Well, at one of these places, there was a Cadbury’s 9 ½ oz. cocoa essence tin. This brought me very nigh home, you may be sure, & by the way, he will please convey my kind regards to him. Before leaving Leura Falls, I took a photo of Linder Rock. The sun shone lovely upon it, but the “fall” was too shady & I could not have got a good picture, but this view I took will serve to remember & illustrate the spot to you (I got a pretty view of one of the falls at Govett’s Leap. I omitted to say this before closing my description of it).

We next drove to Wentworth Falls, passing soon after leaving Leura through a very pretty little town of Katoomba, where there is a beautiful building, the Carrington Hotel, on a fine elevation, a fine drive, chiefly through bush. In fact for 3 miles it was bush. In reality just space enough between trees for a conveyance to travel & by no means good road, & during this portion of journey, soon after passing Leura Village, [5:61] the driver (I now had a carriage & pair. The horse we started with was too heavy & the man engaged another conveyance at Katoomba, as we passed through, to take me on my journey) pointed out to me on the road side & on the face of lime stone rock a very singular geological freak of nature called The Leura Shark.[4] 2 veins of ironstone running a great length, 40 or more feet, & slightly projecting out from the face of lime stone, clearly defined, & a pool of clear spring lime water has been cut out of the face for horses & cattle to drink. It was interesting to see this. We arrived at the Wentworth Falls[5] at 12:35 – marvellous scenery here, & the finest water fall I’ve seen. The photo I got does not take in the upper half. Oh, it was a sight worth travelling far to see, & the many points, all of which are protected, from which to view gives you, whilst changing from point to point, other & different views of vast areas of forest extending away for miles, & the beauty is, you over look all, not one obstruction for distances I could not guess or measure by sight, must be seen to get an idea of its vastness. I was charmed again with Wentworth Falls & being all alone at every & all these places I viewed with no-one to commune with but simple lovely inspiring nature, gave me something to think about, I assure you. I do feel proud to have had such a view of God’s handy work. Truly the Earth is lovely & the works of nature meet praise for mankind. I wish I had ability to do justice in describing these scenes, but here is where my inability comes in & small do I feel my mind. I ought to have lunched here at the hotel & I had a 2/6 coupon for the same, but I dwelt upon the scenes too long & on reaching the top there was just time enough to get comfortably to [5:62] Wentworth Station & get the 1:44 for Sydney. At the station I had hoped to get some refreshment, but not even an apple could be had. I dismissed my driver, giving him money to call at the first hotel, he on his way [sic] & refresh himself. I had an hour’s ride before a station where refreshments could be had was reached, so at Penrith, 5 minutes is given, & I had sandwiches & a cup of coffee.

Our journey, of course, was the same line as was traversed on Tuesday, through the lovely country near the Blue Mountains, then eventually through the Blue Mountains. Then coming out of the tunnel, the vast Emu Plains open out. A really grand sight & for vastness incomprehensible. Next we cross the beautiful Nepean River, & then into orange & lemon & lime growing country as far as Paramatta, & here I broke my journey for half hour & went to shake hands & say goodby[e] to Mr. & Mrs. Kedge (Mr. Lawson’s daughter). Both were in, & pleased at my thoughtfullness [sic], as they expressed it. Mr. Kedge walked back to the station, about 8 minutes’ distance. He is a fine noble looking man, 6 feet 3 ½ inches high & fairly proportionate. I told you Paramatta was a fine old place, has a fine river, the Paramatta, & boats go daily excursions up to Paramatta from Sydney, Circular Quay.

I got to Lewisham soon after 5 & spent a very pleasant, happy, quiet, restful night chatting & retailing the events since leaving them on Monday last.

Friday morning, 10:30. I’ve just finished the for[e]going & am now going to prepare for the city, calling en route on Mrs. Tolson & the Woods, who have flitted [5:63] to the shop house, & not a great distance from the Tolsons, so now I will leave off for the present. While it occurs to me, I often think you will be saying, he never mentions this & that & so on, but if there be anything that suggests such a thought or wonder to you I err unconsciously & maybe I can answer your questions viva voice – so mote it be!!![6]

[1] “Govett” was a surveyor. He was involved in the early survey work of the Blue Mountains, NSW. The word “Leap” is Scottish for waterfall or cataract.

[2] Town in West Yorkshire, England

[3] Perched on Ilkley Moor above the spa town of Ilkley, the “Cow” is a large outcrop of Millstone Grit, the “Calf” being a smaller bolder at its foot.

[4] Sketch inserted here.

[5] Wentworth Falls

[6] A ritual phrase used by freemasons meaning, “So may it be.”