Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 1.djvu/400

 288 EXPLORATION. 1788 Hawkesbury are peculiarly interesting from the fact that, 16 May. at the time he wrote, both mountains and river were mere subjects for conjecture, nothing being known about either. In going to examine a cove near the entrance of the harbour sheu Cove. (Shell Cove), I found a passage with deep water into a branch of the harbour that runs to the north-west, and finding, on examining, that there was a run of fresh water that came from the westward, I went a few days after to examine the source. I landed with four days' provisions, several officers, and a small party of marines, and found to the northward of this part of the harbour a large Lake lake, which we examined, though not without great labour, for it Narrabeen. .^ g^rrounded With a bog and a large marsh, in which we were frequently up to our middle. Here we saw a black swan ; it was Black swan, larger than the common swan, and when it rose, after being fired at, the wings appeared to be edged with white ; there is some red on the bill, and it is a noble bird. With great labour, in three days we got round the swamps and marshes from which all the freshwater drains that this harbour is supplied with. The country we passed through when we left the low grounds Rocky was the most rocky and barren I ever saw, the ascending and country. descending of the mountains being practicable only in particular places, but covered with flowering shrubs. And when about fifteen Blue miles from the sesrcoast we had a very fine view of the mountains Mountains 1^1^^^^ the northernmost of which I named Carmarthen Hills and the southernmost Landsdown Hills ; a mountain between I called Richmond Hill* ; and, from the rising of these mountains, I did Search for not doubt but that a large river would be found, in search of which I set off the 22nd of April, with six days' provisions. We were eleven officers and uien, and landed near the head of the Parramatta. harbour ; here the country was good, but we soon came to a close cover that we endeavoured for some time to get through, but were obliged to return, and the next day passed this cover by keeping along the banks of a small creek for about four milea The three following days we proceeded to the westward, finding the country of Pitt's Secretaries of State ; the Marquis of Lansdowne is better known in history as the Earl of Shelbume, Prime Minister in 1782-3, and created Marquis in 1784. Richmond Hill was so named either after the Duke of Richmond, then Master-General of the Ordnance, or after Richmond Hill on the Thames ; but Phillip usually named places after well-known states- men of his time. a nver. Digitized by Google
 * The Marquis of Caermarthen, eldest son of the Duke of Leeds, wajs one