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prosperity of the colony," announced his intention to grant to Evans a pecuniary reward, and one thousand acres of land in Van Diemen's land whither he was to proceed as Deputy-Surveyor. In the same Order, the Governor was

"happy to embrace this opportunity of conveying his acknowledgments to Gregory Blaxland and William Charles Wentworth, Esqs., and Lieut. William Lawson, of the Royal Veteran Company, for their enterprising and arduous exertions on the tour of discovery which they voluntarily performed, being the first Europeans who accomplished the passage over the Blue Mountains The Governor, desirous to confer on these gentlemen substantial marks of his sense of their meritorious exertions, means to present each of them with a grant of 1000 acres of land in this newly-discovered country."

Macquarie visited the new territory, and conferred pardons upon convicts who had the honour of assisting to convey supplies for the use of his suite. Convict labour was devoted to making a road across the Blue Mountains. It was opened in April 1815. Macquarie fixed upon Bathurst as the site of a town. Many colonists sent sheep and cattle to the park-like forests and plains on the watershed of the interior. But whither did those western waters flow? A band of eight convicts thought their course must be to the east coast, and in October 1815, started from Windsor on their way to New Guinea. Skulking near the main road, and avoiding exposure at Bathurst, they followed downwards the Macquarie river. Reduced to utmost want they were sustained by the kind offices of the natives, who fed them, and in response to signs, guided them to Bathurst. Emaciated almost to death, most of them reached the settlement, but for some time barely clung to life. Such account as they could give of their wanderings was obtained by the Government, and it whetted public curiosity. Macquarie determined that the rivers Lachlan and Macquarie, named after himself, should be traced; and in 1817, Oxley, the Surveyor-General, started from Bathurst with a well-equipped party, containing Mr. Allan Cunningham the botanist, and Mr. Parr as mineralogist. They followed the course of the Lachlan until they found themselves on the boundless level surface through which the river (which to their surprise was rising though they had had no rain) lazily meandered in ana-branches amongst which it was difficult to ascertain the main stream. The