'It used to be called Oxley Paddox, but I didn't like that, so I changed the name to Torp Towers.

He bought Oxley Paddox some time ago and promptly re-christened it Torp Towers.

" The descent was attended with many perils: Oxley says that at one period he would willingly have compromised for the loss of one-third of the horses to ensure the safety of the remainder.

Finnegan put in an appearance the next day, and Oxley naturally took the opportunity to question them as to the knowledge they had gained of the surrounding country during their enforced stay in it.

After a few aimless and unprofitable ramblings, they made their way again to Oxley's Tableland, and Sturt and Hume, with two men, made a journey to the west, with only a negative result.

Oxley's Tableland.

Examinations of Port Macquarie and the River Hastings in company with the Lady Nelson, colonial brig, and assisted by Lieutenant Oxley, R.N., the Surveyor-general of the Colony. Leave Port Macquarie.

As it was my intention to take the northerly passage through Torres Strait, I proposed, in my way up the East Coast, to examine Port Macquarie; and, in order that his Excellency the Governor might be informed of the result of our proceedings as soon as possible, Lieutenant Oxley, R.N., the Surveyor-general of the colony, accompanied me in the Lady Nelson, colonial brig.

The next morning we anchored off Port Macquarie; and whilst the Lady Nelson was beating up to an anchorage Lieutenant Oxley accompanied me in the whale-boat to examine the entrance.

At first they kept aloof until approached by Lieutenant Oxley, whom they soon recognised: after a short interview in which they appeared to place the greatest confidence in all our movements, we ascended the hill to observe the channel over the bar; the water of which was so clear that the deepest part was easily seen.

And on the 14th Lieutenant Oxley and Mr. Roe accompanied me in one of our boats upon the examination of the river.

About two miles higher, at King's River,* Lieutenant Oxley landed and recognised his former tracks which were now much overgrown and nearly effaced; the marks of the axe were, however, sufficiently evident for us to follow them for half a mile along the banks of the river, when we re-embarked, and continued our course upwards.

This Bluff is a remarkable hill, and is distinctly seen from the coast: its position was fixed by Mr. Oxley on his last journey, who passing within a few miles, rode to its summit to gain a view of the country, which he described as very extensive and beautiful, and as having abundantly repaid him for his labour.

On reaching the offing Lieutenant Oxley embarked in the Lady Nelson to return to Port Jackson, and soon afterwards the two vessels parted company.

It is on this hill that the penal settlement of Port Macquarie is now built, the situation having been selected at the recommendation of Lieutenant Oxley.

A very great advantage attending the settling of this part is its free communication with the interior, and with that vast space of fine country situated between Lieutenant Oxley's Track on the parallel of 30 degrees, and Bathurst.

The description of the interior of New South Wales is so foreign to my object, and so irrelevant to the subject before me that I must entreat the indulgence of my reader for this digression; and return to the Mermaid, already described as having left the port and parted company with the Lady Nelson, conveying my friend Lieutenant Oxley to Port Jackson, and leaving us to resume our voyage.

Lieutenant Oxley has since (1823) discovered this to be the case, for he found a stream emptying itself into the sea, by a bar harbour close to Point Danger.

Lieutenant Oxley called it the Tweed.)

Lieutenant Oxley, in his late expedition to Moreton Bay (1823), found reason to doubt whether the pine that he found in the Brisbane River was the Araucaria excelsa of Norfolk Island.)

We left South-West Bay on the 18th at daybreak; but from light airs made so little progress that it was not until the following afternoon that we passed between McCluer's and New Year's Islands; between the latter and Oxley's Island we passed over two coral banks, separated from each other by a deep channel.

A native's fire that was burning on Oxley's Island served to fix the position of this last bank.

There is an anchorage behind Black Head to the north of Point Stevens which Lieutenant Oxley discovered to be an island; Port Macquarie also affords shelter for small vessels; and on the north side of Smoky Cape there is good shelter from southerly or south-easterly winds: but the whole of these, excepting Broken Bay, are only attainable by small vessels.

TRIAL BAY, so named by Lieutenant Oxley, who anchored in it on a second expedition to examine Port Macquarie previous to its being settled, is a convenient roadstead during southerly winds: it is situated on the north side of Smoky Cape, and affords an anchorage in three fathoms, protected from the sea as far as North-East by East.

In addition to the account of this bay by Captain Flinders,** Lieutenant Oxley has lately discovered the Brisbane, a very fine fresh water river that falls into it in 27 degrees 25 minutes latitude, abreast of the strait between Moreton Island and Point Lookout. (*Footnote.