, 1888-02-25

NY Day dS HAS Ue0u SdItIt Oh UDdEu HIS
Majesty's ship Sirius, in the January of
1888, but, finding it unsuitable for his
purpose. pushed forward into the land
locked cove Oh which Sydney now stands,
and hoisted the British fig there for the
first time on Jan. %, 1888. The first
sailor who described what is now Sydney
Harbour from the masthead OF the ship
was named Jackson, and after him the
name of Port Jackson was given to what
is regarded by many rs the finest road
stead and port III the world. B ron Won
Hibner remarks, in his delightful work
''HhrOugh the British e npjre'-to which
80 favourable and appreciAtive a tribute
was paid in 1885 by Lord Granville in u
public speech that Sydney Har 0ur is
said to be- Of Incompatible beauty. This
seems t. me true in the sense that it has
nothing in common with other similar
scenes. More beautiful thaI picturesque,
[ mi ght compare it to the face of a woman
whose features would leave you unmOved,
were it not for the indeSCriDaOle charm
which reflects upon them the soft and
romantic feelings of thu soul. To give an
idea of the size of this harbour, you are
told tn It a boat leaving the entrance by
the Heads and following all the little wind
lngS and indentltiOnS Of the bays, would
have t. traverse more than 400 miles
before returning to its starting point
The nature Of the scenery enclosing the
waters Of sydney Harbour, IS said by
an ,ther traveller to be "inexpressibIy pic.
tureSque." Thirty-twO bays divided by
p"omOntOrieS give to he haven one Of its
most striking Observation-Disclosures
variety. From the rich foliage, lining the
inlet throughout it's entire length, clusters
of white villas peep out surrounded by
green slopes and splendid trees. With
the increase OF Sydney as d seat Of com
merCe some decay in the beauty Of its
majestic halboar will inevitably follow.
The husineS portions Of the capital Of
New South Wales adjoining the water are
already said to resemble the confines Of
the Thames in the neighbOurhOOd If tho
docks. Yet it was Of Sydney II ,rbour, az
seen in 1872, that Anthony TrOll0pe lie
clared his powers To DC wholly intlequatH
to the task of describing it. Il have seen
nothing equal to it in thu way of Land lock
cd scenery. Dublin Bay, Sprzzia, Now
York, and the Cove Of Cork are pictu-
RESCUE in the extreme, but not equal to
Sydney in shape, colour, aud variety. |
have never seen Naples, Rio J~NneirO, aud
Lisbon, but from dc ,criptlonS and pictures
l am led to believe that none Of hem pos
SeSSeS such II world Of lOyelineSS as lies
in Sydney Harbour" We are told, now
ever, that the metropolis OF Ne1y South
Wales bears no comparison as regards
fine buildings and broad streets win it's
younger iSter-MelbOurne-which is cOm-
pared by Mr.. Douglas NJ. Cane % a
"ContinentaI city teaming with excite
ment, colour, and worldly pleasure The
"beau monde" Of Sydney is seen to adYan-
tage in George street on u fine afternoon,
where fAShionably dressed ladies and
Sm lrtly-tttirAd gen lemen Aboun |. D,tti
cult is it to imagine that on this day one
hundred years ago Clptain Phillip landed
there with his $50 cOnvictS. fDr whose
permanent residence he deemel Bottny Bay
unsuitable. Yet Melbourne, which is less
than fifty years Old, already leaves the sis
ter capital SOmrWhat behind in the race.
Melbourne is, indeed, the Chicago Of the
south. Built in square blocks, her streets
are in pairs, the larger being oft. and
the lesser 55ft. in width, as they were
laid out in 1887 by Mr.. HoddIe, her far
seeing surveyor. In the centre of the
city stand some Of the most substantial
and costly ediices in the wOrld-the
Gothic Cathedral, the Town Hall, the Gov
rnmen House, and the Houses Of ParIia-
meut. To become acquainted with the
inhabitants of Melbourne the stranger has
bu, to SauAter along BOurke aud Collins
streets, when the special Colonial charac-
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