The age-herald., 1900-03-18

One of the most roeautiful portions of New South Wales, if not of australia, is that watered by the Clarerc So called after the duke of that name, ill the north- ern part of the colony. "Tne Lovely Clar- ence," as the settlers along the banks of the magnificent stream are prouC to call it, is the noblest stream of nG3le family. 1t is the highway of traffic for an inn mense tract of remarkably productive country, and the principal avenue of com merce in the most important sugar-Srow- ing district in the colony. Communica- tion with Sydney is chiefly by coastal steamer, the North Coast company, of which the Hon. John See, M P, colonial secretary and minister of defence who represents Grafton, the metropolis of the district, is the managing director, having an excellent fleet of steamers engaged in the trade, a tri-weekly service between Sydney and Grafton, and towns which dot the river bank being maintained all the year round. From the heads, forming the entrance to the Clarence, to Grafton is a pleasant run of about forty miles through scenery of the most entertaining character. The broad expanse of the Clar- enoe, here running out into an arm eight or nine miles wide, and little further on narrowing down to a mile, fully justtfies the pride the farmers take in their mag nificent stream. The rich alluvial flats, with their waving fields of sugar cane run ming down to the waters edge, the homes of the farmers all along the banks, the sugar mills, with their huge chimney stacks, the islands, clothed in the most luxuriant semi-tropcal fonage which dot the stream all along it's course, forms one of the prettiest and most satisfying pictures that could be imagined, the scene being completed by the graceful undulating hills, with their virgin forests which skirt the fruitful plains on the river banks. Here the cruel hand of the drought fiend never retards the work of the producer; and the rising of the fioodwaters over the smiling crops of sugar cane does little harm be yond causing some inconvenience to those who have to seek higher ground for the time being, while the inundation brings down a fresh supply of natures fertilizer from the hills, and restores to the land what has been taken from 1t by series of bountiful harvests.
 The rainfall Is plentiful, averaging about 100 inches in the course of a twelve-month, while, save for about four months in the year-two at the height of summer and two at the depths of winter-the climate is spring-like, and vegetation of all kinds thTives the year round. The farmers homes are the embodiment of comfort one never sees the bark humpy on the Clar- ence, and there are tumble-down COW sheds or dilapidated barns. The houses themselves rather pretenious and am- bilious. Mostly of weatherboard, with iron roof, the farmer takes a pride In his house, just as he does in the river, which he con- siders his own; the plot of garden is well kept and paled off, the house Is painted, for the double purpose of preserv- ing 1t and adding to its air of comfort. and if there are any barns or cowsheds which may in the course of time become eyesores, by reason of their state of disrepair, they are judiciously out of the range of vision from the front yerandah Grafton is a city that one would expect to find in picture book and one that is seldom come across in real life. It lies right down on the northern bank of the river, and spreads across the river under the name of South Grafton. its streets are all avenues, most ly two chains wide with a grove of trees on either side, leaving a clear drive of about a chain in the middle of the street, and of 12 to II feet between each curb and the trees There Is an air of prosperity in