The Washington times., 1901-08-25
PICTURESQUE AUSTRALIA.
Some of the Many Scenic SplendOrs
of New South Wales.
Beauty Spots of Nature Overlooked
by the Average TOurist-The Cara
Falls and the Ravine BcIOw-The
Towering PfnnncIes-Scarred Hills

Towering Pinnacles-ScarredH Hills
Australians are far from being famil-
lar with the scenic beauties of the
country in which they live. while to the
average Old World tourist many are
unknown even by name. In New South
Wales not a few of the most pictur-
esuue regions remain sealed books
to the multitude of holiday makers.
who as a rule, are content with
the numerous beauty spots with
in easy reach of the metrop-
oils. Hence it is that visitors to the
Cara Falls and other romantic portions
of the northern district known as New
England are so limited in number.
The whole of the country there Is
simply vast wonderland, although 1t
may lack some of the stupendous scenic
marvels of New Zealand or America.
1t is the very region for the tourist who
is not afraid OF moderate physical ex-
ercise and can enjoy the pleasures OF
camping out A tourist party would
find a week in the wilder portions of
New England real treat-one produc-
tive of both health and pleasure; and
If any of the party possessed poetic or
scientific tastes they would find plenty
of materials for their notebooks; while
the artist would everywhere discover
suggestions for landscapes of the most
imposing character.
New England is, in fact, country
destined to become possibly in the near
future, one OF the great sanitariums
and tourist resorts of Australia. The
New England district owes much of its
picturesQueness to the broken charac-
ter of the country and the numerous
ravines and waterfalls with which 1t Is
studded. Among these latter the Cara
Falls are far from being the least i'm
pressive or interesting. Had they been
situated In Switzerland they would
have formed a frequent theme for
painter and poet; but placed as they
are, in an out f-the-way part OF the
colony, they have not inspired the muse
of even the inevitable local rhymester
Yet their day Will come, when an Aus
tralian Tom Moore will chant their
many attractions in melodious verse.
They are the very embodiment of the
poetry of Nature, and as one gazes on
the towering walls of cliff and listens
to the rush of the falling waters he be-
gins to realize the secret desire of those
weary of the battle of life to seek some
such place as the neighborhood Of the
Cara Falls in which to dwell, the
world forgetting and by the world for
got" The descent into the ravine into
rr-bs ol,
feet. from crag to crag, with deafen-
ing roar, is somewhat precipitous. but
not too dangerous. Once at the bottom.
the bed of the river seems cut out of
the solid granite, which in one place is
crossed by wide band of black gran
lite. Continuing the journey along the
side of the river, the vegetation be-
and in places SO dense as to impede the
progress of the visitor.
Gradually the smooth granite bed of
the river becomes replaced by multi
tudirous powders, the remains of some
great natural disturbance, and finally,
after continual going up and down
hill. halt is made about a mile from
the Glen. Here the horses are let loose,
the remainder Of the trip being made
on foot. The traveller follows the course
of the river for about half a mile over
granite powders worn spherical by the
wash of centuries. and set in countless
shapes, as If giants had been playing
marbles down the ravine and had been
compelled to leave hurriedly-ttrough
the tall river grass, thickly overgrown
with shrubbery and interspersed with
the beautiful white cedar, bearing
thickly its golden clusters of berries.
Through the huge oaks and over rocky
buttresses of slate. so steep in places
that a chamois hunter would need to
keep his eyes open, and one of the sights
of the place is reached. This Is a solid
perpendicular mass of stone. rising alb
ruptly from the edge OF a slumbering
pool to a height of $50 feet. In the
crevices tiny plants find home, shoot
ing out their foliage with a careless
ness born of the situation. Tier on tier
the rocks rise until their submits seem
to be swimming in a blue haze, while
the dark shadows tinge the pool q mel
ancholy color
AS the path grows more rugged the
hills seem to close in and overshadow
everything with their aggressive per-
sonality.
Long clefts. thickly set with dark
green shrubbery. scar the whole sides
of the hills like the track of a giant fur
row. Bold buttresses of slate hang out
on either side, towering above us with
mejestic solemnity. Next are reached
the PiLnacles, a pair of huge needles,
after the fashion of Cleopatra's mono
18th, but UNNECESSARILY superior in
bulk and altitude. The principal pin
nacle Is over 200 feet high, and is
crowned with a bushy tuft of foliage
like a patch of hair
The course of the river is set with
pools, whose waters TEEN with perch,
catfish. and herring, providing SPLEEN
did fishing grounds for sportsmen. The
whole scene is full of that primitive
majesty so characteristic of Australian
scenery. Rugged, scanned, and scar
red. it seems to bear upon 1t the i'm
press of those fierce internal struggles
which convulsed nature in the days of
her parturition. The sombre scenery
fills one with vague, underlined feel
ing, in which melancholy seems to pre-
dominate: but which stirs the blood of
the beholder with sense of sympathy
between him and his great mother
Nature.
MINE MULES WERE DAZED.
Puzzled by Bright Daylight when
brought Above Ground.