Government House, and the beautiful Botanic Gardens, which adjoin the public park, known as the Domain, and run down to the shore; past Macquarie Point and Wooloomooloo; past Rushcutter's Bay, and past the charming Rose Bay, to the steep escarpment of the North and South Heads, where the Pacific comes rolling up its breakers. On the return journey we went as far as Cockatoo Island in the Parramatta River, one of the most westerly of the many picturesque islands scattered within the harbour. Here are the Government docks, originally constructed by convicts; for Cockatoo Island was formerly a penal settlement. In the last year or two the docks have been very much extended, and shipbuilding is now carried on on a large scale.
At the colliery of Balmain coal-mining is carried on at a great depth below the harbour. It was growing late when we returned to our starting-point, but the evening light was loveliest of all on Kirribilli Point above which a crescent moon was hanging.
