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332 NEW SOUTH WALES important are Port Stephens, Port Hunter, Port Jackson, Botany bay, Jervis bay, and Twofold bay. The principal ranges of moun- tains are the interior ranges, the great dividing chain, and the coast ranges. The former lie near the western boundary of the colony, and form the western watershed of the Darling river; the loftiest elevation is Arrowsmith, 2,000 ft. The great dividing chain extends throughout the whole length of the E. and S. E. coasts of Australia, and forms the main watershed of the country. It consists of seven main branches, viz. : the New England range, highest point Ben Lomond, 5,000 ft. ; the Liverpool range, highest point Oxley's peak, 4,500 ft. ; the Blue mountain, Oullarin, Gou- rock, and Maneroo ranges ; and the Muniong range, highest point Kosciusko, 7,176 ft. All this series is connected with the Cordillera, di- viding the E. and W. watersheds. The coast ranges lie E. of the great dividing chain, and parallel to it for a considerable distance. They generally form the edge of the elevated table land upon which lies the great dividing chain. The loftiest peak is Mount Seaview, 6,000 ft. The space between the mountains and the sea has an undulating wooded surface, broken by spurs from the mountain range, and in some places covered with dense brushwood. The ground to the west continues rugged and mountainous for a considerable width, and at last assumes the form of an elevated pla- teau, a great part of which remains unexplored. Several considerable rivers rise on the W. side of the mountains, but have only the first part of their course in New South Wales. The more important are the Murray, Murrumbid- gee, Lachlan, Darling, Bogan, and Macqua- rie. The rivers E. of the mountain range are mostly small, and many of them are dry du- ring part of the year. The chief are the Hawkesbury, Hunter, Macleay, Shoalhaven, Clarence, and Richmond. The prevailing rock on the E. side of the mountains is sandstone, and on the W. granite. Much of the sandstone belongs to the carboniferous system, and there are several workable seams of good coal. The Newcastle field on the Hunter river is ex- cellent, and contains five seams, two of 5 ft. and three of 3 ft. in thickness. This field is worked extensively, and the produce, after supplying colonial demands, is shipped to In- dia, China, and California to supply steamers. Several other fields are known, and one is worked at Wollongong. Iron ore is found in many places, and some of it is worked. Rich copper ore is abundant in and around Wellington district. Fine pebbles are so plentiful in the Hunter river that it is sup- posed in some part of its course to flow over rocks of jasper, agate, opal, and chalcedony. But all these were regarded as comparatively unimportant after the discovery of rich de- posits of gold in May, 1851. Gold has since been found in numerous places throughout the colony, and in the territories both N. and S. of it. Near the frontiers of Victoria, particularly in the counties of Wellesley and Wallace, it oc- curs in several localities ; and N. of these it is met with in several other counties, and is found on the banks of the Macquarie river. There are considerable deposits about the Peel and its tributaries, and also on the Fitzroy river some- what beyond the N. frontier. Australia being in the southern hemisphere, the seasons are the reverse of ours; December is there midsum- mer, and June midwinter. Summer extends over December, January, and February; and the mean heat during these three months is about 80 at noon, tempered by the sea breeze, which begins to blow regularly along the coast about 9 in the morning, and continues till even- ing. The whole colony is subject to hot winds, which are liable to happen three or four times during the summer, and which blow from the northwest, raising the thermometer to 125 when exposed to their influence. These winds seldom last longer than a few hours, and are succeeded by a very heavy squall from the south, generally accompanied by thunder and rain, cooling the atmosphere immediately. At Sydney the average annual temperature is 64 ; that of spring being 65, of summer 72, of autumn 66, and of winter 55, showing an annual average range of the thermometer of 17. The temperature of the country above the mountains is much lower, and at some places snow falls in winter. The annual fall of rain is 52 inches at Port Jackson, and 62 at Port Macquarie. Droughts are frequent, but the climate is both healthful and agreeable, and its influence is highly beneficial in consumptive diseases. For 5 or 6 m. from the seacoast the country is in general barren, the soil being mostly composed of drift sand covered with a stunted vegetation. Some rich and fertile dis- tricts occur at intervals. Further inland well wooded and fertile valleys lie between the hills, but the land on the E. side of the Blue moun- tains is as a general rule much inferior both for agriculture and pasture to that on the W. Above the range it consists of a dry black soil, covered with open forests and luxuriant her- bage. Wheat, barley, oats, rye, grasses, maize, tobacco, and small quantities of cotton, are all profitably cultivated in different parts of the colony; and potatoes, cabbage, carrots, par- snips, turnips, peas, beans, cauliflowers, lettuces, cucumbers, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, yams, and plantains thrive remarkably well. At Syd- ney the market is supplied with green peas all the year round ; very few vegetables degener- ate, and many are more productive than else- where. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, loquats, oranges, pears, plums, figs, pomegranates, rasp- berries, strawberries, mulberries, and melon? attain great perfection. The N. districts pro duce pineapples, bananas, guavas, lemons, cit- rons, and various other tropical fruits, while W. and S. of Sydney the apple, currant, goose- berry, and cherry are found to grow well. In 1871, 4,152 acres were planted with the vine,