Friday.

Started this morning for a visit to the now celebrated Sutherland Falls. The track is for the first part along the Arthur river-bed, and then it is very clearly blazed right up to the Falls, the distance being about two miles. The Falls were soon arrived at, and standing at their foot, upon a little terrace of cutty grass, a full and front view was obtained. Judging from somewhat derogatory and depreciatory remarks as to their size which have been made, it was an agreeable surprise to see the large body of water (and this in fine, dry weather) which falls just on 2,000 feet. From the volume of tail water which here forms fully half the Arthur river, and to which must be added the large body of water dispersed in the form of spray which is blown by the wind in every direction, and which never reaches this tail water, it is possible to get a rough idea of the immense power and general magnitude of the Falls. It is only possible to imagine that those persons who were disappointed had, in the first place, become so much accustomed to great heights and depths that their eyes failed to estimate the correct appearance; and in the second place, it is probable they had no idea of Hydraulics. But when it is remembered that the pressure of this water, if placed in a pipe, would be nearly 1,000 lbs. to the square inch at the bottom, and that a supply of water at this pressure would give one mechanical horse-power for about every 30 gallons, while the amount falling represents fully two million gallons, it follows that about 70,000 horse-power of energy is here. This from the utilitarian and hydraulic point of view may help to form some idea of the body of water. From the scenic point of view, the falls are (according to the person's mind) awe inspiring, even although the eye is accustomed to very high peaks, turbulent rivers, and general magnificence. Not being of a rhapsodical turn of mind, the writer cannot fly off into realms or figurative and laudatory descriptions, but will simply say that the Sutherland Falls are extremely and supremely grand, and falling in three jumps such a great page 12 distance over a rugged and precipitous mountain side, partly clothed in green by ferns of the Asplenium flabellifolium and other kinds, they are really magnificent to anyone capable of being appealed to by nature's magnificence.

The hut was returned to about mid-day, and a good rest taken.