Breakfasted at 1/4 past 6 o'clock this morning, and sent off our Servants and Baggage at 1/4 past 8, for our next Encamping Ground on Mr. Bent's Farm in the Bringelly District; --- Cosgrove going with the Baggage as a Guide to conduct it by the safest and best Road. -- I discharged the two other Guides Neale and Dennison this morning, and also two of the Carts which had been hired by Mr. Moore at Liverpool for carrying Corn for my Horses; agreeing to pay for the said Carts at the rate of 10/- pr. Day for the time they have been employed, including this present Day. ---

I set out with my Suite from Macquarie Grove at 1/2 past 8 o'clock this morning for the Cook and Bringelly Districts, halting at each of the Farms in our course along the River the whole of the way. -- Some few of these Farms were well enclosed and Cultivated, but generally very little has been done by any of the Settlers in these two Districts, the Lands being still nearly in a state of nature. -- The Farms belonging to Mr. Hannibal MacArthur, Mr. William Wentworth, Mr. Secretary Campbell and Mr. Bent (now Doctr. Wentworth's) are all very fine ones; especially Mr. Secry. Campbell's, which is one of the richest and best Farms in the Colony. Mr. Campbell has done a great deal already towards improving his Farm, having Fenced in considerable parts of it, and cleared about 200 acres of ground, part of which is sown with wheat -- and which looks very promising. ---

On arriving at what are called the Kobbatty-Hills, we overtook our Servants and Baggage, one of my Carts having been upset going up a steep Hill through the carelessness and obstinacy of the Driver -- but no damage or injury was occasioned by this accident -- and the whole went on again as soon as the Cart was uprighted and loaded. -- We halted until this accident was rectified, which gave us an opportunity of ascending the highest of the Kobbatty Hills and from thence having a very fine extensive view of the surrounding Country.

On our entering Mr. Bent's Farm, we proceeded to view the large and deep beautiful Bason [sic] formed by the River Nepean at the bottom of this Farm, where the River bursts into it through a very narrow opening in the Mountains which here enclose either Bank of it. -- We passed over the River a quarter of a mile below this Basin to the opposite or western side of it to look at a Tract of fine open Forest Land, lying between the River and the Mountains; and having rode about two miles through this Tract, we returned and recrossed the River at the same Ford we had passed before, proceeding to a clear spot of ground near Mr. Bent's House, where we arrived at 4 o'clock, having been 7 1/2 hours on the way and rode only about 18 miles. Here we found our Servants and Baggage had arrived some time before us, and our Camp pitched for the Night about a mile back from the River. -- The Farm which I had granted to Mrs. Birch (the wife of Paymr. Birch of the 73d Regt.), being the next adjoining to Mr. Bent's, I went to see it before Dinner, and found more Land had been cleared and cultivated than I had expected to see; the Person who rents it having now between 15 and 20 acres under wheat. -- We had a Thunder Storm at 1/2 past 4 this afternoon, and a very smart shower of Rain, which however lasted only for about Five minutes. We sat down to a good dinner at 6 o'clock.

8 October 1815 | 10 October 1815