Melbourne, May 28th, 1854.

Turning our backs on the diggings, we made an easy and pleasant journey to Geelong, and thence to Melbourne. We made this detour to see as much of the country as we could, and also to visit the thriving town of Geelong, the second in the colony.

Once out of the awful quagmire of Ballarat, we hoped to get into tolerable road; but the whole country, for about half the way to Geelong lay full of wet, and the roads in consequence were execrable. However, at Ballarat we had sold our large tent, and everything except what was absolutely necessary for our journey down, and, therefore, we had no difficulty in wading through. I may say generally of our journey that it was all through a volcanic country, in many places abounding with large trap boulders, scattered on the surface; in others clear and green, but always exhibiting the rich, black, volcanic earth.

Thousands of farms may be laid out along this part of the country, capable of yielding the richest harvest, as well as of pasturing any amount of cattle and sheep; and by universal testimony the whole of the colony westward, at least a very broad tract of it from the coast inwards, is still more fertile, and is, indeed, the very richest land in the colony.