Reporting on his work at the observatory at Sydney, and describing the main hindrances to his work (including the lack of 'men of business' in the country, the 'unfortunate want of abilities' of the surveyor of lands, and his problems with the Governor). The letter also includes a description of the local topography of Sydney and his opinion of the country - 'a more dreary, dismal, barren, inanimated [sic] country I believe does not exist anywhere in the whole world'.