BOTANY OF VAN DIEMEN’S LAND. 229 
the bottom. The entrance to the gorge reminded me of Pfeiffer’s Baths 
in miniature, and the resemblance is increased by a line of water-spouts, 
by which water is conveyed from the pond to a mill just beyond the 
opening to the town. By much the handsomest of the common shrubs 
at this season is Bursaria spinosa, very abundant on the river-banks and 
borders of the woods, and covered with panicles of white flowers. They 
sometimes call it Native Box, from the nature of its wood; and some- 
times Native Myrtle, from the scent of its flowers and wood; but its 
aspect is more that of Privet in full blossom. 
On Valentines Day I left Launceston by the afternoon coach for 
Deloraine, thirty miles distant, where Mr. W. Archer proposed to meet 
me and take me to his place, ** Cheshunt,” ten miles further west, 
among the mountains. The road to Deloraine is through an open but 
hilly country, much improved. We left the harvest saved round Laun- 
ceston, but as we advanced to the westward the season was sensibly 
later, and after twenty-five miles the fields of corn were quite green; 
80 great is the influence of the more copious rains of the western dis- 
tricts. The difference in elevation was hardly sufficiently great to 
cause such a change of climate. They reckon nearly three weeks be- 
tween the seasons at Deloraine and Launceston. Mr. Archer came 
for me next day, and I spent the following ten days very pleasantly in 
his company, making excursions to all sides round his house. He is 
one of the most western settlers in this direction, and surrounded on 
all sides by tiers of mountains at various distances. His farm of 
14,000 acres is well situated for cattle, a considerable tract. being to- 
lerably level, and capable of being irrigated by a perennial river (the 
Meander) which winds through it: so he has green grass at all seasons. 
Here I saw many interesting things for the first time. Gleichenia di- 
carpa everywhere in the boggy spots. Dicksonia Antarctica in the wet 
and shady gullies of the hills (it ought to do wel? in Kerry and Devon- 
Shire); its trunks sometimes clothed with Hymenopylla, and some- 
times with pale green Hypna, very beautiful. Mosses are abundant. — 
On the river banks Celery-top Pines, Podocarpus bushes, Fagus Cun- — 
ninghamii, and the noble Waratah (Telopia), with the singularly beau- — 
tiful Wax Cluster (Gaultheria hispida), were the most striking things. 
The Waratah was past flowering; its leaves resemble ihs aeu 
the American Rhododendra, and its branching is not dissimilar. Under is 
the bushes panicles of the cobalt berries of a disse locked iia 
