308 REPORT ON THE 
exuding a saccharine secretion from its stem; Cucurbita micrantha, * 
small species of Melon, as bitter and probably as valuable as the medi- 
cinal colocynth; Santalum Persicari, a dwarf kind of Sandal-tree, of 
which the root-bark furnishes an amylaceous food to the natives. It 
has been repeatedly stated by travellers, that a small supply of water 
may be relied upon from the root of Eucalyptus dumosa, one of the 
Mallee bushes. The Murray lagoons, which are periodically dry, for 
nished a small number of plants, allied or identical to foreign, chiefly 
Indian or African species, and consequently important to phytogeo- 
graphy—Mollugo, Glinus, Ammannia, Jussica, Epalles, Lycium, ete. 
Returning from the Darling, I resumed my journey along the Murray 
River, with a deviation to Mount Hope, up to Albury, where I arrived 
about the middle of January of this year. 
Desirous to devote the summer months to the exploration of the 
Australian Alps, I chose the Mitta Mitta line for further operations, 
ascended and crossed the Gibbo Ranges at an elevation of at least 
5000 feet, and followed thence again the course of the Mitta Mitta into 
Omeo. At the Gibbo River argentaceous lead ore has already been 
discovered by the Rev. Mr. Clarke. 
From here I attempted, though vainly, to reach the Bogong Range, 
probably the highest point in this island-continent, being compelled 
to retreat by the extensive bush fires then raging in the intermediate 
mountains. The summit of this range, covered with eternal snow and 
glaciers, can hardly be estimated of less altitude than 7000 feet. 
... Tn order now to accomplish the examination of the Alpine Flora on 
the Eastern frontiers, T started for the Coborras Mountains, the most 
prominent points of the great dividing range within the borders of this 
. Colony. Not only these mountains, but also the greater part of the 
interjacent plains or plateaus, are of a truly alpine or subalpine nature, 
ranging in elevation from 5000 to 6000 feet above the level of the 
ocean. As some of the highest sources of the Murray and of the 
Gipps Land rivers rise in this vicinity, the supply of water is plentiful. 
The valleys are either covered with spongy Mosses (chiefly Sphagnum), 
which become transformed into peat, or they produce nutritious Grasses, 
some luxuriant enough to recommend their introduction into countries 
of the arctic zone—(Hierochloe antarctica, IT. submutica, Agrostis fri- 
gida, A. nivalis, etc.) The vegetation of the Coborras Mountains does 
neither fully agree with that of Mount Buller, examined last year, DOT 
a 
