160 M. Lesson on the Natural History of the 



2727 English feet *. The sandstone is nearly exposed in all 

 parts ; the vegetation is patched, and consists of some species of 

 CasuariruE and Eucalypti^ and it is here that the pretty Pater- 

 sonia glahrata of Brown grows in the greatest abundance. 



Not far from King's Table we discovered a rich valley, inclo- 

 sed by vertical walls, 676 English feet high, formed of regular 

 strata of sandstone. It was the Prince Regenfs Glen. From 

 the place, named Pitt's Amphitheatre, the view extends to a 

 great distance over the various undulations of the chain of the 

 Blue Mountains. Torrents of smoke rose from various parts 

 of the woods, which, from the negligence of the savages, are very 

 often set on fire. 



On our way to Blackheath, I found in the middle of the heath, 

 in a state of complete torpor, the Blaeh and Yellow SJcinJc of 

 Port Jackson, figured in the geological atlas of Messrs Quoy 

 and Gaimard, in Freycinet's Yoyage. What is remarkable is, 

 that I found another individual in the same state some days af- 

 terwards ; and that those which the naturalists of the Uranie 

 brought witn them, were collected under similar circumstances. 



York Mountain, or Cox's Pass, is elevated 3292 feet above 

 the level of the sea; and the path which it was necessary 

 to make upon the steep side of this mountain, to descend into 

 the charming valley of Clyde, is so rough, that although it 

 has been made to describe several turnir«js with great labour, it 

 is still a difficult point, and is frequently the occasion of accidents ; 

 and carriages somewhat heavily loaded can only be got up the 

 a<:clivity by means of hard straining. At York Mountain, 

 sixty-two miles distant from Sydney, the sandstone formation, 

 which is often ferruginous, containing hydrate of iron, which 

 gives it its colour, together with iron glance, disseminated in 

 shining scales, entirely ceases, and then commences the pri- 

 mitive formation, which extends to Bathurst, consisting of 

 quartziferous, granitic and syenitic rocks, which extends to Ba- 

 thurst. These rocks alternate in the bed of Fish River, with a 

 blackish .quartziferous petrosiliceous porphyry. The tops of 

 the mountains near Cone's River, are covered with -a common 

 stratified pegmatite -f*. 



* According to Mr Oxley's map. 



+ All these specimens have been sent to the Museum, and examined br 

 M. Cordier. 



