282 BIOGRAPIIICAT. SKKTCH OF THE 



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sperma, called by the colonists Sassafras, with several shrubs 

 of the colony, frequent in situations similarly situated. The 

 brushes, with which the range (whose ascent was very moderate,) 

 is exceedingly encumbered, is rendered scarcely passable by 

 paclihorses in many parts, by reason of the numerous twining 

 plants with which they are matted together, of whom Big- 

 nojiia australis, Cissus antarctica, and Smilax australis, were 

 the more remarkable. As we ascended (very leisurely of ne- 

 cessity), we remarked several parts of this main range to be 

 very narrow, not exceeding sixteen to twenty yards in breadth, 

 and only in a ^e\v patches where these viney thickets cease 

 and the forest is less encumbered with underwood, was there 

 any grass ; in general, however, the surface is covered with 

 ferns, and, although we discovered a little water in a neigh- 

 bouring gully convenient to our line of route, the necessary 

 element to the traveller is not to be found generally, except- 

 ing in the depths of the deep ravines; Schelhammera sp., and 

 Henealmia paniculata, Br. were observed in the more shaded 

 parts of the ascent. We halted about 4 p.m. at the water 

 we had found, having made an advance of about six miles 

 from Mr Bell's farm. 



"27th. About 7 a.m. we resumed our journey westerly 

 on the line of marked trees, which led us through a continua- 

 tion of close brushy forest, abounding with much underwood 

 of common colonial plants, the more rare being Aster denia- 

 tus of strong shrubby growth, Hibbertia saligna, and Lissanthe 

 sapida. In about a mile and a half we ascended a round ris- 

 ing open patch of ground covered with Lomaria procera, Pteris 

 umbrosa, P. falcata, and Doodia aspera, the timber being 

 chiefly TVis^onia albicans, the Turpentine tree of the colonists. 

 Immediately again the thick brushy forests bound this open, 

 less encumbered part, and as we penetrated through it I ob- 

 served some very fine specimens of Alsophila australis, a tree- 

 fern fifteen to twenty feet high, Tetranthera dealbata, and a 

 tree of Urtias, bearing globular compound fruit, inserted 

 within a persistent calyx. At length in about another half 

 mile, the range has an abrupt rocky termination to the west- 



