100 Charles Fenner : 



Both the Glenelg and its chief tributary, the Wannon, rise in the 

 bold meridional sandstone ranges of the Grampians, and drain 

 nearly all the Victorian territory west and south thence to the sea, 

 emptying into Discovery Bay. When nearing the coast the river 

 makes a long westerly sweep, looping across the border into South 

 Australia, thence it doubles back round a coastal border hill, Mt. 

 Ruskin, and enters the sea on the Victorian coast. 



A casual examination of the river basin (see Plate XIX.) shows it 

 to be curiously one-sided, and detailed enquiry into its physiographic 

 history brings out many interesting details of the changes which 

 have occurred during its lifetime. 



It is very interesting to note the first impressions gained by that 

 talented explorer and keen observer. Major Mitchell, in his traverse 

 of this area. In the latter part of July, 1836, his expedition had 

 reached the very fiat land (average elevation, 530 ft.), which lies, 

 imn-ediately north of the Glenelg basin. Here, since it was winter 

 and very wet, he had great difficulties in getting his bullocks, 

 waggons, etc., over the soft, swampy, sodden ground. After floun- 

 dering on through lakes and swamps for many days, ever seeking 

 solid ground, he made this entry on July 30 : "By pursuing a course- 

 towards the base of the friendly mountains,! I hoped that we should 

 at length intercept some stream, channel, or valley, where we might 

 find a drier soil, and so escape from the region of lakes. . . . 

 From here the pinnacled summits of the Victoria range presented 

 an outline of the grandest character. The noble coronet of rocks 

 was indeed a cheering object to us after having been so long half- 

 immersed in mud. ... I found at length, to my great delight, 

 ... a valley, where we finally encamped on a fine stream2 flowing 

 to the south-west over granite rocks (white felspar, quartz and 

 silvery mica). . . . We had solid granite beneath us; and, instead 

 of a level horizon, the finely rounded points of ground presented by 

 the sides of a valley thinly wooded and thickly covered with grass. 

 This transition, from all we sought to avoid to all we could desire 

 in the character of the country, was so agreeable, that I can record 

 that evening as one of the happiest of my life." 



It Avas on the next day, July 31, that Mitchell actually discovered 

 the Glenelg. (See Fig. 1.) Although he shows in all his records a 

 keen instinctive knowledge for physiographic features, the peculiar 

 nature of the course of this river for many days presented a com- 



1 The Granipiaiis. 



2 Probably Reilly's Creek. 



