76 Williamson, A Cycle Trip ihroit^h East Gippsland [^Aug.^If " 



is bordered with tea-tree and willows, while maize fields occupy 

 a limited margin on each side. In botanical work there is 

 nothing of interest to be done at Buchan. but it is really worth 

 visiting for the sake of its beautiful " Fairy Cave." After 

 visiting the cave I felt well rewarded for the long ride. 



Next morning I rode to Nowa Nowa, arriving there at noon. 

 While indulging in a swim in Lake Tyers the New Zealand 

 Spinach, Tetragona expansa, caught my eye. Large plants of 

 it were growng at the water's edge. The afternoon was very 

 pleasantly spent on the motor launch from Nowa to the south- 

 west end of the lake. The Nowa Nowa Arm, as it is called, 

 winds about for i8 miles, in parts only a hundred yards wide, 

 and its banks, in some parts quite steep, are covered with trees 

 and scrub to the water's edg^. I was charmed with the trip, 

 although the shrubs on the banks did not adorn the scenery 

 as they would when flowering a month or two previously. 



We were allowed half an hour at the Lake Tyers Aboriginal 

 Station, where, to me, the most interesting sight was the 

 group of black children, and the piccaninnies, whom the young 

 ladies of the party delighted to nurse. Between Lake Tyers 

 and Cunninghame — 7 miles — a terrifying thunderstorm broke 

 over me, and thoroughly soaked me, driving me to the shelter 

 of a hotel awhile before reaching the wharf. 



Next morning I identified, among the Banksias (serrata), the 

 honey-eaters — Yellow-faced, Ptilotis chrysops, White-naped, 

 Melithreptus atricapillus, and Yellow-tufted, Ptilotis melanops. 



After gathering a good supply of the Coast-grass, Zoysia 

 piingens, I boarded the steamer Gippsland for Bairnsdale. The 

 day was perfect.^as regards weather. Having read of the silt 

 jetties of the Mitchell River, I was now able to see them and 

 realize more fully the action of a rapid, silt-laden river when 

 flowing into a shallow lagoon. 



In the afternoon I cycled to Paynesville, 10 miles, and the 

 next day took the steamer for Sale, falling in with Mr. St. John, 

 who was returning from a walking tour to the Mueller River. 

 I then spent three days with Mr. T. A. Robinson, of Dutson, 

 o miles from Sale. Dutson is a splendid field for a botanist, 

 and years ago I became familiar with the local plants through 

 the favour of Mr. Robinson and his daughters. I found a few 

 to add to the census of that part, notably Drosera spathidata 

 and Scleranthus biflorus — the latter probably not recorded for 

 so far south. Mr. Robinson is an enthusiastic orchardist and 

 gardener, and has a number of novelties under cultivation, 

 among which are the tea plant, guava, and persimmon. He 

 is an expert irrigationist, and on his land is a splendid spring 

 capable of supplying about a million gallons of water a day. 

 This, however, it seems probable, will be taken out of his con- 



