1 62 Barnard, Iii ike Weslern Lake District. [^''^De,^^'' 



kind of stone seemed to make no difference. They grew alike 

 on basalt, granite, marble, and sandstone, both polished and 

 unpolished. There must be some atmospheric influence from 

 the lake which is favourable to their growth, just as at the 

 Warrion, overlooking Lake Colac. Mount Shadwell, at Mort- 

 lake, Mount Warrnambool, and other hills were also visible 

 from the cemeter3\ 



It was now time to get back to the town and make a start 

 on my thirteen-mile walk to Camperdown, before reaching 

 which I hoped to visit Lakes Gnotuk and Bullen-Merri, which 

 lie to the west of the town. Again I was lucky in getting a 

 lift for a few miles, and had some of the local history told to 

 me. Noorat House, surrounded by pine trees, could be seen 

 sheltering under the shadow of the mount. Our road was a 

 fine sample of the celebrated Western District roads — good, 

 because they have such an abundance of road-making material. 

 Presently we came to the Mount Emu Creek, which, having 

 such a long course of 120 miles from near Burrumbeet. and a 

 fair volume of water, is quite worthy of the term of river. 

 Crossing this, we were passing through the famous Marida 

 Yallock station, and saw some of the black Angus cattle which 

 are Mr. Mackinnon's pride. Here, along the boundary of the 

 estate, were seen signs of that tree-planting which is helping 

 to re-clothe the western plains. It will hardly be credited that, 

 when the first store was built in Terang, some fifty years ago, 

 the trees were so close together between it and Camperdown 

 that the enterprising storekeeper marked his road from Camper- 

 down by pieces of red material attached to the trees ! Now 

 the paddocks are almost treeless. How many thousands of 

 tons of timber must have been burned as a useless encumbrance 

 of the ground to make room for the squatter's flocks and 

 herds I 



The situation of Lakes Gnotuk and Bullen-Merri is unique. 

 Soon after crossing the Mount Emu Creek my friend pointed 

 out some pine trees along a ridge, and said, " Make for them ; 

 the lakes are. just below." The road was fairly level for several 

 miles — here and there a slight rise, and a corresponding de- 

 pression. Presently I saw the track of the Timboon railway 

 along the hillside, and, inquiring again as to the direction, was 

 told to make for a bridge under the line, over a road leading 

 up the hill. This I followed, and soon reached the summit of 

 the ridge, which is probably some four or five hundred feet 

 above the general level of the country. The road, I found, led 

 directly to the isthmus (if it may be so called) between the 

 two lakes. 



What a scene presented itself to me ! I had been misled 



