Vol. XXVIII 



IQI -' 



] a Trip to the Omen District. i8i 



similar to tea, and taken by them as an astringent medicine. 

 The latter bore its prickly, adhesive burrs, in many cases on 

 stalks fully, two feet in height. 



The view from the summit is extensive and beautiful. The 

 famous fertile plains of red chocolate soil stretched as far as 

 the eye could reach, with Lake Omeo forming the bottom of 

 a huge basin. Near this lake, which is nine miles in circum- 

 ference, the soil is of a very fertile, black nature, and the question 

 of draining the lake to reclaim this rich area has met with some 

 discussion, but many regard the lake as a beauty spot more 

 valuable to the district than the land, and there were, at the 

 time of my visit, plenty of Wild Ducks, Black Swans, Cranes, and 

 Plovers in the immediate neighbourhood, so that it should prove 

 specially attractive to tourists in search of sport. By a similar 

 winding descent one reaches the little township of Benambra. 

 which is situated right on the lake. The district right through 

 from Ensay was literally " owned " by rabbits, which evidently 

 gained courage from their numbers. They seemed quite 

 fearless, and as tame as chickens. " Bunny " in these parts 

 IS rather fond of variety in colour. I noted some were black, 

 others white or white and yellow, and black and white, while 

 entirely yellow ones were very numerous. 



In another direction a road costing some £10,000 has recently 

 l)een completed connecting Omeo and Glen Wills ; but, un- 

 fortunately, it does not tap a district of such high agricultural 

 value as surrounds Benambra, as the country which it pene- 

 trates is mostly high plains, only suitable for stock-raising, 

 and even this industry is somewhat handicapped by the 

 altitude, where falls of snow are so frequent that cattle, if not 

 removed for the winter months, become snowbound. 



One can gather some idea of the disadvantages under which 

 people living at long distances suffer for lack of railway com- 

 munication when one considers that to complete the journey 

 and return to a railway terminus entails a coach journey of 

 four days and the use of forty-four horses, which distance, if 

 the railway were continued, could be accomplished in about 

 a quarter of the time. 



Mi.xERAL Springs. — It is gratifying to know that at last the 

 mineral springs of Victoria are to be conserved and their 

 surroundmgs improved, so that in course of time they will 

 become a very valuable asset to the State. The nearest to 

 Melbourne appears to be one at Donnybrook, on the North- 

 Eastern line, about twenty-one miles from town. This might 

 form an object for a club excursion some day. 



