^"'■'^^il'"'] Excursion to Warburton. 205 



track ended there for the present. In a few yards we crossed 

 a small stream, one of the heads of the Yithan, which a little 

 higher up emerged from a grove of beeches, where, on our 

 return, a number of seedlings were secured for home cultivation. 

 We were now fairly on the crest of the range, which apparently 

 forms a considerable plateau, with an average height little less 

 than that of Donna Buang itself (4,080 feet). On this plateau 

 was the sight of the day — one worth all the trouble of getting 

 there, notwithstanding the wet. The little Ivy-leaved Violet, 

 Viola hederacea, was flowering in millions, and monopolizing 

 acres of ground. It at first glance appeared like masses of 

 snow drifted against the stones or fallen trees, &c. The flower- 

 stems were longer than usual, and so closely crowded together 

 that a score of flowers might be gathered in one handful. At 

 about a mile from the little creek the track led us up a stony 

 hill, which turned out to be the vantage spot we had come so 

 far to seek — about 3,500 feet above our starting-point, War- 

 burton. Just then occurred the only break in our misty 

 surroundings which happened during the day. We ascended 

 the look-out, which, utilizing the standing trunks of four tall 

 trees, enables one to get another thirty or forty feet above 

 sea-level On a fine day the view would doubtless be very 

 extensive, but on this occasion few of the mountain peaks 

 could be recognized with absolute certainty. Juliet, four or 

 five miles away to the north-west, was the most prominent. 

 To the north-east was our clearest outlook, where what we 

 took to be Mount Arnold, near Marysville, appeared as a 

 prominent peak. As it was past mid-day, the shelter of some 

 felled timber was sought, so that we might dispose of our 

 luncheons in comparative comfort. This being accomplished, 

 mementos in the shape of specimens of the dacite outcrop were 

 secured by those who think nothing of adding a few pounds 

 weight to their burdens. We retraced our steps more rapidly 

 than we had made the ascent, for the rain still persisted, 

 noting but little in the way of unfamiliar vegetation, except 

 a solitary specimen of an Eriostemon, which could not be found 

 when sought afterwards for identification. Near the junction 

 with the mining track the party became separated — two 

 returned the way they had come ; the others got on to an old 

 timber track, which brought them out at the mill. It proved 

 a sloppy walk, but led them through some good vegetation, 

 which they greatly regretted could not be explored on that 

 occasion. At the mill we re-united, and our troubles were over, 

 for the weather cleared, and, taking a shorter track down the 

 mountain, we were soon back at the hotel having afternoon 

 tea before starting on the return journey for town. At Yarra 

 Junction Messrs. Barnard and Kershaw left us, as they wished 



