Fobraary 4, 1669. 1 



JODKNAL OP HOBTICUIiTUBK AND COTTAGE QAUDENER. 



83 



some at various angles, with immense timber standinR and 

 lying in all directions, some immense trunka having apparently 

 been in their present position for ages. Clematis and Tecomii 

 Latrobii, rambling from tree to sornb, formed an impenetrable 

 sarfaco, the scent from which was overpowering. Wo hero 

 first saw Adiautums, Seolopendriums, and Acacias growing out 

 of the stems of the tree Ferns, at a height of lit) feet from the 

 ground. The seeds of the Acacia having lodged in the base 

 of the fronds had germinated, and although we frequently saw 

 this afterwards, we noticed that as soon as they had attained 

 some size they died from want of nourishment, but while in 

 a young state and but 5 or <i feet in height they presented a 

 singular appearance. We left this creek with reluctance, and 

 after mounting the opposite bank we entered a new scrub, the 

 native Musk (Eurybia argophylla), rising to a height of .'iO feet 

 and filling the atmosphere with its scent, making it quite 

 oppressive and sickly. Here we saw many lyre birds, bat very 

 shy, they making off on our approach. 



An hour or tivo of walking brought us to the Thompson 

 Kiver. This is a rapid river 100 feet wide, with banks about 

 300 feet high and very steep. Hither, just before our arrival, 

 some miners had managed to bring, after months of toil, a 

 portable engine, but in endeavouring to take it across the river 

 by means of bullocks and two G-inch ropes worked by crab- 

 winches, the momentum acquired in the first hundred feet of 

 the descent was so great that the ropes snapped, and the 

 engine and bullocks rolled into the river. How little people at 

 home know of the energy and enterprise brought to bear in the 

 remotest parts of this great country ! The clouds lay in the 

 valley, and from the tops of the hills the view was much the same 

 as I have seen from Fendowrie, overlooking Brechin in Scotland, 

 except that we wanted the cultivation. The river, we were in- 

 formed, rises 40 feet in a few hours, the very hilly nature of the 

 country gathering the water so rapidly. The timber at this 

 spot was grand, consisting of large trees generally about 

 '200 feet high, and principally Stringy Bark. They stand as 

 thickly as possible, and are consequently straight, and usually 

 from 4 to 5 feet in diameter. The heat and closeness of the 

 atmosphere now made walking very oppressive, and suddenly, 

 without warning, and before we could take down our tent 

 from our backs and erect it, we were drenched with rain, of 

 which there was a continuous downpouring, as though we were 

 ander a waterfall. The trees, although we stood against them as 

 upright as we could, afforded no shelter, and in ten minutes our- 

 selves and everything we possessed were literally saturated with 

 water. After half an hour's exposure to this the rain ceased and 

 the sun shone. The temperature being about 90", the evapor- 

 ation and closeness of the atmosphere were almost insupport- 

 able ; but we walked on, as we could not make a fire, and came 

 upon a hut, where wo were kindly invited to stop for the night 

 and dry ourselves and things. We remained here all the next 

 day examining the country, visiting a reef which had been 

 struck, and in which a good prospect of gold had been found. 

 We weie offered shares but declined, and the second day 

 started for Stringer's Creek, a new " rush," a few miles north- 

 east. 



Immediately after leaving the hut we had to climb an almost 

 perpendicular range of hills, about 600 feet in height, the 

 worst we had yet encountered, the banks of the Thompson Eiver 

 being nothing in comparison. Ontakingarest at the top we were 

 overtaken by a resident of Stringer's Creek, who offered to show 

 us a near cut through the bush to Stringer's ; he conducted us 

 by a small track off the road we were pursuing down a range far 

 worse than that which we had ascended, for it was impossible 

 to descend without holding by the sajilings at every step, and 

 it was equally impossible to stand without holding on. At 

 intervals we obtained glimpses of the valley beneath us, but no 

 description would convey an adequate idea of the views we 

 thus obtained. Looking over trees 200 to 300 feet high, we 

 saw that the gullies and ranges were literally covered with tree 

 Ferns. The main valley was a mass of Ferns, their tops pre- 

 senting a beautiful sight when looked down upon. In height 

 they varied from 30 to 50 feet, gradually decreasing, as the tri- 

 butary valleys rose into the hills, to 4 or 5 feet, and having 

 heads from 18 to 20 feet in diameter. The spurs of the ranges 

 were clothed with immense timber with an almost impenetrable 

 undergrowth of saplings. The different views obtained sur- 

 passed anything we had beheld for boldness and tropical ap- 

 pearance. Arrived at the bottom a sharp turn in the creek 

 brought us to Stringer's Creek settlement. Here, amidst all 

 these difficulties, we discovered already two small portable 

 engines and about two hundred people. All provisions had to 



be brought either on the back or by pack-horses. Bread was 

 not in the place, and flour very scarce, selling at £() the 2001b. 

 bag, sugar Is. per lb., and neither tea nor coffee to be had. 



Stringer's Creek is a width of about 200 feet of alluvial 

 ground, with banks rising abruptly for 400 feet on either side, 

 and too steep to allow of buildings being erected upon them, so 

 that these had all to be made on the level ground, the con- 

 sequences of which if a Hood should occur would be very serious. 

 The miners were building for the winter huts, which were 

 readily and comfortably made by felling the Fern trees, cutting 

 olT the heads at the required length, adzing the upper and 

 lower sides square, and placing the stems one upon another. 

 Very warm and neat-looking huts were thus formed, and with a 

 covering of bark to sustain the snow, they would make ex- 

 cellent winter residences. We stayed two days at this place, 

 examining the newly-discovered reefs and climbing the ranges, 

 but except the tree Ferns, Stringy Bark, Acacias, various 

 small Ferns, and Sassafras, the vegetation was very meagre. 

 All timber, firewood, bark, or provisions had to be carried on 

 the back, or drawn to the required place by a rope. We here 

 made a sketch of the route we proposed to take, and had the 

 descriptions and bearings laid down, and on the morning of 

 the third day we started for Donelly's Cicck, after laying in a 

 stock of sucla provisions as could be obtained. 



On we travelled through ever-recurring scenery as described, 

 always imagining it to be still more beautiful, until, after walk- 

 ing about four miles, we came to a creek, which for luxuriance 

 and variety of foliage surpassed anything we had previously 

 beheld. Tree I'erns were here near the creek as thick as pos- 

 sible, the sun never penetrating the banks of the creek, not less 

 than 1000 feet high. A cascade of about 5 feet gave an addi- 

 tional charm to the scene, the water foaming and tumbling 

 over. We could not resist the temptation of stopping to explore 

 this creek ; accordingly we went up it, possibly where no human 

 being had been before, the Teoomas, Clematises, Eurybias, and 

 Sussafras being so entwined as almost to be impenetrable. 

 We were brought to a stop by a tree lying across the gully, and 

 from its immense size we were induced to measure it. This 

 monarch of the forest must have lain where we saw it for one 

 or two hundred years, and had evidently fallen from a bush 

 fire, as the position of the stump could be traced by rank vege- 

 tation and decaying charcoal, the creek having apparently 

 stopped the fire. The portion of the tree crossing the creek 

 was a mere shell, the interior having all rotted away. The out- 

 side was still firm for about a foot, and covered with Mosses 

 and Ferns ; the distance, apparently, from the butt being 

 100 feet, and the head of the tree extended far up the bank on 

 the opposite side of the creek, but from the thickness of the 

 scrub and undergrowth it could not be traced further. Having 

 collected some seeds from Pittosporum bicolor and acacioides 

 we returned to where we crossed, dined, and then prepared to 

 ascend the steep bank — a most arduous task, having to pull 

 ourselves up yard by yard by the saplings and undergrowth. 

 Towards night we again arrived at a hut designated The Springs 

 — why so misnamed we failed to discover, as not a drop of water 

 was to be had. — James Duncan, Victoria. 

 (To be continued.) 



AN OLD FRIEND'S EEMONSTRANCE. 

 The Journal of Hokticultuke has made me very un- 

 happy lately. Where I live, in a box on a tool-house shelf, I 

 hear our under gardener almost every week read out the 

 answers in the Journal to people inquiring for a remedy for 

 Oleander scale, aphis, American blight, or other insect or 

 fungus plague ; some new remedy or other is advised, while I 

 am now scarcely ever mentioned. I was complaining alond 

 last week, when a hollow voice came from a rubbish corner and 

 said — " I am an old, large Gishurst box ; for nine years I have 

 lain here forgotten, and thought to be empty, 1 am nearly 

 used up, but have heard much in my long life ; take my advice, 

 and don't take to heart other preparations being he-praised 

 and recommended. In my time I have known one after another 

 come up, be much praised, and then forgotten. You were 

 brought up on sound chemical principles. Insecticides may 

 come, and insecticides may go, but you will always hold your 

 own among the best gai-deners. The worst I have ever heard 

 said of us was, that we smell rather strong, and this was 

 usually by those who did not follow the directions to dissolve 

 forty-eight hours before use. I have longed to give this an- 

 swer. Wise people do not choose medicine for being nice in 



