THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



very heavy, while the lightning was almost continuous. About 

 I a.m. the storm passed, the wind ceased, a heavy fog set in, and 

 the temperature fell to 24° Fah. The tent had perforce been 

 placed over a watercourse, and the water streamed through, com- 

 pelling us to sit the whole night crouched up under our blankets, 

 so we were glad when daylight (4th April) came, and we found 

 the mare safe. Her mane and tail were frozen into solid masses, 

 and she was one mass of small icicles, and shivering violently. 

 Under the circumstances we decided to return after climbing to the 

 summit, as our holidays did not allow us to wait for the clouds to 

 clear away. We set off up the steep western slope of the mount, 

 through the perishing wind, which had returned with daylight. 

 As we went higher and higher, under, over, and among the gigantic 

 blocks of gneissic granite we were charmed with the multitudes 

 of multiplaned icicles, with exquisitely beautiful serrated edges 

 pointing to the wind, which were clustered on every possible 

 point of attachment. The icicles on the tussocky grass were even 

 more beautiful than those on the rocks, and crunching over the 

 frozen snow we soon reached the cairn (7^328 feet above sea 

 level) on the summit of the highest mountain in Australia. 



The vanes on the long squared pole fixed in the cairn were 

 covered with several series of lovely icicles, like iron filings on a 

 magnet. Unfortunately the camera had been left at the camp. 

 A dense fog, driven before the freezing gale, covered everything, 

 but occasionally a glint of sunshine melted the tips of the finest 

 icicles, and tiny drops of water formed, only to be instantly 

 frozen when the sunlight was past. These rifts in the clouds gave 

 us glimpses down the valley of the Snowy River, rising on the 

 N.E. slope, but the pictures were reserved for those more 

 fortunate than ourselves, and we reluctantly descended to the 

 camp at 6,800 feet. On the summit the only form of life noticed 

 was a Pipit, Anthvs aiistralis, which quite happily flew about on 

 the frozen grass, while among the rocks on the slope I caught a 

 glimpse of a small Rat. After photographing the camp, we packed 

 up and crossed Kosciusko Valley to the eastern portion of the 

 plateau, whence transient views were obtained of the frozen 

 surface of Lake May, on the eastern side of Mt. Kosciusko, and of 

 the three snowfields on lis eastern flank. We reached the 

 Manaro track at dusk, getting a photograph of the Crackenback 

 Valley on the way. 



5lh April. — We spent another miserably cold night, and found 

 this morning even more unpleasant than the last. Everything 

 inside and out was dripping wet, not frozen as on the mount. 

 The clouds showed no signs of clearing, so, as photography was 

 impracticable, we packed up, and were soon among the timber 

 and sheltered from the cutting wind. The Gang Gang Cockatoos 

 again escorted us for about a mile, while near our old camp we 



