THE VICTORIAN NATUKALIST. 97 



heard some Lyre-birds whistling and mimicking beautifully. 

 About noon we reached the comfortable flat of the Leather- 

 jacket ford, now bathed in sunshine, and while the camp etfects 

 were drying we gazed with vain regrets up the valley to the 

 cloud-capped mass of Kosciusko. A few hours of strong sun- 

 shine dried our things, and we resumed the journey to Groggin, 

 where we found the hut occupied by two wild horse hunters. 

 These men had captured 40 horses in the region at the sources of 

 the Indi and Buchan Rivers to the south, and were taking them 

 to the Wodonga sale yards. On inquiry we found that on their 

 strong, wiry ponies they ran these horses down. The method is 

 this : each hunter singles out a horse and lassoes it, then gallops 

 with it till a suitable tree and time appear, when his pony is 

 rushed forward, he jumps off, and, getting^ the rope round a 

 tree, the wild horse is pulled down. Before it can rise he sits on 

 its head, slips a halter on, and in a little while usually the poor 

 brute is cowed and led away. The horses these men had were 

 yarded up the river a little, and we arranged to photograph them 

 on the morrow. We soon had tea, and were right glad to get a 

 good sleep. 



6th April. — The morning broke fine, and we packed up and 

 started off. The hunters and wild horses were to overtake us, 

 but this they never did, for'we took the wrong one among the 

 many scores of cattle tracks that leave the flats, and wandered 

 about all day trying to find where it crossed the Youngal Range. 

 Towards evening we decided to return to the valley of the Indi, 

 which we reached near dusk, and camped about two miles below 

 Groggin. 



7th April. — This morning we resumed our journey, crossed the 

 Youngal Range, and camped in the Gehi hut. From here a 

 glorious view was again obtained of Kosciusko, then quite clear. 

 A Copper-headed Snake, Uoplocephalus stiperbus, was found near 

 here and disabled, when it bit itself repeatedly and everything 

 near it till it was killed. 



8th April. — Another lovely morning appeared, and we were 

 loth to leave the valley, but set off, and soon crossed the three 

 fords on the Gehi River, taking some photographs on the way. 

 At the third ford we found a very large Black Snake, Psmdechys 

 forphyviacus, that had been killed by the hunters. The Gehi 

 Creek was forded, the " Wall " safely ascended, and we camped 

 in the Black Creek hut. 



9th April. — Nothing special happened this day, and we reached 

 Corryong about 8 p.m., after an absence of eleven days, during 

 which time the only bad weather we had was on Mt. Kosciusko, 

 where it was most undesired. 



The next day we returned to Tallangalta by coach, and so 

 ended what was, on the whole, a most enjoyable trip. 



