110 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



the saddle horse. As it was getting late, Mr. Walker went ahead 

 with 3 horses, while we made the change and followed later on. 

 About 2 miles further the porphyry gave place to altered then 

 normal siliceous and argillaceous sandstones, forming an anticline, 

 with a strike of N.N.VV. Anotlier 2 miles brought us to Moran's 

 Lookout, whence the track commenced to descend into the valley 

 of the Dart River. It was now quite dark, and in rounding a 

 fallen tree, burnt down by a recent bush fire, we lost the track 

 for some time. On regaining it we found several examples of a 

 highly phosphorescent Fungus, giving light enough to read print. 

 The forest here was quite lively with the " Mopoke " of numerous 

 Boobook Owls, the " Oohh, oolih " of the Podargus, Podargus 

 )itrigoides{?), and the howls of a Dingo far down in the Dart 

 valley. The track descended steadily to " Starvation Camp," 

 where a side cutting commenced, and we were soon fording the 

 Dart River, about 1,300 feet lower than the plateau. Though 

 the rocks could not be examined carefully, some highly jointed 

 light-coloured ones, like the cherts of the Healhcotian series, 

 were seen near the top of the cutting. They strike N. and dip to 

 W. at 85°. Near the ford we found the first habitation since 

 leaving Cravenville, and continuing up the valley for about i J4 

 miles we reached the Dart River Hotel, at Canvastown, near 

 midnight, and found Mr. Walker had arrived without mishap. 



1 8th March. — During the morning we spent a little time 

 looking about the place. This little mining settlement is one of 

 the most inaccessible in the State, and though much gold occurs 

 in the district, it is principally contained in rather refractory ores 

 (the sulphide ores below the zone of surface decomposition), which 

 have not yet been treated economically on this field. The strata 

 are Upper Ordovician slates and sandstones, striking N.N.W. and 

 dipping to W.S.W. at high angles, while 2 miles lower down the 

 river they dip to the N.E., showing the presence of an anticline. 

 At Glendart* similar Graptolites to those at Cravenville have been 

 found by Mr. Ferguson — see reports quoted. Leaving this 

 place we followed the valley of the Little Dart along a cutting 

 through similar strata and over a syncline. At the top of the 

 cutting, 2 miles from the settlement, the track to Dart River joins 

 that from La Mascotte. We were then on the divide between the 

 Dart River and Zulu Creek, a tributary of the Corryong Creek. 

 The ridge trends S.E., and along it runs the track from Omeo to 

 Corryong, connecting Gippsland with the North Eastern district. 

 Two miles along this ridge the track to Zulu Creek branches ofif 

 to the east, and plunges down 2,000 feet to the township. While 

 we were passing the miners of the district were proceeding to a 

 rendezvous to act as self-appointed porters of a sick woman at 



* For further notes on this district see " Report on the Dart River and Zulu 

 Creek Goldfield," R. A. F. Murray, Frog. Rept. Geol. Surv. Vict., No. viii., 

 pp. 64-65, 1894. 



