194 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



telegraph line track, and by this continued southerly, up and 

 down sand hummocks — vegetated in places, while to others the 

 fine sand drifting before the wind gave the appearance of smoking 

 volcanoes — to the Derby River camp. Owing to the courtesy of 

 the Post and Telegraph Department, we were enabled to use the 

 repairers' hut as a storehouse for provisions, and pitch our tents 

 in the fenced grassy enclosure on the river bank. Having 

 explored the Derby River flats, the sand hummocks, and the 

 coast of this part, we moved southerly across the timbered hills, 

 heathy undulations, and Tidal River swamp to the Mt. Oberon 

 ridge. The main party crossed this ridge by what is known as 

 the " Bad Saddle," and had a steep climb before the beauty of 

 Oberon Bay lay spread beneath them to the south. Meanwhile 

 the botanical members had spent much time about the Tidal 

 River and swamp, and had climbed round the summit of Mt. 

 Oberon by a saddle on the eastern side, and descended into the 

 valley about the head of Growler's Creek. Notwithstanding the 

 simple " lay of the country," the obstacles to progress presented 

 by jungles and swamps were of too formidable a nature to be 

 overcome, and a detour by the south too long. They slept on 

 the mountain side, and rejoined the main party in camp at 

 Oberon Bay, after having been without food for nearly twenty-four 

 hours, though with many additions to the plant collection. At 

 the Oberon Bay camp much energy was displayed by the pho- 

 tographers, who climbed the surrounding bouldered hills to obtain 

 views. After examining the shoreward end of this wide valley, 

 we crossed the Promontory to Waterloo Bay, examining as we 

 went the grassy sand dunes, which extend far inland, and crossing 

 the low saddle which bridges the valley from Mt. Wilson Range 

 to Martin's Hill, The trip from Oberon Bay camp to Waterloo 

 Bay and return can be done in a day, and pack horses can, but 

 with some difficulty in absence of a cut track, be got over most of 

 the marshy ground on the east side to within a mile of the 

 shore. 



Long before the collectors and photographers were satisfied, 

 our time limit had expired, and we returned vid the Derby River 

 to the landing at South Corner by almost the same route, but by 

 small deviations examining fresh country. There tiie Albatross 

 lay heeled over in the mud, to be righted by the incoming tide, 

 which done, we waded to her, and with a favourable wind were 

 at Foster Landing in less than three hours. 



Our work occupied eight days, and our tracks totalled 

 altogether some fifty miles. The expenses of the trip were by 

 economy kept within an average of ^£4 los. per member, which 

 is about I OS. more than that for a similar term in the Otway the 

 previous Christmas, but taking into consideration the difficulties 

 in the way of provisioning and transport the expenses may be 



