6o i'lTCHER AND SxiCKLAND, A Week (U MavysvUle. [voTl'^XXXIII 



and worth the journey to see. They had been noted increasing 

 in size for some time as we passed along. Some of them were 

 100 feet high, with trunks i8 to 20 feet in girth, and had extra- 

 ordinary knobs or excrescences on them, which gave them the 

 appearance of rustic gnarled specimens. Profuse growths of 

 Sphagnum Moss are on the bases of their trunks, which also 

 support immense clusters of several species of Polypodium and 

 other ferns, w^hich are at times found to be epiphytal. Par- 

 ticularly pretty water scenes abound at intervals along the 

 path here, as the water forms little cascades and flows out from 

 the overhanging Beech trees, especially when lit with shafts 

 of sunlight. Up to this spot the track has been about 8 to 10 

 feet in width. Beyond it is only a footway, but a beautiful 

 one, well defined, and through a continuous avenue of Beeches 

 for two miles, with ferns and mosses as the principal under- 

 growth. Along this path we observe the Strap Fern, Loniaria 

 Patersoni, and thousands of seedling Myrtle Beeches, some of 

 each of which we collect on the return journey to bring to 

 Melbourne. It is while traversing this path at a distance of 

 about half a mile from the entrance to the " Forest of Arden," 

 and near to where the " Glover Walk " (another tourists' track 

 from Mount Arnold) joins our track, that we observe the 

 " Phantom Falls " on the opposite side of the river. These 

 falls are seen plunging down the extreme end of Mount ^largaret 

 from a height of about 400 or 500 feet. The waters fall in 

 several series of cascades before flowing into the river. Viewed 

 from our jwsition, the stream appears to be about ten feet in 

 width, and forms a beautiful sight in the sunlight. A slight 

 error regarding the position of these falls is made in the tourists' 

 plan, as they are thereon indicated as being opposite to 

 " Murray Pass," whereas the board drawing attention to these 

 falls, and the falls themselves, are not visible until one has 

 passed through the " Forest of Arden " for half a mile. 

 Although Coachwhip and Lyre birds gave evidence of their 

 presence along our route, it was only here that one of our party 

 observed one of the latter birds. 



Soon after mid-day wc reached Ke})pel Falls, and the spot 

 known as " The fleeting of the Waters." This proved to be 

 one of the grandest and most charming places we had ever 

 seen. The waters of the Keppel Falls, whicli originally proceed 

 from Lake Mountain at a height of 4,800 feet, as they reach 

 their base, and from the Taggerty River, are l)roken uj) by 

 immense granite boulders into thiee or four distinct streams. 

 These, with the Snowy ( rc^ek, which comes in from tlie east 

 iioni the mountain })eak known as Snowy Mill (height 4,700 

 Leet), and another cret-k flowing in from the north, constitute 

 " The Meeting of the Waters." A substantially l)ui]t pavilion 



