^°^g'] Daley, Alpine Gippsland. 103 



latter mountain, 5,715 feet high, a fine panorama extends. 

 Northwards, over the Di\dde, is the Buffalo River ; the basins 

 of the King and Howqua Rivers can also be seen, whilst south- 

 wards is the rugged valley of the Wonnangatta, with its bluffs 

 and gorges. Snow Gum, Cider Gum, and occasionally Woolly- 

 butt, are the chief timbers — the former eucalypts much dwarfed 

 on the wind-swept heights ; whilst along the sheltered stream 

 and valleys Flooded Gum, White Gum, Stringy-bark, Ironbark, 

 Peppermint, and Silver-top occur. Acacias are chiefly the 

 Black and Silver Wattles, Blackwood, A. implexa, and A. alpina. 

 In some places the Broad-leaved Native Hop, Daviesia latifolia, 

 forms quite a scrubby undergrowth. Callistemon saligmis, 

 Leptospermum myrsinoides and L. scopariiim, Kunzea pediin- 

 ciilaris, Bursaria spinosa, Exocarpos strida, E. cupressiformis, 

 typical fern vegetation, and musk and hazel, mark the course of 

 the river. On the highlands where the low heath plants can 

 exist are found many species of Leguminosae, Helichrysams, 

 Epacridse, Olearias, Pimeleas, and Orchidae, and lowlier plants. 

 It was pleasing to see the humble woodland violet, V. hederacea, 

 and its congener, F. hetonicifolia, blooming at an altitude of 

 over 5,000 feet. Hakea acicularis, with its spare, thorny foliage, 

 is specially suited for growth on the wind-swept heights. 

 Perhaps the most common plants on the ranges are Veronica 

 perfoliata and the sweet-scented Stackhousia. Thelymitra 

 aristata was the most common of the orchids. 



From Talbotville a track above the river leads down the 

 eastern side of the Wonnangatta, giving a varying panorama 

 of the valley and ranges. At one place. Mount Wellington, to 

 the west, with its capping of snow, could be plainly seen ; and 

 the bold range on the western side of the valley was an evei- 

 changing picture as the September sun shone fitfully, placing 

 it in " shadow or shine," in a mist of vapour or a veil of 

 rapidly dissolving cloud. From a notable outlook called 

 " Gibraltar," Castle Hill seemed to be in the grasp of a driving 

 snow-storm. Along the river flats cultivation is carried on, 

 with splendid results, maize, lucerne, and potatoes being of high 

 quality. Pigs and cattle can be reared well, a settler usually 

 having part river flat and part hillside in combination. Going 

 down this track I noticed Persoonia confertifolia in fine growth. 

 At one place on the river an old " hatter," a Russian Finn, 

 had a trap for catching eels, some of very large size ; these he 

 salted or dried for use, and treated Wombats in the same 

 manner. Lower down, the Wonnangatta, joining the Dargo, 

 forms the Mitchell. For a great part of its course it marks 

 broadly the eastern boundary of the great Carboniferous system 

 of rocks extending through to Mansfield, granitic and Ordo- 

 vician measures lying east of its course. 



