Igis] Barnard, Jotirtieys of Dr. Neumayev in Victoria. 197 



up on all sides." Reached top of Divide (4,000 feet) at noon, 

 and descended by an easy track through a fern gully to Jericho 

 (1,894 feet) in the evening. Thence he went on to the Springs 

 (3,866 feet), where he made inquiries about the track to Buneep, 

 and was informed that distance was fifty miles. This estimate 

 was too little by at least twenty, and got the party into diffi- 

 culties before reaching the Gippsland road. He reached the 

 junction of the tracks to New Chum (Healesville) and Buneep 

 safely, and says : — " We appear to be now emerging from the 

 dead timber country, the forests here being in a far less decaying 

 state than higher up, towards the Dividing Range. It is 

 altogether a strange appearance which is presented by this 

 belt of dead timber, occurring as it does almost at the same 

 level all through the mountainous country. Several scientific 

 men of great experience attribute it to the ravages of a cater- 

 pillar. This may be, but it is equally certain that these giant 

 trees perish at an age when they have lost the tenacity necessary 

 to resist the effects of low temperature and frost. A great 

 distinction, of course, must be drawn between sporadic cases 

 of dead trees and such where the green tree forms the excep- 

 tion among thousands of dead trunks." Camped at the 

 junction (3,315 feet). Next day continued on through numerous 

 fern gullies, then suddenly descended into the valley of the 

 Yarra (1,365 feet) (In the light of recent surveys this w^as 

 probably the head of the Thomson, previously thought to be 

 the Yarra.) The track was now very difficult, blocked by much 

 fallen timber, and so little grass for the horses that they were 

 rapidly losing strength. On the 13th they were still in difficult 

 country, undulations of 400 and 500 feet being frequent. As 

 there was no grass, and he had used up all the horse feed, he 

 was obliged to stay up all night and make dampers for the 

 horses. Next morning, about 10 a.m., having just ascended 

 a steep hill, one of the horses fell down and refused to move, 

 so it had to be abandoned. (This circumstance is probably the 

 origin of the name of Mount Horsfall, a peak in the Divide 

 between the Yarra and Gippsland, and which has by some 

 been attributed to a similar mishap to the late Professor 

 Kernot.) He hurried on, thinking he was now near Buneep 

 (Bunyip), and could return for the horse next day. At last, 

 about 6 p.m., he struck a nice grass flat near a good stream of 

 water, and decided to camp, having covered about 28 miles 

 for the day. He reached Buneep at 10 a.m. the next day (15th) 

 and returned to Melbourne by coach, leaving the horses with 

 Edward at Buneep to get up strength again, as he proposed 

 to return shortly and resume the trip easterly into Gippsland. 

 He found, however, it was too late in the season to make such 

 a journey. 



