obtain, five chains from the river to be reserved. These reser- 

 vations, in the opinion of the writer, .should effectually prevent 

 the destruction of the beautiful foliage, and retain not only 

 an aesthetic asset of unique character, but an asset of great 

 value from the tourist standpoint, which, if protected from 

 the axe and fire, will undoubtedly become of great monetary 

 value to the state. 



Dr Noetling said that there was the finest scenery on the 

 Gordon that he 'had ever seen in his life, and it would be a 

 great pity if the insatiable timber merchant was allowed to 

 destroy it. It was the duty of the Government to try and 

 preserve that scenery and he favoured the land on each side 

 being reserved up to the tops of the hills. 



Mr. R. M. Johnston said that no one had done so much 

 to make the scenery of Tasmania known as Mr. Beattie. It 

 was due to his hard work and careful selection of subjects 

 that the world knew so much of the beauties of Tasmania. 

 They were ail very much indebted to Mr. Beattie for the work 

 he had done, not only in making the beauties of our state 

 known, but in the patient and careful researches he had made 

 into its old history. 



Dr. Noetling said that if it was a fact that the Gordon ran 

 for two miles under the Wilmot Range, as had been reported 

 to Mr. Beattie, it would be the most extraordinary geological 

 wonder in the world. 



The Chairman said that he fully endorsed all that Mr. 

 Beattie had said in regard to the necessity for the preservation 

 of the scenery on the beautiful Gordon River, and he sincerely 

 recommended everyone who had not had the privilege of 

 visiting that part of the country to do so as soon as possible. 

 The time would come when the West Coast would prove most 

 attractive from a tourist point of view; and it therefore be- 

 hoved the Government to preserve, as far as they could, these 

 beautiful scenes from destruction. 



Mr. Beattie said that he had had that day received a tele- 

 gram from Mr. Robert Sticht, manager of the Mount Lyell 

 mine, supporting all that he had said in regard to the necessity 

 of preserving the scenery along the Gordon, and stating that 

 the present reservation made by the Government was inade- 

 quate. Nothing less than the whole range visible to the eye 

 should be reserved. The interests of the pine-getters were 

 paltry compared with the preservation of natural scenery. 



NOTES AND EXHIBITS 



Mr R. M. Johnston exhibited some specimens of timber 

 which had been treated with Captain M'Fie's white-ant specific, 

 and pointed out that it not only preserved the wood from the 

 attacks of insects and fungi, but enabled it to take a beautiful 

 polish. 



