200 



Excursion to Baiv Baw. [voV.'xxx 



of insects. A particularly high one was photographed on our 

 return. The track rose and fell, and about a mile further had 

 descended to 1,460 feet, where it was only about forty feet 

 above the eastern branch of the Tyers, a clear running stream 

 near which we rested for a while to boil the billy and have a 

 snack, as most of us had not tasted anything since the early 

 morning at Warragul. Here our attention was attracted by 

 some stones in the water, on which the larvae of some insect 

 had constructed, of a few grains of coarse sand, a shelter in 

 which to pupate. Some of these were secured on our return, 

 and may form the subject of a future note. 



Time was getting on, and half an hour was all our guide 

 could allow us if we intended to reach the shelter-house that 

 night. Soon after leaving this spot the track rises in earnest, 

 and about a mile further we reached the commencement of the 

 steep chmb up Erica. Our road here was bordered with mag- 

 nificent tree-ferns, which, in the waning Ught, looked most 

 enchanting. Tall gums shot up on either side, 200 to 250 feet, 

 perfectly straight, and the excuse was often made, when short 

 of wind, to stand and admire their column-like trunks. 

 Unfortunately for us,' full moon had happened a fortnight 

 before, and in the tall timber dayhght disappeared more rapidly 

 than it would have done in more open country, so that we 

 were now tripping over stones or roots, or shpping on the dry 

 bark, which seemed to have fallen parallel with the track, so 

 causing us more trouble. The grade here must have been 

 about I in I. Presently our guide said we had no hope of 

 reaching the shelter-house, and that we had better camp at 

 the spot known as '' The Rocks " (see tourist map) for the 

 night. He had hardly said this (about 9 p.m.) than one of 

 the party, shpping, fell heavily on a projecting stone, and at 

 first it was feared had fractured a rib or two, but it fortunately 

 turned out to be only a severe shaking. As we were then close 

 to the spot marked "water" on the map (38 m. 78 ch.), and 

 locally known as " The Myrtles," as the first beeches or 

 " myrtles" are met with there, the guide advised us to camp 

 for the night. Accordingly a fire was started, and by its hght 

 we proceeded to find our rugs, and secure comfortable spots 

 on which to rest our weary limbs. There happened to be here 

 an opening in the timber, about a chain in diameter, which 

 afforded ample room. Some of us were not sorry it had been 

 decided to stop, and the mosquitoes of the neighbourhood 

 were evidently of the same opinion, for they paid us so many 

 friendly (or unfriendly) visits throughout the night that sleep 

 was almost impossible. However, it was a beautiful starlight 

 night, and as we lay on our backs we could watch the con- 

 stellations as they passed overhead. Though the wind was 



