195 



direct and in every way preferable route is obtainable to the 

 south of Mount Field. 



The last two routes to be described are those intended to 

 start from the head of the valley of the Russell Falls River. 

 The Florentine and Russell Falls Rivers respectively drain the 

 western and eastern slopes of a comparatively low range of 

 hills running southerly from Mount Field, and now known as 

 the Humboldt Divide. It was from this point that I suggested 

 as far back as 1878, the cutting of a track to the navigable 

 part of the Gordon. At that time there was no settlement 

 along the course of the Russell Falls River, and it is only 

 since the Tyenna district has been settled, and a road made 

 to the head of the valley, that the importance of this means 

 of access to the unexplored western country has begun to be 

 generally recognised. 



One of the proposed routes would take the most northerly 

 of the passes across the Divide, and, skirting the western 

 slopes of the Mount Field Range down to and across the 

 Florentine, would cross Dawson's-road not far from the 

 Gordon Bend. Keeping along the open country of the 

 Rasselas Valley it would make for the easiest pass in 

 the King William Range, and continue in a north- 

 westerly direction past the Loddon Hills to join the 

 Linda track between the crossings of the Franklin and 

 Collingwood Rivers. There is reason to believe that a 

 practicable line for a road will be found along this route, 

 but for purposes of exploration it would not add muck to the 

 means of access to the western country that already exist. 



The only route remaining to be noticed would be carried 

 over the lowest and most southerly saddle on the Humboldt 

 Divide, cross the head of the Florentine Valley, and keep on 

 in a westerly direction past Mount Wedge to McPartlan 

 Pass, and thence northerly, by the easiest line of country 

 available, to the Gordon, striking that river somewhere 

 between the confluence of the Denison on the north and the 

 Serpentine on the south. Here means should be provided 

 for crossing the Gordon at all seasons, whether the track be 

 continued down the right or the left bank to the head of the 

 navigation. Unless, however, this track is extended north 

 of the Gordon, it will lose half its value as a base line of 

 exploration, to say nothing of the advantage of the direct 

 communication with western mining centres, which sach an 

 extension would provide. It is therefore of the (highest 

 importance that an early attempt should be made to find a 

 practicable route from the crossing of the Gordon, through 

 the unknown country north of that river, to the point where 

 the Linda Track enters the Collingwood Valley. 



