XV 



MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1896. 



Mr. Bernard Shaw presided at the monthly meeting of the Royal 

 Society of Tasmania on Monday, September 21st, and there was a good 

 attendance. The subject for discussion was the West Coast routes, 

 introduced at the previous meeting by Mr. T. Stephens. 



NEW MEMBERS AND VISITORS. 



Mr. Robert Sticht, metallurgist, Mount Lyell ; Dr. E. T. MacGowan 

 and Mr. R. Fitzarthur Waller were elected. Also Major C. M. OflBcer, 

 F.G.S. (London), and Mr. W. H. Palmer, C.E., two visitors. 



WEST COAST TRACKS. 



The discussion on this subject was resumed. 



Mr. T. Stephens said : As the report of the second party despatched 

 to explore the country lying to the west of the Mount Field Range had 

 now been received he might, by way of postscript, add a few words to 

 the paper read at the last meeting. The work of the recent expedi- 

 tion, which was undertaken under conditions of exceptional hardship 

 and difficulty, had not done much towards the exploration of the par- 

 ticular tract of country to which he had directed attention ; but it 

 had shown that there are obstacles to a route along the River Gordon, 

 which, though they should not be regarded as insurniountable, would 

 necessitate a considerable expenditure of time and money before a 

 practicable track could be opened in that direction. He had, therefore, 

 indicated upon the chart an alternative route. Taking the Humboldt 

 Divide and the country about Mount Lyell as the two extreme points, 

 this route should be carried westerly to some point between the 

 junction of the Serpentine on the south and the Denison on the north 

 side of the Gordon, where a convenient croesing place can be found 

 on the last-named river. There a depot should be provided. An 

 opportunity would thus be given for examining both banks of the 

 Gordon towards Macquarie Harbour, but the main object should be 

 to push through the unexplored country between the Rivers Franklin 

 and Denison to the Linda track, and thus make accessible that large 

 area which is still described on our latest maps as ** unexplored," 



Mr. E. A. Counsel (Sarveyor-Geueral) said Mr, Stephens had dealb 

 very fully with the country being opened up from Glenora, and he (Mr. 

 Counsel) would deal with the subject under three headings, namely, 

 (1) the results following track cutting into unexplored country, 

 showing how districts had been opened up on the lines of those in 

 various parts of Tasmania ; (2) the conditions under which the work 

 might be undertaken ; (3) future exploration. Under the first heading 

 the speaker made out a forcible argument for continuing the making of 

 these tracks in the unexplored parts of the West Coast. As to the 

 Mole Creek route spoken of by Mr. Stephens, with branches, they 

 must be fairly tested before a definite course as to them was taken. 

 They would no doubt serve very important districts, but the danger was 

 of their being at too high a level for winter traffic. Strange to say, 

 the Gordon and Rasselas route was still undetermined, notwithstand- 

 ing the fact that the country intended to thereby so open up (as well 

 as to provide communication to the West Coast) was almost accessible 

 by a main-road (Dawson's road) as far back as 1860; and notwith- 

 standing the fact that actual surveys and settlements were made as far 

 west as the base of Frenchman's Cap in 1853. At that date a block was 

 actually leased at the base of Frenchman's Cap. The Rasselas Valley 

 route would no doubt be improved as the examination of the country 

 progressed. As to the Tyenna route, explored by Mr. Innes wlio 



