XXIX 



energies were always directed towards the 

 advancement of the interests of Tasmania 

 particularly, and also of Australia gene- 

 rally. Mr. James Bonwick still lives in 

 London, and is well and kindly remember- 

 ed by many here who have sat under him 

 in past days as scholars, and whose works 

 on Tasnianian history, relating particu- 

 larly to the extinct native races, are 

 valuable text books on that subject. Of 

 the merits of Mr. James Backhouse Wal- 

 ker, so lately taken from amongst us, it is 

 hardly necessary for me to remind you. 

 I can safely and very feelingly say, 

 that "he being dead yet speaketh. " Not 

 only are his valuable historical researches 

 regarded as standards of our past, but the 

 effects of his great activity in the cause of 

 the higher education of this State bear 

 testimony to-day to his ability and worth, 

 with a freshness and power which appea's 

 to us all. 



Under Mount Oakley^s eastern end is a 

 long lake, about 1^ mile long, and rather 

 narrow, called Lake Ayr, after. I pre- 

 sume, Mr. Bobbie Burns's "toon o' Ayr." 

 From this lake, and also from a small 

 though voluminous stream, "Bonwick's 

 Rivulet," junctioning with the lake out- 

 fall ,the Forth Eiver receives its primary 

 impetus. The whoile panorama was 

 grand and fascinating, although the wind 

 was bitterly cold, and from behind the 

 kindly shelter of a great rock we drank it 

 all in. Coming clown from the higher j evils 

 of Bonwick, and turning towards its west- 

 ern trend, we visited one of the Pe^ion 

 coal tunnels. The work done here repre- 

 sented a tunnel of over half a chain long, 

 with heaps of coal lying at its entrance on 

 either side Two seams, have been 

 discovered, one 17in. in thickness, the 

 other '26in. Considerable exploratory 

 work has been done towards testincr these 

 deposits, three tunnels in all having been 

 put in, and much trenching done. The 

 results seem as yet to be onl}^ moderately 

 valuable, analysis showing, according to 

 the Assistant Government Geologist, a low 

 ciuality of coal, with a value dependent on 

 the success of the Barn Bluff mining field. 

 The Launceston people seem to have a 

 much better opinion of the coal, their 

 analysis proving, they say, one sample to 

 be a splendid steaming coal, and another 

 sample was admirable for coking pur- 

 poses. It is also alleged that the Pelion 

 Copper Company used it at their forge, 

 and considered it to be the best quality of 

 coal in the colony. However, I think there 

 can be no question as to the value of these 

 great coal deposits, if the Barn Bluff coun- 

 try "pans out" well, timber all around be- 

 ing exceedingly scarce. Coming down to- 

 wards the hut, and the weather still keep- 

 ing fine, we crosse'l over the plain. 



northerly, towards Mount Oakley, 

 where, on the hig:h banks of the 

 yet youthful Forth River, we come upon 

 the Pelion Consolidated Copper Com- 

 pany's mineral show. There are four lodes 

 uncovered on the property, and partly 

 prospected. Tho^^e running from the north 

 and south assay well for silver, and those 

 east and west for gold, and all down the 

 creek mineral indications are to be found 

 in the country rock, a quartzite schist. 



The companv ceased work, I am told, 

 after spending something approaching 

 .£1,200 on the property, on account of the 

 utter isolation of its position precluding 

 all possibility of getting their ore out. 

 There are several tons of really good ore. 

 bagged and at grass, awaiting means of 

 transport. I heard that work was to be 

 resumed as soon as the development of the 

 field around is likely to secure a means of 

 communicaion wth outside, and then 

 their fine property must become of great 

 value. 



Towards evening the weather became 

 again stormy and wet, and next morning 

 (Sunday, April 7) it was as bad as ever, 

 and we had to remain in the hut all day,. 

 Monday, 8th inst., bjoke fine with 

 frost, so we made a start for Barn Bluff 

 Camp, getting awny from Pelion soon after 

 7 o'clock. From the "branch off" to the 

 Pelion Huts, the track runs through a 

 belt of forest .clothing the southern bend 

 of the Forth Gorge, and then sweeps round 

 in a great bend, under the bases of Mounts 

 Walker Ossa, and West Pelion, which 

 tower up very grandly all round, and ris- 

 ing along the eastern side of West Pelion 

 until the Forth Gorge is cleared, we turn 

 sharply round north-westerly, and have 

 a clear run in that ftiirection for eight 

 miles or so, over button-rush plains and 

 timber patches. .Just as the track takes 

 its uorth-westrly turn, it overlooks the 

 Forth River Gorge, and it presents to us 

 a scene of the wilde.^t grandeur. Photo- 

 graphy cannot conve.v au.vthing like a cor- 

 correct representation o fthe scene which 

 I have not seen surpassed, in all my bush 

 wanderings, for weird sublimity. Here 

 it is that the whole of the drain- 

 age from the great Pelion Gioup, Lake 

 Ayr, and the Oakley Range, form into one 

 united stream, and pass on as the Forth 

 River. 



From here we can see the great forma- 

 tion of the Barn Bluff' mine, the l)ig knob, 

 standing up finely on the west side of the- 

 gorge, not more than three or four miles 

 distant as the crow flies, yet our winding.^ 

 make the distance eight miles, or more, 

 before the camp is reached. The day 

 turned out exceptionally fine, and we had 

 ample opportunity to see the fine moun- 

 tain scenery around, as we progressed. The 

 jPelion Group, which we were leaving,. 



