BY R. C. BINGR08E) M.A. 6d 



the quartz porphyries are again visible and extend to the 

 *' Crater." The ridge near the " Crater " is narrow, and 

 towards the Barron River Gorge is exceedingly steep. 

 From the summit of the ridge one descends rapidly amongst 

 cedar trees, until one descends almost unconscioiisly into 

 the great chasm known as the " Crater," hidden amongst 

 the trees at the end of the leading spur, and encircled on 

 two sides by the Barron Gorge. I estimate the distance 

 across the " Crater " at its widest point to be 3J chains. 



From the rim on the low but accessible side, the distance 

 to the water is rather less than 300 feet. On all sides, 

 except where there is a slight slip, the walls are absolutely 

 vertical. The whole of the bottom of the chasm is water, 

 the depth of which measured by a line with a weight on it, 

 is about 300 feet. (These measurements are siibject to 

 correction.) The surface of the water is coverei^ with a 

 weed known as " lemna oligorhiza." 



The main material of the precipitous walls of the 

 chasm is quartz porphyry, but on one side there is a small 

 belt of fine-grained elvan porphyry. The height of the 

 *' Crater " is 3,341 feet above sea level, and the bed of the 

 Barron River, just above the Crater is 3,101 feet. It 

 therefore follows that there is no outlet for the water in 

 the Barron River. As far as is known the level of the 

 water is stationary, and theie is no evidence that it either 

 increases or diminishes otherwise than by rainfall or by 

 natural evaporation respectively. The bed of the Barron 

 River is solid quartz porphyry, and from Dinner Creek 

 descends rapidly in a series of pretty cascades, until it 

 passes through a gorge just above Clarke's track to the 

 Russell. Attempts have been made, but no one has 

 succeeded in getting the depth of the water in the centre 

 of the chasm. On the eastern side of the Barron River, 

 Gum Tree Hill lises abruptly out of the river. 



What is the origin of this remarkable chasm ? What 

 is its age ? It has none of the appearances of the volcanoes 

 of the Tertiary basalts. It is newer than the quartz 

 porphyries, and newer than the elvan porphyries. Being 

 carved out of soHd rock on the main back-bone of Aus- 

 tralia, no other conclusion can be arrived at than that 

 its origin was due to some violent volcanic action of deep- 

 seated origin. There is no evidence of any falling in or 



