WESTERN HIGHLANDS, TASMANfA. 793 



lake, which was conveyed by bullock waggon from Hobart, 

 and taken by way of" Hamilton and Victoria Valley to 

 within about a mile of its destination ; from thence it was 

 carried by us on our shoulders until the shore was reached, 

 where a rough log boat-house was built by us for its protec- 

 tion. The tourist on his visit to the lake finds, on reaching 

 its south shore, a noble sheet of water stretched before him, 

 surrounded for the greater part by high and precipitous 

 mountains, but it is only by the aid of a boat that he can see 

 its grandest features, notably the views of Mount Olympus 

 and Mount Ida, from the north-eastern shoi'e. From this 

 point of view the tourist, on looking across the lake to the 

 south-w^est, sees the majestic outlines of Mount Olympus 

 towering up before him in sombre grandeur, with the sloj)es 

 at its base covered right down to the water's edge with a 

 most luxuriant growth of myrtle (beech), fern, and otliQi' 

 trees, among which may be seen the jxxlm-like fronds of the 

 Richea pandanifolia. Turning to the north-east, a huge 

 rampart of precipitous mountains extends for some miles 

 along this shore, amidst which stands the isolated bare peak 

 of Mount Ida, with the talus at its base covered with a dense 

 forest of Eucalypti. After breaking our way through the 

 scrub and having a look at Lake Laura — a small lake lying 

 at the foot of the mountains — we rowed up the larger lake 

 to its north-west end, where we camped for the night, and 

 next day followed the Narcissus River up its course for about 

 a couple of miles, from whence we could see the rugged 

 mass of mountains forming what is known as the Du Cane 

 Range. Upon our return to the old camping place at the 

 boat-house at Cynthia Bay, a start was made for the Eldon 

 Range. Our course lay up the Vale of Cuvier, along the 

 banks of the river of that name, and passing the southern 

 shore of Lake Petrarch — a very beautiful sheet of water, to 

 which the peaks of Mounts Byron and Cuvier form a noble 

 background. Continuing on our journey we passed to the 

 south of Coal Hill, keeping for some miles on the dividing 

 range overlooking the Murchison. From this stand])oint the 

 sketch was made from which the illustration of the Mur- 

 chison Valley was taken. A most extensive landscape here 

 meets the view. The head of the valley lies at one's feet. 

 On the right hand are the massive heads and ]jeaks of the 

 Du Cane Range ; on the left the equally bold and massive 

 spurs of the Eldon Range ; while the valley stretches away 

 into the dim distance, in which are to be faintly seen the 



