The River Smithford to Lyell 



proved this to be the fact. On the west bank we found 

 the marl to contain numerous casts of small cube-shaped 

 crystals with somewhat depressed faces. These we were 

 able to recognize as pseudomorphs of salt crystals, and 

 the occurrence of several small springs of salt water led 

 us to suppose that it might be worth our while to sink 

 a bore-hole in this neighbourhood in search of rock salt. 



With the object of obtaining the necessary apparatus 

 and labour, we returnedjto Red River en route for Lyell, 

 having made arrangements with the prospector to take 

 charge of the work when the boring tackle should have 

 been procured. 



After two weeks' hard travelling on horseback and 

 on foot we were not sorry to return to the steamer and 

 to sail leisurely up the winding river towards Lyell. 

 For the greater part of the journey there was little to 

 interest us. Alluvial flats stretched for long distances 

 on either side of the river, and the high banks prevented 

 us getting any good view of the surrounding country. 



About a day's sail from Lyell, the valley rapidly 

 narrowed, and we once more entered a gorge, this time 

 so narrow that there was barely room for the road beside 

 the river. Bluffs of Keuper Sandstone guarded the 

 entrance to the gorge, which was, however, for the most 

 part, cut in a cream-coloured limestone of spongy texture 

 which supported an extremely luxuriant vegetation. 



Here and there in the precipitous cliffs were thin 

 beds of red and brown marls, but the bulk of the material 

 was the cream-coloured limestone which was often 

 weathered into fantastic forms. On the side of the river 

 remote from the road the cliff passed straight down into 

 the water as seen in Plate V. 



119 



