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83 



T A S 



the Derwent, and falls into Pitt's Water : its course is 

 about 30 miles. 



We pass to the description of the northern part of Tas- 

 mania i north of 41 50'). The watershed of the eastern 

 districts of this country lies close to the Pacific, as the re- 

 motest sources of the South Esk are only from four to five 

 miles from its shores. The Upper Valley of the South Esk 

 lies between two large mountain-masses, but the Lower 

 Valley constitutes a. part of the Basin of Lincoln. The 

 Upper Valley extends from the sources of the river west- 

 ward to the vicinity of Ben Lomond Rivulet, where an 

 offset of the Ben Lomond comes close to the river, whilst 

 from the south the most north-western branch of the East- 

 ern Tier also approaches very near, so that there is a na- 

 tural pass by which the Upper Valley of the South Esk is 

 entered. This valley extends about 35 miles from the 

 irorge, following the St. Paul's River, but nearly 50 miles 

 alone: the Break-o'-Day River. The mountains which ex- 

 tend along the shores of the Pacific, and connect the 

 northern part of the Eastern Tier with the range of the 

 Ben Lomond, have not been explored. When seen from 

 the sea they constitute a high range, overtopped by several 

 summits, among which is Tasman's Peak and Mount Cham- 

 pagny, south-west of Cape St. Helen's : the last mentioned, 

 a conical summit, rises about 3000 feet above the sea. It 

 has not yet been ascertained where and how this maritime 

 range is connected with Ben Lomond. Ben Lomond ap- 

 pears to be the highest ground in this part of Tasmania, 

 and is estimated to rise 4200 feet, or about 1200 feet higher 

 than the mountain in Scotland whose name has been 

 transferred to it. The mountain-mass, of which it forms 

 the most elevated portion, extends to a considerable dis- 

 tance to the south-west, where, as already observed, it 

 comes close to the banks of the South Esk, near the place 

 where it is joined by Ben Lomond Rivulet, and it is pro- 

 bable that it advances still farther to the north-east, in 

 which direction this region has not been explored. It is 

 however certain that the maritime range and that of Ben 

 Lomond join at an acute angle, leaving between them a 

 depression of a basin-like shape, which may be called the 

 UnMii of Fiuiral, from a township of that name situated 

 near the place where the South Esk and the Break-o'-Day 

 River join. The existence of this basin has only been 

 ascertained within the last ten years, and our information 

 respecting it is scanty ; but as the settlements begin to be 

 numerous, and an it has been divided into hundreds, we 

 may presume that the soil of this tract is good. The 

 Basin of Fiusral extends from north to south about 15 

 miles, and about as much from east to west. Its southern 

 districts are drained by the Break-o'-Day River, which 

 rise* in the maritime range, and, running eastward, meets 

 below Fingal the South Esk, which originates in the Ben 

 Lomond range, and waters the northern districts of the 

 basin. A few miles below the confluence of these two 

 branches, the South Esk, having a south-west course, en- 

 ters a wide valley, about 10 miles long, and afterwards 

 reaches a plain, where it is met by the St. Paul's River. 

 The valley, through which the last-mentioned branch of 

 tiie South Esk descends from its source in the maritime 

 range, is for a considerable part of its course so wide, that 

 it has obtained the name of St. Paul's Plains, which are 

 described as an undulating country, in gome parts over- 

 crown with open forests, and in others without trees, but 

 well watered, and producing rich pasture. Between the 

 Valley of St. Paul's River and the Basin of Fingal is a moun- 

 tain-mass, which is connected on the east with the mari- 

 time range, and whose western extremity is marked by a 

 dome-like summit, to which the name of St. Paul's Dome 

 has been given. It is considered to rise 2800 feet above 

 the sea-level. After the confluence of the two principal 

 branches, the South Esk turns westward, and flows along 

 the base of the Eastern Tier, so that between the river and 

 the mountain south of it there is only a narrow strip, with 

 an undulating or hilly surface, which however has a good 

 soil. North of the river the valley extends to the base of 

 the Ben Lomond range, a distance of five or six miles : the 

 intervening ground resembles in general the St. Paul's 

 Plains, being better adapted for pasture than for agricul- 

 ture, and partly covered with thin forests. Thus the val- 

 ley continues to the gorge above the mouth of Ben Lomond 

 Rivulet. 



North of the Upper Valley of the South Esk extends 

 the K'irlh-l'jiKtf.rn Mountain Region, the whole of which 



is probably occupied by mountains ; but the interior of it 

 has not been explored, and only the outskirts of it are 

 known. The country along the Bay of Fires, between 

 Cape K. Helen's and Eddystone Point, is of considerable 

 elevation, but partly well wooded and partly covered with 

 a fine growth of grass. This tract is supposed to be fit for 

 pastoral settlements. North of Eddystone Point the moun- 

 tains are several miles from the shore : they have only 

 been seen from a distance, and appear to constitute one 

 continuous mass, broken in a few places by ravines, by 

 which small rivers issue from them. There are no striking 

 summits, except Mount Cameron, between Eddystone 

 Point and Ringarooma Bay, but its elevation is not known. 

 The mountains are generally wooded. The flat country 

 between these mountains and the sea, from Eddystone Point 

 to the mouth of the Tamar, is watered by numerous small 

 streams, but the soil is generally dry and sandy, in some 

 places overgrown with bushes or short, crooked trees, and 

 in others covered with swamps, in which only tea-bushes 

 are found. There are a few tracts which have a better 

 soil, and might be cultivated, as on the banks of Piper's 

 River. The best portion of this region is the valley of the 

 North Esk, which opens to the west, and stretches east- 

 ward into the mountains on the north of the Ben Lomond 

 range. This valley however is narrow, and contains very 

 few tracts adapted for agricultural purposes, and the num- 

 ber of settlements is small, though the proximity of the 

 tovyn of Launceston affords a ready sale for their produce. 

 A ridge of sterile but wooded hills runs along the southern 

 side of the river, and continues to the banks of the South 

 Esk, where that river, about a mile above Launceston, 

 runs in a narrow valley for a mile, and at the point where 

 it leaves that valley forms a cataract about 40 feet high. 



The gorge through which the South Esk flows above 

 Launceston separates the valley of the Tamar, which lies 

 north of it, from the Basin of Lincoln, which extends south 

 of it. The Tamar is only a deep inlet of the sea, which 

 begins at the town of Launceston, and where the two Esks 

 fall into it. Its length to Port Dalrymple in a straight line 

 is about 30 miles, but measured along its numerous bends 

 it is 43 miles. The tides come up to Launceston, at which 

 place the inlet is only 60 yards wide, yet, vessels of 150 tons 

 may ascend to the town. The width of the navigable chan- 

 nel is 20 yards, nor does it widen for two miles below the town, 

 and it is very narrow 10 or 12 miles farther, though the inlet 

 itself widens to three-quarters of a mile. Ten or twelve 

 miles below Launceston the inlet alternately expands to a 

 weadth of three miles, and contracts to a mile, so as to appear 

 ike several small lakes connected by short channels. In this 

 part are several shoals and sand-banks, and they only dis- 

 ippear about 15 miles from the sea. It is a great obstacle to 

 :he navigation of the river that the wind always blows either 

 directly up or down it, so that a vessel is often obliged to 

 depend upon the tide, and it sometimes happens that a pas- 

 sage from Port Dalrymple to Launceston occupies two or 

 hree weeks. The valley of the Tamar, measured between 

 he summits on the two sides of the river, is about eight 

 miles wide, but two or three of them are occupied by the 

 declivities, though these declivities are rather steep. Thus 

 he cultivable ground, if the extent of the inlet itself is sub- 

 racted, varies between three and six miles. Near the town 

 of Launceston, and to a distance of about 11 miles north of 

 t, the country on both sides of the river possesses a con- 

 siderable degree of fertility, and is well settled ; but farther 

 down the eastern banks have a dry sandy or stony soil of very 

 nferior quality, which is still uninhabited. On the left bank 

 of the river the soil is much better, and there the settle- 

 ments are numerous, though not so numerous as near Laun- 

 ceston. 



The Basin of Lincoln, so called from the hundred of 

 Lincoln, which occupies the centre of it, is the most fertile 

 portion of Tasmania. It includes on the east the lower 

 valley of the South Esk, extending to the western base of 

 Ben Lomond, and on the west reaches the eastern base of 

 he Western Tier. It is separated from the Northern 

 Elevated Plains by the hilly and woody tract called Epping 

 Forest. On the north it is bounded by the ridge of hills 

 south of Launceston, and the mountains which line the 

 northern banks of the Mseander as far as the mouth of 

 2uamby's Brook. It extends from south-east to north- 

 west about 25 miles, and as much from north-east to south- 

 west. This gives an area of GOO square miles. This basin 



watered by several large rivers, which unite, and ulti 



M. 2 



