'I 1 .\ S 



'I \ > 



mately fall into the South K.-.U bel'o: 



rivers- ;uv. Inn 



Elizabeth luTer, Maequwrie Hirer, Lake River. IVnny- 

 royal River, anil Mnandcr or Uiver. Tl 



face inul tin- soil of the Basin arc not uniform. East of tin- 

 South Esk tin- higher count rv chiefly consists of plains, 

 fit lu-r Jest it uti- of wood or thinly wooded, and well adapt rd 

 for sheep : the wide bottom of the rivers yields rich crop*. 

 Thi- country lictwccii the South K>k and Lake Hivcr con- 

 sists of wide valleys along the courses of the rivers, and 

 narrow ridges of hills between them, which however in 

 Mune places attain a considerable elevation above their 

 . These hills arc generally wooded, and though the 

 soil on their declivities is good, they ore at present only 

 ued as pasture-ground: the wide level tracts along the 

 watercourses have a very fertile soil, most of w hich is under 

 cultivation. The most level portion of the basin is that 

 which is wot of Lake River, for in this district the uplands 

 do not rise much above the bottom of the valleys, extend 

 with an undulating surface, and are seldorh interrupted by 

 high hills. Like the bottoms, they were formerly clothed 

 with trees, except on the very margins of the rivers, but 

 nearly the whole of the region has been cleared and con- 

 verted into fields. The soil of the bottoms is very rich, but 

 they are subject to inundations, which however are of short 

 duration. From the Basin of Lincoln all the corn is brought 

 to Launceston. which is exported from that place, and 

 which is the principal support of the population in the 

 country round Sydney, whenever Australia cxpenc' 

 dearth. 



To the west of this basin is the Western Tier, or Western 

 Mountain.-., which extend from the banks of the I,akc River 

 a few miles below the place where that river issues from 

 the Arthur Lakes, in a west-north-west direction to the 

 sources of the river Mersey, a distance of about fH) miles. 

 The range lies between the southern plains and the Basin of 

 Lincoln, but we have very little information respecting this 

 i. A few summits have been noticed, as the Quam- 

 by Bluff, near the north-western extremity of the Basin of 

 Lincoln, which is staled to be :{."i()0 feet high, and the F.x- 

 treme Western Bluff, at the west end of the region. It 

 appears that the upper part of the range coiistr 

 tolerable level, on which only a few peak* attain fKKt feet, 

 and which is covered with small lakes. grass, and an alpine 

 vegetation. Some low rocky ridges which run across it 

 are covered with crooked eucalyptus and bushes. The 

 width of this elevated tract does not exceed a few miles, 

 but its elevation must be considerable, which may be in- 

 ferred from the circumstance, that even in .January, which 

 corresponds to our July, a heavy fall of snow W;LS experi- 

 enced, which covered the ground some inches deep. The 

 whole vegetation, especially the frequent occurrence of 

 lichens and mosses, proves its great elevation, which pro- 

 bably is not much less than -KHH) feet above the sea-level. 

 :ts northern extremity the Western Tier i-. of con- 

 siderable width, extending from (Juamhy's I! lull' to Extreme 

 Western Bluff', a distance of about '> miles. At its 

 northern declivity extends a depression or valley, from 

 east to west, which may IK- called the I'nlli'ij f tin' Mrrnn- 

 </IT, as that river drains the greater part of it. Though a 

 cart-road has been made through it, we are not acquainted 

 with its extent from south to north, but we are informed 

 that it extends westward to the vicinity of the ( 

 when- tins liver turns westward, being here divide 

 the valley of the last-mentioned river by a narrow offset 

 of the Western Tier. This tract consists of level plains, 

 which are generally without trees, but in several places 

 there arc small clumps of them, and they ., 

 ally intersected by narrow belts of tun -I. extendin. 

 the mountains to the banks of the rivers. Numerous 

 nvem water this country, the soil oJ' which is stated to be 

 id quality, and equally adapted to cultivation and the 

 rearing of cattle. 



Proceeding westward from the banks of the Mersey, two 

 high and steep mountain-ridges must be passed before 

 that region i* reached which is called the Surn-y Hills. 

 and which constitutes one of the most remarkable features 

 of Tasmania. It occupies the country for about 'JO miles 

 on each side of 146 E. long, and an equal exl 

 sides of 41" 30' S. hit., but properly speaking, its extent 

 toward* the south is not known, and it is even probable 

 that it reaches the foot of the Eldon range, a chain of 

 mountains which has been seen from a distance, and which 



probably is nboi hit. This region gives origin 



to a jrn-a: number of rivers, which run off in all dircc' 

 Witli the exception of a few n\ ; " lr 



coast, all the rivers which fall in! 



E. long, and north of -\1 S. lat. rise in t Mills: 



they must therefore constitute the highest ground' in this 

 part of Tasmania. It is remarkable that the highest part 

 of the region lies on its outer edges, for the region is sur- 

 rounded on the east, and still more on the north and west, 

 by hills which rise considerably above the general level, 

 xtremely steep declivities', and narrov '-on 



their tops, but'are otherwise covered with dense forests fre- 

 quently matted together by underwood. Among the single 

 summits are tin line's 1'eak, near the northern 



edge, which isUUKlfeet above the sea, and the Black Bluff 

 Mount, which is said to be :m feet higher. The interior 

 of the legion is very different. Its surface is formed by a 

 if low hills, which rise with so gentle a slope 

 that it may be considered a plain, and it is intersected by 

 small brooks, tl . .vhich are adorned with narrow 



belts of beaittiful shrubs and trees. Whenever a hill 

 to a higher elevation, its declivity consists of level and 

 regular terraces, a.s if laid out by art, and the summit is 

 crowned with stately peppermint-trees. There are many 

 open plains of several square miles in extent without a 

 tree. In general there arc not more than ten trees to an 

 The hills are covered with a vigorous growth of 

 grass. The soil is a dark vegetable mould upon a rich 

 brown loam. The substratum appears to be gravel, which 

 renders these hills perfectly dry, and fit for sheep-walks, lor 

 which purpose they now are used by the settlements which 

 have been formed on them by the Van Dieinen's Land 

 Company. This country extends north of St. Valentine's 

 Peak on' both sides of the Emu river, where it appear* even 

 more park-like than farther south, being handsomely 

 clumped with trees. This tract is called the Hanij 

 Hills. The elevation of the Surrey Hills above tin 

 level renders the climate much colder than on the . 

 Snow covers the ground for several weeks, which however 

 must be considered as an advantage in a country where 

 the. soil inclines to dryncss. It has also the benefit of 

 abundant rains during autumn (March and April . 



Between the valley of the Mji'iuidcr and the Surrey Hills 

 on the south, and Bass's Strait on the north, is the hilly 

 ! region of Devonshire. The mountains which extend from 

 the gorge of the South Ksk to the west of the Tamar north- 

 north-west, and terminate on the sea with 1'oint Flinders, 

 appear to constitute a continuous range of moderate eleva- 

 tion. They ore partly wooded and partly destitute of tree-, 

 and in some places covered with a very scanty vegetation 

 of shrubs or grass. Farther west this region is very little 

 known, except that the spaces between the rivers are tilled 

 up with mountains and high hills, and that these heights 

 come close to the shores of the sea. Few, if any. settle- 

 ments have been formed on it. This region extend- 

 ward to the banks of the Emu River. 



West of the Emu River begins the (ii;-nl Plain of Tas- 

 mania : it oeeii|. ill-western portion of the island, 

 extending along the northern coast from the Emu to I 'ape 

 . and along the western coa.-t to the Arthur River. 

 The narrowest portion of this plain appears to be between 

 the Emu and Detention Rivers, where its width .Iocs not 

 ! 12 miles, and it. terminates on the south at the 

 Hampshire Hill-. Farther west a continuous range of high 

 hills, called the Campbell Range, forms its bom 

 and terminates near the source of the Detention River with 

 Dip Hill. ;i mountain of moderate elevation. The snrlacc 

 of this portion of the plain is strongly undulating, and in 

 many purls even hilly. Near the shores it is o\ei grown 

 with dense forests, winch arc made nearly impenetrable by 

 the underwood, bushes, and ferns. But about three miles 

 or somewhat more from the sea the forests are interrupted 

 .ill plains covered with grass and des- 

 titute of trees. They have a light dry soil, are well watered 

 by springs and sljcunis. and surrounded by excellent tim- 

 ber. The grass is coai-r but plentiful : there arc iiiso some 

 fit for cultivation. West of Detention River Hie. 

 plain grows wider. From Dip Hill, at the source of the 

 I Icily er distinguished the high grounds at Cape 

 (film and 'West I'oinl, though they arc of very niode- 

 l plain, we-t of 1 >etcnl ion R'ivcr, ex- 

 ceed 15 miles in width. This large tract however i> 

 ill adapted for colonization. The surface, is generally level 



