PASS THE GAP 



16^ 



portion to the length of the body, having the 

 appearance of a portion of it being accidentally 

 broken off, but on examination it is found to 

 be the natural formation ; they crossed the road 

 before us, moving very slow, and did not display 

 any signs of timidity at our presence. This species 

 is said to be eaten by the aborigines. 



After passing the Gap,* or opening in the 

 mountain range, through which the road to 

 Yas Plains leads, we continued for a few miles 

 through a still interesting country. About this 

 place several of the varieties or species of 

 Eucalyptus, which have opposite leaves of a 

 bluish green colour, their surface being sprinkled 

 thinly with a whitish powder, were very 

 abundant ; it is from their foliage that the 

 largest quantity of the camphorated oil, which 

 so closely resembles the Caju puti, is pro- 

 duced. Some contain it in such abundance as to 

 cover the hand with oil, when one of the leaves 

 is gently rubbed against it. I am informed that 

 the oil has been extracted in the colony for 

 medicinal purposes, and, I believe, will be found 



* This pass in the mountain range was discovered by 

 Mr. Hamilton Hume, (in the expedition made to the 

 south-west of Austraha, by those enterprising travellers, 

 Messrs. Hovell and Hume,) and from which the important 

 discovery of Yas (or according to the aboriginal pronun- 

 ciation, Yar) Plains was made. 



