ty( , A' if i /////' VTRATSD 



\*tan\ view of the Australian uwdillera *how* tt IWt a 

 l*>rt;int <-arth Hevation, \mi n l/arri< r </f vrvrn hundred mik* in length betwee* two 

 oceans Ka*t ami w'*t j',</ ih" wa< n> It'tnt it* ridge; thevr to the Pacific Ocean, jJnowe 

 ," Indian, The river* of th<- former discharge upon the coast, while thoae of the 

 oth:r ;<! r sluggishly, and in no great volun, * the great plain* of the interior, 



wh'Ti" they join oilier rivers whkh in turn flow on, still in a south-westerly direction, 

 diminishing in nurnlxrr a* they proceed, like the gathered thread* of a skein, until they 

 Murray, which divhargurs into Lake Alexandrina, The most charact/nivtkalJy 

 -/( A(r,tr;; in it* outh^a*tern corner, for here is the Highest 



, li' r- r, I li< l.i '1 (ami, and from this part runs to the north 



tic Divi'lin^ Kan/' -( i Australia, and also the great lateral spur to the west 



whi< li form-* lli" iJividirijr K;III;M <f \ i< toria. 



Ilif lir.t |."int '.f ini|/' in th: New South Wales portion of the Australian 



Alj/'. i* lie I'M'ii, ri.in^ ov-r nix thousand fr*:t above the level of the sea, the next in 

 .pkr tlx- K.IIII lla<l of tin- < ;irly navigators having an additional eight hundred feet; 

 Km ili< .. |,< ,il. , ;n' i'i.illy -(li|/,<-<l I/) tlx- ^roup in the Central Alps known as the 



eitlfko ;;i'"H|', wliMi is tli' nio.t Alj/im- in its character in the entire range Of 

 ih. ,.-. I :imi'<l l/y ( iint Str/,lfcki in memory of his distinguished countryman, 



ih. IP n. of I'ol.ni'l w.i--, lon^ thought to \nt the high<rst point in the Australian Conti- 

 ii' ni, hut Dr. von I,, ml. nf' I'l has shown Mount Townsend to have a superior elevation 

 of .. h < l, A thorough xaniination of these peaks was conducted by Mr. 



I'., it., of ih' NI-W South Wales Survey Department, and they are now amongst the 



i known of th \u .Dalian mountains. 



I IP i- i. no .hai| ,r ahruptness in the form of Mount Kosciusko. An 



Australian driver would take his coach and four to its topmost peak and drive about 

 tip In: M i aim, which bears the inscription of many visitors. Nor is great 



iii -.Ipiwn by a \\onderfiilly expansive view. Kosciusko is a hummock of a great 

 lahl. land, not a COHC or peak springing from a plain. A rugged series of mountain 

 head "n ever) -.ide. I mm live thousand to six thousand five hundred feet is 



llieii t, and ihe monarcli of all claims the altitude of seven thousand 



three hundred and hlt\ oni- f< i. Throughout tin- winter months the snow lies deep 

 on Ko.(insko, and ihe wild cattl<- are down in the valleys. It is unbroken solitude, 

 tin while peace l Nature, In -neath which grow slowly the rare and beautiful wild- 

 plain., i" hud \\iih the melting of the snow in the spring-time and to blossom through 

 tli' l"ii;'_ and b\ no mr.m-. o|ipressiv<- summer. 'I'here is snow in some sunless crannies 

 "I that mountain head whii h no l><c<-ml>er melts, and every June freexes. But over the 



itl i br< adth nf his summit. v;ray mck with black earth appears, bearing from November 

 i" l.nuiaiA a luxuriant i arpet of bloom (lowers strange to the ihvellers in lower lands, 

 representative! <>l the lily and ranunculus and aster tribes, with heath-like plants not more 

 than MX huh.-. hi : di. but Ira-rant and dense. A little lower on the eastern slope is the 

 lin\ I al Albin.i, from which starts the Snowy River, most impetuous and direct in its 

 COUfM "I all Australian streams, and twenty miles farther on, and two thousand feet lower, 



main lOUrCC "I the Murray in the Tooma River. Hut this corner of the colony abounds 

 in \\at< i , our. i number of streams taking their rise in these Alpine solitudes. 



