198 ON THE WAMBEYAN CAVES, 



most part extremely monotonous, the only thing striking my 

 attention as peculiar, being the great variety of Epacris, and 

 a peculiar shrub, called there the bitter willow (Daviesia) ; 

 although this is as intensely bitter as quassia, the cattle are very 

 fond of it ; but unfortunately, in districts where it is eaten, so 

 strong a bitter is communicated to the milk and butter that they 

 are unfit for use. By diverging to the right, before reaching 

 Bowman's Hill, to the edge of the cliffs, a grand panorama can 

 be obtained of the valley of Burragorang and Coolong. 



I should advise any one taking this trip in future to follow 

 our example and camp on the Horse Flat, as it is well adapted 

 for it ; and in the morning, you are more prepared to meet the 

 great difficulty the ascent of the Telegang mountain. 



At daylight we started for the caves, a distance of ten miles. 

 The road is difficult to find, but fortunately we had an excellent 

 guide in our friend Mr. Henry Oxley. Ascending the river for 

 about half a mile, you cross it, ride along the opposite bank for 

 another quarter of a mile, and again cross it to a small creek. 

 Still steering west, you ascend the creek for a few hundred yards, 

 which brings you to the foot of the Telegang mountain. 



This magnificent hill is about a mile and a quarter up, and 

 its characters represent the whole surrounding country, which for 

 miles round, as far as the eye can reach, is composed of a 

 succession of such hills on a minor scale. The hill itself is essen- 

 tially trap (not in large masses on the surface, but lying in the 

 form of small loose broken pieces), very steep and pointed, thinly 

 wooded with gum, box, and stringy bark, and richly grassed with 

 a soft tufty grass resembling the kangaroo grass, which seems 

 excellent for grazing, as at the top of every little pinch is a cattle 

 camp. "We ascended the crest of the hill, but I should advise 

 any one intending to ascend it to do so gradually round the right 

 side, as the footing for the horses is much more secure. The 

 view from the top of the various windings of the Wollondilly in 

 the distance is very magnificent. Here also is to be seen a 

 peculiar species of Gasuarina (native oak). The sexes of the 

 trees are separated the female bears a fine cone-looking seed 

 vessel, but the male flower resembles the common acorn. 



Following the path which takes to the right, you again steer 



