VISIT MOUNT BARKER. 399 



side, or at Holdfast Roads ; between which place 

 and Adelaide a railroad niig-ht also be carried with- 

 out any difficulty, there being a complete level the 

 whole way. 



Being desirous of seeing a little more of this fer- 

 tile part of the continent, I left Adelaide accordingly, 

 after sunset, on January 31st, for Mount Barker, 

 and before sunrise next day visited its summit, 

 nearly I7OO feet high, in order, if possible, to 

 obtain a view in the clear atmosphere of early 

 morning of Lake Alexandrina, or Victoria, and 

 the river Murray. In this, however, I was dis- 

 appointed, the weather being hazy in that direc- 

 tion, so that nothing could be seen but the extensive 

 scrub on the eastern side of the river, stretching 

 away like a brown-coloured sea. Mount Barker, 

 which may be recognised by a saddle-shaped hill 

 to the south of it, lies about thirty miles S. E. by 

 E. from Adelaide ; the latter part of the road 

 between is hilly ; from its foot a strip of very rich 

 land, about one mile wide and three long, extends to 

 the south-west, in the direction of Willunga, on our 

 way to which I noticed several similar blocks. 

 Following the southerly course of the Finnis, at 

 that time a dry rich flat, we entered a hilly pic- 

 turesque country with deep fertile valleys. Tracks 

 of wild cattle were numerous on the ridges, but we 

 saw none, and were again disappointed by the haze 



* Named after the unfortunate Captain Barker by his friend 

 Captain Sturt. 



