408 EXCURSION INTO 



northward we soon passed the rich land surrounding 

 Portland, and entered a stringy-bark forest, eight 

 miles in extent. Then crossing a heathy tract we 

 came to the Fitzroy, distant fifteen miles from Port- 

 land. Here, as elsewhere, the presence of water 

 improves the soil, for along the banks of the river 

 there was some good land. This was also the case 

 near a hill just beyond it, called Mount Eckersley, 

 where I saw Sir Thomas Mitchell's initials cut in a 

 tree at the time when he explored this countr}?^, and 

 found to his surprise that Mr. Henty had a station 

 in Portland Bay. 



With the exception of the flats near the Crawford, 

 twenty miles from the Fitzroy, the road lies through 

 a poor country, until it approaches Mr. J. Henty's 

 station, fifteen miles further. Here we appeared 

 to have turned our backs on the bad land ; and en- 

 tered a tract of country in which the herbage is so 

 excellent that an acre is capable of feeding one sheep, 

 whereas in other parts three or four are required. 



From a pointed hill, called the Sugar-loaf, fifty- 

 eight miles from Portland, I had an extensive view 

 of this fertile district : the outlines of those magnifi- 

 cent mountains, the Victoria and Grampian ranges, 

 that completed the distant part of the landscape, to 

 the eastward, were distinctly defined against the 

 clear morning sky; whilst, in the fore ground, 

 grassy round-topped hills, rose on either side of 

 wide valleys sparingly dotted with trees, marking 

 the course of the streams that meander through 

 them, and the margin of the singular circular water- 



