DON TOMAS. 457 



generally covered with an impervious scrub. The 

 most conspicuous points, in addition to Mount 

 Cameron, are Mounts Barrow and Arthur, two 

 peaks about 4, .500 feet high, very much alike, and 

 lying nine miles in a north-west direction from each 

 other. Mount Barrow bears, from Launceston, 

 E. N. E., thirteen miles. 



At the large Piper River I passed a night at the 

 station of a gentleman of the name of Noland, whom 

 I found to be the nephew of a person of remarkable 

 talent and great influence with the Peruvian Go- 

 vernment, known only, at Lima, by the name of Don 

 Tomas. There was a good deal of mystery about his 

 character and position, nobody being able to explain 

 who he was, whence he came, or what was the source 

 of his influence ; and it was rather a curious circum- 

 stance that I should learn the explanation of what 

 had so much puzzled me in South America, at a 

 solitary sheep-station in Van Diemen's Land. 



Shortly before we crossed the Great Piper River 

 a party of convicts had run away with a fishing boat. 

 Although only three in number they made the fisher- 

 men take them to Banks Strait, where they forced a 

 party of sealers to pass them over to Wilson's Promon- 

 tory. Notwithstanding they were several weeks on 

 the passage, waiting for fine weather at the different 

 islands, (the sealers, too, being twice their number,) 

 such was their vigilance that they never allowed 

 them a chance of escape. These men were after- 

 wards seen near Sydney. 



