54 ROCKS OF BULLABALAKIT. [CH. III. 



walk, where probably no white man's foot had ever trod 

 before. I found a flowery desert, the richest part of the 

 adjacent country Ijeing quite covered with a fragrant white 

 amaryllis in full bloom.* The river widened into smooth deep 

 reaches, so that I felt sanguine about our progress with the 

 boats. In returning, I examined the hills on the right bank. 

 One, named " Einerguendi," by " Brown," consisted of com- 

 pact felspar, coloured green by chlorite, with grains of quartz 

 and acicular crystals of felspar. The hill immediately over 

 our camp was " Bullabalakit," and consisted partly of gra- 

 nular felspar, probably tinged greenish with chlorite ; and 

 partly of concretionary porphyry, the concretions being mot- 

 tled red and white, and containing grains of quartz and crys- 

 tals of common felspar ; the white concretions resisting the 

 action of the atmosphere, stood in relief on the weather sur- 

 face ; I noticed also a vein of amethystine quartz. 



Dec. 24 and 25. — Ribs and thwarts were necessary to dis- 

 tend the canvass boats, and though we had brought only 

 moulds of each sort, yet we had tools and hands to make them, 

 when required. We also sawed the '*pine" wood into thin 

 planks to form a floor in each boat, whereon to lay our stores. 

 We made the ribs of blue gum (eucalyptus). The weather was 

 excessively hot, yet the men worked hard at the saw-pit, not- 

 withstanding ; but all our activity was in danger of being 

 fi-uitless, for the river each day fell about four inches ! 



Dec. 2G. — At half-past one, p.m. the first boat was launched 

 on the Nammoy, and the keel of the second immediately 

 laid down. The delay occasioned by the preparation of these 

 boats, was more irksome, as the waters of the river conti- 

 nued to subside. 



Amongst the objects, which in this country were quite new 

 to me, were the insects continually buzzing about my tent. 

 Of these, a fly as large as a small bee, and of a rich green 



* Caloatemnui vanfUdum, (I.iiidl. MSS.,'; i'uliis .... tubo pei'iuiitliii limbo 

 iniilto brcviorc, coioiiii fruncuta dciitibus stcrilibus milliy, iiiiibellis deiisis, pc- 

 fliccllis articulatib fxterioribus uiiilto longioiibus. 



