98 THE GLACIER EPOCH OF AUSTRALASIA. 
agent in the denudation of the immense cafions or gorges 
which trend away from the elevated plateau westward. 
Mr. Sprent informs me that for a great distance along the 
bed of the Mackintosh River, which suddenly cuts its way to 
the lower levels towards its main artery, the Pieman River, 
are to be found immense blocks of granite, some of which 
are many tons in weight. These granite blocks are truly 
erratic, as the granite is not now to be found zz stfu any- 
where along the present course of the river. It is probable 
that the former have been derived from glaciers which 
descended into the lower valley from the direction of Granite 
Tor, whose summit still rears its head 4,500 feet above the 
existing sea level.” At pp. 216, 219, 254, 255, 256, and 296 
there are also extended references attesting the prevalence of 
evidence as to the local glaciation of the western Alps of 
Tasmania during the glacier epoch of Australia. | 
Mr. C. P. Sprent began his laborious explorations in the 
north-western highlands in the year 1875. No one had a 
more intimate knowledge of this wild country, for he was 
the pioneer who first opened out the greater part. of this 
country to miners, by a process of track-cutting almost like 
tunnelling in the horizontal, bauera, and other scrubs—the 
terrible barriers to progress in this region. In 1876 he par- 
ticularly observed the striking evidences of glacial action in 
the alpine regions of the west; but, although he gave me, 
verbally, almost graphic descriptions of these evidences, it 
was not until the year 1886 that he gave a brief writtem 
description * of his observations made ten years previously. 
At p. 58,* he thus refers to evidences. of glaciation observed 
by him in the year 1876 in the Mackintosh Valley: “At the 
place where I struck the Mackintosh there are two immense 
cliffs standing a little back from the river, and at least 600 
feet high. Looking at these cliffs from above or below stream 
they look like two small mountains; but from the top of the 
gorge they are completely lost in the dark shade of the slope. 
The river bed is full of immense rounded boulders of granite, 
although I could not ascertain that any occurs zx sztu there 
abouts. The cliffs are of sandstone, and, judging from all 
appearance, I am of opinion that this deep gorge represents 
the track of an ancient glacier flowing down from the vicinity. 
of the Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff. Traces of glacial 
action are common all over the West Coast in localities. close to 
high mountains, but it 1s probable that these glaciers did not 
descend to the lowlands. The granite boulders: of the Mackintosh 
are of a very large size, some at least five tons in weight, and wb 
s impossible to account for their presence except on the glacial 
* “ Recent explorations on the West Goast of Tasmania,” by C. P. Sprents 
(Trans. and Proc., Roy. Geo. Soc. of Austral., Vic. Br., Vol. ITI.—IV. 
