166 
which I subsequently visited. The Superintendent of the Mel- 
bourne Botanic Gardens, who was engaged during this part of the 
journey in collecting seeds, here parted from me, being obliged to 
return homeward to resume his duties at the Botanic Gardens. 
“ As Mount Aberdeen offered hardly any plants of a true Alpine 
character, I resolved to ascend Mount Buller, whose summits, at an 
elevation of more than 5,000 feet, are covered throughout the greater . 
part of the year with snow. Travelling quite alone since leaving the 
Buffalo Ranges, the ascent was not accomplished without consider- 
able danger. But I was delighted to observe here, for the first time, 
this continent’s Alpine vegetation, which in some degree presented 
itself as analogous with the Alpine Flora of Tasmania (Ranunculus 
Guinianus, Euryomyrtus alpina, Celmisia astelifolia, Gentiana Die- 
mensis, Podocarpus montana, Trisetum antarcticum, &c.), and which 
was also by no means destitute of its own peculiar species (Pheba- 
lium podocarpoides, Goodenia cordifolia, Hovea gelida, Oxylobium 
alpestre, Brachycome nivalis, Anisotome glacialis, &c.) Remarkably 
enough, only one of these exhibits any similarity to the singular sub- 
alpine forms discovered by Sir Thomas Mitchell on the Australian 
Grampians. Mount Buller had never before been scientifically 
explored; and Mount Aberdeen, up to this time, had not even been 
ascended. 
““ After some other less elevated mountains in the neighbourhood 
had been also botanically examined, I resumed my journey along the 
Goulburn River and some of its tributaries to the King Parrot Creek, 
where I crossed the Yarra Ranges. The unusually heavy rainfall in 
the autumn would have frustrated any attempt to reach, as I then 
contemplated, the Alpine mountains of Gipps’ Land, and I considered 
it therefore more advisable, at the already advanced season, to devote 
my time rather to the examination of the maritime plants which are in 
an almost equal state of development throughout the year. 
“T went, accordingly, for some distance along the La Trobe River, 
to the south-eastern coast of Gipps’ Land, passing some rich ravines, 
luxuriantly filled with two species of fern tree, Alsophila Australis 
and Dicksonia antarctica; the former of which seemingly never 
accompanies the Dicksonia far inland, but remains in those valleys 
which slope towards the sea. Notwithstanding these geographical 
limits, the Alsophila, occupying generally the drier localities on the 
hills, recommends itself better for transplanting. 
“‘ After several weeks’ travelling in the neighbourhood of Port 
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