THE VICTORIAN NATUEALIST. 37 



stone, turned into quartzite by infiltration of silica, from Moe ; 

 graptolites, Didimograpsus, Fhyllograpsus, etc., from Sandhurst ; 

 nest of mason wasp from Moe ; sponges from Queenscliff and 

 Cheltenham, Isodidya infundibuliforviis, I. anastoma, I. dichotoma, 

 I. fissura, and /. palviata (Bowerbank). By Master A. Yelland, 

 crystals from basalt, Clifton Hill quarries ; and by Master C. 

 Yelland, fossils from Tasmania. 



After the usual conversazione the meeting terminated. 



FIRST ASCENT OF MOUNT BELLENDEN-KER. 



By W. a. Sayer. 



(Communicated by C. French, F.L.S.) 



( Read before the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria, ^th April, iSSj.J 



Some idea of the grandeur of the scenery of tropical Queens- 

 land, and of the hardships and privations which have to be 

 undergone by travellers and pioneer settlers, may be formed by 

 reading a few brief notes made by Mr. W. A. Sayer, who, as a 

 botanical emissary, purposely visited the Barron Falls and the 

 Bellenden-Ker Range, both these places being in the vicinity 

 of Trinity Bay. Mr. Sayer says : — 



Being camped on the Barron River, within ten miles of the 

 falls, my companion (Mr. Froggatt), who is under engagement to 

 the Hon. William Macleay, of Sydney, for entomological 

 purposes, accepted my invitation to pay a visit to the falls. On 

 the appearance of fine weather — it having rained for ten days 

 previously very heavily — we made a start, with the usual equip- 

 ment. The Barron River, owing to recent heavy rains, being 

 unfordable, we had to travel by way of Douglas track, thereby 

 having i6 miles to go instead of lo. The track was very 

 wet and slippery, rising by a succession of steep slopes until the 

 top of the range was reached, about 1200 feet above sea level. 

 Pausing on the summit for a rest, we had an opportunity of 

 seeing something of the country around us. Dense jungles 

 appeared on all sides, and the waters of the Barron, winding 

 along the valley below, in its course to the sea, presented a 

 very picturesque appearance. Starting again, we passed through 

 dense jungles, broken at intervals by patches of fine grassy forest 

 country. Having travelled some 8 or 10 miles, we camped 

 for the night. Next morning we shouldered our loads — which, 

 with the necessary implements of entomologic and botanic 

 collectors, were no light weight — and trudged joyfully on, 

 expecting soon to see the largest waterfall in Australia, and one 

 of the sights of the world. We had still seven miles to go, and 

 after a f^reat deal of slipping and sliding we reached the upper 

 crossing of the Barron River, where we could already hear the 



