42 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



to negotiate a climb of 200 feet with a 60 lb. swag. As it was, 

 we had to climb 70 feet of a solid rock, without a fissure. This 

 was a source of great tribulation to our " two hands," who 

 solemnly vowed never to go exploring again. We had to haul 

 them up. We cut through 12 miles of scrub, and ultimately 

 reached the summit, having been three and a half days without 

 food, and four and a half days before reaching camp. However, 

 we thought little of that, having accomplished our object, and 

 being the first Europeans to top the mountain. The climbing was 

 difficult and dangerous, owing to loose boulders giving way and 

 crashing down into the gorge below, carrying everything before 

 them. Our last 1500 feet was literally hand and knee climbing, 

 and we were quite exhausted on reaching the summit. We 

 spent four hours collecting, and were rewarded by finding 

 Agapeies Meiniana, Dracophyllum Sayeri, Hysophylla Halleyana, 

 and a small ephiphytal fern, Polypodium Bakeri. The blacks 

 troubled us only once this trip. At an elevation of 3000 feet 

 we were aroused about 2 o'clock a.m. by the violent barking of 

 our dogs, and sprang up in time to see them in full retreat. A 

 few shots fired by us hastened their flight considerably. On 

 our way back to Cairns we learned that we had been reported lost 

 to the police, who had started to look for us, but learned of our 

 safe arrival when they had got 20 miles on the road. 



On reaching Cairns a re-ascent was arranged for. We rested 

 a week, and I returned again with four Kanakas, Mr. 

 Davidson accompanying me. On the ninth day we again 

 reached the summit, and pitched a camp. We remained eight 

 and a half days on the top in a constant -rain, it not having 

 ceased since the second day of our journey. The top of the 

 range is razor-backed, and on travelling along the range beyond 

 the spur by which we ascended, I could not see the sides, they 

 being, if anything, hanging over. We tumbled rocks over, but 

 could not hear them fall. It was here that I observed the 

 Rhodendron Lochae growing, and asked the Kanaka to get it ; 

 but he remarked, " S'pose I fall, I no see daylight any more ; 

 I go bung altogether;" so I had to get it myself. About 100 

 feet lower down the Spiracanihemum was found, also the 

 Dracophyllum, though I subsequently observed both growing at 

 the highest elevation, the latter being very obstructive, and 

 ranging from 4000 to 5200 feet. The pretty little Didymocarpus 

 was found at 5000 feet, growing on some rocks. I was much 

 surprised to find the vegetation increasing in density as the 

 elevation increased, and on gaining the summit it presented 

 the appearance of a mass of entangled wire-work. The palm, 

 Plychosperma Loccospadix, we found very prolific, while the 

 two ferns, Alsophila Rebeccae, and Dicksonia Yoiingiana, were 

 also very prolific at from 1500 to 5200 feet. Our provisions 



