146 THK VICTO!i!AN NATURALIST. 



Messrs. M'Kibbon, Sayer, and C. French, jun., chiefly col- 

 lected die plants. 



It is of interest to know that Robert Brown and F. Bauer 

 collected plants on King Island as early as 1802. Our list 

 includes all the plants obtained by them, as well as by Messrs. 

 M'Gowan and Neate, who have also made collections in later 

 years. 



NARRATIVE OF THE EXPEDITION.* 



KiNG Island lies half way between Victoria and Tasmania. 

 Its most northerly point is some fifty miles distant from Cape 

 Otway on the mainland of Australia, whilst the same distance 

 separates its most southerly point from Cape Grimm in 

 Tasmania. In the latter case, however, various rocks and small 

 islands — the Reid, Black Pyramid, and Bell Rocks, Hunter, 

 Barren, and Three Hummocks Islands — form, as it were, 

 stepping-stones from the one to the other. 



The meridian of 144 deg. E. longitude passes through the 

 island from north to south, whilst the parallel of 40 deg. S. 

 latitude cuts across the southern part of the island. Its 

 greatest length from north to south is thirty-five miles ; its 

 greatest breadth from east to west is thirteen miles. 



The island received its name from Captain (afterwards 

 Governor) G. P. King, of New South Wales. Approaching the 

 island from the north the coast-line 1 resents the appearance of 

 a series of low-lying cliffs, formed of granite and gneiss, with 

 sunken rocks around their bases, their rounded tops rising 

 somewhat inland and being covered with grass. One of the 

 highest points is surmounted by theWickham light-house, from 

 which, in clear weather, the Otway light is visible. A little 

 further to the south the nature of the coast changes, and in 

 place of the dark rocks are seen a long series of white sand- 

 hills, covered with low scrub. Further inland rises a low range 

 of hills, with scattered patches of gums standing out against 

 the sky. 



Mr. Garraway, the superintendent of the Wickham light- 

 house, had come out to meet us in his beat, and kindly 

 volunteered to accompany us to the Yellow Rock, which had 

 been chosen as our main camping ground, and assist in landing 

 our stores. Unfortunately, owing to the nature of the coast, 

 we had to be landed a mile and a half to the south of the 

 Yellow Rock rivulet, and over this distance it was necessary 

 to carry all our luggage. At two o'clock we bade adieu to the 

 Lady Loch, and, by dint of hard work, had all important stores 

 under shelter and tents up before dark. Our camp was by the 

 side of the Yellow Rock Creek, which, just before entering the 

 sea, takes in its course amongst the sand dunes a curious horse- 



* Prepared from records made by Prof. W. Baldwin Spencer and Messrs. Campbell and 



Cornwall. 



