THE VICTORIAK NATURALIST. 



reached. The river is not more than twenty yards wide at most, 

 and we can see nothing except the thin stream of water leading 

 down between dense growths on either side of reeds, ti-trees, and 

 gum trees. A line of green on the water's edge, above this the 

 bare stems of the ti-trees, then another line of thick green, with 

 here and there masses of white blossom, and above this the tops 

 of the low gums. 



Having noted along the river the presence of Eucalyphis 

 rosira^a, and Siuartiana, Cassim'a, Arundo phragfnites, Cypenis, 

 Gahnta, Typha angustifolia, Senecio lauhis, Melaleuca ericifolia^ 

 &c., &c., we hear the sound of the dinner-bell, reminding us that 

 we have eaten nothing since leaving town early in the morning. 

 Coming up on deck again we find the steamer just entering the 

 first of the Lakes — Wellington. As far as scenery is concerned the 

 Lakes — that is, the larger ones, which we are now passing across — 

 are singularly devoid of it. There is a great extent of water (now 

 fortunately quite smooth), which stretches away on every side of 

 us to the low-lying scrub and wood-covered banks. Sea-gulls are 

 hovering around the boat, and black swan and duck are simply 

 to be counted by the acre. On board is a party of red-coats, 

 whose shooting would inspire the greatest confidence in the 

 hearts of any enemies of Australia. After an hour or two of 

 what they probably call sport, they contrived, by some chance, to 

 wing one poor shag. 



From Lake Wellington a narrow channel leads across an 

 intervening belt of low-lying land to Lake Victoria, and at the 

 eastern end of this the steamer passes up a small channel and 

 reaches Paynesville. Here passengers for the entrance tranship 

 to the steamer Omeo, and we are soon crossing the east end of 

 the lake known as Lake King. The scenery improves : the 

 shores rise into low hills, clothed with trees, and as the sun sets 

 we enter a small bend, and, turning abruptly, see the hotel at 

 Rosherville, or Metung, with its six Lombardy poplars, forming a 

 strange and refreshing contrast to the gums and ti-tree. Leaving 

 Rosherville the stretch ojF water, which is too narrow to be called 

 a lake, is bounded on the left hand, as we face towards the 

 entrance, by high hills which descend abruptly to the water's 

 edge. Rounding Jimmy's Point, or Kalimna, as the blacks 

 called it, the steamer enters the narrow strait of water leading 

 eastward to the Entrance. Only a very thin belt of scrub-covered 

 sand-hills separates this from the sea. A new cutting is now 

 being made through the sand-hills : the operations have been 

 carried on for now some length of time, and it will be a great 

 advantage when they are completed and a satisfactory entrance 

 made to the lakes. The present one is some distance to the 

 east of the cutting, and, as is well known, is liable to shift its 

 position, whilst its shallowness makes it almost useless. Shortly 



