THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



concern the topography and the broad geological features of the 

 district. There still remains, especially with regard to the geology, 

 which as yet has only been examined in a very general way, 

 much work to be done ; but it is of such a description that it can 

 only be carried on by those who have the opportunity of spending 

 a considerable amount of time in examining small areas. Mr. 

 Stirling very kindly forwarded to us a copy of the departmental 

 map, on which he had laid down the general course of the hill 

 ranges and the broad geological features of the country, so far as 

 they are to be gathered from a journey along the tracks. 



The difficulties attendant on any examination which lies outside 

 the tracks can only be appreciated by those who have a-ttempted 

 it either here or in similar parts. To leave the track is to get 

 into dense scrub or jungle; and on such a trip as ours, whilst to 

 a certain extent we did do this, yet all that is practicable to do is 

 to gain a general idea of the country and to collect more or less 

 along the tracks. It must be remembered, too, that tracks in 

 Croajingolong are themselves but very little frequented, and are 

 often in a very wild state. 



1ST January, 1889. — To return to our trip. It is the afternoon 

 of New Year's Day when we leave Orbost. Our party consists 

 of the original five, with now the addition of our guide, Crawford. 

 Three horses carry our packs ; the struggle between them for the 

 honour of first place on the track or in the scrub is a matter of 

 some concern to us. We soon find out that our guide has a 

 wonderful, and, for ourselves, most useful knowledge of the 

 country, and takes great interest, especially, in the geology of the 

 district, being well acquainted with the general lay of the 

 formations. 



Leaving Orbost, the track soon leads into the bush, and at first 

 skirts the hills overlooking the flats of the Snowy River to the 

 south. The forest is composed principally of stringybarks, with 

 fewer ironbarks, and has, in parts, recently been burnt. Comes- 

 pei'ma ej-icinum is in flower, and Lomatia fraseri and Dipodiiim 

 pwictutum, but very little else, and the track leads over a succession 

 of rather low ridges, of which the highest is 400 feet. After nine 

 miles we come to the Brodribb River, flowing in a very pretty 

 valley shut in with hills. Close by the river is a group of 

 Lillypillies and cotton trees, and beneath their shade, amongst the 

 usual ferns, is a beautiful growth of Davallia dicksonioides. The 

 river is some 50 feet wide, and we have to carry the baggage 

 across by the trunk of a fallen tree. Our camp for the night (i)'^ lies 

 by the side of a deep pool of water, the haunt of a platypus, 

 which we disturb and see no more ; and, after a very hot day, we 



* The numbers in brackets correspond with the numbers on the map, and 

 refer to the positions of the different camps. 



