14 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



but we have come nearly twenty miles, and, not having by any 

 means rushed along, it is growing late, so we must choose the 

 best available spot, and, clearing a space, we pitch the tents, and 

 make ourselves as comfortable as we can for the evening and 

 night (5). 



Tuesday, 8th January. — Just before starting, and when, for- 

 tunately, we are all out in the open, a tree falls between our two 

 tents, catching the corner of one and flattening it out. Had it 

 fallen in the night, at any rate one member of the party would 

 have gone the rest of the trip minus his toes, and we are thank- 

 ful that matters are no worse. We leave the uncomfortable 

 camp without regret and again strike north, till we descend 

 sharply to the Goolengook, by the side of which is a small flat, 

 now overgrown with a rank growth of grass. In the valley the 

 soil is rich, and there are some fine white gums. Beyond the 

 river, in the angle between the Goolengook and the Black Watcli 

 Creeks, is a high ridge running down from the north, separating 

 the two rivers, both of which rise near Mount EUery. In half a 

 mile we ascend 400 feet from the creek, and here stop to put up 

 a tent, in which to store part of our provisions, as we intend to 

 come near this spot on our return journey. From our tent we 

 have a fine view of the country away to the north. We are looking 

 up the valley of the Goolengook. On each side the hills come 

 down into the broad valley, blocking up the northern end of 

 which is Mount EUery with its two main peaks, one of which is 

 made prominent by being crowned with a large mass of granite 

 which stands out clearly against the sky. Save for this single 

 block of granite, there is nothing to be seen but one vast extent 

 of forest, looking down upon which the tree-tops appear to form 

 a perfectly flat field. Up the hill on which we stand the track 

 winds, with the pack-horses in single file. In the middle dis- 

 tance everything is purple, and beyond this range after range of 

 blue hills falls into the valley, until, in the far distance, the large 

 mass of Mount Ellery closes in the scene. 



Just beyond our tent Brace's is joined by the Miners' track, 

 coming in from the west. Still rising, we reach a height of 1,100 

 feet, and cross to the southern side of the ridge, where the country 

 has recently been fired, and descend 600 feet very abruptly, in a 

 zigzag course, to the Black Watch Creek. Only a very few years 

 ago gold was discovered in the creek and a " rush" took place. It 

 was soon over, however, and now nothing remains but a few 

 dangerous holes hidden by scrub, a broken-down bark hut, and 

 a rudimentary letter-box on a tree. A mile's scramble through 

 jungle and scrub brings us to a curious little geological forma- 

 tion, first discovered by Crawford, and not yet described ; in fact, 

 no one has yet seen it besides the few miners who took part in 

 the Black Watch *' rush." On the east side of the creek, lying 



