24 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



not worth while halting in what would doubtless otherwise have 

 been a good district for collecting. From the river the track slightly 

 rises, and then we begin to descend in zigzag curves the steep 

 side of what is known as Little Bill's Hill. We are travelling now 

 on granite, and the track, which is a very fair one, has had to be 

 cut out of the hillside. The afternoon becomes very oppressive. 

 There is a thunderstorm in the distance and the clouds are heavy, 

 with a lurid light in the sky behind them, which serves to make 

 the hills, by contrast, look dark and purple, and the deep gorges 

 darker still. To the south the sky is laden with the dense smoke 

 of large bush-fires, and the scene is made still more weird by a 

 sudden storm of wind rushing in a narrow path up the valley, and 

 making the trees bend and creak as it passes along ; one big tree 

 which blocks the path has evidently fallen not many hours ago, 

 and we stand still, watching to see *if any amongst those immedi- 

 ately around us is going to follow its example. The trees on the 

 hill we are descending are still burning, and the fire has even 

 swept up the fern gullies, destroying all the vegetation. It looks 

 almost as weird and unearthly as the " black country " at home. 



We are now once more on the south of the coast range, though 

 at this western end there is by no means the contrast between the 

 northern and southern sides of the mountains which obtains at 

 the east end. We are anxious, if possible, to reach the station 

 at Goonegerah before nightfall, and press on, leaving the horses 

 to follow more slowly. The road leads into a narrow track 

 passing along the valley of the Brodribb as it runs south from 

 the coast range. We cross a creek where the Todea is growing 

 luxuriantly — almost the only green thing we can see. To the right 

 of us bush-fires are burning on the hillsides, the ground we are 

 traversing is all hot and burnt, and to our left Mount Goonegerah, 

 a high-peaked hill, rises. The valley begins to expand, and cross- 

 ing a branch of the Brodribb, the valley of which is filled with 

 large masses of granite, we come out on to open cultivated flats, 

 in the middle of which is Reed's station. The homestead is well 

 placed, not far from the river, with a fine view of Mount Ellery 

 and the surrounding mountains, and serves as an accommodation 

 house (ii). It was nearly dark when we arrived, and we are very 

 glad to have a good meal, and more especially, perhaps, one which 

 we had not cooked for ourselves. We are made very comfortable 

 for the night, and spend an enjoyable evening, smoking in a garden 

 filled with old EngUsh flowers. 



Monday, 14TH January. — We leave Goonegerah with the 

 intention of cUmbing Mount Ellery, and are prepared for some 

 rather stiff work, as there will be no track after we leave the one 

 going south to Orbost. A little distance from the station we cross 

 the Brodribb, and then, after four or five miles of country with 

 nothing of special interest, we strike off to the east into the scrub. 



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