26 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



to a patch of fern trees ; but this is only for a short time, and 

 then comes the climbing over rotten logs and the vain attempt to 

 proceed, with a festoon of Smilax grasping you round the legs 

 and one of Clematis encircling your neck. Reaching the height 

 of 3,000 ft., we find the silurian gives place to a granite formation. 

 As far as distance measured horizontally goes, we have traversed 

 the greater length of the mountain — in fact, we are just under 

 the peak, which we can see above us through the trees, though 

 we have still a height of 1,300 ft. to climb. On the south-west 

 side, at all events, the main mass of EUery is of silurian slates 

 and sandstones. Just where we pass on to the granite is a belt 

 of silver-wattle trees; fine specimens of stringybark are present, 

 and scrubs of ProstaJithera lasianthos. As we mount we come 

 to huge masses of granite, some 50 ft. high, weathered quite 

 smooth and covered with lichens. They are thrown about in 

 great confusion, and we have to make our way often on hands 

 and feet through crevices between them. Except for the lyre- 

 bird's call, everything is perfectly silent, and there is a strange 

 dearth of animal life. The mists are coming on as we get 

 nearer to the top, and at length, after a stiff climb over an 

 enormous pile of granite masses which form the summit of the 

 mountain, we stand by the side of one 75 ft. high, which is 

 perched upon the others, and forms the prominent peak of the 

 mountain, only to find that we are enveloped in a thick mist, and 

 can see nothing whatever but the granite masses around us and 

 the tops of the gum trees on the mountain side below (fig. i). The 

 cairn which was on the summit of the large block has gone, and 

 only the rotten remnants of a ladder which once led up to it 

 remain as evidence of the surveying party which first climbed 

 the mountain. Since they left very few others have been to the 

 top. Right amongst the rocks on the summit we found 

 Prostanthera walteri in blossom — the same species already seen 

 on Goon Murk — whilst the very highest plant obtained was 

 growing up the side of the large rock, where the aneroid 

 registered 4,225 ft., and was a waratah. * Apparently the snow 

 and cold weather to which it must be exposed make no 

 difference to it. On the summit also E. stuartiana was in 

 flower, as also a species of Lomatia and Aster. Carefully 

 climbing down from the granite masses, the deep crevices 

 between which do not look inviting, we halt at their base for a 

 rest and a smoke. It has been tiring work, and we have passed 

 no stream, and on a hot day the want of water is not pleasant. 

 Progress down hill, owing to the scrub and logs, is almost as 



* The range of height within which the waratah grows in Croajingolong is 

 thus from about 300 ft. to 4,300 ft : it grows just as freely on the summits of the 

 highest hills (as Goon Murk) as it does along the river valleys. 



