THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 99 



THE WERRIBEE GORGE EXCURSION. 



T^rd October, 1891. 



For this most interesting locality only five members put in an 

 appearance at the rendezvous. If that small number represents 

 the vitality of a club with some 200 members — well, perhaps, 

 the least said about it the better. At all events, 14 or 15 names 

 were handed in for the excursion, which warranted the co-leaders 

 in ordering breakfast beforehand, at Bacchus Marsh, for at least 

 a dozen. You should have seen the faces of the landlady and 

 her dutiful daughters when only 5 put in an appearance ! Then 

 it was fun to witness some of the coach horses whipped home in 

 disgust. Two extra conveyances were brought in seven or eight 

 miles in anticipation of the names furnished, and had to return 

 empty. Moreover, the good mother of one of our co-leaders, at 

 Myrniong, had prepared a sumptuous evening repast for the full 

 number of 15 — a fitting termination for the day's work — but only 

 the 5 beforementioned, plus 3 local members, turned up ; and be 

 it said to their credit, well did they endeavour to do justice for 

 the 15. Now, all this is very disappointing of course for those 

 members who remained at home. However, some sent written 

 excuses on account of sickness — probably the remainder were 

 detained through the appearance of rain. Surely their ardour is 

 easily damped. Rain did fall on the Friday evening, and such 

 refreshing rain that the local farmers said they would have rather 

 seen the much-needed moisture than a whole cloud of naturalists. 

 As it was the Saturday turned out most delightfully fine, one 

 slight shower only fell about 4 o'clock, therefore none of the 

 party got wet except one member, who fell into the river. 



The five members who left town were Messrs. De Le Souef, 

 G. Sweet, J. Ashworth, A. J. Campbell, and E. H. Hennell, who 

 were joined at Myrniong by three local members, Messrs. C. and 

 T. Brittlebank and J. Lidgett. The gorge was entered about 

 1 1 o'clock, and by late in the afternoon its whole length was 

 traversed and some tributary gullies explored. The scramble 

 among such romantic surroundings was fully enjoyed by the 

 party, with the varying scenes of native grandeur opening up at 

 every bend. Here was a cliff of slate rock 200 feet high, with 

 a miniature cascade at its foot ; there, blocking up and turning 

 the river's course a pyramidal crowned hill about 400 feet in 

 height, where trees and scrub cling on amongst their rocky en- 

 vironments. And so on till the greatest elevation — 600 feet — 

 is attained above the river's bed, forming a singularly beautiful 

 vista, the steep hill side being fairly clothed with timber and 

 capped with a pile of naked rocks, now known as the Falcon's 

 Lookout. 



Some photographs were taken with excellent effect, especially 



