XXX 



loots very grand, the full proportions of 

 ihe different members of the group be- 

 coming finely marked the further we kept 

 to the north-west. Southerly just clear 

 of West Pelion, the Eldon Eange rolls out 

 boldly in the distance, and coming further 

 west, Murchison and Black, and other 

 iills, which I did not recognise, all show 

 up well, but too distant to photograph ef- 

 fectively. But the pictures are to the 

 north-west, standing up with splendid ef- 

 fect, the two highest mountains in Tas- 

 mania, Barn Bluff and Cradle Mountain, 

 According to Innes, Cradle Mountain is 

 5,085ft., and Barn Bluff 5,045ft. I was 

 told that the name of "Cradle" originated 

 from the shape of the mountain resemb- 

 lins- a gold miner's cradle. Pexhaps that 

 is correct, although I cannot vouch for it. 

 But concerning the christening of Barn 

 Bluff I feel I can safely speak, and I do 

 unhesitatingly denoimce it as a vile 

 slander on a noble mounta.in. No effort of 

 the most fertile imagination can, in my 

 opinion, resolve this mountain into any- 

 th'ng approaching the resemblance of the 

 most orthodox or unorthodox of barn of 

 the past or present, and I would like so 

 much to have a chance of giving it a reallv 

 good name. (How would Beattie's Bluff 

 do?!!!) After crossing a long stretch of 

 plain, we enter rather broken country, 

 leavin.g our north-westerly course, and 

 coming round easterly, in the vicinity of 

 Swallow's Camp. We find ourselves now 

 in country bearing a melancholy interest. 

 T. J. Connelly, the Rosebery resident, 

 having recently perished in the snow some- 

 where in this vicinity, and the search 

 -parties were still actively engaged in 

 •searching for his remains. Coming down 

 to Swallow's Camp', pitched above the 

 shores of a lovely lake named "Winder- 

 mere." we met one of the searchers, and 

 .from him we learned all of the pitiful de- 

 tails — few. certainly, but painfully signi- 

 ficent — surrounding the disappearance 

 of the poor man. It was sad to look back, 

 only a couple of month' when I met him 

 in iRosebery looking well and cheerful, 

 and romping with his two litle girls on 

 the verandah of the hotel. Lake Winder- 

 mere, just under Swallow's is a lovely 

 lake, with an area of about 500 acres, and 

 fringed with King William Pines, the 

 shores making effective pictures, particu- 

 larly with the bold head of Barn Bluff 

 looking patronisingly over the rather steep 

 north-western bank ofthe lake. We camp- 

 ed here for an hour, slung the billy and 

 drank tea and scenecry to our hearts' con- 

 tent. Swallow has a .good mineral show, 

 partly opened out here, and which is about 

 to be thoroughly_ developed, and he has 

 othexs in the vicinity. Now that we are 

 within the Barn Bluff mineral field it 

 may be of interest to briefly describe some- 



what of its geological features. I Avill 

 quote from Mr. Wallevr's recent report on 

 the district, which I daresay many of my 

 readers will not have teh opportunity of 

 seeing : — "The country consists mainly of 

 finely laminated schist. The whole coun- 

 try shows marked evidence of prolonged 

 glacial action. Superficially it strongly 

 resembles the Lake Dora district. The 

 rock most frequently met with is a strong- 

 l.y foliated quartz schist. I think that 

 quartz schist is a more appropriate name 

 for the rock than quartzite. the name by 

 which the rock is locally known, as it lays 

 more emphasis on its schistose character. 

 The rock occurs in long bare ridges all over 

 the country, the intervening flats and hol- 

 lows being covered with button-grass or 

 scrub, or being occupied b.y small lakes. 

 I think that it will be found that the soft- 

 er schists are really in greater abundance 

 than the quartz schist, but these being 

 softer have been worn away by the erosive 

 action of the glaciers, and, tlierefore, are 

 BOW hidden from view beneath the button- 

 grass and glacial debris of the low-lying 

 {fr«und. 



Leaving Lake Windermere we rise over 

 its western boundaries, and move across 

 broken country, in a north-easterly direc- 

 tion, towards the Barn Bluff mining pro- 

 perty, about three miles distant. Barn 

 Bluff and Cradle Mountain are seen to ad- 

 vantage just above the dip down into the 

 gully where the camp lies, but I had al- 

 most forgotten to mention passing another 

 lake, lying in very fine bold surroundings 

 midway between the camp and Lake Win- 

 dermere. We called it Lake Andrews, after 

 Mr. H. Andrews, who is the pioneer pros- 

 pector of this part of the country. I was 

 going to say Mr. Andrews' home was at 

 Liena — he cerainly has a wife and family 

 living there— but from what I saw and 

 heard of him I should conclude his home 

 was in the wild Pelion coirntry. for there 

 he is always to be found "badgering" 

 about. He knows every "hole and corner" 

 of it, and keeps a nice assortment of min- 

 eral shows "up his sleeve" for the conveni- 

 ence of any speculative traveller who may 

 come along. May he "go in and win," I 

 say, for he well deserves any success that 

 ma.y come to him! These two lakes • — • 

 Windermere and Andrews — for beauty of 

 form, are as nothing compared with the 

 lovely lake situated just above the Barn 

 Bluff property. About a mile in length, 

 and broken up into beautiful bays and 

 promontories, and magnificently backed 

 by Cradle Mountain, it is a subject which 

 I hardly think can be excelled in Tas- 

 mania for delightful composition. Possess- 

 ing so much of the elements of the beauti- 

 ful, and being nameless, our party unani- 

 mously decided to name it after one who 

 possesses, we had always thought, in an 



