BY J. W, BEATTIE. 33 



being found on the top and sides of the precipitous hills. 

 When fellnig is completed the tree is trimmed and 

 barked, head cut off, and end pointed, ready for " shoot- 

 ing." Jackb of the Trewhella pattern are used to start 

 the tree down hill, when it " shoots " into the river bed 

 below, and there awaits the winter floods to carry it 

 onward to tiie Gordon. The Franklin is navigable for 

 twentv miles from the Gordon for small boats, and in 

 that distance there are 150 rapids, some very high and 

 dangerous, and in surmounting them the boat has often 

 to be carried on shore round them before progress 

 further can be made. In view of the annually increasing 

 scarcity of suiiable timber for the world's requirements, 

 it would appear to be a. matter deserving of great atten- 

 tion at tiie hands of the Government to endeavour by 

 every means within its power, not only to conserve the 

 existing forests, but to take every step possible to in- 

 crease the supply of so valuable a timber, Avith possi- 

 bilities in the future of considerable magnitude. 



Gould's Landing, a well-known Gordon landmark, 

 is 20 miles from the river entrance, and about one mile 

 above Butler's Island. The river is fairly open from 

 the island to the landing, which is situated on a river 

 flat, but to this point from its junction with t'he Franklin 

 the Gordon flows through fine gorges, and is very im- 

 pressive. Gould's Landing may be said to mark the 

 limits of safe navigation for large craft, although the 

 river can be navigated as far as the first rapids, one and 

 a-half miles above the landing. Here is the first obstruc- 

 tion to the safe navigation of the Gordon. Two groups 

 of heavy rocks lie across the river, separated some little 

 distance from each other. They are known as the first 

 and second rapids. These once negotiated, the river 

 continues unobstructed to the junction of the Franklin, 

 aibout two miles distant. The River Franklin junctions 

 with the Gordon at 24 miles from Macquarie Harbour. 

 At its entrance is Pyramid Island. The Franklin takes 

 its rise from Lake Dixon, near Lake St. Clair, and from 

 its source to its junction with the Gordon waters is very 

 confined, rough, and dangerous. Floods in this river are 

 exceptionally severe, the water rising during the heaviest 

 floods as high as 60 feet above normal level, ordinary 

 floods reaching 30 feet. The flood waters develop a tre- 



