118 THE HIGHLANDS OF LAKE ST. CLAIR. 



ground of lofty peaks, one of wMcli is the Cradle Mountain 

 and another probably Barn Bluff. 



Turning to the east, Lake St. Clair is seen embosomed in the 

 forest beneath Olympus, and then follows a long stretch of 

 broken upland until the eye rests on Mount Hobhouse and 

 Wylds Craig, both fine pinnacles from this point of view. 

 Immediately beneath are the wide plains of the Upper 

 Grordon with the secluded Lakes Greorge and Rufus at the 

 foot of the range. Due south, beyond Lake Rufus, is a 

 labyrinth of peaked mountains, some of which belong to 

 the almost unknown Denison and adjacent ranges, and 

 further still to the south in the dim blue distance stands up a 

 lofty pinnacle which may possibly be Mount Wedge. Then, 

 before we look to the West, lies immediately at our feet the 

 grand upland moor or plateau of the range itself, crowned 

 with the heights of King William the Second and Third, which 

 stand out from the hills and vales and rocky knolls and craggy 

 ledges of the moor like huge billows from a stormy sea, while 

 near at hand lies a little mirror-like placid lake as a glistening 

 gem on the mountain-top. Finally, to the westward is i*eserved 

 for the eye the grandest sight of all ; the mighty Frenchman, 

 from whose jagged summits the huge Cap stands up into the 

 sky like a giant sentinel looking to the south over all the 

 mountain wilderness of the Gordon. Further beyond, towards 

 the ocean, are the bold oiTtlines of Mount Lyell and the West 

 Coast Range, which carry the eye northward to the Eldon 

 Range and thus complete the panorama. 



To return to the King William range, it may be described 

 as a mountain plateau built up to a height of from 2,000 to 

 2,500 feet from the plains surrounding it on the north and 

 east, while its western face descends suddenly into a deep, 

 densely clothed gorge, dividing it from the Loddon Hills, 

 and running southwards towards the head waters of the 

 Denison. I cannot help thinking, and Mr. Piguenit agreed 

 with me, that on our recent maps both the Loddon Hills and 

 Loddon River are incorrectly laid down, and that instead of 

 running westward, their direction should be more southerly ; 

 in this case the Loddon would arise in the western slopes of 

 the hills of that name, and the waters draining the deep 

 gorge just mentioned would flow south to the Denison. 

 Along the eastern base of the range there is quite a 

 system of small lakes lying ensconsed beneath the precipices, 

 exactly after the manner of the Scotch tarns and Welsh 

 m.ountain pools. They are kept filled by the melting snow 

 in the winter and spring and the abundant soakage from 

 the plateau in the summer. Beneath the eastern peak 

 of the northern face of the range is situated Lake George, 

 which has the shape of a sea-horse {Ilijppocamjous)^ 



