The Hodgkinson Golclfield, Northern Queensland. 3 



1700 feet, as told by my small aneroid. All west of this i3 

 western water, and flows into the Gulf of Carpentaria by the 

 Mitchell River. The distance by road is about twelve miles ; 

 but in a straight line, probably not more than eight from 

 Port Douglas. To the south of the crossing-place is a large 

 hill, Mount Harris, which is called the Black Hill by the 

 settlers in the neighbourhood. It is about 2200 feet hiodi, 

 and, as there are other hills with the name of Harris attached 

 to them, there is some confusion about this. It is a remark- 

 able object, as from one side of it the river Mowbray descends 

 to the east coast, and from another, Rifle Creek, which joins 

 the Mitchell, and flows into the Gulf of Carpentaria. 



Rifle Creek is crossed at about three miles on the west 

 side of the divide. It is a very deep and rapid stream, with 

 precipitous banks, densely clothed with scrub, but not show- 

 ing any outcrop of rock. Five miles further, Spear Creek is 

 crossed. This is another tributary of the Mitchell. The 

 intervening country is a plain of table-land, evidently subject 

 to inundation, with a marshy surface, ana no outcrop of 

 rock. It is about 1400 feet above the sea level. After 

 crossing Spear Creek, which is wider and more shallow than 

 Rifle Creek, the country becomes undulating, and soon 

 broken by the precipitous spurs of what is called the Slatey 

 Range. This is entirely composed of slate rocks, with a dip 

 and strike, and lithological character very similar to the 

 lower silurian rocks throughout Australia. Quartz reefs 

 occur in them, and in the gullies there have been formerly 

 small alluvial workings, but the ranges have not been care- 

 fully prospected. These ranges are a series of very steep 

 ridges, and consequently the creeks descending from them 

 are nearly always dry. The soil is light, and supports a 

 poor vegetation, principally stunted gum trees, coarse grass, 

 and a few grass-trees. There is no scrub, but it is rather 

 remarkable that at the summit of these ridges, at about 

 1700 feet above the sea, Eucalyptus maculatus occurs, and 

 possesses that strong odour of lemon thyme which this 

 species seems to have only when found in the tropics. The 

 same tree is the commonest on the east side of the dividing 

 range from Cape Howe to a considerable distance beyond 

 Moreton Bay. The variety with the lemon scent is only 

 found in the tropics and upon the ridges, and goes by the 

 name of E. citriodora, being considered as a distinct species 

 in the Flora Australiensis. I intend to publish a few notes 

 separately on this remarkable variety. 



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