XX Proceedings. 



River and Curdie's Creek. For the better illustration of the au- 

 thor's jom'ney, a map of the county of Heytesbury was exhibited, 

 showing the main geographical features as far as they have been 

 laid down on the maps issued by the general survey. The author 

 commenced by a detailed description of Lake Elingamite, which is 

 supposed to be the source of Brucknell's Creek. This lake is about 

 four miles in cii-cumference, and is situate six miles and a half south- 

 west from the parish of Colongulac. He started from thence -on 

 foot, surveying the whole course of Curdie's Creek and its numerous 

 tributaries. He describes the soil in that neighbourhood as poor in 

 quality, but weU grassed and heavily timbered with stringy bark, 

 and other species of Eucalypti. Many of the valleys are of a richer 

 description, well clad with lightwood, gum, &c. The formation 

 generally appears to be basaltic or volcanic. The " Stony Rises," 

 on tbe east side of Lake Purrumbeet are described as irregularly 

 piled masses of trappean rocks. Numerous marshes and swamps, 

 in this tract of country, supply Curdie's Creek, and the soil is of a 

 light chocolate colour, supporting various species of the eucalyptus 

 and the accacia. Some of the higher lands, bordering on Curdie's 

 Creek, present the remarkable fact of the existence of marine shells, 

 intermixed with fragments of limestone quartz, &c. The land 

 southward of this is of an undulating character, and it is in some 

 pai-ts covered with thick scrub and strong grass, hova whence bas 

 arisen a considerable sm-face deposit of decomposed vegetable mat- 

 ter, which the autlior seems to think might be used as peat. After 

 supplying much useful information respecting the inland district of 

 Heytesbury, the author describes his journey southwards to the 

 coast, and notices the different kinds of rocks, wliich form the cliffs, 

 near the mouth of Gellibrand's river. The strata, it appears, is 

 nearly horizontal, and, from the author's allusions to its calcareous 

 nature, and the presence of calcareous concretions, it may be pre- 

 sumed that it does not differ, in any remarkable degree, from the 

 tertiary formations in other parts of the coast. The author's sub- 

 sequent remarks on the navigation of the streams, near this part of 

 the coast, were of a practical character, and could not be properly 

 entered into without explanatory charts. 



The Chairman observed that the conference of councils had di- 

 vided on the advisabiUty of admitting discussion on each paper. — 

 The late Philosophical Society had followed the practice of the 

 Royal Society of England, which forbids discussion. It was, how- 

 ever, deemed advisable that free discussion should be admitted on 

 every subject that was introduced, so that every possible light 

 might be thrown upon it ; he therefore invited the members to 

 offer any remarks they may have with reference to the statements 

 contained in the paper. 



Mr. Acheson adverted to the great importance of the discovery 

 of peat mentioned as existing in the locality described. He ques- 



