II HOBART AND THE MIDLANDS 57 



English county, and the mountains rarely as much 

 as four thousand feet in height might appear 

 puerile to the Alpinist who is only conversant 

 with European conditions. 



From the top of Mount Wellington, almost 

 due south, the Harz Mountains stand out rather 

 conspicuously ; these mountains lie on the out- 

 skirts of the south-western ranges and can be 

 easily ascended from the little township upon 

 the Huon River called Geeveston, famous for its 

 timber mills, and for being founded, maintained, 

 and almost entirely populated by the family of 

 Geeves. Mr. Richard Geeves also informed me 

 that it was, or should be, famous for the very 

 high intelligence of its rising generation. 



I had the pleasure of ascending the Harz 

 Mountains in company with two gentlemen from 

 Hobart, who volunteered to put down some of 

 the Rainbow Trout in the land-locked mountain 

 tarns near the summit, and in this way I was 

 enabled to gain some idea of the bush on the 

 south-western ranges. In all essentials I imagine 

 this bush to resemble closely that which must 

 have clothed Mount Wellington, before that 

 mountain was partially tamed by fires and the 

 domesticating hand of man. The first four miles 

 out of Geeveston we accomplished on the light 

 trolley railway which is used by the timber-men 

 for carrying logs from the forest to the mills, 

 and our track struck out from this through some 

 magnificent gum forest on to the highlands. As 



