I04i "WATER BUFPLI TO SVD.NKV JJV G KA V [TATIOW. 



Ihe hills and on the flats, as if they were being given off from the 



coastsideby reason of ihe north-westerly dip of the stratifications 

 of the coal sandstone formation. 



Secondly, the vegetation of this neighbourhood is very remark- 

 able, and indicates the swampy holding ground of the whole water- 

 shed, from the highest tops of the hills right down to the lower 

 flats. The whole country is nothing else than one vast swamp, 

 with various hills capped with poor sandy soil and scrubby timber. 

 I remarked with peculiar interest, and in proof of this water- 

 gathering ground being like an immense sponge in all seasons, 

 that nowhere could I see one single plant of the true grasses, 

 although the whole country looked as green when I was there 

 as if it had been covered with the dark foliage of the rich peren- 

 nial ryegrass ; but it is no such thing, as I convinced myself that 

 not one single specimen of the true grasses existed anywhere 

 there indigenously or at all. 



The so-called grasses of that district belong to what German 

 botanists designate by their significant nomenclature of the 

 " Schein-grasser," or in English "make-believe grasses," which 

 for the most part belong to the swamp plants of the three different 

 families known as the Oi/paracece, the Restiacece, and the Juncecu, 

 each of which have their various and extensive sub-divisions, and 

 abound over this watery country. The two first-named families 

 seemed to abound the most, by the presence of varieties of the 

 Carex tribe which in English are commonly called "sedges"; 

 also there are large quantities of the Schosmis, which is one of the 

 so-called knot-grasses, with its peculiar bunch of flowerlets and 

 seed-vessels ; besides a general prevalence of large masses of 

 rushes, which belong to the Juncece of the third family. Added 

 to all this peculiar vegetation, the mosses and lichens abound 

 sufficiently to help to form the peatiness that exists partially over 

 the surface of this singular district. 



The practical proof of the seeming grasses being " make-believe 

 grasses" is this — that none of them have any knots in their steins, 

 and their stems are not round. The seed-vessels of many of 

 them very much resemble some of the true or genuine food 

 grasses ; but the true grasses may be determined by the fact that 

 they possess knotty sub-divisions in their stems, which are round 

 and are like the cereals — wheat, oats, and barley, which belong to 

 the true Gramince. The monopoly of these peculiar swamp grasses 

 over this water-gathering ground is, I consider, the greatest proof 

 that can be brought forward of the retaining capacity of the ground. 



Lastly, the animal life in that region bears similar testimony 

 of the peculiarly swampy nature of that country. There seemed 

 to be no life there but the kaugaroo overground, and the crayfish 

 everywhere underground in the swamps and in the walerholes. 



