A BOTANIZING EXPEDITION TO WEST AUSTRALIA. 



291 



ot gushing streams or luxurious vegetation. The highest is Bhiff 

 Peak, marked 3600 feet on the map. On the sand-plain there is a low 

 gum-scrub, large numbers of Hakeas, Banksias, Leucopogons, Dryan- 

 dras, and Beaufortias, and when crossing the spur of a hill we found 

 the beautiful blue Dam-piera erioce'phala, with foliage somewhat re- 

 sembling an Auricula. 



We did not even wait to press plants at this camp, but pushed on 

 early, thirteen miles further, and found a veritable oasis in the desert, 

 a homestead and good water, and delightful camp at Warrungup 

 (fig. 98). You may notice that nearly all the names of places end in 

 "up." This termination in the words of the native black means a 

 perpetual spring — a welcome sign on any map in such a sand-desert. 



At Warrungup we found Mr. Welstead, the owner, who was most 

 kind to us and gave us milk in plenty, and told us all about the 

 locality, advising us first to ascend Warrungup Hill, 2800 feet, where 

 we should find the " Mountain Bell," the most beautiful flower he had 

 ever seen. • 



The next day, the 16th, we ascended and had a stiff climb, but 

 I never saw any garden, wild or otherwise, to equal the flowers on 

 this hill, which, composed of Silurian rocks and shales, was very 

 stony, and generally could be best described as a vast arid shingle 

 sHp, with the scrub growing through it. We found the "Mountain 

 Bell " very near the base of the hill, and it proved to be a Darwinia, 

 with its beautiful pink bell-like flowers ; it grew in the shade of the 

 lovely white Epacrid Lysinema (fig. 99), and close by were glorious 

 bushes, eight feet tall, of the striking Protead Isopogon latifolius, 

 with cones of pink flowers (fig. 100). We found also Dryandra for- 

 mosa, a mass of golden-yellow flowers (fig. 99); and a species of 

 Beaufortia, as well as a yellow Melaleuca, Dampiera eriocephala, a 

 climbing Stylidium, with a flower-head like a pink Phlox, and many 

 other Myrtaceous and Epacridaceous plants, and perhaps least, but yet 

 none the less glorious sight on the top of the mountain, a species of 

 Utricularia, and a beautiful crimson Orchid, an inch high. I should 

 also mention a mauve pea-flowered shrub, called Burtonia ; a fern, 

 Aspleniurn flnhelli folium, to say nothing of the various Gastrolobiums, 

 with their many-coloured pea-flowers. 



Having climbed to the summit of the hill, we obtained a fine view of 

 Mount Toolbrunup to the south and the whole range stretching east 

 and west, while away on the sand-plains we counted over fifty lakes, 

 which we knew too well were all salt. In the far distance to the 

 south-east we could see the sea near Cape Eiche, forty-five miles off. 

 This, again, is a most interesting district; but, unfortunately, we had 

 no time to visit it. 



We thoroughly examined the ridge, collected what seeds we could 

 find, and then descended the hill on the west side. Our driver, 

 who had never seen a real mountain before, came with us and acted 

 as water-carrier, there being not a drop on the hill ; he caused 

 US much amusement when, we came to a shingle slip, as he had no 



