25 
Langdon's hardwood, of the Johnstone, named Baclchousia JBan- 
croftii by Mr. Bailey, comes across from that river and down the 
valley of the !Russell in incalculable quantities, and up the valley of 
the Mulgrave for about five miles from Harvey's Greek, and then 
suddenly ceases, not a tree known to be growing anywhere north of 
that point. It is a very hard tree, with fluted 'trunk and numerous 
flanges, usually splits freely and burns well. 
Trom 3,000 feet to 5,000 feet on Bellenden-Ker there are many 
timbers totally unknown, some with beautiful grains, some tough as 
whalebone, and others, when cut, diffusing remarkably pleasant 
perfumes, the wood and bark strongly aromatic. All the trees on the 
summit of the mountain, small and large, are intensely hard, some of 
them rivalling even the grey ironbark {jiielanopldoin). 
On the forest spurs of the main range, extending down on to 
the flats, are large quantities of Moreton Bay Ash {JE. tesselaris), which 
is there much more durable than the same tree in Southern Queensland. 
The bloodwood corymhom\ is also found along the face of the 
range, but usually small and hollow, far inferior to the bloodwood on 
the rivers of the South. In the river beds of the Barron and Mulgrave 
the swamp oak {Camarina glaucci) grows to perfection — a tall, stately 
tree, beautifully grained. 
The stinging tree of North Queensland, moroides, is only a bush, 
never growing into the trees of four and five feet in diameter like 
gigas found in the coast scrubs of South Queensland and New South 
Wales, but far more virulent in its effects. There is one mild species 
which attains a diameter of six to twelve inches. The kauri pine 
{A. rolusta) extends from the river scrubs right on to the tops of the 
highest peaks of the coast range, and grows to enormous size on the 
Upper Barron, in the red cedar country, many of the trees eight and 
nine feet in diameter. The walking-stick palm {Ptijcliosperma JVor- 
manhyi), common on the Mosman and Daintree, is not found, so far 
as I am aware, south of Port Douglas. lu place of it we find the 
"Piccabeen" palm in great perfection, the magnificent fan palm 
(Licuala Mtcelleri), and on the tops of the ranges a superb wide- 
spreading palm which Mr. Bailey will refer to in his report. It has 
a very hard stem, grows about twenty feet high with leaves ten to 
fifteen feet in length, shading all beneath it like an umbrella. On the 
range at the head of the Little Mulgrave, at 3,000 feet, I passed 
through a complete grove of this indescribably beautiful tree, all 
flowering and fruiting. 
This is an appropriate opportunity of respectfully suggesting to 
the Government the earnest desirability of having specimens of all 
the Bellenden-Ker and Upper Barron timbers collected and classified 
as soon as possible, so that the colony can know the quantity and 
quality and value of its timber resources. It is also highly desirable 
to obtain some knowledge of the medicinal value of the Queensland 
flora. A competent chemist could prepare extracts and infusions, of 
which the properties could soon be ascertained by our medical men in 
a course of judicious experiments. Already the Eucalyptus family has 
proved itself one of the most valuable known to mankind, and who 
shall say with what splendid gifts the Queensland flora can reward the 
medical science if properly investigated ? The Colonial Botanist is 
satisfied there are quite as many timbers in Queensland as the whole 
