9 
and the blackboy "Multarri." On arrival at tlic lookout poiut there 
was not a speck in tlie Leavens within the circle of the horizon — only 
a pathless wilderness of immeasurable azure in which all objects 
were marvellously distinct. To the south the summit of Mount Elliott 
was clearly visible, a distance of at least 140 miles. The Cardwell 
and Hinchinbrook ranges were as plain as if only twenty miles away, 
and to the west the view extended an incredible distance to far-of£ 
mountains of fantastic shapes, blue and shadowy on the edge of the 
remote sky-line. There was a magnificent view of all the Upper 
Barron and Herberton country, and the tablelands on the heads of the 
Johnstone, Moresby, Tully, and Herbert rivers. 
One glance conveyed more knowledge of that vast expanse of 
nearly uninhabited country than could possibly be obtained by many 
months of weary exploration. The crest of "Peter Bott" stood 
outlined beyond the Port Douglas ranges, and north-west mountains 
rose beyond mountains as far as the eye could see. Below me was the 
valley of the Eussell, with the sinuous river winding through the rich 
expanse of tropical scrub land. Behind Point Cooper were the exten- 
sive, treacherous, swampy plains that extend from the Russell nearly 
across to the Johnstone. All the plantations and sugar-mills on the 
Johnstone were plain enough at a distance of about thirty-five miles. 
The blasting on the second section of the Cairns Railway was ju>;t as 
distinctly heard as if it were only ten miles away. Below me on the 
eastward, between the centre peak and the Russell, was a mountain, 
about which there appears to be a surprising amount of ignorance 
even among the oldest local residents. It stands detached from 
Bellenden-Ker, connected, however, at the base by a spur which divides 
the waters of Harvey's Creek from those flowing towards Babinda 
Creek. It is a sharp-pointed razor-ba^cked mountain, rising somewhat 
abruptly in successive peaks from the eastward, and falling off 
suddenly on the north and south in steep spurs, covered by excep- 
tionally dense vegetation. This mountain seemed to be about 1,200 
feet lower than the peak of Bellenden-Ker, and I made a note to that 
effect. My surprise was considerable to find, on returning from Cairns 
by the " Waroonga," that this unnamed mountain was marked on 
Captain Border's chart, and the height given at a trifle under 4,000 
feet, so that my guess at the elevation w?tS remarkably correct. 
This mountain wall again be specially referred to in the report. The 
whole of the eastern side of Bellenden-Ker, from the south end to 
the north peak, is practically inaccessible— that is, a qualified m.an 
could doubtless make the ascent at some point, but he could carry 
nothing but himself, and no one but a madman would try it. The 
whole face of the mountain is a sheer descent into the gorge below, 
drained by Harvey' s Creek. The whole corresponding western face 
falls just as sheer down into the branch of Tringilburra Creek, and 
is equally inaccessible. The Bellenden-Ker Range can be ascended 
at both ends and nowhere else, except as a mere foolish and useless 
feat of climbing, just as a man might go to the top of a lighthouse by 
an. outside rope, instead of ascending the staircase. From the centre 
peak we descended about 200 feet on to the crest of the mountain to 
the north, and had to lower ourselves down by vines and shrubs that 
held on by twisting their roots among the rocks. Proceeding thence 
along the summit at an average height of 4,900 feet, cutting a track 
chiefly through the Dracophyllum and a rank growth of the beautiful 
