INVITING COUNTRY' MOUNT UOFTY. 233 
with the intention of remaining on shore for two or three 
days. He was accompanied by Mr. Kent, his servant 
Mills, and two soldiers. The boat went to the place at 
which they had before landed, as they thought they had 
discovered a small river with a bar entrance. They crossed 
the bar, and ascertained that it was a narrow inlet, of four 
miles in length, that terminated at the base of the ranges. 
The party were quite delighted with the aspect of the coun- 
try on either side of the inlet, and with the bold and ro- 
mantic scenery behind them. The former bore the ap- 
pearance of natural meadows, lightly timbered, and covered 
with a variety of grasses. The soil was observed to be a 
rich, fat, chocolate coloured earth, probably the decomposi- 
tion of the deep blue limestone, that shewed itself along 
the coast hereabouts. On the other hand, a rocky glen, 
made a cleft in the ranges at the head of the inlet ; and 
they were supplied with abundance of fresh water which re- 
mained in the deeper pools that had been filled by the tor- 
rents during late rains. The whole neighbourhood was so 
inviting that the party slept at the head of the inlet. 
In the morning, Captain Barker proceeded to ascend 
Mount Lofty, accompanied by Mr. Kent and his servant, 
leaving the two soldiers at the bivouac, at which he di- 
rected them to remain until his return. Mr. Kent says, 
they kept the ridge all the way, and rose above the sea by 
a gradual ascent. The rock-formation of the lower ranges 
appeared to be an argillaceous schist ; the sides and sum- 
mit of the ranges were covered with verdure, and the trees 
