39 
not flat, but slightly undulating ; it is in the form of 
long low smooth banks or ridges, running parallel to each 
other, with hollows not so deeply sculptured as to become 
water-courses. The lights thrown across the furrowed 
surface—gilding the low ridges and leaving the hollows 
in shadow—lent a beauty to this sequestered spot which 
under other circumstances it might not present. Set in 
a frame of forest—itself destitute of timber and richly 
grassed—it made a picture altogether strange and start¬ 
ling, entering upon it as we did suddenly, and with no 
idea of the character of the landscape which was to open 
to our view. 
The soil of this plain is said to he good. 
Part of it has been selected. Altogether it embraces 
an area of 1500 acres. 
Onwards, towards Parslow’s, the grass looked poorer 
and the soils thinner. At Parslow’s we found Black 
Sally iu the flats and gullies; good grass and clover 
growing everywhere luxuriantly. 
After leaving the Victoria River we passed through a 
forest for a distance of eight miles, consisting principally 
of Black Sally and mountain white-gum. As we as¬ 
cended, the trees became smaller, and crooked and 
stunted ; and on reaching a small untimbered well-grassed 
plain, known as the Flour-hag, the sub-alpine flora began 
to appear, and several specimens were collected. 
Continuing the ascent, there appeared in greater pro¬ 
minence scrubs, small gum saplings, and a good many 
low distorted gums. On the volcanic plateau the gums 
were better; but here again there was found a rather 
irregular undergrowth of scrubs. Where the timber 
became smaller and thinner, the scrub and flowering 
