55 
to be auriferous ; and, after crossing a narrow strip of 
granite (sketched on the map we carried with us), we 
entered on slightly altered sedimentary rocks (probably 
lower silurian), which continued for about four miles. 
Following this we found a granitic rock which extended 
westwards along our route for about eight miles to Pars- 
low’s Inn. On leaving Parslow’s the ascent was over 
mica-schist, with veins of hard dense white quartz, to the 
“Flour-bag,” a small well grassed plain where occur 
newer volcanic rocks. On leaving this plain the mica- 
schist again appeared for a short distance, and thence to 
the heights, near Mount Hotham, we travelled over 
plateaux of volcanic rock overlying lower Silurians. 
One singular feature in the landscape we had no oppor¬ 
tunity of examining closely—Mount Battery—which, as 
described by Mr. Howitt, is a truncated cone, about 800 
feet above the river, and standing out from a somewhat 
lower ridge which connects it with the main water-shed 
between the Cobungra and Bundarrah rivers. From a 
distance it has all the appearance of an extinct crater; 
but the summit shows that it is not a crater at all. It is 
a narrow l'idge of columnar basalt, part of one of the 
extensive outflows of lava found on the summits of these 
mountains. The conical appearance is due to the gradual 
wearing away of the mount, and the slopes westward to 
the Cobungra are covered with broken fragments of vol¬ 
canic rock of all sizes, all derived from the columnar 
basalt. The prisms are seen protruding at all angles 
from the broken stones near the summit, and on the lower 
slopes the pressure from above has pushed the prisms of 
basalt outwards. Although no traces of a crater are 
visible, it is quite possible that this may have been a vent. 
If so, the upper portions of the cone have been removed 
