20 ' 
it might precede a change in the weather, which would 
altogether alter our plans for the journey. 
We rested for about an hour at the Springs—the source 
of the Iviewa River—named by Ilis Excellency, at your 
request, the Diamantina Springs—and thence pursued 
our journey to Bright, where we arrived at 7 p.m. on 
Friday the 6th February. 
From Bright we proceeded by coach to Beech worth, 
thence to Chiltern where we found a special train in 
waiting for us, and reached Melbourne 10.30 p.m. on the 
8tli February. 
Soils, Timber, etc. 
Our route from Melbourne through Oakleigh, Dande- 
nong, Berwick, and thence onwards to Mount Ararat, was 
wholly through alienated lands. The road is good, and 
we travelled rapidly; but, even with sufficient leisure, we 
could have made few observations respecting the soils and 
timber of this area that would interest the public. From 
Mount Ararat to the Buneep (close to the junction of that 
river with the Tar win), a distance of nine miles, was over 
a granite country, Cannibal Hill, a well-known granite 
peak, showing rather boldly on the north. We observed 
in this part much spear-grass and swamp-hop, with fair 
splitting timber — peppermint and messmate on the ridges 
arid small worthless trees on the flats From Buneep, 
after crossing the river of that name, for a distance of 
three miles and a half along the Tarwin flats, the country 
is thickly timbered with peppermint, messmate, a few 
flooded-gums, and lightwood trees, with much scrubby 
undergrowth in parts. These flats are liable to inunda¬ 
tion, but they would yield good wops. From .the flats 
we commenced the ascent towards the older volcanic 
