Western Range , Tasmania . 
139 
20 feet long, and 18 inches in diameter, which had been 
washed in to a great distance. The water must have an 
outlet, but it is not known where, nor had we time to seek 
for it. As there was less water in the caves at our visit 
than had previously been known, we saw them to great 
advantage. I would here recommend those who enter 
them to carry wax candles, as we did, unless really good 
torches can be obtained. 
The tract of country about the caves can scarcely be 
surpassed in the Colony, either as regards soil or scenery. 
We had started from Calstock, the residence of Lieut. 
Foote, R.N., eight miles from the village of Delo- 
raine, and passed over some excellent land watered 
by the Meander,—a trifling stream, like the rest of our 
rivers, except after rain. Here there is a fine plain about 
five miles long, and half that in width, thinly sprinkled 
with trees, and bounded by'elevations thickly clothed with 
them. It [was near this I saw for the first time that 
handsome tree the celery-crested pine (Podocarpus 
asplenifolia); the black or light wood (Acacia melano- 
xylon ), the most umbrageous of allour trees, and affording 
the most shade, was also abundant; and along the margin 
of the streams were a variety of shrubs, several of which 
I had seen on the summit of the Western Range. 
There are some very fine farms here, one of the principal 
of which is Mr. Oakden’s, seven miles from the caves. 
After exploring them, and reposing for a night upon the 
straw in a barn, we retraced our steps to Mr. Oakden’s; 
crossed a limestone ridge of some elevation, and reached 
Cheshunt, a valuable property belonging to Mr. Thomas 
Archer. The country appeared to greater advantage from 
the circumstance of there being a large proportion of good 
soil, and far more verdure than was to be seen in other parts 
of the Colony, burnt up as they were by a drought of 
unusual duration, The vegetation, too, seemed more 
