Gipps * Land . 
G7 
The party, consisting of Count Strcleski, Messrs. M'Artlmr 
and Riley, with servants, &c., began by following the valley 
of the Murray for seventy miles, till they arrived at the foot 
of the highest peak of the Australian Alps. An ascent was 
immediately commenced ; and on the 15th of February at 
noon, the Couut attained the summit of the mountain amid per¬ 
petual snows. The scene described is most beautiful; above 
a transparent sky, and below', an uninterrupted view of 7000 
square miles, embracing the sources of the Dumutt and Mur- 
rumbidgee, the windings of the Murray, the course of the di¬ 
viding range, and the tops of Mount* Aberdeen and Mount 
Butler. The elevation from which this view was obtained was 
named Mount Kosciusko; and I should not be doing justice to 
the distinguished author of this journal, if I attempted to con¬ 
vey in other language than his own the feelings which induced 
him to fix upon that particular name. They are feelings with 
which all must sympathise who reverence the names of those 
who have died for their country’s freedom. I subjoin an ex-, 
tract from the original document“ The particular configura¬ 
tion of this eminence struck mo so forcibly, by the similarity 
it bears to a tumulus elevated in Krakow over the tomb of the 
patriot Kosciusko, that, although in a foreign country, on 
foreign ground, but amongst a free people who appreciate free¬ 
dom and its votaries, I could not refrain from giving it the 
name of Mount Kosciusko.” The party thence retraced their 
steps to tlic source of Cowrang Creek, pursuing a course which 
finally brought them to Lake Omeo. The waters of this lake 
are scanty, and it has a basin-like shape, similar to that of 
Lake George or Lake Bathurst. 
The valley of the Murray, with those adjacent, are clothed 
with the finest pasture, and offer the most suitable locations for 
settlers; the Omeo country also is described as not less na¬ 
turally desirable, while a communication between the vale of 
the Murrain bid gee about Cowrang Creek, the Omeo country, 
and Port Phillip is represented as feasible and expedient. * 
That division of the country which received the name of 
Gipps’ Land from its discoverer Couut Strcleski, in honour of 
His Excellency Sir George Gipps, begins seventeen miles to 
the S.S.E. of Omeo, after crossing the dividing range. It is 
bounded by the meridian of 148° from the N.E., by the sea- 
coast and dividing range from the east and west respectively, 
and by Corner Inlet and Western Port from the S. and S.W. 
Within these limits are rich plains and open forests, watered by 
eight large rivers; fine timber is also to be met with; and the 
climate, as shown by the meteorological table, is apparently 
salubrious. This country adjoins the sea-coast, and has facili¬ 
ties for inland navigation, together with an easy access to 
Western Port, and a still easier to Corner Inlet, which is 
navigable for vessels of 300 tons. 
