420 
Account of the country between 
than a square mile; which is mostly covered with a grove of 
handsome myrtle trees. A few acres of grass are also found here. 
This is all the passable land in the valley, which extends over a 
surface of several thousand acres. The western portion is level, 
as far as the base of the Frenchman’s Cap ; the eastern swells into 
steep, but not high sand-hills. The soil of this valley (with the 
exception previously noticed), is indifferent, alternating between a 
grey sand and a white gravel; the latter composed of pebbles of 
quartz. It is wet and often unsound. I may here notice that in 
crossing some low hills that lie at the southern or western (I cannot 
now recollect bearings very correctly) extremity of the plain, we 
were led into another open valley of considerable extent, which 
I called Pine-tree Valley. The track to Macquarie Harbour does 
not lead near it, nor is it seen from any part of it, and I merely 
mention it now to record its existence. In crossing from the 
Valley of the Loddon to Pine-tree Valley, I had further evidence 
of the existence of natives, for in passing across the low hills which 
divide the valleys, I found an excellent spear, which I afterwards 
left with Mr. Clark, of Marlborough. 
Quitting the valley of the Loddon, and taking the route for 
Macquarie Harbour, the surface, for nine out of the next fourteen 
miles, is extremely rugged, and particularly unfavourable for 
travelling. Indeed Macquarie Harbour is a very unapproachable 
place from the land, travel to it as we may. The mountain range 
of the Frenchman’s Cap, lying in the way, and shooting out its 
great spurs in every direction, leaving little choice as to the 
direction of a road. In whatever way we attempt to reach the 
harbour, in any thing like a direct manner, we are met by some 
inferior arm of this mountain mass, to scale which is inevitable. 
High, steep, and difficult of passage, are the hills which lie on the 
line for about five miles after leaving the valley of the Loddon 
and they are covered with a very heavy forest, often a dense and 
scarcely pervious jungle. These heights constitute a great limb 
of the Frenchman’s Cap, and which crossed, we descended into an 
open valley of several miles in length. This I called Lachlan Plain. 
It lies in a south-westerly direction, and is extremely barren. 
