e deviation from my
route. A group of the most picturesque hills imaginable lay to the
northward, and were connected with this, the whole being branches from
the Table Land of Hope. Some appeared of a deep blue colour, where their
clothing was evergreen bush. Others were partly of a golden hue, from the
rich ripe grass upon them. The sun broke through the heavy clouds and
poured rays over them, which perfected the beauty of the landscape. I
recognised, from this apex, my station on Mount Owen, and several hills I
had intersected from it. Amongst others, the three remarkable cones to
the westward of Mount Faraday, apparently a continuation of the line of
summits I have already mentioned. This hill consisted of amygdaloidal
trap in nodules, the crevices being filled with crystals of sulphate of
lime, and there were many round balls of ironstone, like marbles or round
shot, strewed about. A red ferruginous crust projected from the highest
part, and, on this summit, the magnetic needle was greatly affected by
local attraction, and quite useless. Fortunately, I had also my pocket
sextant, and with it took some valuable angles. On descending, I heartily
enjoyed a breakfast, and named the hill which gave us the water, Mount
Aquarius. Returning towards Mount Owen, by a more direct route, I arrived
at the head of a gully which led tolerably direct until we found our
track, in the creek I had run down on the preceding day. But night was
approaching, and we had water enough in a rocky hollow, and also a cavern
before which a large fire gave such warmth, that, in passing the night
there in my cloak, I was quite insensible to a frost without, which, at
the camp, at 4 P. M., had lowered the mercury in Fahrenheit's thermometer
to 22 deg., or 10 deg. below the freezing point.

22D JUNE.--Our provisions being out, I hastened back to the camp,
determined to explore in a more northerly direction, according to my
original intention. Water was only to be found in so dry a season, in the
neighbourhood of mountains, or in rocky gullies likely to retain a
passing shower. In our way back, I ascended the north-western shoulder of
Mount Owen, and was much more inclined to take a northerly route, from
the appearance of the mountains on that side. The view from that summit
to the northward, was very grand; I saw more plainly the line of the
Maranfrom its upper sources. Two mighty masses of table-land seemed the
highest of all. One I had already seen