encouraging; we could only see as far to the
eastward as the flat-topped range; and although the slopes of these hills
looked very fertile I had no means of judging how far back this good
country extended; we had however been creeping gradually up an ascent,
and when we gained the summit of this I turned to look to the northward
after the straggling party, who were slowly mounting the hill, some of
them staggering along under loads so heavy that I should have hated the
tyranny of any man who could have compelled them to carry such a weight;
but as it was I could only grieve to see men, from the hope of gain,
rushing so inevitably on their fate. Having gazed till weary at this
painful picture of the weakness of human nature, I turned to the
north-eastward, and there burst upon my sight a most enchanting view. In
the far east, that is, some twenty or five-and-twenty miles away,
stretched a lofty chain of mountains, flat-topped and so regular in their
outline that they appeared rather the work of art than of nature. Between
this range and the nearest one lay a large rich valley vying with the
most fertile I have ever seen in an extra-tropical country. In front of
us lay another valley which drained a portion of the large one, and in
both rose gently swelling hills and picturesque peaks, wooded in the most
romantic manner. Whilst I stood and looked on this scene, my woes were
forgotten. Such moments as these repay an explorer for much toil and
trouble.

THE VICTORIA RANGE AND DISTRICT. THE PROVINCE OF VICTORIA.

The distant range I at once named the Victoria in honour of Her Majesty;
and being now certain that the district we were in was one of the most
fertile in Australia I named it the Province of Victoria. There is no
other part of extra-tropical Australia which can boast of the same number
of streams in an equal extent of coast frontage, or which has such
elevated land so near the sea; and I have seen no other which has so
large an extent of good country. It is however bounded both to the north
and south by comparatively-speaking unproductive districts; but what the
character of the country to the north-east and south-east may be still
remains to be ascertained.

Another mile on a course of 180 degrees brought us to the valley in our
front; it was of the same rich and romantic character as that which I
have just described, being in depth about two hundred feet, down
limestone rocks, in places assuming the character o