a, the scenery and the country at once change, you find
yourself upon rich alluvial flats, flanked by barren rocky hills, the air
during the spring being perfumed by the scent of the Tetratheca, a
beautiful hill flower, at that time in splendid blossom, and growing in
profusion on the tops of the hills, mingled with the Chyranthera, with
its light blue blossoms; both these plants it has always appeared, are
well adapted for the edges of borders, but there are not many plants in
Australia that would be fit for such a purpose.

It does not appear necessary, in a work like this, to trouble the reader
with an account of every village or of every valley in the districts
through which I lead him; my object is to give a general and faithful
description of the country only, reserving the power of drawing attention
to any thing I may deem worthy of notice. Taking the district of Mount
Barker therefore in its full range, I would observe, that it is one of
the finest agricultural districts in the province. It abounds in very
many beautiful alluvial valleys, which, when I first crossed, had grass
that rose above the horses middles as they walked through it, and looked
luxuriant beyond description. These valleys are limited both in length
and breadth, but are level and clear; their soil is a rich alluvial
deposit, and the plough can be driven from one end to the other without
meeting a single obstacle to check its progress. Independently of these
valleys, there are other portions of good grazing land in the Mount
Barker district, but there are, nevertheless, very many stony ranges that
are entirely useless even to stock. The Mount Barker district may be said
to extend from the village of Nairne to Strathalbyn, on the River Angas,
the latter place being 15 miles from the shores of Lake Victoria. Within
the range of this district, there are also the villages of Hahansdorf and
Macclesfield, the former being a German village, at no great distance
from Mount Barker. Immediately to the north of the village of Nairne is
Mount Torrens, the river of that name has several branches to the
north-east of it as high up as Mount Gould. The first of the Company's
special surveys, and perhaps some of the finest soil in the province is
in this locality. The surveys on the sources and tributaries of the
Torrens are splendid properties, and the Company may well consider them
as amongst the most valuable of its acquisitions; beyond the heads of the
Torre