was with
such sentiments that she committed her child to my charge, under the
immediate care however of Piper's gin.

WE AT LENGTH EMERGE ON MUCH FIRMER GROUND.

For several miles we met with soft ground at the low connecting parts of
hills, but we at length gained the woody ridge so likely, as I had hoped,
to favour our progress. Its turnings were intricate but, by one or two
rivulets falling to my left and then by others falling to the right, I
learnt how to keep on the intermediate ground until at length, after a
journey of nine miles, we emerged from the woods on a firm open surface
and an extensive prospect was seen before us. Leaving the party to encamp
I rode to a round forest hill some miles to the eastward and obtained a
comprehensive view of the Grampians, and also of the country to the
northward which now appeared to be chiefly open; and I had little doubt
that we should find it more favourable for travelling upon. Eastward of
the forest hill the ground sank into a deep valley which turned round to
the south-east after receiving the drainage from some hollows in the open
country north of it.

RIVER HOPKINS.

This ravine received also the waters from the woody ridge now south of
us, where the numerous deep valleys were irrigated by streams arising in
swamps; the whole probably forming the head of some more important stream
flowing to the coast and which I here named the river Hopkins. This
eminence, which I distinguished as Mount Stavely, consisted apparently of
decomposed clay-stone or felspar, having a tendency to divide naturally
into regular prisms. A very beautiful and singular-looking shrub appeared
on the hills we crossed this day, and also on the open ground where
indeed it was most abundant. It was a species of acacia, the leaves
adhering edgeways to thorny branches; many of these shrubs were in
blossom, the flowers being yellow and as large and round as marbles, and
those growing very thickly, they gave to the branches the appearance of
garlands or festoons, the effect altogether being extremely graceful and
singular. We found also a beautiful new species of acacia looking like a
broad-leaved variety of A. armata. The branches were singularly protected
by short spiny forks which proved to be the hardened permanent stipules.*

(*Footnote. A. furcifera, Lindley manuscripts; stipulis spinescentibus
persistentibus, phyllodiis obliquis ovato-oblongis mucronatis uninerviis
hinc venosis glabris, ramis