ch, being usually surrounded by a line of yarra
gumtrees or whitebark eucalyptus, seemed at a distance to contain lakes,
but instead of water I found only blocks of vesicular trap, consisting
apparently of granular felspar, and hornblende rock also appeared in the
banks enclosing them. Some of these hollows were of a winding character,
as if they were the remains of ancient watercourses; but if ever currents
flowed there the surface must have undergone considerable alteration
since, for the downs where these hollows appeared were elevated at least
900 feet above the sea and surrounded on all sides by lower ground. There
was an appearance of moisture among the rocks in some of these
depressions; and whether by digging a few feet permanent wells might be
made may be a question worth attention when colonisation extends to that
country. We found on other parts of this open ground large blocks
composed of irregular concretions of ironstone, covered with a thin
coating of compact brown haematite. The purple-ringed Anguillaria dioica,
first seen on Pyramid Hill, again appeared here; and in many places the
ground was quite yellow with the flowers of the cichoraceous plant tao
whose root, small as it is, constitutes the food of the native women and
children. The cattle are very fond of the leaves of this plant and seemed
to thrive upon it. We also found a new bulbine with a delicate yellow
flower being perfectly distinct from both the species described by
Brown.*

(*Footnote. This has been planted with the others in the Horticultural
Gardens at Chiswick and was the first to flower there, a head having been
sent to me on the 8th May last by Dr. Lindley who describes it thus:
Bulbine suavis; radice fasciculata, foliis longissimis attenuatis
semiteretibus basi canaliculatis glaucis, racemo erecto multifloro,
petalis oblongis subundulatis sepalis duplo latioribus, staminibus
ascendentibus, filamentis apice stuposis petalinis patentibus sepalinis
erectis apice incurvis brevioribus.)

SNAKES NUMEROUS.

The genial warmth of spring had begun to show its influence on these
plants and also brought the snakes from their holes, for on this day in
particular it was ascertained that twenty-two had been killed by the
party. These were all of that species not venomous I believe which the
natives eat. We encamped near a small clump of trees for the sake of
firewood.

September 22.

This day's journey lay chiefly across open downs with wood