- We set off early this morning to ascend Mount Exmouth,
distant four or five miles: at its base we crossed a pretty stream of
water, having its source in the Mount; it took us nearly two hours of
hard labour to ascend its rugged summits: we were however amply
gratified for our trouble by the extensive prospect we had of the
surrounding country. Directing our view to the west, Mount Harris and
Mount Forster, whose elevations do not exceed from two to three hundred
feet, were distinctly seen at a distance of eighty-nine miles. These two
spots excepted, from the south to the north it was a vast level,
resembling the ocean in extent and appearance. From east-north-east to
south, the country was broken and irregular; lofty hills arising from
the midst of lesser elevations, their summits crowned with perpendicular
rocks, in every variety of shape and form that the wildest imagination
could paint. To this grand and picturesque scenery, Mount Exmouth
presented a perpendicular front of at least one thousand feet high, when
its descent became more gradual to its base in the valley beneath, its
total elevation being little less than three thousand feet. To the
north-east commencing at N. 33. E., and extending to N. 51. E., a lofty
and magnificent range of hills was seen lifting their blue heads above
the
horizon. This range was honoured with the name of the Earl of Hardwicke,
and was distant on a medium from one hundred to one hundred and twenty
miles: its highest elevations were named respectively Mount Apsley, and
Mount Shirley. The country between Mount Exmouth and this bounding range
was broken into rugged hills, and apparently deep valleys, and several
minor ranges of hills also appeared. The high lands from the east and
south-east gradually lessened to the north-west, when they were lost in
the immense levels, which bound the interior abyss of this singular
country; the gulf in which both water and mountain seem to be as
nothing. Mount Exmouth seems principally composed of iron-stone; and
some of the richest ore I had yet seen was found upon it. On its sides
were many different stones; but its perpendicular cliffs were of a dark
bluish grey colour, shining when broken, very heavy, and close grained.
Mount Harris, and Mount Exmouth, are composed of distinct materials, and
in their formation bear not the slightest resemblance to each other;
the granite of the former being more allied to the hills to the
south-south-east of it, from which however it is distant at least one
hundred miles, a perfect level filling up the intermediate space. Many
new, and otherwise interesting subjects of the indigenous botany were
discovered on the hills: among which were a species of persoonia, not
previously observed, some xanthorrhaeae or grass trees, and two or three
coast plants. The heteromorphous sterculia of the interior, and some
species of eucalyptus of very stunted growth covered its sides, which
however for a considerable distance were not deficient in grass.
Sandstone
was found in large masses in the rivulet at its base, with pebbles of
various colours, and of species none of which was found on the mount
itself.
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