- After leaving the valley in which we encamped, we entered
one much more extensive, and communicating with Goulburn Vale.
Between
five and six miles on our route, we reached a beautiful small river
coming from the eastward and joining Peel's River, of which it appears to
be a principal branch. For the remainder of the day's journey, we
proceeded up the fine valley which this stream watered, bounded on the
north and south by lofty and fertile hills covered with rich herbage,
having numerous smaller valleys and streams terminating in this principal
valley. The whole scenery was thinly clothed with wood, and occasionally
a bold craggy promontory terminating at the river gave it a diversity,
which its general softness of feature or outline required: there were no
principal ranges of hills, but they broke in and upon each other, forming
the utmost variety of shape. The rocks and stones which composed the
bases and summits of these hills, were not less various than their form:
scarcely two were alike. Granite, coarse porphyry, freestone, and
whinstone were frequently found on the same hill, and the beds of the
streams were of every variety of pebble. This fine stream received the
name of Cockburn River.
September 5. - Our course this day sometimes led us over very elevated
ridges, and at other times through deep and rich valleys. Some of these
hills were at least three thousand feet in height, and clothed with grass
to their summits. Others of the less elevated were entirely free from
rocks, and of the finest soil. The timber chiefly box, with some few
trees of another species of eucalyptus called stringy bark, and cypress.
A number of small streams watered the deep valleys to the north and
south, falling into Cockburn River. Large quantities of quartz were in
various places, as also good flint, which was found in large masses in
the bed of Cockburn River, and also in small pieces on the hills. This
was the second flint that has been discovered in New South Wales. We
halted in a small and beautiful valley near Cockburn River, after having
accomplished nine miles.
September 6. - A day of rest. The observations place this station in lat.
31. 04. 35 S., long. 151. 05. 30. E., variation 9. 58. E.
September 7. - The morning clear and fine. At half past seven o'clock we
proceeded on our journey: in the whole course of it, we never experienced
more precipitous travelling than during the first six miles. Travellers,
less accustomed to meet difficulties, might perhaps have been a little
alarmed at traversing such steep and shelving hills, the loose stones on
which added to the insecurity of our footing. Nevertheless we found it
extremely pleasant, from the romantic beauty of the scenery and the
freshness of the verdure. We had been ascending an extremely elevated
country for the last thirty miles; and I was in great hopes of soon
reaching the point of division between the eastern and western waters.
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