ofty hills to the
north-east of our encampment I had commenced their ascent with a party of
three men. To my great vexation, on taking out the barometer at the
bottom of the hill, it was broken, and I could therefore no longer hope
to be able to obtain the height of remarkable elevations. I managed to
ride the pony up the hill for some time, but the broken and rocky nature
of the ground obliged me at last to walk, and I left the animal tethered
in rich grass higher than itself.

VIEW FROM IT. MAGNIFICENT PROSPECT.

When we gained the summit of the hill I found that in the mists of the
morning we had ascended the wrong peak. The one we stood on was composed
of basalt and at least twelve hundred feet high; but Mount Lyell, another
peak springing from the same range, and not more than a mile to the
eastward, must have been four or five hundred feet higher. It was
moreover distinguished by a very remarkable feature, namely, a regular
circle, as it were, drawn round the peak, some two hundred feet below the
summit, and above this ring no trees grew; the conical peak which reared
its head above the region of trees being only clothed with the greenest
grass, whilst that on which I stood and all the others I could see were
thinly wooded to their very summits.

The peak we had ascended afforded us a very beautiful view: to the north
lay Prince Regent's River, and the good country we were now upon extended
as far as the inlets which communicated with this great navigable stream;
to the south and south-westward ran the Glenelg, meandering through as
verdant and fertile a district as the eye of man ever rested on. The
luxuriance of tropical vegetation was now seen to the greatest advantage,
in the height of the rainy season. The smoke of native fires rose in
various directions from the country, which lay like a map at our feet;
and when I recollected that all these natural riches of soil and climate
lay between two navigable rivers, and that its sea-coast frontage, not
much exceeding fifty miles in latitude, contained three of the finest
harbours in the world, in each of which the tide rose and fell
thirty-seven and a half feet, I could not but feel we were in a land
singularly favoured by nature.

CONTINUATION OF ROUTE. TORRENTS OF RAIN.

I remained for some time on the summit of this hill, enjoying the
prospect, and taking bearings. When this operation was completed we
returned to the camp and prepared once more to proceed u