The Country From North To South-East Was Broken Into
Perpendicular Rocky Ridges, And Divided Longitudinally By Deep And
Apparently Impassable Glens.
The rocks were covered with climbing plants,
and the glens abounded with new and beautiful ones.
Our collector
descended one of those nearest to us, and was amply repaid by the
acquisition of nearly sixty most desirable plants, some of which appeared
even to constitute new genera. The rocks were covered with epidendra
[Note: Of the genera cymbidium and dendrobium of Swartz.], bignoniae, or
trumpet-flowers, and clematides, or virgin's bower, of which last genus
three species apparently new were discovered. Far different was the
character of these glens from the rugged and barren blue mountain ranges:
fine open forest land ended abruptly on the precipices. The bottoms were
of the richest soil, the rocks instead of being of a coarse sandstone
were of a hard texture, and of a blue shining appearance when broken. The
country eastward of these glens appeared very lofty, and much broken; but
as in the direction of our course, we should have some miles of good open
country to travel over, we had strong hopes that our difficulties would
prove greater in contemplation than reality. Among the timber in these
glens were some of the stateliest stringy bark trees that we had ever
beheld: in fact, the timber altogether is unusually good. To the
south-west and north-west, the country is low and beautifully diversified
by long sloping hills.
September 11. - Our course for near eight miles led us along a broad and
very elevated ridge of poor forest land, intermixed with brush; when we
were stopped from proceeding farther eastward by the deep chasm or glen,
which we had seen at a distance yesterday. This tremendous ravine runs
near north and south, its breadth at the bottom does not apparently
exceed one hundred or two hundred feet, whilst the separation of the
outer edges is from two to three miles. I am certain that in
perpendicular depth it exceeds three thousand feet. The slopes from the
edges were so steep and covered with loose stones, that any attempt to
descend even on foot was impracticable. From either side of this abyss,
smaller ravines of similar character diverged, the distance between which
seldom exceeded half a mile. Down them trickled rills of water, derived
from the range on which we were. We could not however discern which way
the water in the main valley ran, as the bottom was concealed by a thicket
of vines and creeping plants. From the range on which we were, we could
distinctly see the coast line of hills. The country between us and the
coast was of an equal elevation, and appeared broken and divided by
ravines and steep precipices. We continued along the edge of this ravine
southerly for about four miles, when we halted for the day. Our only hope
of being enabled to cross this barrier depends upon our pursuing a
southerly course, when if the waters run northerly, the dividing range
between them and Hunters River will permit us again to turn easterly.
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