The Argus at KellyGang 31/8/1860 (2)
Our old friend Mount Steve looked ridiculously small in the distance, and we looked almost scornfully upon it from our exalted position. Towards midday we arrived at a basalt gorge, about one mile wide, and a noble piece of scenery it was, looking at it from the snow covered table-land on which we were standing. Beneath us were gigantic basalt columns, bearing up, as it were, the mass above them, and preventing it from falling into the apparently bottomless chasm below. Opposite to these columns were thickly timbered ranges rising step by step above each other, until they touched the feet of the Snowy Mountains, which were about five miles from them, and which made them appear but as small mole hillocks. We still continued travelling upon broad table lands, covered with long coarse grass and belts of timber, now and then ascending small basalt knobs. Travelling became more difficult as the snow deepened, for being frozen on the surface in places, and in others quite soft, we were uncertain at each step how deep we should go some times, it was three feet deep, and concealing the sharp-edged basalt boulders and dead logs, at others, being a thin coating over crab-holes with water in them. On we plodded, however, the charming novelty of everything around us compensating to a great extent for the discomfort experienced.
The air was so invigorating that at dinner our allowance appeared to all unusually small, and we fain would have exceeded it. Snow served us instead of water, and as for firewood we could not be at a loss, all the trees having been killed by some bush fire - that on Black Thursday, I imagine - and thus, with the snow, the country had an English wintry appearance. In the afternoon, we had the first really good view of the Bogong - the Snowy Ranges - and would that I could give you the smallest idea of the magnificent panorama that burst upon us as we emerged from a small patch of timber upon an elevated plain. Imagine before you one long range of white mountains, some with round crests to them, and others rearing their lofty peaks towards the heavens; some sloping gradually down till the white snow, melting, developed the impermeable dark green forest scrub beneath it; others, like the Buffalo Ranges, with jagged edges, assuming fantastic forms of every description.
As I said before, the trees were all dead, and the whole scene, as the sun was sinking below the horizon, looked as if nature, exhausted with her efforts, was wrapped in one vast shroud. By how few has this part of the country been seen! To the South Gipps Land people, the Alps appear to be the Ultima Thule, whilst in Victoria thousands are ignorant of the English winter scenery they may view at this time of the year on the Bogong Ranges. I consider myself fortunate in having accompanied Mr Howitt, for although prepared for a great treat, the reality exceeded my expectations. About due south we saw Castle Hill, 25 miles off - that, as you perhaps recollect, lies due north of Bushy Park - also Mount Wellington .
After a day's heavy walking we encamped upon a tributary of the Mitchell, on the side of a hill where the snow had been partially melted. The next day we descended from the table lands, and crossed a creek which formed a portion of the water-shed of the Mitchell, which runs south. The spur leading to it was covered with a dense scrub of young saplings, which caused us considerable delay, although in some instances they proved serviceable in arresting what must otherwise have been too rapid a descent to be safe. We noticed here that the basalt is merely superficial, lying upon the slate bed rock; so that before we arrived at the bottom of the spur we saw the slate reefs cropping out on the surface. I believe a feature of some of the old gold-fields. In the creek there was a great deal of quartz and slate debris; but we did not prospect it, as our time was precious, and Mr Howitt will in all probability visit it, should he prospect the River Mitchell.
The creek was only ten feet or so wide; but it evidently is sometimes much larger, as I saw a great quantity of drift timber some distance up the banks. There was no snow in the valley, but large masses of ice hung from the trees and shrubs near the water. An ascent along a high spur on the opposite side of it, in a northerly direction, through snow three and four feet deep in places, and a scrub not dense but well knit together, brought us to the top of a peak, from whence Mr Howitt took the bearings of several ranges, hitherto un- noticed in the various charts. The native hop grows to a great height on these hills, some of the shrubs being 12 or 14 feet. The lyre bird and rock warbler were occasionally heard, and we noticed an emeu camping-ground, but could not see any living animal. The country appeared to fall away towards the Ovens district; and so extensive was the view, that we recognized the water-sheds of the Ovens, the Mitta Mitta, and the Dargo rivers - the same slate ranges running into all.
The weather appearing threatening, we deemed it advisable to retrace our steps towards home, not wishing to be delayed for some days on these high ranges by a fall of snow. So, steering east by north, we, after crossing a few spurs, found ourselves in the same track on the table lands we had left the day previous. Here we camped for the night, during which snow fell in small quantities, not sufficient to cause us any annoyance. After walking about a mile on the following morning, we once more got on to the grass, a change, I assure you, that pleased me, for my feet had not been dry for two days. Descending a steep spur passing several small mountain streams - which, in fact, form the water-sheds of all these rivers, draining the mountains and table lands when the snow melts - we came to a creek which we knew to be a branch of the Dargo.
During the descent I had an opportunity of seeing a lyre-bird, or pheasant, which was amusing itself in the scrub by imitating various birds, from the laughing jackass to the small honey-birds. We sat down and listened to his performance for some minutes, but he would not allow us to get close to him. Determined upon following the river, we commenced by clambering over slate and basalt ridges, in some places almost perpendicular. Now we had to cross the narrow gorge through which the stream ran, by a fallen tree - then we climbed up "on all-fours" steep hills to avoid the water. With my usual fortune, in so doing my foot slipped on some slate and I slid into the river, but merely had a ducking. Aitken also slipped from a log. In places we carne almost to a "dead-lock;" but after travelling for a mile or so, we arrived at the junction of the creek with the main stream, which rises at Mount Smyth, and our journey was lets arduous, although we were obliged constantly to cross the river, sometimes on foot, at others by trees.
Towards the evening we sunk a hole, but could not bottom for water. Scarcely a piece of quartz was visible in the bed or on the banks of the river, and the slate was of a reddish colour, and very hard and harsh-looking. Some rain fell during the night, sufficient to wet our blankets, and on the following morning we saw, as we had anticipated, that the snow, had increased on the mountains. The country now began to change; large grassy flats were substituted for small scrubby points, and the timber was much larger. We sank several holes in various parts of the river. In some we found gold, but it was very fine-indeed, would not pay. It was not until we had passed several tributary creeks that the bedrock changed, and quartz was visible, and that we could get the colour of gold, so that it was evident that the gold had not been washed from the source of the river.
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