beyond the river, appearing almost impassable for the absurdly heavy
drays, with which the party had been equipped. They had now had nearly
time sufficient to come thus far, making due allowance for sand and other
obstructions. In the mean while I determined to extend my reconnoissance
northward from a commanding height, distant fourteen miles, and bearing
27½° E. of N. from my camp. Thermometer, at sunrise, 47°; at noon, 85°;
at 4 P.M., 79°: at 9, 65°.

30TH MAY.--I proceeded, accordingly, to the hill, over a tract of
excellent open forest land, which extended to its base. The summit
consisted of trap-rock in nodules, and, towards the highest point, was
much broken. On the most elevated part of the summit, grew one of those
remarkable trees, first seen by me on Mount Abundance. I had since seen
them in various solitary singular situations; two on the Hogs'-back
crest of Bindango; two or three near the summit of various other heights.
The girth of this was thirty feet at its greatest circumference, and only
sixteen at the ground. There was only one companion of the same kind, a
very young one, beside this; which in locality, form, and quality, seems
to be as remarkable a tree, amongst trees in general, as the kangaroo is
remarkable amongst other animals. Of its quality, much, I am sure,
remains to be said, when it becomes better known; the wood being so
light, moist, and full of gum, that a man, having a knife or tomahawk,
might live by the side of one without other food or water; as if nature
in pity for the most distressed of mortals, hiding in solitary places,
had planted even there this tree of Abundance. The wood must contain a
great portion of mucilage, for, on chewing it, it seems to contain as
much nutritious matter, as fibre. The pods contain a great number of
seeds which are eaten by the natives, and also by many birds; and, from
the circumstance of my having found one pod half-eaten by a bird on a
rock, the very apex of a lofty summit, the solitary locality of this tree