At the distance of four miles from Melbourne in a direct line, although perhaps more than twice that distance by the windings of the river, the Yarra receives as a tributary from the northward the Nierri creek; at four or five miles further, it receives the Darabin creek; and at six miles beyond the latter stream, the river Plenty. These are all mountain streams, or rather torrents, that rise in the Mount Macedon range, and pursue a southerly course till they fall into the Yarra Yarra. There is a large quantity of excellent land on the banks of these tributaries, although in general it is well wooded, and rather thickly covered with rocks, evidently of volcanic origin, and have been carried down by torrents from the extinct volcanoes of that part of the territory. The soil is a rich black mould, and is excellently adapted for the growth of the vine, and of all descriptions of European fruit-trees.

The country around Melbourne is designated the district of Bourke, which is bounded to the westward by the Weiraby river, which rises in the Buninyong range of mountains, and falls into Port Phillip Bay near the opening to the Bay of Geelong; and to the eastward, the district extends towards Western Port by the Dandenong range; including, therefore, the Mount Macedon country to the north of

Melbourne, at a distance of thirty to forty miles.

A considerable portion of the road to Mount Macedon traverses what are called sheep downs, a comparatively level tract of country, but gently undulating, the soil being light and dry, and producing excellent pasture for sheep. Towards Mount Macedon the trees become more numerous, although over the downs they are but thinly scattered. These trees are generally a variety of casuarinæ, commonly called she-oak by the colonists, which genus of tree is most abundantly found over the whole district. They are not found growing in thick and dense forests or natural plantations, but scattered thinly, either singly or in clumps, giving to the land the beautiful appearance of an English park, except as to extent, which in many places would far exceed the limits of an English county. The leaves of this tree are shaped somewhat similar to a packing needle; and when the wind sighs softly through their foliage, they produce a kind of melancholy sound, giving the idea of the rolling of the surf on a distant beach, sometimes so vividly as to induce the traveller, when far inland, to glance round the horizon in the expectation of finding the waters of the ocean within his view; and occasionally this dull sound will be varied, from the strength of

the wind, so as to produce as it were all kinds of beautiful tones, and induce us to feel that we are indeed walking amidst a grove of Nature's own Æolian harps.

A more picturesque and beautiful region than that near Mount Macedon can scarcely be conceived. The whole country has a delicately smooth, lawn-like surface, without scrub or stones, studded with small groups of these sheoaks, with their rich brown silky foliage; further off, bounding the plain, there are knolls, slopes, and glens, all of the smoothest outline, crowned or sprinkled with the same trees; and, beyond, mountains and mountain ranges, tinged with the delicious blue of the summer heavens. Some of these mountains are wooded to the summits; others reveal through their openings immeasurable plains, with myriads of sheep whitely dotting the landscape, or herds of stately cattle browsing on the richest pastures in the world; whilst glimpses of golden sunshine, lighting up the features of the landscape, and casting long shadows from the trees under which the flocks cluster occasionally for shelter from the rays, render the scene one of the most ravishing enchantment.

Second in importance to Melbourne is the town of Geelong, situated on the shores of the bay, or inlet, of that name which branches from

the western side of the Port Phillip Bay. It is at a distance of about forty-five miles from Melbourne, and twice or thrice a-day excellent steamers convey goods and passengers from one town to the other in a few hours.

The Bay of Geelong is navigable for large vessels as far up as Point Henry on the southern shore, about six miles from the harbour of Geelong. From that point, however, a bar or shoal stretches across to the opposite shore. On this bar there is only nine feet of water at high tide, which compels large vessels to anchor on the outside of the bar, and entails the expense and inconvenience of loading or unloading them at that distance from the town. It is the opinion of practical men, however, that there will be no great difficulty or expense in removing this bar, in which case it is highly probable that Geelong would progress with such rapidity as to render it a rival to the city of Melbourne for the honour of being the capital of the colony. The bay is remarkably picturesque, and the situation of the town decidedly one of the best in Australia for a great commercial city.

Corio is the native name for the beach at Geelong, the latter term belonging properly to the inlet or harbour. The Barwon river passes Geelong on its tortuous course to the ocean;

and there is a natural terrace on each side of the river, parallel to its banks, which was probably the ancient sea-beach when the level of the land was considerably lower, and all the low ground under water. After passing Geelong to the left, the river, which in this part of its course is a beautiful stream, pursues a southeasterly course, nearly parallel to the Bay of Geelong, towards the great Southern Ocean. About nine or ten miles below Barrangoop, it spreads out into a series of picturesque lakes, variegated with islands, where multitudes of black swans and other waterfowl, in numbers almost countless, formerly sailed quietly along their silent surface, but which soon bid fair, before the destroying hand of man, to become raræ aves indeed.

The peninsula included between the Barwon river and the Bay of Geelong, about twentyfive miles in length, containing probably near 200,000 acres, consists principally of land of the finest quality, whether for pasturage or cultivation. It appears to be a continuation of the same tract of level country that stretches along for upwards of two hundred miles to the westward of Geelong, between the coast range, or Marrack Hills, and the ranges of the interior.

The town of Geelong has, like Melbourne, its places of worship, its wide streets, its public