iron pyrites.—Between the Circular-pond Marshes and the Moleside Marshes, some elevated land occurs. The latter takes its name from the Moleside River, which also becomes subterraneous in some places.—When we had passed this place, we began to see herds of cattle, and a few houses of settlers.—After taking a meal by the Lobster Rivulet, so called from producing a fresh-water lobster, six to twelve inches long, we parted from our kind guide and companion J. Milligan, who had devoted much time and labour to promote our comfort and accommodation: he and his prisoner attendant returned with three horses to the Hampshire Hills, and we pursued our route to Westbury, with one belonging to the Government, which we had undertaken to convey to Launceston. At a location on the Meander, we met with Ronald Campbell Gunn, the most industrious botanist in Van Diemens Land, who wished us to join him in a botanical excursion. This we declined, not for want of inclination, but because the way was now open for us to proceed with more important business, and we were desirous of having a meeting with the people of Westbury on the morrow.—We crossed the Meander or Western River, at Deloraine Bridge, near the first public-house in this direction, to which allusion has already been made.—Some of the country, passed through to-day, is named Dairy Plains, and is open grassy forest. Toward Westbury, where we arrived in the evening, the trees were all dead from some natural cause, for an extent of several miles. In cases of this kind, the trees may possibly have died from drought; the long grass or scrub amongst which they grow, having been burnt off, and kept from growing again by the browsing of cattle, and the roots having thus become more than formerly exposed to the action of the sun. Had the trees died from frost or from fire, the roots would have pushed up fresh shoots, but this is not the case; and the surrounding trees, not absolutely on the level ground, and consequently, not having been originally accustomed to much moisture, are still living.
27th. Westbury consists of a small number of weatherboard houses, two of which are inns: the others belong to the
