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also Q. Virens (?) Q. agrifilia Q. Coccinea, Q. Wirlizeni. In the afternoon, engaged passage on the Ventura for Auckland, and at 5:27 P.M. took train for Mt. Victoria in the Blue Mountains, 70 miles from Sydney about 3600 feet above sea level. Arrived about 8:00 P.M. The first 20 or 25 miles nearly level fertile land. Second crop Eucalyptus and patches of Paper bark in full flower in pastures and commons. Then the foot hills of the mountains are reached, with heavy grades. Many sheer precipices fronting gullies and ravines in long lines - the rock sandstone in nearly level strata. Soil poor, of course, and trees small. Many killed by girdling for the sake of supposed improvement in pasturage. Rain in evening. January 2nd Walked about the village in the morning. In the afternoon went on train 30 miles to Eskdale, at foot of famous zigzag in long valley with walls in part sheer. Glacial traces not apparent. The side canyons or valleys all seem to begin with stream, however small. Sandstones easily eroded and perhaps underlaid by limestone, certainly by more easily eroded rocks, thus causing undermining as in the Grand Canyon of the Colorado. If glaciated at all, long ago and the ice must have lain in squirming folds with but little thrusting trend determining power in the erosion of valleys. Enjoyed wide views, hill and mountain waves rising beyond and beyond each other, heavily or rather densely forested with round-headed Eucalyptus like those of the Alleghenies somewhat. The forests made up of comparatively small trees. A good many herbaceous and shrubby plants deck the floor. In the forenoon, about 10 o’clock, drove 5 or 6 miles along ridge to Wentworth Monument, erected to commemorate the services of Baxton Wentworth in first crossing the Blue Mountains ans showing the way to pastures, mines, etc., beyond. January 3rd Start for Jenolan Caves, 36 miles distant from Mt. Victoria. Have private stage. Cold, rain with high wind, about noon rain mostly ceased, but wind continued to blow hard and cool. First half much of way along cultivated valley, corn, wheat, hay, etc.: last half through continuous forest with many dead spots and strips,
Date Original
November 1903
Source
Original journal dimensions: 11 x 16.5 cm.
Resource Identifier
MuirReel29Journal12P54-55.tif
Publisher
Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library
Rights Management
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Keywords
John Muir, journals, drawings, writings, travel, journaling, naturalist
