Page:Victoria, with a description of its principal cities, Melbourne and Geelong.djvu/67

 In the whole of the Australian continent, as far as discoveries have hitherto gone, there are not more than six mountains that rise to the height of eternal snow. In fact, excepting in the Grampians (Mount William) and the south-eastern ranges, the existence of even sub-alpine mountains is uncertain. In the latitude of Victoria, the snow, or height at which glaciers are never or very rarely dissolved by the summer heat, commences at 6000 feet—an elevation which is attained by three mountains, viz., the Boogong Range, the highest peak of which is probably 7000 feet. Mount Buller, and the Corborras. All the numerous mountains of the great dividing chain between Victoria and New South Wales are covered with snow during our rainy season; they may be considered sub-alpine, their elevation being from 4000 to 5000 feet.

The chief timber of the Australian Alps is, as in other mountains, the Eucalypti. In the sub-alpine zone they are of moderate size, but as they ascend they degenerate into brushwood. In the Buffalo Mountains and Fuller's Ranges, enormous blocks of granite form bold outlines. The most prominent heights in the Ranges are Mounts Wellington, Valentia, Gisborne, Ben Cruachan, Angus, and Castle Hill, all from 4000 to 5000 feet high. At least of equal elevation are Mount Baw-baw and many mountains intermediate between the highest peaks. The mountains extending from the Limestone River to the Pinch Range, on the borders of New South