The  death-like  stillness  of  the  gloomy  sunless
valleys,  choked  with  an  impassable  undergrowth  of
vegetation,  and  studded  with  myriads  of  tapering  trees,
varying  from  50  to  150  feet  in  height,  so  straight  and
close  to  each  other  as  to  resemble  a  forest  of  giant
poles  in  a  hop-garden,  would-  seem  to  indicate  that
such  lonely  dells  were  haunts  forbidden  to  any  but
those  who  wear  the  brand  of  Cain  upon  their  fore-
heads. The  timber  is,  however,  of  considerable  value.
The  blue  gum,  so  named  from  having  occasional  streaks
of  a  pale  blue  colour  mingled  with  its  delicate  white


ASPECT  AND  BESOUBCES.  29

poUshed  bark,  may  be  termed  the  oak  of  Tasmania.
It  has  acquired  a  world-wide  fame  for  its  durability,
and  is  consequently  much  prized  by  ship-builders  at
home  and  abroad.  It  possesses  the  singular  property
of  annually  shedding  the  outer  layer  of  its  bark  one-
eighth  of  an  inch  thick.  It  also  produces  large  quan-
tities of  gum-kino,  of  a  clear,  brilliant  red  colour,  a
remarkably  powerful  astringent.
The  stringy  bark  tree  is  so  named  from  the  ropy
nature  of  its  bark,  which  is  frequently  used  for  tying
on  the  rods  and  thatch  of  sheds,  huts,  and  barns  in  the
country.  Its  timber  is  the  most  useful,  in  conjunction
with  Huon-pine,  for  general  purposes.  The  peppermint
tree  is  so  called  from  its  long  narrow  leaf  partaking
strongly  of  the  flavour  of  pennyroyal.
