Page:1902 Encyclopædia Britannica - Volume 25 - A-AUS.pdf/845

 789 AUSTRALIA exploration] Mount Kosciusko (7328 feet), and are here known as the Australian madrepores, the rounded masses of brain coral (meandrina), and Alps. North of Kosciusko the Main Divide merges into the Blue porites. A field of madrepores is suggestive of miniature shrubMountains and Liverpool Range. The high land continues roughly bery, with plants, having the aspect of young pines. The coral parallel to the coast, and with generally diminishing altitude is of every hue and colour, and not a little is added to the splenthrough Queensland to Cape York. Near the Queensland, border did scene by brilliant-hued fishes and bright and gaily-coloured Mount Lindsay rises to a height of 5500 feet. In the latitude of sea-anemones (actinia), the latter often being more than 18 inches Brisbane the chain swerves inland ; no other peak north of this in diameter. The beautiful distichopora coccinea resembles somereaches higher than Mount Bartle Frere in the Bellenden Ker what the true red coral and is very abundant ; but the red coral Range (5438 feet). The Southern Ocean system of the Victorian itself is not to be found. Heliopora ccerulea, the beautiful blue Dividing Range hardly attains to the dignity of high mountains. coral, is not rare. This remarkable species has the stony frameAn eastern system in South Australia touches at a few points a work of a bright blue, the colouring matter of most corals being height of 3000 feet; and the Stirling Range, belonging to the south- confined to the “fleshy ” covering. On the reef there is always to western system of South Australia, reaches to 2340 feet. There be found a great abundance of shells, living and dead. In appearare no mountains behind the Great Australian Bight. On the ance, the living specimens of many of the handsome species are west the Darling Range faces the Indian Ocean, and extends from disappointing, but the crabs, star-fishes, and great clam shells are Point d’Entrecasteaux to the Murchison River. North of the conspicuous. Sea-cucumbers abound, so much so that the becheMurchison, Mount Augustus and Mount Bruce, with their con- de-mer fisheries bring in more than £20,000 a-year. These internecting highlands, cut off the coastal drainage from the interior; esting holothurians are collected by hand at low' water, and sent but no point on the north-west coast reaches a greater altitude to the Chinese markets after being cured by drying and smoking. than 4000 feet. Several minor ranges, the topography of which “Rock oysters,” too, are plentiful, and the blocks thrown up by is little known, extend from Cambridge Gulf, behind a very much the waves are soon encrusted with the well-known and delicate broken coast-line, to Limmen Bight on the Gulf of Carpentaria. species ostrea glomerata. There is nothing to be seen on or around the Great Barrier Reef Nothing is more remarkable than the contrast between the aspect of the coastal ranges of the north-east, and on the south- that might be urged as a serious objection to Darwin’s well-known east of the continent. The higher Australian peaks in the subsidence theory. Any facts noted as inconsistent with prolonged south-east just look what they are, the worn and denuded stumps steady subsidence might have been caused by a very slight upheaval. of mountains, standing for untold ages above the sea. Their The few clear openings in the whole length of the outer rampart shoulders are lifted high above the tree-line. Their summits of the Great Barrier Reef are opposed to large estuaries. But stand out gaunt and lonely in an unbroken solitude. Having left being 30 to 90 miles away, they are not, in all probability, caused the tree-line far behind him, nothing is visible to the traveller for by fresh water from the land. Such breaks, however, are strong miles around but barren peaks and torn crags in indescribable evidence in favour of subsidence. The old river channels, already confusion. A verdure of herbage clothes the valleys that have referred to as being below sea-level, as w'ell as the former landbeen scooped from the summits downwards. But there are no connexion wdth New Guinea, all point to the conditions assumed perpetual snow-fields, no glaciers creep down these valleys, and by Darwdn. Exploration. lio alpine hamlets ever appear to break the monotony. The mountains of the north-east, on the contrary, are clothed to their By the end of the year 1873 the whole of the eastern porsummits with a rich and varied flora. Naked crags, when they do appear, lift themselves from a sea of green, and a tropical vegeta- tion of Australia had been explored, the unknown part of the continent being confined to the interior of West Australia tion, quite Malaysian in character, covers everything. The absence of active volcanoes in Australia is a state of things, and those districts of South Australia north of the Macdonnell in a geological sense, quite new to the continent. Some of the Range and west of the overland telegraph line. Several attempts volcanoes of the western districts of Victoria have been in eruption I had been made to cross the colony of West Australia in the probably subsequent to the advent of the black-fellow. In some direction of east and west, but even Major Warburton’s expedition, instances the cones are quite intact, and the beds of ash and the most successful of these, had failed in the important particular scoriae are as yet almost unaffected by denuding agencies. As late of determining the nature of the country through w'hich it passed. as 1859 an observer wrote in the Quarterly Journal of the Geological Major Warburton had virtually raced across from the Macdonnell Society that, with one doubtful exception, Australia was a non- Range in South Australia to the head waters of the Oakover river volcanic continent. The exception referred to is Mount Wingen. on the north-west coast, without allowing himself suflicient time But even here there is nothing in the least resembling volcanic to note the characteristics of the country. The next important conditions. Some coal seams have been burning for years, giving expedition was differently conducted. John Forrest was despatched out much smoke and steam. Mount Wingen was, in the eyes of by the Perth Government with general instructions to obtain inforthe settlers, as it was in fact, a “burning mountain.” Late in mation regarding the immense tract of country out of which flow the Tertiary period vast sheets of lava poured from many points the rivers falling into the sea on the northern and western shores of the Great Dividing Range of eastern Australia. But it is of West Australia. Leaving Yewin, a small settlement about notable that all recent volcanic action was confined to a wide belt lat. 28° south, long. 116° east, Forrest travelled north-east to the parallel to the coast. No evidences of recent lava flow's can be Murchison river, and followed the course of that river to the found in the interior over the Great Alluvial Plain, the Lower, or Robinson Ranges; thence his course lay generally eastward the Higher Steppes. Nor has the continent, as a whole, in recent along the 26th parallel. Forrest and his party safely crossed times been subjected to any violent earth tremors; though in 1873, the entire extent of West Australia, and entering South to the north of Lake Amadeus, in central Australia, Giles records Australia struck the overland telegraph line at Peake station, the occurrence of earthquake shocks violent enough to dislodge and, after resting, journeyed south to Adelaide. Forrest traversed seventeen degrees of desert in five months, a very wonderful considerable rock masses. The Barrier Reef forms the prominent feature off the north-east achievement, more especially as he was able to give a full coast of Australia. Ranging for a length of 1200 miles, it is the report of the country through which he passed. His report destroyed all hope that pastoral settlement would extend to , greatest channel Barrier between ofthecoral reefreefs, and ancient the coastorismodern. in placesThe 70 miles in the spinifex region ; and the main object of subsequent explorers eef width and 60 fathoms deep. Flinders described the was to determine the extent of the desert in the direction of north Barrier Reef in his Voyage to Terra Australis ; and the Admiralty and south. Ernest Giles made several attempts to cross the charts give much information as to soundings, &c. Our knowledge Central Australian Desert, but it was not until his third attempt of the fauna of this richest of hunting grounds for the naturalist that he was successful. His journey ranks almost with Forrest’s is very incomplete. Interest naturally centres in the coral polyp in the importance of its results and the success with which the and its stony structure. Photographs have shown us what the appalling difficulties of the journey were overcome. Through physical features of the reefs are. The Hon. R. Abercromby’s the generosity of Sir Thomas Elder, of Adelaide, Giles’s expediphotographs, taken at Fiji, were probably the first; but Saville tion was equipped with camels. It started on the 23rd May Kent, Agassiz, and other observers, have made us fairly well 1875 from Port Augusta. Working westerly along the line of acquainted with the conditions presenting themselves on this the 30th parallel, Giles reached Perth in about five months. After great tract of growing land. The first point to strike a visitor to resting in Perth for a short time, he commenced the return the Barrier Reef is the abundance of soft coral, or branching polyp- journey, which was made for the most part between the 24th aries without a stony nucleus, and the abundance of nullipores and 25th parallels, and again successfully traversed the desert, and other plant-like organisms. Much of the pink and lilac reaching the overland telegraph line in about seven months. coloured patches that catch the eye prove on examination to be Giles’s journeys added greatly to our knowledge of the charnullipores or coralline seaweeds. There are patches of pebbles acteristics of West and South Australia, and he was able to bear and boulders and fine sand everywhere, but each particle is part of out the common opinion that the interior of Australia west ot a living thing. The patches of coral grow' more or less after the 132° E. long, is a sandy and waterless waste, entirely unfit for manner of fairy rings—the outer edges flourishing and the inner settlement. The list of explorers from 1875 to 1900 is a long one ; but after dying and breaking into coral debris. The leading forms amongst the coral masses exposed at very low tides are the branching Forrest’s and Giles’s expeditions the main object ceased to be the