Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 24.djvu/536

Rh 508 WESTERN A U S T K A L I A Agriculture. This was once confined to the Swan river quarter, but is rapidly extending northward in Victoria district, where the land is free of timber, though the rainfall is very light. In Kimberley tropical produce, especially sugar, cotton, spices, and rice, can be readily raised. The south-west is essentially a farm ing country, but the soil is generally sandy. In 1886 86,248 acres were in crop (hay 25,718 ; wheat, 24,043 ; barley, 5185 ; oats, 1766; maize, 171; potatoes, 356; green forage, 1075 ; vines, 649). No settlement has a finer variety of fruits, and both wine and raisins are being exported. The cottage homesteads are surrounded with pleasant gardens, vineyards, and orchards. Live Stock. Timber was too thick in the old settlement for flocks and herds; the squatting districts are eastward of the divid ing range and north of the Swan. The want of water both eastward and northward stops progress, but sheep stations are established in oases of reputed eastern deserts. The north-west, in spite of drought, is a favourite locality for squatters ; but the better- watered Kimberley is regarded as the most hopeful. At the beginning of 1887 129,219,079 acres of the available country were leased by 6469 persons, at the rental of 73,863, averaging a little over half a farthing an acre. The horses numbered 38,360; cattle, 88,254; sheep, 1,809,071 ; pigs, 24,655 ; goats, 5301. Some parts, chiefly in the south-west, are troubled with poison plants. Borings in ill-watered places, as the southern and central districts, furnish water for stock. The Angora goat has been a success there. Rabbits already begin to trouble squatters. In proportion to inha bitants, Western Australia has advanced in pastoral pursuits beyond its neighbours, excepting in the quality of stock and the get-up of wool. Of 678,400,220 acres in the colony only 1,851,742 are alienated, though 130,000,000 are leased out by Government. The land laws are liberal. Lessees have pre-emptive rights over parts of runs at 5s. per acre, within a certain period. Inferior land is much cheaper. Kimberley leases are for not less than 50,000 acres at 10s. rent per 1000 acres, this being the best pastoral country. A certain limited amount of stock is required according to acreage and district. Poisoned land can be leased for twenty-one years at 1 rent per 1000 acres, when the area is granted free if it be fenced and the poison plants eradicated ; a licence, for that term, of such land, costs one-eighth of that rent. The break-up of the extensive original grants is still essential to further progress. Flora. Judged by its vegetable forms, Western Australia would seem to be older than eastern Australia, South Australia being of intermediate age. Indian relations appear on the northern side, and South African on the western. There are fewer Antarctic and Polynesian representatives than in the eastern colonies. European forms are extremely scarce. Compared with the other side of Australia, a third of the genera on the south-west are almost wanting in the south-east. In the latter, 55, having more than ten species each, have 1260 species; but the former has as many in 55 of its 80 genera. Of those 55, 36 are wanting in the south-east, and ] 7 are absolutely peculiar. There are fewer natural orders and genera westward, but more species. Baron Von Mueller declared that &quot;nearly half of the whole vegetation of the Austra lian continent has been traced to within the boundaries of the Western Australian territory.&quot; He includes 9 Malvaceae, 6 EupJwr- biaccie, 2 Rubiaceie, 9 Protcacecc, 47 Leguminosie, 10 MyrtaccsR, 12 Composite, 5Labiativ,G Cypcracev, 13 Convolvulacess, 16 Gramineae, 3 Filices, 10 Amaranthoceae. Yet over 500 of its tropical species are identified with those of India or Indian islands. While seven- tenths of the orders reach their maxinram south-west, three-tenths do so south-east. Cypress pines abound in the north, and ordinary pines in Kottnest Island. Sandalwood (Santalum cygnorum) is exported. The gouty stern baobab (Adansonia) is in the tropics. XanthorrJicea, the grass tree, abounds in sandy districts. Mangrove bark yields a purple tan. Palms and zamias begin in the north west. The Mclalcuca Lcucadendron is the paperbark tree of settlers. The rigid-leafed Banksia is known as the honeysuckle. Casuarinss are the he and she oaks of colonists, and the Exocarpus is their cherry tree. Beautiful flowering shrubs distinguish the south west ; and the deserts are all ablaze with flowers after a fall of rain. Poison plants are generally showy Leguminosas, Sifla, and the Gastrolobium. The timber trees of the south-west are almost unequalled. Of the Eucalypts, the jarrah or mahogany, E. marawnta, is first for value. It runs over five degrees of latitude, and its wood resists the teredo and the ant. &quot;Sir Malcolm Fraser assigns 14,000 square miles to the jarrah, 10,000 to E. viminalis, 2300 to the karri (E. cnlossca or E. diver sicolor], 2400 to York gum (E. loxo- phleba), 800 to the red gum (E. calophylla], and 500 to tuart or native pear (E. gomphoccphala). INot much good wood is got within 20 miles of the coast. The coach builder s coorup rises over 300 feet. Morrel furnishes good timber and rich oil. An ever- increasing trade is done in the timber of the south-western forests. Fauna. Among the mammals are the Macropus gigantcus, M. irma, M. dama, M. brachyurus, Lagorclicstes fasciatus, Bcttonyia pcnicillata, Phalangista vulpccula, Pscudocliirus cooki, Dasyurus gcoffroyi, Tarsipcs restrains, Antechinus apicalis, Peramcles obcsula, Peramcles myosurus, Ah/rmccobius fasciatus. Fossil forms partake of the existing marsupial character, Diprotodon being allied to the wombat and kangaroo. Nail-bearing kangaroos are in the north-west ; the banded one, size of a rabbit, is on Sharks Bay. Nocturnal phalangers live in holes of trees or in the ground. Carnivorous Phascogalte are found in south-west. There are three kinds of wombat. The rock-loving marsupial Osphrantcr is only in the north-east, and Peramcles bougainvillei at Sharks Bay. The dalgyte or Pctrogale lagotis is at Swan river and Hypsiprytnniis in the south. The colony has only two species of wallabies to five in New South Wales. The Halmaturus of the Abrolhos is a sort of wallaby; a very elegant species is 18 inches long. The pretty Dromicia, 6 inches Jong, lives on stamens and nectar, like the Tarsipcs, having a brush at the tip of its tongue ; its tail is pre hensile. The hare-like Lagorclicstes fasciatus is a great leaper. The Hapalotis of the interior has nests in trees. Beaver rats and other small rodents are troublesome, and bats are numerous. The dingo is the wild dog. The platypus (Ornithorliynchus) and the Echidna are the only forms of the Monotrcmata. The seal, whale, and dugong occur in the adjacent seas. The west is not so rich as the east of Australia in birds. Many forms are absent and others but poorly represented, though some are peculiar to the west. The timbered south-west has the greatest, variety of birds, which are scarce enough in the dry and treeless interior. Of lizards the west has 12 genera not found in eastern Australia. Of snakes there are but 15 species to 3 in Tasmania and 31 in New South Wales. While the poisonous sorts are 2 to 1 in the east, they are 3 to 1 in the west. The turtle is obtained as an article of food. The freshwater fishes are not all like thoso of the east. They include the mullet, snapper, ring fish, guard fish, bonita, rock cod, shark, saw fish, parrot fish, and cobbler. Under the head of fisheries may be mentioned the pearl oyster, which is dived for by natives at Sharks Bay ; the trepang or beche-de-mer is also met with in the north. Insects are well repre sented, especially Colcoptcra, Lepidoptera, Hymcnoptcra, Hcmiptcra, and Diptcra. Trade and Commerce. Safe harbours are few, and hundreds of miles of the coast-line are without shelter for a vessel. The coasting traffic, until recently, was confined to the south-west, from the Sound to Victoria district ; but wool is now shipped at the north-west, as well as pearls, while wool, pearl shells, hides, tallow, and gold are claiming attention in the tropical north-east. The imports for 1886 amounted to 758,011, of which 347,915 came from the United Kingdom, and 396,871 from other British possessions, principally the neighbouring colonies and India. The exports reached 630,392, the main items being wool (322,578), shells (104,964), guano, timber, sandalwood, pearls, lead, copper, manna gum, and gold. Of these exports, 505,331 went to Great Britain, and 92,716 to other British ports. Industries. The pastoral industry occupies the first place. Fisheries are taking an important position (pearl shell, beche-de- mer, and preserved or tinned fish). Mandurah, at the mouth of the Murray, and Freemantle have preserving sheds for mullet and snapper. Guano beds are worked to much advantage at the Lace- pedc Isles. Salt is produced largely at Kottnest Island. Raisins are dried, and the oil of castor trees is expressed. The mulberry tree succeeds well, and sericulture is making progress. Dugong oil is got from Sharks Bay. Honey and wax are becoming valuable exports ; from the abundance of flowers the hives can be emptied twice a year. Manna and gums of various kinds are among the resources of the country. Among the wines made are the Riesling, Burgundy, Sweetwater, Hock, and Fontainebleau. Roads and Raihuays. Excellent roads were made during the period of convict labour. The northern railway from Northampton mines to Port Geraldton is 35 miles long. The eastern line is from Freemantle through Perth to Guildford (20 miles) and to Bevcrlcy (90 miles). A concession of 12,000 acres per mile is bringing the rail from York northward to Victoria district, and from Beverley southward to Albany on King George s Sound. Communication between the several ports is conducted by steamers, which have been aided by a state subsidy. Administration. Western Australia is a crown colony, adminis tered by a governor, his erecutive council, and a legislative council partly nominated by the governor. The colonial revenue for 1887 amounted to 461,322, the expenditure to 456,897. Education. As in other colonies, the denominational system formerly prevailed ; but lately an eiFort has been made to have public schools on a broader basis. The state in 1886 granted 7505 for 3169 scholars in the public schools, and 1415 for 1339, principally Roman Catholics, in the assisted schools. The Perth Inquirer was the first newspaper ; there are now 11 in the colony. Population. Of the 42,000 inhabitants 7000 are in Perth, the capital, 5000 in Freemantle, 1000 at Albany, 900 at York. Some trouble from the aborigines was experienced by settlers at first, but now mnny of them are useful upon stations, making good shepherds. A successful mission for natives has been conducted for many years at New Norcia, about 80 miles north of Perth, by Spanish monks.