Page:The Boy Travellers in Australasia.djvu/536

512 and Melbourne, and that is saying that they are very fine indeed. All around the city there are reserved lands which vary in width but will average not far from half a mile. They are intended for parks for the public, and are planted with shade-trees and laid out into walks and drives. As the city grows they will be in the midst of houses, and not at such distances that a special journey will be required to reach them.

"Then they have squares of several acres in each quarter of the city, beautifully laid out and planted with shade-trees, and they have the Botanic Garden, of about forty acres, containing among other things several fern-houses, shade-houses, a Victoria Regia house, and a large and handsome palm-house, in which tropical plants are sheltered. We went repeatedly through the Botanic Garden, and constantly found something to interest us. A few years ago a Museum of Economic Botany was erected, and since it was opened to the public it has done much practical good. Plants are distributed to those who desire them, and many valuable or beautiful exotics have thus been acclimatized in Australia."

As usual, Frank and Fred studied the map of the country, and considered its capabilities in the way of travel. Frank thought it would be the best kind of fun to cross the continent from south to north, following the line of the overland telegraph from Adelaide to Port Darwin. Fred was of the same opinion, but suggested that before broaching the subject to the Doctor they should learn something about the route.

With this object in view they made inquiries, the replies to which quite discouraged their enterprise. What they learned can best be given in the words of their informant, a gentleman connected with the telegraph service.

"I have been over the whole line from Adelaide to Port Darwin," said he, "and will briefly tell you about it. The distance is about seventeen hundred miles, and more than half of it is uninhabited by white men, except at the telegraph stations. Some of it can never be occupied, as it is absolutely waterless; but in course of time, and with improved means of obtaining or storing water, the greater part can be made inhabitable.

"The first white man to cross the continent was John McDouall Stuart. Don't confound his name with that of Captain Sturt, a thing that's very likely to happen, as they were intimately associated."

"Won't you kindly tell us a little about Captain Sturt?" asked one of the youths. "We've heard his name frequently as that of one of Australia's heroes."