Chapter 21

Nationality of the first finders of Australia--Knowledge of the Malays--The bamboo introduced--Traces of smallpox amongst the natives in the north-west--Tribal rites--Antipathy to pork--Evidence of admixture in origin--Influence of Asiatic civilisation partly visible--Coast appearance repelling--Want of indigenous food plants--Lack of intercourse with other nations--Little now left of unexplored country--Conclusions respecting various geological formations--Extent of continental divisions--Development of coastal towns--Inducements for population--Necessity of the first explorings--Pioneer squatters' efforts--First Australian-born explorer--Desert theory exploded--Fertile downs everywhere--Want of water apparently insurmountable--Heroism of explorers--Inexperience of the early settlers--Grazing possible--Rapid stocking of country--The barrenness of the "Great Bight"--Sturt, the Penn of Australia--Results--Mitchell's work--Baron von Mueller's researches--A salt lake--Stuart first man across the continent--Burke and Wills' heroism--Services of McKinlay and Landsborough--John Forrest's journeys--Camel expedition by Giles--The Brisbane Courier expedition--Further explorations--Stockdale at Cambridge Gulf--Carr-Boyd and O'Donnell open good country in Western Australia--Work done by explorers--Their characteristics--Conclusion.

APPENDIX

The Pandora Pass Death of Surveyor-General Oxley List of Men Comprising Sir Thomas Mitchell's Party in 1846 Richard Cunningham's Fate Cave Drawings Smith, a Lad of Eighteen, Found Dead, May 8th, 1839 Eyre's Letters Extract of Letter from Major Mitchell Extract of a Letter from Mr. Walter Bagot The Last Letter Received from Dr. Leichhardt The Nardoo Plant The Finding of John King Poison Plants

Index of Names, Dates and Incidents

Chronological Summary

MAPS AND FAC-SIMILES (Not included in this eBook)

Exploratory Map of Australia Dauphin Map Map of Tasman's Track, 1644 Captain Flinders' Letter to Sir J. Banks Map of Australia in 1818 Extract from Letters--E. J. Eyre, Sir G. Gipps and Sir Thomas Mitchell Fac-simile of Signatures Fac-simile of Cave Paintings and Drawings, discovered by Lieutenant George Grey, 1838

INTRODUCTION