Volume 14 Australasia - dana ward's homepage

CHAPTER VIII.AUSTRALIA AND TASMANIA.HE very name of Australia recalls the mimerous voyages which,previous to Cook's decisive expedition, were undertaken in searchof a vast Austral continent supposed to balance in the south theimmensely preponderating extent of upheaved land in the northernhemisphere. But, reduced by the illustrious navigator to its trueproportions, this southern region can no longer be considered as a "make-weight"to the continents Ijnng north of the equator. Nevertheless, it is still extensiveenough to be regarded as one of the great sections of the globe comparable to thesouthern divisions of Africa and America. It may thus be considered as one, of thethree southern continents which are connected with those of the north either bynarrow isthmuses, or by continous chains of islands. The insular lands uniting itwith the Asiatic peninsulas belong themselves in great measure to the Australianzone by their climate and natural productions. The Austral mainland is, moreover,considerably increased in extent bj' a submarine bed fringed withbarrier reefs. Its superficial area with that of the adjacent islands scarcelyexceeds three-fourths of that of Europe ; but with the other lands stretching fromNew Guinea to New Zealand, the whole area of the upraised land in this part ofthe South Sea is very nearly equal in extent to the European continent.General Survey.Eut in other respects what a profound difference between these two antipodeanlands ! Relatively speaking, the one is the mo&t densely, the other the mostsparsely peopled division of the world, the discrepancy between the two being inthe proportion of a hundred to one. At the same time it should be rememberedthat Australia has but entered on the career of its evolution in the common streamof human culture, while its new occupants have already made astounding progressin numbers and influence. Still, this region is" far from enjoying the advantagesin physical constitution and climatic conditions that have made Europe a privilegedsection of the globe. Compared with this favoured region, Australia presents theheavy, shapeless outlines of a rough-hewn block, being, for the most part, deficientin lofty mountain ranges, extensive river basins ramifj'ing in all directions, fertile