196 EARL DE GREY'S ADDRESS— EUROPE. [May 28, 1860. " 



a country not made for him, but to judge by the experience of three 

 generations, he continues to thrive without the smallest appearance 

 of degeneracy. 



Besides this it may be said, that not only does the European 

 thrive in the soil and climate of Australia, but all the animals which 

 he had domesticated in Europe equally do so. For one of these 

 animals, the sheep, Australia is better fitted than any other colony 

 ever foimded by the European race, and this country, with the 

 exception of its intertropical portion, may be designated as an 

 eminently pastoral one. For strictly agricultural purposes it is 

 obviously less suited, for while it exports wool it imports com. 



The mineral wealth of Australia is remarkable, although as yet 

 its development has but commenced. Independent of its iron and 

 coal, it produces gold, silver, copper, tin, and lead ores, which are 

 extensively imported into England. 



Under the shield of the parent country, and in the enjoyment 

 of the liberty which we ourselves possess, the Australian Colonies 

 have made a progress of which there is hardly an example. Five 

 small colonies, which ten years ago had between them a population 

 not exceeding 400,000, contain now more than a million of people. 

 They furnish us every year, and have been doing so for the last 

 seven years, with 10,000,000/. worth of gold, with above 10,000 tons 

 of copper, tin, and lead ore, and to the value of near four millions 

 and a half of wool and tallow, while of British merchandise they 

 consume above eleven millions and a half's worth, or at the average 

 rate of 11?. 10s. for every colonist, — incontestable evidence of their 

 value to us, as well as of their own prosperity. 



Europe. 



Eussia. — After mentioning the labours of our own countrymen in 

 various directions, I could scarcely speak of any more interesting 

 than those of Eussia. Her fields of research are so vast as to be 

 almost inexhaustible ; and year by year she solves the mysteries of 

 some remote terra incognita, and accelerates the progress of geogra- 

 phical science. A successful war places at her disposal the treasures 

 of the Caucasus, while, under the auspices of peace, her merchants 

 and men of science carry the influence and civilization of their 

 country to the confines of China and the base of the Himalayas, 

 across a region of historic and scientific interest. 



To the recent researches of Russian geographers we are indebted 



