42 The South Australian Naturalist. 



THE SITES OF TWO CITIES. 



It is ]i()t intended here to eoiupare tlie beauties of tlie two 

 cities of Adelaide aud Perth. Both are beautiful and "each has 

 its own particular attractioiis. Perth has an advantage in the 

 wide waters of the Swan River, while Adelaide glories in the 

 nearness and the varied scenery of her hills. The proud citizen 

 of Perth conducts his visitor to the heights of King's Park, and 

 thence points out the many })leasing features of the surround- 

 ings of his capital. AVith no less pride the resident of Adelaide 

 will take you to the summit of Mount Lofty, whence, from the 

 base of Plinders" Column, the wide spread of the city may be 

 seen at one's feet, filling the space between the highland and 

 the sea. When we come to examine the earth structure of the 

 two places, we find a remarkable resemblance, and it is to this 

 similarity that we shall jjarticularly direct our attention. 



The surrounding areas of Adelaide and Perth bear also a 

 distinct likeness to the southern portion of Palestine, the fea- 

 tures of which land are now so much better known to most 

 Australians, either by first-hand descriptions or by actual 

 experience, than theyNvere before. In all three cases we have 

 wide, low alluvial plains sloping AvestAvard to the sea, and a 

 fairlv high abrupt tableland of ancient rocks bounding the plam 

 to the eastward. Thus the plain of the Philistines is compar- 

 able to the plains of Adelaide and Perth, Avhile the great plat- 

 form of Judsa may be likened to the Mount Lofty highlands of 

 South Australia or the Darling plateau of Western Australia. 

 There are, of course, a number of striking differences between 



the three areas, due to variations in the climate and geological 

 conditions, but the essential features of the earth structure in 

 all three places are the same, and may perhaps be more clearly 

 illustrated by reference to the rough diagrammatic sketch 

 shown in Figure 1. The diagram is intended to represent a 

 block of land in which two very distinct types of rock are 

 indicated. There is, first, a series of hard, ancient rocks (shown 

 crossed-hatched), and a much more recent, less-compacted series 

 (shown dotted;. At a time not very far distant (geographically 

 speaking), the Avhole of the area shown in this block may be 

 pictured as composed of the hard, ancient rocks only, with a 

 fairly level surface, and standing but little above sea-level. 

 This" surface had been levelled down by the long-continued 

 action of running water, wind, and other sub-aerial agents, and 

 was of a type found throughout the world, and technically 



