INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 17 



Australia. From the River Darling, at what is now Menindie, he 

 reached the Barrier and Grey Ranges, and became entangled in the 

 delta-like ramifications of the River Cooper; thence he penetrated 

 in a north-west direction into the sand-dune coxmtry to the north- 

 east of Lake Eyre, and thvis missed the object of his ardent 

 search. Sturt describes the general structure of the Barrier 

 Range as of slates, gneiss, and other metamorphic rocks, and 

 notes the prevalence of iron ores. He describes what is evidently 

 the ironstone outcrop of a massive mineral lode, and though I 

 cannot identify the locality, yet it is not at all improbable that one 

 of the silver lodes of the Barrier (if not Broken Hill itself) is here 

 referred to ; in the same connection that prominent landmark, 

 Piesse's Knob, is indicated. The Grey Range, he says, resembles 

 the Barder Range, and has the same bearing ; he compares them 

 with the Mount Lofty chain, and implies that they constitute one 

 formation. Between the Grey Range, and near to Strzelecki 

 Creek, he observed " some fossil limestone cropping out of the 

 groimd in several places." The most noteworthy observations 

 recorded by Sturt are those relating to the physical character of 

 the interior of Australia, which will be considered hereafter. A 

 tribute is due to Sturt's scientific merit and sagacity, and I would 

 add my mite to the general testimony of admiration for that 

 learned traveller. He stands pre-eminent among land explorers for 

 the accuracy of his observations, evincing the most patient and 

 thoughtful investigation, for the great power of generalisation 

 which throws a charm over all his narratives, and for his highly 

 philosophical deductions. Sturt never received that honor in his 

 lifetime which was his due ; and much of his geological work and 

 spectdations have either been overlooked or ignored, because it 

 was thought (geology being then in a not very advanced staie) that 

 he was not a very experienced geologist. 



Jukes, J. Beete, who in 1839-40 held the office of Geological 

 Surveyor for Newfoundland, was appointed naturalist to H.M.S. 

 Fly, commissioned to survey the northern part of the Barrier Reef. 

 He wrote the " Narrative of the Voyage " (1847), which embraced 

 the years 1842-46 In this work the author does not occupy him- 

 self with geological matters, which are dealt with in other publi- 

 cations* and incorporated in an independent work, entitled "A 

 Sketch of the Physical Structure of Australia" (1850). In this 

 later work the author gives a connected outline of the geology of 



(1) Brit, .48800. Adv. for Science. 1846; Qusrt. Journ. Geol. Soc , vol. in., p. 241, 1847; 

 Id., vol. IV., i>. 142, 1848. 



