: .i 



AUSTRALIA. 



AUSTRAL] \. 



Here they had immediately vegetated and thrown nut their parasitical 

 and rapacious ruuts, which adhering close to the bark of the iron-tree 

 had followed the course of it* (tern downward* to the earth, where 

 OHO* arrived their progress of growth is truly astonishing. The roots 

 of the Fn-Mi ilu-n increase rapidly iu nuiiilicr, envelop the iron bark, 

 and send out at the same time such gigantic branches that it is not 

 unusual to see the original tree at a height of 70 or 80 feet peeping 

 through the fig as if itself were the parasite on the real intruder. In 

 the singular angles or ' walls,' as they are termed, which are formed 

 by the roots of these trees, and of which many are 16 feet high, there 

 is room enough to dine half a dozen persons. Native cherries 

 (KfOfarpui cvprtuiformit) abound ; Gyrotteao* emulates the weeping 

 willow with its pendulous branches ; and extensive districts of Arait- 

 caria pine form by their sombre green colour a striking contrast to 

 the brownish hue of the gum-trees. The open parts of the forests 

 contain an immense quantity of yellow wood (Oxltya Xanthoxyla), 

 with silk oaks (Grerillca renutta), and a great profusion of magnificent 

 trees. The beach is in some places ornamented with Jlibitctu tiiiacau 

 and native bread-fruit (Panatutm ptduncvlata) ; in other places it ia 

 thickly clothed with mangroves. What are called by the colonists 

 apple-trees (Angopkora laaceolata), in remembrance of the grateful 

 fruits of their native country, appear on the richest forest land along 

 with the eatable tarra-root (Caladium glycyrrhiium) and many remark- 

 able ferns. Xanlhorrhtta also, of which mention has already been 

 made, is described as forming " a truly superb object with its extra- 

 ordinary bee-hive tops." West of the mountains, in his journey into 

 Tropical Australia, Sir T. Mitchell found a luxuriant flora, including 

 several new trees, of which the most singular was the iJorrel-Tree, a 

 variety of the Stcrcitlia, named by him and Dr. Lindley JDclnbcchia 

 rupftlra; several fresh varieties of the Eucalyptus, Acacia, &c. ; and a 

 large number of Cajtparit, Dodaiuta, and other shrubs, as well as 

 flowers and grasses. 



Continuing along the coast towards the north, the Arautaria is still 

 common ; palms increase in number ; a rattan (Calamut) is most 

 abundant in a damp tract thickly wooded with forest between 15 

 and 17 S. lat ; and a most extraordinary caper-tree, with the dumpy 

 but enormous form of the Baobab of Senegal, forms a striking feature. 

 At hut, on its northern shores, all the forms of Australian and Malayan 

 vegetation are blended ; species of Sidit and Hibitcut, which were rare 

 in the south, become common ; and Banl-ttat, the most Australian of 

 Australian plants, disappear. Eucalypti indeed remain, and a Mda- 

 leuta or two, like the cajeputi-tree ; but on abundance of Cinchonacae 

 and other Malayan forms almost overpowers the effect that the former 

 produce upon the eye. Cabbage-palms (Liritlona inermit), but too 

 small to be of value as a fresh vegetable, are abundant ; plant* allied 

 to the nutmeg and sandal-wood are not uncommon ; and Catuarinat 

 and I'andanta contribute to confound the Australian character of the 

 vegetation with that of the Indian Archipelago. 



It is a common observation that Australia docs not produce a single 

 native species of eatable fruit, although exotic fruit* thrive exceed- 

 ingly in the genial climate of many parts. This remark is very nearly 

 correct, for it U true that, with the exception of the Australian Cran- 

 berry (Liuantht laptda) and a few berries of scarcely any importance, 

 the country is, as far as has yet been seen, entirely destitute of any- 

 thing which could by possibility be introduced to a dessert 



Zoology. In treating of the zoology of Asia and America occasional 

 allusion was made to the influence which the natural productions, 

 animal as well as vegetable, of large continents must have had upon 

 the early civilisation of their aboriginal inhabitants. We are not 

 ware indeed that this influence has been properly appreciated by 

 those who have investigated the origin and progress of human society. 

 If perceived at all, it has been in a vague and imperfect manner ; yet 

 a very little consideration will convince us that it is in reality one of 

 the circumstances which bears the most intimate relation to this 

 important subject, and that it consequently merits the most serious 

 attention, not of the professed zoologist alone, but more especially of 

 the philosopher and the historian. Whatever was the original con- 

 dition of mankind, it is manifest that the geographical distribution of 

 animals, their abundance or scarceness in particular situations, their 

 peculiar qualities as adapting them for food, raiment, and other 

 domestic purposes, must necessarily have had the most intimate 

 connection with the original condition of our own species, and with 

 all the earliest steps towards civilisation. Asia and Africa abound in 

 numerous species of Urge graminivorous quadrupeds and gallinaceous 

 fowls which not only furnish human food of the best quality and in 

 the greatest abundance, but are likewise most easily captured : many 

 Hi-ply both food and materials for dress. Those two continents an 

 the native seat of those animals which man has bean enabled to 

 domesticate and to render the instruments of his further progress in 

 civilisation. Hut in situations less favourable, where animals were 

 rare and of species not so well adapted for human food and clothing, 

 as for example in America, but more especially in Australia, man had 

 to contend with numerous and in some cases insurmountable diffi- 

 culties which were altogether unknown to the more favoured inhabit 

 anU of the Old World. Incessantly occupied in the primary and 

 indwpeiMble labour of procuring a scanty and precarious culmistence, 

 badly protected by iiuuftcicnt covering from the effects of the weather, 

 and subject at all tunes to frequent and long-continued fasts, he pos- 



sessed neither the means of supporting a large family nor the ' 

 to improve his condition by the development ..f hi-, natural faculties. 

 Under such circumstances it was almost impossible for any conside- 

 rable progress to be made in the arts of civilised life ; the females also 

 of the Australian savages are notoriously less prolific tli.-.n tl,.- women 

 of the old continents ; and the aboriginal population in relation to 

 the extent of the continent is extremely scanty in comparison with 

 that of Europe, Asia, or even Africa. Hence probably in a great 

 measure it arises that the inhabitants of Australia were found to be 

 so far behind those of the Old World in point of civilisation and social 

 improvement. 



These reflections will prepare us for forming a just estimate of BOOM 

 of the causes which appear to have operated in preventing the im- 

 provement of the Australian savage. When applied to the physical 

 circumstances of his country, and more particularly to the peculia- 

 rities of Australasian zoology as exhibited in the following table, they 

 will enable us not only to appreciate some of the reasons of his moral 

 and intellectual inferiority, but likewise to perceive the actual causes 

 which prevented the increase of the species. The table includes the 

 few species which belong to the islands included under Australasia, as 

 well as to the continent of Australia. 



The first observation which we have to make upon the Mammalogy 

 of Australia as exhibited in this table is the very small number of 

 species which inhabit this continent when compared with the actual 

 extent of the country and the whole number of known species spread 

 over other ports of the world. The disproportion will bo rendered 

 still more striking if we deduct from the total number 150 the 20 

 species of marine mammals, namely, 13 Uttacra and 7 seals (P/toca), 

 wliirh are included in the table. We thus find that the mammals 

 actually inhabiting the land of Australia amount to no more than 130 

 different species, forming little above the fifteenth part of the whole 

 number of known quadrupeds a very limited proportion indeed 

 when compared with the relative size of the country. Nor i- tli.- 

 small number of distinct species the only peculiarity which in 

 observable in regard to the number of mammals which inhabit this 

 country the scarcity of imliritlualt is quite as remarkable as that of 

 ipeciff ; and the traveller in the interior will frequently journey for 

 many days together without meeting with a single quadruped. 

 The cause of this peculiarity is to be sought for in the physical con- 

 formation of the animals themselves, rather than in the peculiarities 

 of the country or climate, or the destruction of them by the natives ; 

 for, as may be observed from the table, the great majority of Aus- 

 tralian mammals belong to the Marsupial order, of which the species 

 are less prolific and of which the individuals require a much longer 

 time to arrive at maturity than those of any other group of quad- 

 rupeds. It will be readily perceived that these two circumstances, 

 the paucity of distinct species and the scarcity of individuals in the 

 several species among the mammals of Australia, must have presented 

 a formidable barrier to the increase of population and the advance- 

 ment of civilised society in this part of the world. 



The second peculiarity in the mammalogy of Au-rinilia is that after 

 subtracting as before the 20 marine species, namely, the 13 Cetacea 

 and 7 seals comprised among the Carnirnra, from the whole number 

 included in the table, it will bo found that all tin- Australian quad- 

 rupeds are with only two exceptions peculiar to that continent ; or 

 in other words, that there arc only two Australian species common to 

 that anil any other part of the known world. 



But there is a third observation which we have to make upon the 

 geographical distribution of quadrupeds as indicated in the preceding 

 table, which is not less singular than the lost : with very few 

 exceptions all the quadrupeds of Australia, at least all the terrestrial 

 species, belong to the Marsupial order. Thus if as before wo 

 subtract the 20 marine sj>ccios from the total number of Australian 

 mammals, we shall find that out of the whole remaining number of 

 130, no fewer than 105, or nearly five sixths of the entire amount, 

 belong to this tribe ; and the circumstance is rendered still more 

 singular by the consideration that very few animals of this order 

 exist in any port of the world, the extra-Australian species being, 

 with very few exceptions, confined to the tropical parts of South 



