708 



OCEANIA. 



and the 100th degree of east longitude. Beyond 

 the tropics, we have about two-thirds of Australia 

 and the whole of New Zealand. All the rest of 

 this region is strictly tropical, and by far the 

 larger portion of it lies within ten degrees of each 

 side of the equator. The total superficies of the 

 land has been estimated at 3,100,000 geographical 

 square miles, making this division of the globe there- 

 fore larger than Europe, although greatly smaller 

 than Asia, Africa or America. A more distinct 

 notion, however, will be conveyed to the reader 

 by giving the superficies of a few of the principal 

 countries composing it, as follow : 



Australia . . . 1,496,000 square miles 



Malayan Peninsula 



Sumatra 



Borneo 



Jam . - . 



Celebes 



New Guinea . 



Mindanao . 



I.uconia 



New Zealand 



130,000 

 212,500 

 50.000 

 55,000 

 213,300 

 25.000 

 30,600 

 I MI.' HC I 



2,410,400 



Besides these, nearly 100,000 square miles may be 

 added for many considerable islands, varying in 

 size from 1000 to 9000 square miles ; so that the 

 total area, exclusive of a vast multitude of isles 

 and islets, which not only cannot be measured, but 

 cannot even be counted, will be upwards of two 

 millions and a half of square miles. Here are 

 countries, then, greater in extent than China and 

 Hindostan put together. Australia itself is more 

 extensive than the Chinese empire; Borneo three 

 times the size of Great Britain ; Sumatra larger 

 than Great Britain and Ireland put together ; while 

 Luconia, the principal of the Philippines, is equal 

 in size to the last named island. 



M. Balbi, in his geographical description of 

 Oceania, has, with considerable success, classed it 

 into three great divisions, viz. Malaisia, Australia, 

 and Polynesia ; and each of these he has described 

 by groups and archipelagoes, selecting generally a 

 principal island to distinguish the name of each, as 

 the Group of Sumatra, the Group of Celebes, &c. 

 Of these there are no less than forty-five, neces- 

 sarily of very unequal magnitude and importance. 



The geological formation of lands so extensive, 

 so scattered, and so widely spread, is, of course, 

 exceedingly various; but the primitive, and trap or 

 volcanic formations prevail. To the first belong 

 the Malayan peninsula, Borneo and Celebes. In 

 those where granite is the principal rock, gold 

 abounds ; while the Malayan peninsula, with some 

 islands adjacent to it, contains, besides that metal, 

 the richest and most extensive tin formation in the 

 world. The basaltic, or volcanic formation em- 

 braces the whole chain of islands from Java to 

 Sumbawa inclusive, and comprehends most of the 

 islands lying between Celebes and Papua, famous 

 for the production of the clove and nutmeg. The 

 basaltic islands are remarkably deficient in metals, 

 but are more than compensated for it, in the ma- 

 jority of cases, by an incomparable fertility of soil. 

 Of the mixed primitive and volcanic formations are 

 composed the island of Sumatra, and the principal 

 islands of the Philippine group. In these, gold is 

 found, but less abundantly than in the countries of 

 purely primitive formation ; but they are at the 

 same time of a soil more fertile. Australia, as 

 might be expected from so extensive a country, 

 comprises almost every variety of geological for- 

 mation, primitive, secondary and volcanic. It 

 abounds in mineral coal, which is also to be found 



in Sumatra, Java, and some of the smaller islands. 

 The diamond is found in Borneo only. Copper is 

 found, but not wrought, in Sumatra, Luconia and 

 Timor. Lead is found in Luconia; and perhaps 

 the most abundant ore of antimony in the world, 

 and which now supplies the European market, is 

 found in Borneo. Compared with other countries, 

 iron may be considered as scantily produced every 

 where, but particularly in the volcanic islands. 

 Enough has never been produced for the consump- 

 tion of the inhabitants, and this metal is, therefore, 

 largely imported. 



Even in Australia, contrary to what might be 

 expected, there are no rivers of long course, or of 

 great magnitude ; and the smaller islands are of 

 course deficient in them. Number, however, in 

 some degree, makes up for the want of size. The 

 high mountains of those within the torrid zone 

 pour down a perennial and abundant supply of 

 water, and there are no countries in the world 

 consequently less subject to drought than these. 



No region more abounds in mountains. The 

 highest are found on Sumatra, Java, and some of 

 the islands immediately to the eastward of the lat- 

 ter. These are of an elevation varying from ten 

 to fifteen thousand feet. A great many of them 

 are volcanoes, of which Java is thought to count 

 not less than fifteen, Luconia four, and Sumatra, 

 five. The eruptions of some of these, even in our 

 times, have altered the very face of the lands in 

 which they exist, and been accompanied by a 

 vast destruction of life and property. 



With the exception of New Zealand and the 

 larger portion of Australia, which enjoys a tempe- 

 rate climate, the rest of Oceania is in the torrid 

 zone; but the climate is tempered by a rich cover- 

 ing of vegetation, frequent and abundant rain, and 

 the insular character of the whole region. A por- 

 tion of Australia alone is within the region of vari- 

 able winds; the rest within the influence of the 

 trade-winds, or monsoons. From Sumatra to New 

 Guinea, and even thirty degrees further east, al- 

 though more uncertain, the latter extend. To the 

 north of the equator, the wind blows half the year 

 from the south-west, and half the year from the 

 north-east, uninterruptedly; and to the south of 

 the equator, half of the year from the north-west, 

 and the remainder of the year from the south-east. 

 In these tropical regions the season of continual 

 rain generally does not exceed three months. Here 

 the distinctions of summer and winter, of spring 

 and autumn, and the changes in the vegetable crea- 

 tion, by no means however very distinct, alone 

 proclaim a change of season. 



Of the varied vegetable productions of these 

 countries it would be in vain to attempt even the 

 barest outline. The greater portion of the coun- 

 try is, down to the present day, unaltered by the 

 industry of man, and as it came from the hand of 

 nature, covered with primeval forests of rich foli- 

 age, with very trifling exceptions, in one uniform 

 and perpetual verdure. The useful vegetable pro- 

 ducts of these islands, indigenous or exotic, are 

 numerous and various. Some of the chief indi- 

 genous plants of the greatest utility, are rice, a 

 variety of palms, but chiefly the cocoa-nut, the 

 sugar-cane, the clove, the nutmeg; and among 

 fruits, several cucurbitaceous plants, the shaddock, 

 the banana, the delicate mangosteen, perhaps the 

 most exquisite of known fruits, and the durian, 

 unquestionably the most rich and luscious. Among 

 exotics, but long and thoroughly naturalized, may 





