202 



although planted very late in the season, wheat and English barley 

 yielded very heavy returns, but the straw was short. 



In dealing with the rabbit pest, this will be the most difficult 

 portion of the whole country to keep clear, as there is a good depth 

 of soil for them to burrow and breed in, while the cliffs are in many 

 places rotten and cavernous, and will afford great protection, and 

 immediately on top of the cliff the scrub is very dense. In time this 

 area ought to become a verv valuable wheat producing country, and, 

 as along the coast there are several breaks in the coral reef that runs 

 parallel with it, good sized vessels can come to within a very short 

 distance of the land, so that the expense of getting provisions there, 

 and getting produce away, will be low. 



The settlers in South Australia are getting good crops on far 

 poorer land than is to be found all along here. 



The second division consists of what immediately on the top 

 of the cliffs, and extending to about latitude 31 -30 may be 

 described as fairly good stock country, but not fit for cultivation, 

 except in a very few places, as the limestone rock comes very near 

 the surface, and the average depth of soil is not more than eight or nine 

 inches, while in many parts the rock is quite exposed. To the eye 

 the country appears quite level, but I found that the land rose 

 gradually as I went northward, as nearly as I could judge from the 

 barometers about one and a half feet per mile from the top of the 

 cliffs, the cliffs being about 200 feet above sea level. 



This area consists of open plains and belts of timber, and belts 

 of scrub, principally broom bush, which is found wherever there is 

 the slighest approach to a sandhill. 



There are a few narrow belts of dense mallee, that were so thick 

 that we had to cut a track through with our axes, otherwise being 

 quite impenetrable for either horses or camels. Some of the belts 

 were not more than half a mile through, and the largest about t.vo 

 miles. Here the plains were fairly well grassed, where the depth of 

 soil allowed it, and where the soil was too shallow, salt, blue and cot- 

 ton bush abounded. The timber consisted of peach, sandalwood, 

 mallee, bull oaks, and other varieties of the Casuonua ; also mulga 

 and myall, the two latter being found in the northern part of the area. 



There will always be a difficulty in conserving water here, as 

 tanks or dams would have to be excavated out of the limestone 

 rock, and that is almost as porous as a sponge. On one occasion 

 there was an inch of rain in 15 hours, and in the hollows of the 

 rock not a drop was to be found half an hour after the rain ceased ; 

 in fact, the only water we saw here was in one or two lar^e clay 

 pans, and, although full, they were not more than an inch deep. 



In this part we found many curious blow-holes, vary- 

 ing in size from two inches across to over two feet. From 

 some of these a very strong current of air was issuing, 

 while in others there was a strong suction. Some of them made a 

 curious roaring noise, much louder at some times than at others, and 



