CONCLUSION 737 



my opinion, the only course open to us is to guard the strait 

 and wait patiently for the pressure from behind. 



The physiographical condition of the Peninsula must be frankly 

 taken into account. The northern part of the interior is at present, 

 to all intents, a desert, with oases. The desert is a desert with 

 characteristics of its own, as will be pointed out presently. At 

 Fair Cape, however, there begins to emerge from beneath the desert 

 land a region of what may be called normal country, rising to the 

 south into mountain ranges which tropical sunshine and a fairly 

 liberal rainfall combine to clothe with healthy vegetation and often 

 with luxuriant jungle. Traced southward, the high and healthy 

 land broadens westward from the Pacific Coast and ultimately 

 surrounds the base of the Peninsula and the southern shores of the 

 Gulf of Carpentaria. This high land contains mines of gold, silver, 

 iron, copper and most of the rarer of the so-called " base metals." 

 The exploitation of these mines will occupy the attention of white 

 men for some generations at least, while the pastoral occupation 

 of some portions of the Gulf Coast lands and of the " oases " in 

 the desert may take rank as a more lasting asset. Even now, the 

 cleared " scrub " (jungle) land on the Pacific side of the rim of high 

 land, between Cooktown and Mackay, furnishes some of the richest 

 agricultural areas in the tropics. 



On the southern shore of the Gulf, two towns, Burketown and 

 Normanton, have been created by the necessity for the forwarding 

 of supplies to the good lands in the background and for the export 

 of their products. Along the 500 miles of its eastern shore (the 

 west coast of the Cape York Peninsula) the only centres of popula- 

 tion are the aboriginal mission stations conducted by the Church 

 of England and the Presbyterians and a small establishment of 

 officials at the northern end of the Telegraph line. On Thursday 

 Island is a town which, in a sense, guards the straits and the 

 northern " Land's End " of Australia. South of Cape York there 

 is no settlement of any consequence on the Pacific shore till Cook- 

 town is reached after a voyage of 430 miles. Inside of the portion 

 of the Peninsula thus outlined, the little township of Coen and 

 perhaps that of Ebagoolah may be considered stable settlements, 

 and up the backbone of the Peninsula runs the Telegraph line with 

 its six stations. South of Cooktown, the eastern coast-line of the 

 Peninsula shows the towns of Port Douglas, Cairns, Innisfail, 

 Cardwell and Ingham. The latter marks the southern limit of 

 the eastern boundary of the Peninsula, as the Peninsula may be 

 defined on strictly geographical lines. The ring of populous 

 areas is prolonged westward to its Normanton starting-point along 

 the base of the strictly defined " Peninsula " by towns of more or 

 less importance at Atherton, Herberton, Irvinebank, Montalbion, 

 Thornborough, Stannary Hills, Chillagoe, Einasleigh, Forsayth, 

 Georgetown and Croydon. A still more southerly zone of towns 



