THE INTERIOR. 51 



country, cannot excite in his bosom any emo- 

 tions of pleasurable gratification ; despondency 

 succeeds the bright rays of hope, and he com- 

 pares with heartfelt regret the arid land before 

 him with the fertile country he has forsaken, 

 because it afforded not sustenance for himself 

 and family, and thus reluctantly caused him to 

 sever the affectionate ties that united him to dear 

 friends in his native land — the place of his 

 birth — the soil and habitation of his forefathers 

 for centuries. 



One does not behold the graceful waving of 

 the cocoa palm, the broad and vivid green fo- 

 liage of the plantain, nor the beautiful luxuriance 

 of a tropical vegetation, which delight the vision 

 of the wearied voyager on a first approach to a 

 tropical region, where the soil teems with culti- 

 vation, or a profuse natural vegetation extending 

 from the loftiest mountains even to the ocean's 

 brink. But on landing and viewing the interior 

 of Australia, the wanderer, although seeing 

 much to confirm his first impressions, will also 

 view many parts of the country recalling to 

 his memory features resembling the land he 

 has left ; and as industry gives him wealth and 

 independence, and he finds his family easily 

 maintained, he becomes reconciled to his choice, 

 and remains comparatively if not entirely happy. 



E 2 



