BRAVERY OF ABORIGINES 225 



is always called by Australians, was reached by means of 

 steamers engaged in the China trade. These, mostly 

 starting from Adelaide, called at intermediate ports, and 

 landed passengers and parcels at Port Darwin. The route 

 invariably taken, so far as I know, was via the east coast 

 and Torres Straits, and the voyage usually took about 

 three weeks to perform. 



Palmerston is situated on a marked rise of the ground, 

 and, with its colonnaded and verandahed, chimneyless 

 houses, has the appearance of a small Indian town ; 

 though, at the time of my knowledge of the place, the 

 absence of lofty and imposing buildings was very con- 

 spicuous. In its neighbourhood there were several 

 interesting mementos of the past, consisting of trees with 

 names and dates cut by explorers and navigators who had 

 taken part in charting the coast. Captain Owen Stanley's 

 tree was carefully preserved, and another still bearing 

 evidence of the Beagle's visit ; nor may Stuart's tree be 

 forgotten. But perhaps the most interesting, because 

 the most pathetic, evidence of the struggles of brave men, 

 were the many relics of the ill-fated pioneers of colonisation 

 in this region. 



As at Perth, Port Grey, etc., the country for a wide 

 area in the neighbourhood of Palmerston bears much 

 evidence of those alterations in contour and general 

 appearance which are the inevitable accompaniments of 

 civilisation. Hosts of imported plants, trees, and animals, 

 make it difficult to study the natural productions of the 

 country in the vicinity of the settlement. 



The first noticeable difference between this and the 

 districts of Australia I had been most used to was the heat 

 of the climate, which seemed to be semi-tropical, and, as a 

 consequence I presume, the vegetation was luxuriant to a 

 degree I had seldom witnessed in other parts of the 

 continent. Fig-trees were large, abundant, and in 

 flourishing condition ; and near the town I saw some 

 magnificent specimens of the banyan. These, and many 

 other species to which I was a stranger, were, I suppose, 

 importations. Of native trees and plants I saw but few 



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