CHAPTER IX 



A RAMBLE IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA 



There are some desolate spots in South Australia — 

 portions of the coast of Spencer's Gulf, for instance. On 

 the other hand, some of the scenery, even well up in the 

 interior of the colony, is as beautiful as any that can be 

 found on the continent. I have made several long 

 rambles into the heart of the colony, and beyond the 

 settled portion of it. Journeys, perhaps, I should call 

 them; but as they were made under easy circumstances, 

 either with pleasure as the chief object, or with prospecting 

 parties that were in no hurry to complete their surveys, 

 the term rambles may be justified. 



The start was always made from Adelaide, a colonial 

 capital which, for elegance of general appearance and 

 fineness of individual buildings, is second to none on the 

 continent. One of the best railway lines in the country 

 has its terminus in Adelaide, and a fine prospect of con- 

 siderable stretches of the country may be had from the 

 windows of a railway carriage ; but the conditions of my 

 journeyings were such that, being encumbered with several 

 pack-horses, I usually performed the whole journey by 

 road. 



South Australia promises to be, at no distant time, a 

 great mining country. The minerals are numerous, and 

 many of them are of such excellent quality that they are 

 renowned all over the continent, and are in demand in 

 many distant places. Some of the most important 

 quarries are in the neighbourhood of Adelaide, and are 

 mines of wealth, more reliable and profitable than gold 



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