ARTESIAN WATER IN TUE STATE OP QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA. 183 



poles submerged, and a few years before my acquaiutai)ce 

 with Queensland began, an area of over 12,000 square miles 

 south of the gulf was flooded. 



In what may be called ordinary dry seasons it w^as 

 nothing uncommon to have intervals of 40 miles between 

 one waterhole and the next. Travellers on horseback and 

 on foot carried canvas water-bags, and the mail coaches 

 were lumbered with barrels of water to carry the horses over 

 the dry stages. 



2. Loss of Stock Owing to Droiiglds. — But while the 

 hardships incidental to travel could be mitigated by 

 human foresight, the lot of the flocks and herds scattered 

 over the vast area seemed to admit of no remedy. When 

 the poor animals had " fed back " a few miles from the spot 

 where they had last enjoyed a drink of water, thirst would 

 compel them to retrace their steps. The area of available 

 pasture ^vas tlms rigorously circumscribed, and the grass was 

 eaten bare, eaten to the very roots, as I have seen sheep 

 grubbing up the roots of the grassy tussocks like pigs, while, 

 too far from water, and hence unattainable, were long 

 leagues of grass untrodden by a hoof. Day by day the 

 remaining waterholes were shrinking, and when the enfeebled 

 cattle returned to slake their thirst they had to wallow 

 through a sticky clay littered with the carcases and bones of 

 their fello^vs. Having drunk, if they were comparatively 

 strong and lucky, after a life and death struggle they 

 wallowed their way out again. Perhaps they did not ; and 

 the dingo was always waiting for his prize of a dead or 

 helpless beast. 



Frantic efforts were made to cope with the evil. When 

 drought threatened, pastoralists or the Government made 

 large dams or tanks, but it was very costly, and in some 

 cases years elapsed before the rain came to fill them. Water 

 was carted to incredible distances, but it is needless to say 

 that the support of the draught animals themselves made 

 sad havoc Avith the supply before it reached its destination. 



'6. Historu of Boring Operations for Water. — But this 

 condition of things has been changed for the better. In 

 1881, Avhile on a trip to meet the late General Fielding with 

 a view to accompanying him on his " Transcontinental 

 Railway" expedition, while travelling with the expedition 

 to the Nicholson River, and while returning via Winton and 

 Charters Towers, I had come to the conclusion that the 

 basin-shape in which the Cretaceous strata were disposed 



