836 report— 1884. 



and most vigorous civilisation. This had been the law of human progress in the 

 past, as man, by his invention and adaptability had gradually altered and improved 

 the original rudeness of nature. But Australasia, with her more genial clime, went 

 the fastest ahead at first. Her progress had, in some respects, been even greater 

 than that of Canada. Her commerce was 595,000,000 dollars yearly, against that 

 of Canada's 221,000,000 dollars. Her public revenues were 110,000,000 dollars, 

 against Canada's 36,500,000 dollars. But he greatly qualified Australasia's larger 

 figures by certain explanations. Her public debt, too, in her go-ahead way, was 

 also very much greater. Although much younger, and with as yet a third less of 

 population, her railways were already 7,000 miles, as against Canada's 9,000. She 

 had two cities, Sydney and Melbourne, already larger than Montreal, which had 

 190,000, against 230,000 in Sydney and upwards of 300,000 in Melbourne. On the 

 other hand, the Dominion was far ahead in her great shipping interest, and stood, 

 in fact, fourth amongst the maritime states of the world. He instituted a special 

 comparison in the respective products and exports. While those of Canada were 

 chiefly timber, breadstuffs, and animals, including large proceeds of the fisheries, 

 those of Australasia were mainly wool and gold. The wool increased in an almost 

 incredible proportion. The gold, owing to its large quantity at first — for some 

 years ten to twelve millions sterling yearly in Victoria alone, besides substantial 

 amounts in New South Wales, Queensland, and New Zealand — produced extra- 

 ordinary effects upon the former colony's progress in commerce and population, and 

 in the values of its properties. As the phrase was, the gold had precipitated 

 Australia into a nation. But there were two serious drawbacks to the attractive- 

 ness and prosperity of Australasia, namely, its convict origin, which had left to it 

 an ungainly history, and the liability of the vast interior of the Australian main- 

 land to periodical and severe drought. The convict' system, although still linger- 

 ing in West Australia, had happily ceased a generation ago in the more thickly- 

 settled eastern section. Tbe liability to drought might possibly be much mitigated 

 by science and capital in the future ; but probably it was more or less a permanent 

 feature, due to the irremediable peculiarity of physical constitution — a com- 

 paratively flat and waterless interior, causing scant and irregular rainfall, and 

 pervaded at times in summer by hot and desiccating winds. Some remarks 

 followed on the physical features of both countries, on their respective aboriginal 

 populations, and on their interesting natural history, with especial reference to Ihe 

 extreme peculiarities of that of Australasia. The author concluded by glancing at 

 the question of the unity of the Empire, and the possibility, and even probability, 

 of its disintegration under the present system of conceding a practically free self- 

 government to the Colonies, without any concurrent provision of a representative 

 government for the whole Empire. The Colonies were consequently growing up 

 into a separate political life, and even the most cordial and loyal feeling might be 

 insufficient when the real strain came. Happily this danger now excited very 

 general attention ; the bundle of sticks is not so fastened as to confer upon the 

 Empire all its dues in permanency and power. What are our grandchildren to 

 say if, through our negligence and indifference, they are bom to a lost Empire, and 

 above all, how will history judge us F 



