262 THE UNMAPPED AREAS ON THE EARTH'S SURFACE 



must be able not only to use his sextant and his theodolite, his 

 compass, and his chronometer. Any expeditions entering these 

 regions ought to be able to bring back satisfactory information 

 on the geology of the country traversed, and of its fauna and 

 flora, past and present. Already the revelations which have been 

 made of the past geography of South America and of the life that 

 flourished there in former epochs are of the highest interest. 

 Moreover, we have here the remains of extinct civilizations to 

 deal with, and although much has been done in this direction, 

 much remains to be done, and in the extensive region alread}'- 

 referred to the physique, the traditions, and the customs of the 

 natives will repay careful investigation. 



AUSTEALIA 



The southern continent of Australia is in the hands of men of 

 the same origin as those who have developed to such a wonder- 

 ful extent the resources of Canada and the United States, and 

 therefore we look for equally satisfactory results so far as the 

 characteristics of that continent permit. The five colonies which 

 divide among them the three million square miles of the conti- 

 nent have each of them efficient government surveys, which are 

 rapidl}'' mapping their features and investigating their geology ; 

 but Australia has a trying economic problem to solve. In none 

 of the colonies is the water supply quite adequate; in all are 

 stretches of desert country of greater or less extent. The center 

 and western half of the continent are covered by a desert more 

 waterless and more repellent than even the Sahara ; so far as our 

 present knowledge goes, one-third of the continent is uninhabit- 

 able. This desert area has been crossed by explorers, at the' ex- 

 pense of great sufferings, in various directions, each with the same 

 dreary tale of almost featureless sandy desert, covered here and 

 there with spinifex and scrub, worse than useless. There are 

 hundreds of thousands of square miles still unknown, but there 

 is no reason to believe that these areas possess any features that 

 differ essentially from those which have been found along the 

 routes that have been explored. 



There have been one or two well-equipped scientific expedi- 

 tions in recent years that have collected valuable data with re- 

 gard to the physical characteristics, the geology and biology of 

 the continent ; and it is in this direction that geography should 

 look for the richest results in the future. There remains much 

 to be done before we can arrive at satisfactory conclusions as to 



