THE NORTH AND WEST COAST 105 



amount of tin mining, and of gold mining on a 

 small scale is carried on. The mining industries 

 on the west coast are more closely connected with 

 the north than with the south, owing to the 

 railway which runs from Burnie on the north 

 coast down to Strahan, while the only connexion 

 with the south is by a small line of coastal steamers, 

 which ply between Hobart and Macquarie Harbour. 

 A direct railway from Hobart to the west coast 

 has long been projected, and the carrying into 

 ejffect of this plan might have far-reaching results 

 in opening out possible mining areas in the south- 

 west, which hitherto has remained practically 

 unexplored. 



The advantages which the south has to set off 

 against those of the north are chiefly the vastly 

 superior harbour of Hobart, where the largest 

 vessels can draw right up to the wharf, compared 

 to the tortuous and shallow estuary of the Tamar 

 at Launceston, and the facts that the seat of 

 Government is established there, and that the 

 historic interest of Hobart and Port Arthur, 

 and the natural beauties of the country, attract 

 a large number of tourists. 



The division of the island into a north and 

 south half, with interests to a certain extent 

 opposed to one another, leads to some jealousy; 

 and though this may appear rather petty to a 

 stranger, the same is true all over Australia, 

 and indeed must always be the case in a new 

 country where no common danger or crisis has 



