90 Geographical Notices. 
succession of tracts of lands useless and useful, part already inhab- 
ited and part capable of being so. The lake district west of the 
Torrens Basin is in itself a very interesting region which has 
iven rise even in Australia to many hypotheses on the origin 
of the continent. The salty ingredients of the soil, the salt 
water lakes, and the sea-shore-like plains west of the Torrens 
Basin described by Stuart, were used as arguments for the sup- 
position that this part of Australia had been lifted out of the 
sea in a comparatively recent period only; that in its place an 
arm of the sea formerly existed, which perhaps connected Spen- 
cer’s Gulf with the Gulf of Carpentaria, whereby Australia was 
divided into two parts. These hypotheses, though pleasantly 
drawn out, must however be considered useless and hasty, as by 
a close scientific physical examination they are as likely soon to 
be refuted as confirmed. Even Babbage’s calculations of his 
barometrical observations are still wanting and with them the 
is most necessary to a physical examination of the country. 
However, in relation to height, we may assume as tolerably cer- 
tain, that from Spencer’s Gulf in the direction from N. to N.W., 
plains extend into the interior elevated but little above the level 
of the sea and separated from each other by plateaux. The 
Torrens Basin with its lagoons and coast plains forms one of 
these low tracts, a second one is represented by that series of 
lakes, which commences with Lake Dutton and ends on t 
other side of Lake Younghusband in several swamps and 
sloughs; a third is formed by the great sinkings of Lake Gaird- 
ner and its environs. Major Warburton believes that Lake 
Gairdner is situated below the level of the sea. If this be true, 
it must also be the case with the Great Salt Lake and the other 
adjacent lakes,—as we find in Babbage’s Reports no intimation 
of any difference in their height. Without expressing any defi- 
nite opinion we will only mention, that Gregory, in his previous 
expedition from Moreton Bay to Adelaide, ¢ the Torrens 
Basin and found by barometrical means that this basin was situ- 
ated decidedly above the level of the sea. But the Torrens 
Basin has there, as the most recent travellers in Australia affirm, 
its greatest depth. Warburton’s opinion therefore remains for 
the present at least improbable. 
The area of the discovered lakes is not inconsiderable, as 4 
comparison with the Lake of Constance shows (Area 207 Eng. 
or 9°75 Germ. sq. m.). By a calculation based on sketches of 
charts we find 
‘Lake Gairdner in the extent given on the chart 2807 E. or 182 G. M. 
Great Salt Lake, - oo : - $55.4 et? 
Lake Hart, = - - - ~ 40.4" = 6G F 
Pernatty L - - : : 4... 
‘Lake’ - - - ED, 5 Beatin: «ge 
Lake Windabout, - ‘ é - 49% © 23 4 
Lake Reynolds, - - - . “i ees OOS 
rae Ete) 
