SOME DIFFERENCES 85 



which to scare people away. A southern critic, honestly 

 pitiful of our ill state, urges that the experiment of destroy- 

 ing those mosquitoes which disseminate the germ of 

 malaria, by sealing up lagoons and swamps with kerosene, 

 is worthy the attention of town and country residents in 

 tropical Queensland, " where attacks of malaria are felt every 

 summer." Mere idle words of pernicious consequence. 

 Many a wretch who has done less mischief than "these 

 utterers of forged tales, coiners of scandal and clippers of 

 reputation," has had his liberty restricted. But a small 

 and an annually lessening proportion of our population 

 suffers from malaria, and yet all have the renown of an 

 annual attack ! In that case the writer ought to have had 

 twenty-five attacks, and thousands of others, lusty and 

 toneful fellows, forty and forty-five attacks. With as much 

 claim upon reason might one say that because of the 

 sudden jerks of their climate (40 deg. of difference within 

 twelve hours) all Victorians have to make three changes 

 of raiment every day in order to avoid ill consequences ; 

 or that every man, woman and child in merry England has 

 had instead of expects or dreads or hopes to have appendi- 

 citis, since King Edward the Peacemaker suffered, and 

 renown came upon that disorder. Malaria is fleeing before 

 civilisation. It cannot — at any rate in North Queensland 

 — long endure the presence of the white man. 



Unfeigned pity is bestowed upon the denizens of North 

 Queensland on account of the pains and penalties and dis- 

 comforts alleged to be the sentence of all who dare select 

 it as home. We who know can but smile and wait ; and 

 ever call to mind pleasant and happy experiences, ever- 

 lasting truths and " the falsehood of extremes." 



Even in the matter of cyclones — often quoted as one of 

 its detriments — North Queensland has nothing to hide. 

 At intervals Nature does indulge in a reckless and violent 

 outburst, but not more frequently here than in other parts 

 of the world. Year after year the seasons are passive and 

 pleasant, and in every respect considerate of humanity and 

 encouraging to humanity's undertakings. Then, abandon- 



