THE PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF AUSTRALIA. 267 



paratively narrow the belt is that separates us from the actual northern 

 limit of the antarctic ice drift we will probably admit that there is some 

 affinity between our own climate and that of far southern lands. There 

 is also a probability that the recently discovered traces of so-called 

 glaciation in our own country is not an indication of a true glacial period 

 at all, but simply isolated fragments of southern ice masses which, hav- 

 iug drifted far away into northern regions when there were much smaller 

 and fewer land areas to impede the circulation of Antarctic Ocean cur- 

 rents, stranded on the southern shores of a partially submerged conti- 

 nent during a period of rapid evolution, when the predominant physical 

 conditions would favor the preservation of traces for ages. Be this as 

 it may, the significant fact remains that the only traces discovered have 

 been found in the extreme southern portion of our continent and on the 

 neighboring island of Tasmania — a circumstance which, in my opinion, 

 strongly favors the theory of ice drift. The great extent of our conti- 

 nent and compactness of its land mass invest it with a very wide range 

 of climate. There are three distinct and primary zones — tropical, sub- 

 tropical, and temperate, and these may be subdivided into local divi- 

 sions, representing the climates of our seaboard, the mountains, table- 

 lands, and the great central desert area. On the whole the tropical 

 climate of Australia is not by any means unhealthy to Europeans. On 

 some of the low-lying coastal areas in the immediate neighborhood of 

 swampy and marshy lands malarial fever is readily contracted by people 

 who are not acclimatized and by those who rashly expose themselves. 

 The subject is a difficult one with which to deal; so many contributing 

 causes have to be considered — physical condition, food, clothing, mode 

 of life, and other predisposing factors require special elucidation before 

 the extent of absolute climatic influence can be properly estimated. 

 Individual opinion, and indeed individual experience, is not by any 

 means a satisfactory guide in investigating this subject, for men's 

 opinions, like their physical conditions, rarely harmonize. Mr. E. A. 

 Leonard, who spent some time in the Cardwell district land surveying, 

 says: "The climate is very trying to white men, who must rapidly 

 deteriorate in physique should they live there continuously." There 

 are many people who concur in this opinion. On the other hand, Mr. 

 A. Meston, who has had a long experience in widely different parts 

 of the country and who gives an interesting chapter upon the subject 

 in his recently published valuable work, regards the tropical climate of 

 northeastern Australia in the most favorable light, maintaining that 

 it is exceptionally healthy to Europeans. Unjustifiable prejudice has 

 much to do in a case of this kind, but taking all things into considera- 

 tion I am inclined to believe that continuous domicile in any tropical 

 climate is not favorable to perfect health, viewed from an Anglo-Saxon 

 standpoint; and this is especially so in the case of females. There are 

 certainly periods of uncomfortable inertia that seem to. insinuate them- 

 selves even upon those who are physically healthy, and these have a 



