Dec.  I,  1896.1 
PHK  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST, 
407 
two  meat  works  in  the  vicinity  of  Townsville,  which 
have  found  it  to  their  advantage  to  employ  their 
plant  in  such  process  for  the  present. 
In  fact  just  now  whereever  one  goes  about  Townsville 
there  is  little  else  talked  of  than  “ticks,”  and  we 
were  not  long  there  without  seeing  them,  both  dead 
and  alive.  Had  as  this  plague  is  and  ruinous  as  have 
been  the  losses  caused  thereby  over  a large  extent  of 
country,  it  seems  now  on  the  decrease,  and  old  ex- 
perienced squatters  think  that  they  will  disappear  as 
quickly  as  they  have  come. 
And  now  proceeding  further  north  we  rejoin  the 
steamer  again  for  the  200  odd  miles  to  C .trus.  The 
best  plan  is  to  go  there  in  one  of  the  big  steamers, 
and  return  in  small  coasting  boat  the  “ Palmer  ” 
which  calls  at  many  interesting  ports  on  its  voyage. 
Cairns  itself  is  not  pretty,  but  being  surrounded  by 
a range  of  mountains  commencing  to  rise  at  abotrt 
10  miles  inland,  the  view  from  the  sea  is  picturesque. 
The  water  is  very  shallow  for  a long  way  out,  aud 
it  is  only  at  high  tide  the  steamers  can  approach 
the  wharf.  When  we  arrived  it  was  Carnival  week, 
there  being  races,  agricultrtral  show,  bazaar,  ball, 
Ac.,  yet  at  ordinary  times  it  seems  a very  sleepy 
place.  The  streets  are  w'ide — too  wide — for  they  are 
hot  made,  and  the  dust  is  great  miless  when  it  rains. 
There  is  a Government  nursery  at  Ivemerunga  where 
many  tropical  economical  plants  can  be  seen,  and 
where  coffee  is  growing  luxuriantly,  -but  it  is  situ- 
ated too  far  from  the  town,  being  9 miles,  aud  a 
bad  road,  so  that  comparatively  few  people  visit  it. 
The  sugar  plantation  and  mill  of  the  Messrs.  Swallow, 
formerly  of  Melbourne,  is  about  the  same  distance 
in  another  direction,  and  it  is  well  worth  visiting. 
The  mill  was  in  full  work  day  and  night,  with  elec- 
tric light,  pressing  canes  of  good  quality. 
On  the  Hambledon  plantation  can  be  seen  about 
30  acres  of  Arabian  coffee  only  planted  out  12  months 
ago  and  already  giving  good  promise  of  blossom,  while 
in  Mr.  W.  H.  Swallow's  garden  there  arc  cacao 
trees,  cinnamon,  and  other  tropical  products,  formerly 
confined  to  the  East  and  West  Indies,  but  now 
bearing  evidence  of  the  suitableness  of  the  climate 
and  soil  of  Northern  Queensland  to  produce  them 
all,  given  the  needful  labour, — indeed,  we  think  on 
this  account  alone  there  is  a promising  future  for 
Cairns  as  the  centre  aud  port  for  tlie  export  of 
such  products.  On  the  slopes  of  the  hills  and  on 
the  table  land  above  the  ranges  there  is  any  qiran- 
tity  of  splendid  land  awaiting  clearing  and  planting 
There  are  also  now  being  arranged  the  erection 
of  one  or  more  central  sugar  mills  under  the  “Sugar 
Worlis  Guarantee  Act,”  involving  the  opening  up 
by  farmers  of  a considerable  tract  of  country  lying 
between  20  and  40  miles  of  Cairns,  in  wliich 
direction  a permanent  tramway  is  now  in  course  of 
construction.  All  this  is  bringing  money  and  popu- 
lation into  this  district. 
The  chief  attraction  of  this  pirt  of  Queensland  is 
to  go  up  the  Cairns  Ilailway  to  see  the  Boron  Ilooa 
George  and  Waterfall,  out  of  all  question  the  finest 
scenery  of  its  kind  to  be  met  with  in  Australia. 
The  railway  in  itself  is,  as  is  well-known,  a re- 
markable undertaking.  For  about  8 miles  it  runs 
along  tolerably  level  country  through  dense  tropical 
jungle  in  parts,  then  it  ascends  the  Barron  Gorge 
reaching  in  twelve  milts  the  Palls,  1,200  feet  above  sea 
level.  In  that  distance  it  passes  through  15  tunnels 
of  various  lengths  and  traverses  many  bridges, 
passing  on  one  of  them  the  Stoney  Creek  Falls,  the 
spray  from  the  water  of  wliich  dashes  over  the 
bridge  in  flood  time.  On  another  at  Surprise  Creek 
the  rails  pass  70  feet  clear  above  the  bed,  and  passing 
you  look  sheer  down  1,000  feet  into  the  bed  of  the 
Barron.  The  scene  is  constantly  changing  as  you 
w'ind  along  the  steep  sides  of  the  mountains,  at  some 
points  a niaguibcent  \ijw  of  the  P.icific  Oeeon  dis- 
closes itself,  at  others  you  look  at  the  ranges  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  Gorge,  descending  precipi- 
tously down  into  the  valley  for  2,000  feet,  all  clothed 
clothed  from  base  to  summit  with  tiees  and  plmts 
and  tropical  vegetation  of  all  sorts.  Then  come 
the  Trails  themselves  facing  the  lino  where  the  river 
clears  the  descent  of  700  feet  to  the  rocks  below. 
It  would  be  difficult  to  overstate  the  beauty  and 
grandeur  of  this  even  when  the  waters  are  low  and 
in  flood  it  must  be  a grander  sight.  ’ 
At  Kuranda  station  about  I J mile  above  the  P''alls 
there  is  a small  but  comfortable  hotel  which  accom- 
modates about  10  guests,  and  here  it  is  desirable  to 
stay  for  a day  or  two,  walk  down  to  the  P’alls  aud 
view  them  at  leisure.  There  are  also  interesting 
excursions  which  can  be  irrade  from  Jvurauda  into 
the  rich  agriculi ural  land  and  heavily  timbered 
scrub  of  the  Upper  Barron  ; while  beyoird  the  rail- 
way passes  into  Ihe  Ueiberton  c-untry,  rich  in  tin 
and  silver  nrinerals. 
A few  miles  above  Kuranda  can  be  seen  two  small 
coffee  plantations  of  between  four  and  ten  acres 
each,  the  trees  on  which  are  about  four  years  old 
aud  the  yield  of  last  season  was  very  satisfactory 
aud  profitable.  ^ 
As  the  introducion  of  Japanese  as  labourers  in 
these  northern  latitudes  is  quite  of  recent  date  it 
may  be  of  interest  to  note  that  we  saw  about  GO 
of  them  working  at  various  occupations,  on  the  Ham- 
bledon sugar  plantation,  and  also  at  Goondi  on 
the  .lohnstoue  river.  These  Japs  are  not  like  the 
stray  ones  to  be  seen  sometimes  in  Melbourne,  but  are 
sturdy  stiong  fellows  evidently  accustsined  to’ country 
work.  They  are  short  but  broad  shouldered  and 
muscular,  are  quick  at  picking  up  their  new  duties 
prove  quiet  and  contented  subjects  filling  a place 
quite  uusuited  by  climate  for  white  labour. 
The  places  of  interest  touched  at  by  the  “ Palma  ” 
on  the  return  voyage  from  Cairns  to  Townsville  are 
too  numerous  to  detail  in  a sketchy  paper  such  as 
this,  but  the  Johnstone  River  will  serve  as  a sample 
Nine  or  ten  miles  up  this  river,  which  can  only  be  entered 
at  high  tide,  is  the  town.ship  of  Geraldton  which 
owes  its  existence  to  bananas  and  sugar.  For  miles 
below  aud  above  it,  the  banks  are  lined  with  banana 
plantations  all  leased,  and  in  some  instance  pur- 
chased, by  Chinamen,  who,  cultivate  with  success 
and  profit  this  fruit.  Knowing  when  the  steamer  i.s 
due  they  have  large  flat  bottomed  boats  piled  witli 
bunches  and  cases  ready  for  shipment  south 
On  the  occasion  of  over  the  “ Palma  ” grounded 
on  a sand  bank  about  a mile  from  the  town  aud  in 
spite  of  the  personal  exertions  of  Capt.  Clark  who 
worked  like  a seaman  himself,  it  was  -10  hours  before 
she  was  got  off  ; meamvhile  we  had  an  opportunity  of 
visiting  the  large  sugar  mill  at  Goondi  belonginff 
to  the  Colonial  Sugar  Refining  Company.  This  mill 
in  addition  to  passing  canes  of  their  own  crushes  for 
farmer.s,  who  either  lease  or  purchase  adjacent  land 
from  the  Company  under  a seven  years  agreement- 
and  from  such  iiiforiiiation  as  we  gathered  both 
from  the  Company’s  representatives,  and  the  farmers 
themselves,  the  arrangement  worked  harnioniouslv 
and  to  their  matiial  advantage.  ^ 
The  dense  and  impenetrable  tropical  bush  where 
the  country  has,  not  been  cleared  is  in  itself  n sio-m 
to  see  Palms  of  all  sort  vie  with  native  trees  to 
reach  the  light,  while  the  tree  terns  also  rear  their 
stateliness,  and  gigantic  creepers  clasp  all  in  their 
embrace,  aud  can  be  seeivat  the  tree  tops  50  or  GO  feet 
above  with  their  cable  like  ropes  coming  down  tn 
the  ground,  where  ferns  of  all  kinds  and  Azes  from 
Uie  tiny  maidenhair  to  the  huge  bird-nest  abound 
There  is  no  entering  such  jungle  without  a wav 
being  cut  out,  and  in  some  places  when  a track  bai 
been  opened  lor  access  to  where  some  miinf  n 
lowest  hi.  l„e..  felkd,  ii  i.  like  .‘L'i 
which  never  sees  the  sun.  ® 
One  of  the  beauty  spots  the  “Palma”  called 
on  her  way  to  Townsville  is  Mourilyan  harbour 
l..e  entrance  IS  saw  murjw  that  a stone  could  be 
thrown  on  those  on  either  side  of  the  steamer  but 
once  inside  a harbour  of  great  size  presen  s ’.t«e If 
surrounded  with  hills  clad  with  burden  from  ton  tn 
the  water  edge.  The  re.nenrberance  of  ^ Zrt 
“■  * *«■"« 
To  conclude  these  rough  notes  we  quote  a remark 
made  by  Sir  Samual  Griffiths  in  an  able  paper  of 
his  on  Pederation  recently  published  in  Brisbane 
and  which  we  may  say  has  been  the  main  incentive 
