11 
fragments. Like most erupted rocks, it forms 
hills, or groups of hills, without any definite 
arrangement, on the slope of the ranges of older 
rocks. 
At a still later period there have been exten- 
sive outbursts of basalt, which exhibits such a 
scoriaceous character that it might be mistaken 
for lava. There is, however, strong evidence of 
its flowing from fissures, and not being erupted 
from cones. 
Overlying these rocks is a bed of sandstone, 
full of water-worn quartz pebbles, which 
appear to indicate that the whole of the country 
was submerged at the time, or at least subse- 
quently to the last outburst of the basalt. 
The sandstone is usually most largely deve- 
loped on the summits of the ranges, or at least 
is most conspicuous in this position, and as its 
character is very similar to the upper sandstone 
of the western table land, it may be referred to 
the same period, though, there being no fossils 
observed in either, it is not certain. 
It was only after passing to the south of lati- 
tude 20 deg., that there was any decided indica- 
tion of the existence of coal, and in latitude 23 
deg. coal-bearing strata are largely developed, 
forming the Peak Downs, from which this valu- 
able mineral seems to extend with little inter- 
ruption southward to latitude 28 deg., a distance 
of 350 miles. 
As the most recent rocks which have yet been 
observed belonged to the highest member of the 
carboniferous series, or new red sandstone period, 
and as this overlays all the higher summits yet 
examined, it would appear that the whole of 
Intertropical Australia was submerged at a 
period immediately subsequent to the carboni- 
ferous period. That before the deposition of 
any of the newer series of rocks the whole of 
this portion of the continent was raised above 
the ocean, that portion westward of the 143 
deg. meridian by an equal or nearly equal force, 
which scarcely disturbed the strata, and thus 
formed a vast table land, the edges of which 
have since been segregated by waters flowing over 
its edges, thereby forming the valleys of the 
present rivers and creeks. 
Eastward of the 143 deg. meridian, the ele- 
vating forces seem to have been much more 
active, the greatest intensity being along the 
eastern coast, which would appear to have been 
raised at first to much a greater height than it 
now retains, as the entrances of some of the 
rivers indicate a gradual subsidence of the land 
— a view which accords with the theory which 
has been deduced from the coralline structure 
of the Great Barrier Reef which fronts this 
coast. 
Assuming the foregoing data to be correct, it 
would appear that Australia is the oldest per- 
sistent continent in the world, as every other 
country exhibits unmistakable evidence of one 
or more submergences since the new red sand- 
stone period, and it is a remarkable coincidence 
that the existing animal and vegetable kingdoms 
in Australia, approximate more closely to the 
extinct fauna and flora of past ages, than those 
which now exist in any other country. 
FAIRFAX AND BELBRIDGE, PRIXIERS, BRISBANE. 
