The Express.
London, England, 1862-11-06 00:00:00

FACTS ABOUT TASMANIA.

Before our English convicts were sent to Swan
River in Western Australia, Van Diemen's Laud,
now known as Tasmania, had rather an evil repu-
tation. With the finest climate in the world, and
scenery unequalled for beauty and grandeur, its
population was largely made up of thieves and
vagabonds. That legislative wisdom which now
makes English prisons far more comfortable than
labourer's cottages and workhouses, which fattens
the criminal with the most carefully selected food,
administered in liberal quantities, did all it oould
to foster crime by planting easy prisons in a dis-
tant Paradise. Convicts were sent at great cost to
the other aide of the globe, were released at the
earliest possible moment to work as free labourers
in the colony, and were practically turned into
thriving emigrants sent out at the expense of their
country. Of course they wrote home glowing ac-
counts of their condition and prospects ; of course
more thieves and ruffians were wade by these let-
ters ; of course their friends and relatives sailed
out to join them ; and of course they took suit and
service with their friends and relatives. When
their fortunes were made, and their nominal term
of transportation had expired, they returned as
first-class passengers to their deluded country.
Many a convict capitalist was thus made to bless
the wisdom of his governors, and the days when he
took to crowbars or pocket-picking to gain a dis-
honest living.
Tasmania, no longer troubled with fresh convicts,
has well tilled its appointed place in the Interna-
tional Exhibition, and has given us, through Mr.
George Whiting, the secretary to the Local Com-
missioners, a abort statement of its position, pro-
ducts, and resources. It is an island nearly as large
as Ireland, lying about 120 miles south of the south-
eastern corner of the Australian continent. Its area
comprises about sixteen millions of acres, or about
25,000 square miles. Thecentml part of the island
consists of a table-laud, averaging at least 3,000 feet
shove the level of the sea. It is plentifully watered
by large lakes and rivers, the latter affording an
amount of constant motive power for mills or for
irrigation, perhaps unequalled, within the same dis-
tance from the sea, in any country in the world.
Among the Tasmanian products timber occupies
the most conspicuous place. This has been well
illustrated by the "Tasmanian Timber Trophy,"
in the International Exhibition, where spars, rail-
way sleepers, joists, quartering, flooring-boards,
ships' knees, pla:.king, &c., together with valuable
splitting timber, have been shown in every variety
of kind and condition. This " trophy " has fur-
nished valuable information as to the abundance,
variety, sud lasting qualities of Tasmanian timber,
to all persons interested in ship-building, railways,
and public buildings. It has no less clearly shown
the adaptability of Tasmanian cabinet woods for
ornamental furniture, and other requirements of
modern elegance and refinement. Many of the
specimens shown equalled the finest samples
of walnut, rosewood, or mahogany. The
export of timber from Tasmania in 1860, princi-
pally to the colonies, amounted to 73,7201. The
demand
has generally fluctuated with the success
of gold mining in Australia. In 1853 this item of
export amounted to 443,0001., when a pair of
sawyers were known to earn about 40/. in one
week.

Whale fishing, another branch of colonial in-
dustry, has regained the prominence in Tasmanian
estimation which it occupied before the derange-
ment of all industrial pursuits by the gold disco-
veries. The fishing ground of the Tasmanians
reaches from their own shores to the Antarctic
regions, and is sufficiently well stocked to attract a
large number of American whale ships, who fre-
quently discharge, provision, and refit at Hobart
Town. There are now 25 vessels, with an
gate tonnage of 5,746 tons, engaged in whaling
from the port of Hobart Town. The quantity of
sperm oil and head matter from the Southern
whale fishery exported in 1861 amounted to 710
tons, worth about 60,3501. The boats which have
been suspended from the " trophy " are whale
boats, made of colonial wood, and the harpoons and
all other gear connected with them have been fitted
up by colonial workmen. Each boat, such as those
exhibited, when fitted with line, oars, dc., com-
plete, costs about 701.
Coal exists in nearly every part of Tasmania.
The main portion of the fuel used in Hobart Town
is derived from mines at New Town, in the close
vicinity of the capital, and from Taman's penin-
sula ; but it is known that coal beds of far greater
value than those which have been worked, princi-
pally on account of their easy accessibility, exist in
other parts of the island. The coal is very bitu-
minous, is used by the coasting steamers, and has
recently been largely exported to Victoria.
Amongst the mineralogical collection of Tas-
mania some black and white marbles from the Flo-
rentine Valley and from Chndleigh, where it is
burned for the common purposes of lime, have
shown by their texture and polish that Tasmania
is not without the means of ornamental archi-
tecture.

Gold has been found in Tasmania, but it has not
yet been discovered in paying quantities. There
are abundance of quartz reefs iu the Fingal dis-
trict more or less auriferous, some of which will
probably eventually be found to pay for the crush-
ing. Tu stimulate exploration, the colonial govern-
ment has just offered a reward of 20,0001. for the
discovery of a payable gold field.
Galeua and copper ore have been found in dif-
ferent parts of Tasmania, but not hitherto in any
considerable quantity. Iron ore abounds all over
the colony, which will doubtless some day prove
highly advantageous in connexion with the vast
coal fields of the east coast. The ore is found to
consist of pure protoxide of iron, and furnishes a
very pure and malleable metal.
the agricultural capabilities of Tasmania have
freely been taken advantage of by the inhabitants.
In 1800, with a population of 87,775, the amount
of laud under cultivation was no less than 218,315
acres. As in all now countries, much rough and
imperfect farming exists, but improvement has
proceeded llv id the vctical dts -