The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1868-02-27
Australian Scenery,

The greater part of Australia is, in its
natural state, tor eight or nine mouths in
the year, almost destitute of water To a
new conner it sounds strange to hear an up
country squatter remark that he has no
water on his run yet, but he hopes he soon
shall have Although more rain falls in
Victoria than III most parts of England du-
ring the year, there are hardly any springs,
aud few streams except the large rivers,
which are few and far between, which run
for more than q few days after rain has
ceased falling. Why the rain auns OH go
fast has not thoroughly been explained, but
it seems there IS an incrustatiou of subsoil
which prevents the rain penetrating to any
depth The creeks as they are called
leave water holes, some of which never dry
up during the summer but these are also
far between; aud So generally the first bu.
siness OF the squatter in new country is
to construct tanks to receive the water from
the roof of his house and out buildings, and
the second is to build dam from six to
twenty feet high across the nearest hollow
for almost every hollow is water course
after heavy rain--and in this way make
q reservoir containing water enough for his
sheep to drink all the year round, aud be
washed III at shearlng-ti a dam is as
much an essential part of a station as q
barn is to d farm yard. Probably it is this
absence Of moisture in the ground, and CON
sequently in the air also, which makes dis.
tant objects in Victoria SO marvelously
clear, and gives such peculiar brilliant colors
to the landscape where the conformation of
the ground admits OF distant view. |
never saw such a brilliant col0ring any
vhero IN Europe Ii Is Jhe one redeemug
feature, without which TIE scenery, except
in the mountainous districts, would be tame
and dreary enough. The country is seldom
uuduating, as in Tasmania rhe trees are
generally small stunted, and diseased, cx-
cept on the ranges the plains are almost
destitute Of any trees at all, and vegetation
is scanty, except in early spring time. There
is great plain extending for nearly hue
drod miles westward Of Geeong almost
without break, SO flat aud SO destitute Of
trees or other objects high enough to break
the line Of the horizon, that at the height
of dozen feet from the ground you may
any day see hill and not high hill Ell
ther-full forty-fi miles distant as tie
crow flies, looking ,ot MIN and misty but a
clearly defined blue patch on the horizon.
To most people there is something iOtoIera-
by desoate aud repulsive in snch a plain
Even to those who ore most fond Of open
country it must be depressing under cir
cumstances, notably during rainy forE-
night in win ter, or on hot wind day in
summer. But there is something indis
cribably grand and enjoyable in the coin
tinuai contemplation of 50 vast landscape
When the sun is high it is an expanse Of
turf, green in winter,and brown in summer
but as the afternoon advances, earth and
sky become family purple, and crimson, and
golden the coIors deepen from half hour
to half hour, till the sun sinks into it's bed
Of turf in a gorgeous blaze of splepdor
There are several shallow lakes upon the
plain, some very large and most Of them
salt.