Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-07-21
4 Southern Paradise.

have IjuSt returned from \ visit to Tas-
mania. Americans probably know the
island better bv its Old name of Van Die
man md. and connect it with traditions
of the convict system. 1t is nat ur:il they
should do 80; and vet TO Au-tralians of this
generation the name carries with it hardly
any associations except Of i genial climate
and great natural beauty. Poll icAllv.
Tasmania is trying no experiments that
are of any but the >malle-t local crest.
tommerclallv. the island for years back
has been n failure. Even its n lur:,l beau-
ty will NOT bear rigid examination. and
has often been ovtr-prllsed. | n lis w!l
not bear comparison with the Blue Noun
tlin~ of New South w dies. With the Noun
Cook range in New ZEALAND. or even with
the Gipp'> Land Alps. it has no scenes
of vcri. i.ftiry-likr helliv SIch the north
,rn island Of New Zealand boasts in lis
marble terraces and hot lakes and grv~rrs
Alt"~,t thtr. indeed. it bears TO New Zea-
land the same relation that Dcvon.hire or
X Mt bears t Swliz 'riani. Bat precisely
in this is its great charm for Australians.
We are ttnajic;,llv English. and Tasmania
is not only the most English part of the
antipodr>. but is EnCan gl"ritird and
transit rur' with virgin forests. with
English lacking parks. farms. cottages.
with native TrowthS OF nmbraGt"u- fern
trees an Tum-trer> thIt match the MANI
moth trees Of California. with gardens III
which every fruit of Enropr and every
Australian tree will grow. with y summer
hat knows neither drought nor hot winl.
what an autumn that is Ever laden with
mist. with winter in which snow never
lies except "n the molIntaln-.op>.
So far rs my experience goes. there is
no part of the antipodtS that will match
California for fruit; but l do moi think
California itself can show gardens equal 10
those of Tasmania. Ii seems To come
midway between England and Australia,
- that the plants which in England We
have to shelter from the cold, and in Aus
tralit To roof in from the sun, fl 'uri>h
here with rare luXuriance in the open air
Everywhere the eye wonders over bright
tint> in the distance Here it is a scarle
hedge of grranlun>, there a bower over
which Il fuchSia has been trained, and here.
again. English hawthorn, growing wild.
rs gorsc grows on the English commons.
The plants of the Old World have invaded
Tasmania as con4urrOrS. and are rapidly
driving ont the native flora. In Il walk
up the spurs of Mount Wellington-the
hill that overlangs Hobart rown-I rec
ognized only one Ia i've plant. the tca-trte-
English hawthorn, bluc-bell. pimpernel,
and wild geranium Were Il perfect tangle
at ones feet. | have said that think
Ta>manian landscapes have been \ little
over-prai>ed. | must except Hobart Town.
the situation of which is more like Bergen
any other place know. With back
ground of high hills lying round it like
the walls of an amphiIhertrr, with :,
splendid river sweeping past it on one side
and with grand lookout from the spurs
on which it is built over Il bro ,d bay stud
ed with islands, Hob ri Town can fairly
claim to rank among cities of exc"pt onal
beauty. With little energy on the part
of its peohlr. it would certainly be the
queen of Australian watering places; but
ra>mani, is the Sleepy Hollow of these
latitudes.-NcW York Milton.