, 1876-01-03

Mr.. JOHN Forrest has Just published in Lon
don hIn records OF three jouEneya Of o1plora-
tion In Ccntrai AuBtralia. performed respectively
III 1869, 1870, ana 1871. Tho Interior Of this con-
tiuont is a descrt-land, consisting Of spinIfo1
(}tsiuca irFifons) pfaus, sani.hills, sandstone
cliffs, eran,te-rocks, few trees, A,ld raro grassy
piahs. with at almost total absonce Of waler,
Tho first journey Of Mr. forrest was snalo in
quest ol tic roulainB of Or. l4elcaartit, proyi-
ons explorer, who lost Ills lt!o in tho vain on-
deaYor to croAs tho desert. Tho expedition Oc-
cupiod 113 days, md Travelled ovor 3.h00 miles.
or tho roglon trasorHcd al tlia tina, 3lr. Forrest
says: "With roforence to tho country travoiol
over, 1 an, OF opinion that 1t is wor.htosa as
rastufa, OF agricultural DISTRICT"
Tho object Of tho ecconl tourncy wnB to reach
Adclailo from Pcrth by way Of tho aoatn coast.
Isctweou Isracllto Lay aud Euclid Bay. Mo patsy
travelled 800 miles without discovering pernla-
ncnt wntor j., Inorn than ono place For three
days. not q drop was found, md 3Er Forest wrote,
Who'll finally ehongh Was procured to s1nho the
ngon,zing thirst of boast and mau: II ham
npyer scen hoFssH In such stato bef0ro. anI
ltopo never to do 60 agnin. Thc horses, which
four daye ago were Btrong and In gond conulton,
dato1, mud thoroughly exhausted" 'On our
fuute.' adds Mr. Forrest. two paRsoa saEy many
millions OF ncres Of grhsBy country but, atn
sorry 20 eay' believe entirely dea'i'uso Of
HhtBE. .
Tho tlstri journey. accomplished in 1874. led
| through tho immense watershed Of Western
Australia, and occupiod several mouths. In tho
report Of it Atr. Forsohs sayA, From tho head
boundary OF orr COLONY, do not think will eror
| bc sottfed. OF course, tiIoro aro many grassy
| patches; but thoy arc 30 iso1asod aud
OF Bnch a1tent, TINT It would mover pay to stock
| them. Tile general t.lnractot Of this Immense
desert Is gently-undnlas,ug srinifu1 desort."
III nj! Eis expeditions Als, EarEest laa1 but one
| SERIOUS encounter With tho natives, ana Lo
bsouEht Ills eu!!re company III safety to each
| journeys end.
| VEGETATION IN INDIA.
Experiments are under way nt ths loyal Do-
tanical Gardens st Calcutta to determine II tho
Tara rubber-plnnt {llefea Dra1ilienstx) aud tho
| 1rocacunnha (ccp1Riis jIHcacuaAha) will tArlye
IN that part ut India. Tho meteorological ro-
! turua for CAlcutta shaw a uitls 1lToronce be-
| tuocn the climates OF Drsgll and fndla aud thus
far the Indications polnt towards failure In tile
outdoor cultivation in tho latter country OF tho
two valuable c.:o!ics fsou South Amer1ea. Tue
Eucalyptus g!u1uius (guu.-tree) growa vigorously
on tue SeIsLosfios aud Khasla Hills, at from
| 5000 to 5000 feot aboyo tho sea. but docs not
sutvIye muro than year or two IN tho hot plains
Of India. or the old l'anyen trco that orna-
,ncuts tho Calcutta gardens. Ns: HING. tho
Director, Rays: ""AlIough considerably dam.
ngad by tla cyclone u 1864. Which carried
away tro OF lta largest arms. this tno
| cuyota an Rrca ot GROUND 300 foot in cfcumfer-
enco its trunk Eittl,s 81 feet; aud from its
branches no fowcr than TO acEsa! roots arc sent
daw, to tho ground, Homo of them 10 feet In
circumference. This limo old troo supports quite
cnlony Of orchids, forns. ana creeping plants,
Of about twenty distinct species, and Riyes
suo!tot to innumerahls birds. Its exact a.a Ia
not known but, considering how Rapidly ban
yauH grow, 1t probably tluoH not mich oxcood
that Of Tho garden, and III therefore less than .
csutury."
ouM.aRAelc.
Tho !ina whto gum.Arabio produced In the
countries hordering tho uppos Mia ia aatd by
Schweufltsih 10 be ytottao1 exclusively by tlt
Acacia rerrk. Tho treo GroNa to tho height OF
about 10 feet, and hitherto ITO n.ontlon has boen
,uado OF any pocula1ity In tho formation OF the
gum. Il ia simply noted that "Tho gum geuer.
ally oxutaes from sAa tsees sponsaae o.,sly. IL
sunirlout abundance to ronder wouuding III,
baIk euposhuous. Thu boulasi tflbes Of Eas
Africa howcyer, arc in the habit Of promoting
tho outflow by making long incls!ons IN thu
ssoIn anil branches OF tho tree. IN Kofdofah
tho Jumps Of gun aro btoAcn ofr with a.. AZ as'r
collected in bashot -"
/ In u lato uuinber OF tho Itruc tits fcience
Naurvlles, attentlou IL called u the f4et thar t
exil,latiou OF tho gum ~ promoted by thG
sto~:b .,na on .lo es.nshss St tbs Asssf s;ss
Bbrubby. parasitical plant. nearly allot
to The Mistletoo. AZ tho point vhore tho Loran
thus sakes root. an irregular, knot&y protubor
aucu is developed In tho Aracta, fEou Which sI'
swo plants sond on bssuehes,- --those oG tht
I.oIanti,us. : At this pluce Of uuiou Tho guu
| nnua in 4 yntfnir1iiRr fofm. TIM rafasita ia