The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-03-27
TASMANIA.
Description of This Important
Little Island.
Its Strange. Wild History-The Name 1t
Used to Go By-Convicts of Former
Days-Terrible Forest Tales
Extinct Natives.

Australian continent is an island
which figured in the biographies over
which | pored in a New England
country school-house some thirty years
ago as Van Diemen's Land. At its
southern extremity, looking toward
that part of the Pacific which stretches
to the unknown lands around the
austral pole, was a dot which stood
Tor the capital of this remote Common
wealth, by name Hobart Town. Very
lonely and out of the world looked this
island and city; nor was it deemed
worth the "schoolma' ANS while to
teach any thing about either. Such.
however, is not now its title, and has
not been for some score of years.
Originally named in honor of General
Anthony Van Diemen, Governor of the
Dutch possessions in the Indian Archi-
pelago, by the man whom he had sent
out to explore the unknown coast of
"the Great South Land" as Australia
was then called, the bold navigator,
Commodore Abel Jams Tasman, it now
bears officially the name of it's discov-
error and is called Tasmania.
The island of Tasmania is about one
hundred and thirty miles long from
north to south, and nearly as wide
from east to west. Comparatively a
small portion is settled-much of it is
unexplored. 1t is noted in Australia
Tor the fine breeds of merino sheep
which it raises for the improvement of
the locks of the main land, and is be-
ginning to attract much attention from
the evident richness of it's mineral re-
sources. These are as yet undevel-
oped for the most part. The almost
utter inaccessibility of the regions
which give the greatest indications of
treasure, owing to the density and
strange formation of the forests, of
which / shall presently speak, have
thus far rendered any thorough pros
pecting quite impossible. The country
Is known to abound in gold, silver, and
TN; several gold mines of great rich
ness are now being worked, and some
prodigiously productive silver depos-
us have been discovered in regions so
formidable that the cost of getting the
ore to market would moro than con-
sumo its value.
Hobart is as quiet and picturesque a
town as one would wish to see. 1t is
situated, near enough to the
mouth of the sound-like river Derwent
70 admit vessels of deepest draught to
her wharves, and far enough inland to
De protected from storms and to form
an excellent port for interior products.
Launceston, some thirty miles from the
sea. on the river lamar, is the north
ern port, and is reached from Mel
bourne by the swift and well-equipped
steamers of the Tasmanian Steam Nav
lgation Company.
The journey from Launceston to Ho
part Is made over railway 1873 miles
long, and consumes six hours-colonial
being invariably leisure
~ Inc road is of narrow gauge and
one OF the crookedest in existence
Astounding in deep grades and sbarn
curves ana running through a rich.
picturesque and interesting countr,
The carriages are unique, and worth a
brief description. They were shown
to me with great pride by one of the
officials before leaving Launceston as
american carriages, built by the
company, and the only ones of the kind
In the colonies" l devoutly hope that
they may long remain so, since they
resemble nothing else than an elon-
gated American horse-car, both in size
aud arrangement of seats, which run
sngthwise of the carriage instead of
gross it. They are, moreover, divid-
u into two or three compartments,
s'hnected by swinging door, which,
asou have the corner seat, for whose
possession every body rushes, bangs
YOUR knees or shins painfully every
enters. Fet9'|
hssseo eaFs and the country back OF 1t
,,ms s aesii some strange and stirring
s,s.a ', N Its experience with the con.
s''ss Nae were TRANSFERRED to Van Die,