The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-07-21

Lake Torrens. about 100 miles long, with
Lake Gardiner to the west OF It North Of
Lake Torrens Is Lake Eyre, which -
larger, and to the northwest Lake ANA
deus. which Is also Of good size. All these
lakes are salt. They are surrounded by
fats Of treacherous mud and crusted with
salt. Some parts Of them are dry for years
at . time. when wet season will fill
them and cause grass to sprout up all about
them.
Most Of the land north and west Of the
lakes II desert. II you will draw line
across the continent from the lakes to the
mouth of the Victoria River you will block
of ono Of the biggest deserts Of the world.
The desert block will be one-sixth as big as
the whole United States. and It will contain
no water and no vegetation OF any kind
except thorny scrub and thorny grasses.
This 10 the case with nearly all Western
Australia with the exception Of the small
settled portion at the southwest.
Eucalyptus Trees and Other
Queer Forms of Vegetation.
The scrubs are peculiar to Australia They
are . sort Of dwarf eucalyptus trees, or
dwarf acacias The most common are the
malice scrubs and the mulEa scrubs. The
malice scrubs look like willow or reeds. The
bushes grow close together. 90 that there
are often ten on square foot Of ground.
They grow twice As high 40 your head
without . branch. and as you look over
them you sse nothing but . mass Of dark
brown bushes reaching on and on for miles.
Hero and there roads and paths are cut
through them which look like avenues or
aisles.
They make the country gloomy in the ex
treme, and added to the dreary eucalyptus
trees the vast deserts and tho lack of varie-
ty in the scenery have given It the title of
tho Never. Never Country" or the land Of
despair. The extent Of the malice scrub Is
enormous. In South Australia there 10 an
unbroken tract about twice the size Of the
State Of New York. which is entirely COW
cred with malice. and you will ind It In all
parts Of Australia
The mulga scrub 10 . sort Of thorn bush.
The bushes grow close together. and they
become matted 20 that It is almost impos-
sible to make your way through them.
Among other curiosities ars tho grasses.
There are trees here which grow grass
looking for all the world a. II . great
stump had sprouted out in grass on all
sides and on the top.
The spinifex. or the porcupine. grass Is
ono Of the terrors OF the explorer It COW
ers much Of the sandy plains to such an
extent that 1t Is almost impossible to travel
over them. 1t is hard. spiny grass. which
grows In little hills from one foot and q
half to five feet in diameter It 10 always
found in the dry country. and its mere ex-
istence Is an evidence that there 10 no
water near by.
Its blades are as sharp as q needle and
/ are very destructive to both horses and
men. The horses feet are 80 cut that they
sometimes have to be killed or are left to
die upon the desert.
But could write much about the queer
vegetation of Australia. seen new trees
| every day. and the queerest Of all is the
great bottle tree. which looks for all the
world like gigantic champagne masnum
with leaves growing out Of the cork.
Everywhere I go I see eucalyptus trees.
They are the dreariest forests that
have ever travelled through. Many Of them
have long. thin leaves which hang down.
ward as though they were weeping. They
are always green, and they shed their bark
instead Of their leaves. The bark hangs
down for all the world like disheveled hair.
making you think that all nature has gone
into mourning and they are the chief
nutes at tho funeral. Some Of them are
very high. comparing with the big trees Of
California. There was ono recently felied
which measured 80 feet said to b the
largest tres in the world.
FRANK G. CARPENTER.
Copyright 1901, b. Frank q. Cafpsntse.)
e.