The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1921-07-09
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east and southeast edges, with patch
on the extreme southwest corner and
another covering most Of the island
of Tasmania. In these regions the
people live.
The trade winds abundantly supply
the northeast coast. but carry little
water beyond; the westerlies, the
roaring fOrties" Of the sailor, deposit
their moisture on the lands along Bass
strait and on the southwest tip Of the
continent, but have little or none to
carry inland. The north coast is al
ternately drenChed and dried with the
coming and going Of mOnsOOns. The
center of the continent is therefore
arid. large parts are desert, and the
numerous large lakes shown on the
map are expanses of salt mud covered
with water by infrequent rains. Aus
tralia's streams are fewer and carry
less water than, those of any other
continent.
Its Forests Are Surprising.
The flora of Australia is not only
counterpart in other lands. OF the
10000 species of plants most of them
are purely Australian, and are I'M
known even in New Zealand. The gen.
eral impression one gets of Australian
forests is their total unlikeness to any
thing seen elsewhere. Forms which
may be recognized as tulip, lily, honey
Suckle and fern take on a surprising
aspect. They are not garden flowers,
but trees, and the landscape of which
they form part reminds one of the
Hypothetical representations in books
Of landscape of Mesozoic time, a Pc
Rod antedating our own by millions
of years.
The impression that one is looking
at Il landscape which has forever dis
appeared from other parts of the
world is so vivid that the elms and
naples and oaks In some Of the city
streets strike Il Earring note. The
transition from Jurassic to modern
times is painfully abrupt.
The animals of Australia, too, are
so distinct from the rest Of the world
that some have proposed two great
geological realms: Australian and nom
Australian. The popularity lies not
only in the fact that Australian types
are not found elsewhere, but also that
families like the cats and the pigs,
which are found native on all other
continents and on many islands, are
absent from Australia. The kangaroo
Is Australians national animal, and the
group to which it belongs, the mar
supIals, is typically Australian.
A belt of country 100 miles vide
along the east, south and southwest
edges of Australia would include prob
ably so per cent of the commonwealth
population. There are no inland cities
of over 10000 population, except six
mining camps, and the most remote
Of these is about as far from thefsea
as is Pittsburgh. ~SsE
A striking feature Of the Australian
census is the concentration of popula-
ton in citieS-a phenomenal situation
for an agricultural and pastoral ma
ton with less than 1 per cent of it's
area under cultivation and AZ per cent
unOccupied. The six Australian state
capitals include $3.50 per cent Of the
commemorative population, and five
Of them are growing at the expense
Of the back country. No other nation,
and few states, can match these fig
ures.
A white Australia" is the settled
policy Of the commonwealth govern
ment, the immigration laws being so
administered as effectually to exclude
cOlOred races. Legislation Is directed
particularly to the exclusion OF
Chinese, japanese and POlynesian la
Dor, not only from the land, but from
employment In pearl fishing, coastwise
shipping. and on overseas steamers
holding mail contracts.