The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1921-07-13

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 expenses 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 fora Of Australia is not only
beautiful, it Is unique, having no
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 a part reminds one OF the
hypothetical representations In books
of landscape of Mesozoic time, pc
riod antedating our own by millions
Of years.
The impression that one Is looking
at a 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 a 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 non
Australian. The popularity lies not
only in the fact that Australian types
are not found elsewhere, but also tina,
families like the cats and the pigs
which are found native on all othel
continents and on many islands, an
absent from Australia. The kangaroo
Is Australia's national animal, and tn,
group to which it belongs, the mar
supials, Is typically Australian.
; A belt Of country 100 miles wild
along the east. south and southwes
edges Of Australia would include prob
ably so per cent Of the commonwealth
.. population. There are no inland cite
Of over 10000 population. except ST
mining camps, and the most remot
Of these Is about as far from the SCI
as is Pittsburgh.
,, A striking feature Of the Australia
!, census Is the concentration of populs
: ton In clties-a phenomenal sltuatio
. for an agricultural and pastoral nj
ton with less than per cent Of II
area under cultivation and Al per Ger
unoccupied. The six Australian stat
}. capitals include $3.50 per cent Of til
: commonwealth's population, and fiv
g Of them are growing at the expens
: Of the back country. No other natiol
t, and few states. can match these Il,
t ures.
7. A "white Australia" Is the settle
: policy Of the commonwealth govern
It ment. the immigration laws being s
o administered as effectually to excluG
, cOlored races. Legislation Is directe
It particularly to the exclusion
4 Chinese, Japanese and Polynesian Il
Dor, not only from the land, but fro
8 employment in pearl fishing. coastwi!
l. shipping. and on overseas steamel
r holding mail contracts.