The Washington times., 1924-02-25
FINDS MAPS Of
AUSTRALIA
WRONG
Explorer Says Rivers DO Not
Run Way Charts Of Terri
tory Indicate.
BY HELEN FOX,
COsmopOIitAn News Service.

OF northern Australia run the
wrong way-that is---in direction
directly opposite to that indicated
upon current maps. This was one
Of the discoveries made by Michael
Terry. who is here on his way to
England, where he will place his
facts before the Royal Geographical
Society.
Terry traveraed the $50 900 square
miles OF northern Australia last
year in flivver run by benzine
which he carried with him In a
trailer.
Very little IL known about tho
northern territory Of Australia. and
that little is misinformation," said
Mr.. Terry.
Soil Is Rich.
In addition to finding that it's
rivers ran the wrong way, he
found that it's soil was rich and
fertile. instead of a sandy waste
land, also that its wild animals and
cannibalistic blackmen were a myth.
The trip, which took nine months,
was not without its adventures, not
the least Of which was the driving
of his flivver through dense under
brush. The fact that fourteen days
of the journey were spent in cover
ing eight miles. gives some idea
Of how difficult the travel was.
Northern Australia has never
been surveyed" Mr.. Terry said to
the Cosmopolitan News Service to-
day. "Such maps as exist are the
result Of hearsay. One thing we
found out was the rivers flowed
the wrong way, north instead OF
south, and because of that we
nearly went bush.'" Mr.. Terry
explained going bush" as an Aus
tralianism, which means to get lost.
~ have material from which 1t
should be possible to correct the
errors on the maps Of the section
went through. From the rough
drawings made, and the, mileage
l kept, such corrections should not
be difficult.
''The misconceptions about north.
ern Australia are not restricted to
the maps alone. It is the general
idea that the territory is huge,
open, sandy, desert waste space.
Now, while / found there, vaster
open spaces than I ever conceived
possible, sometimes crossing 1870
miles without finding a tree, I
discovered everywhere rich, black
soil instead Of the anticipated sand
and desert.
Agriculture Real Possibility.
"It has always been vaguely be-
lieved that II northern Australia
had any possibilities they consisted
only Of cattle raising. I believe
that its real possibilities lies in
agriculture. The black soil is wait.
ing to be cultivated"
Mr.. Terry spoke Of Australia's
yellow peril, stating that perhaps
it was more serious and more tan
gible than that which might pos.
sibly at any time confront America.
He said that the northern territory,
generally conceded to be the white
elephant" Of Australia, could SAFE
guard the whole continent for tho
white race once its agricultural
possibilities are generally appreci-
ated.
There are no white women in
the entire section Of that country.
And it's most important to have
white women there. Without them.
the possibilities of permanent set.
Element Is impossible. Men never
stay long where there aren't white
women. And until they go there
to stay, the country can never
be properly exploited.
'It Is not as II the country were
unsafe to have white women settle
there. The general conception that
the northern territory IL a wild,
dangerous place Is erroneous. It
is really a far more normal place
than is generally understood. There
is q total absence Of dangerous
wild animals, except for wild buff
faloes. Even these. however, are
only in the extreme north, where
they. were originally imported by
the early Dutch settlers.
Natives Are PeaceabIe
"Not only are there no wild ami
mails, but the natives as q rule are
quite peaceable. Many Of them
live at the cattle stations, working
the gardens and helping care for
range stock, receiving clothing,
tucker-that is food-and tobacco in
return for their labor, rather than
money. There are, Of course, nomad
INGALLS,. These. while
yet uncivilized, are not cannlbalS.
They are in the extreme west of
the territory. Occasionally there is
an outbreak. One or two white
men are killed each year, and q
white man always carries a gun.
On the whole, however, the terri.
toy cannot be considered as a
wild. unhabitable section"
For his next expedition. Mr..
Terry is seeking a land still more
virgin and more completely shroud.
ed in MYSTERY and adventure. It is
a part Of Australia that il an ab-
solute blank on the map. Nothing
Whatever is known about It, except
that OF the two expeditions that
went through it. all the white men
OF the first. and two Of the second,
were speared.