overlooking the water, than it would be easy to obtain elsewhere in the colonies. The city is about 12 miles from the sea, facing an abrupt curve in the river, and is subject to most disastrous floods, one of which, some years ago, 'piled up' a gun-boat of Her Majesty's Navy in the Botanical Gardens, high and dry in a secure position, from which it was only rescued by the opportune though unprecedented arrival of a second flood. Brisbane has two theatres, an opera-house, an excellent service of electric tramways, and not so many mosquitoes as Perth. The colony as a whole, with an area of 668,000 square miles, stretching over 18 degrees of latitude, from New South Wales to within 11 degrees of the equator, had, at the last census, less than half-a-million of people. Her exports for 1898 amounted to £22 per head of population (as against £19 for 1897), one of the highest averages known [see Appendix F]; the altogether exceptional case of Western Australia being of course left out of account. The raw produce of her flocks and herds—wool, tallow, hides, and meat—came to £5,770,000—five and three-quarter millions sterling straight from the grass, leaving agriculture and mining out of the question. No wonder Sir Henry Norman, the late Governor, said the other day, "Humanly speaking, very little seems to be wanting for the progress of Queensland but good Government, and enterprise and industry on the part of the people." The country is divided into three sections by three lines of railway which stretch inland westward from the coast; so that, though it is possible to go north to Rockhampton by train, it is more convenient to avoid changing and go by boat. After Rockhampton there is no alternative, for Queensland has not attempted to centre her whole resources by converging lines of traffic upon her capital, but has rested content with a long series of
