190 SOUTH AUSTRALIA Carpentaria. Beyond that the chief inlets are Arnlu-m bay, Castlereagh bay, Mt. Morris bay, Port Essington, Van Diemen's gulf, Port Dar- win, Anson bay, and Queen's channel. South Australia contains a great variety of soils and scenery, almost every kind of landscape being found within its limits. Much of it, particu- larly in the north, is sterile and uninviting, con- sisting largely of scrub and rock, but at least a third of its surface is agricultural and pas- toral land, and another third wooded ranges suitable for pasturage. The scrub land is valu- able only for its mineral wealth, some of the richest mines having been discovered in it. The principal chain of mountains is the Flin- ders range, which extends from Cape Jervis northward to the vicinity of Lake Blanche, about lat. 29; its highest peak is Mt. Re- markable, 3,179 ft. The Gawler range, in the peninsula W. of Spencer gulf, has a height in its W. part of about 2,000 ft. N. of this are the Warburton and Stuart ranges, and there are many others stretching across the continent to the N. coast. The Murray river enters the colony about lat. 34 S., and after a course of about 250 m. r all of which is navigable, flows into Lake Alexandrina, and thence into En- counter bay by a narrow opening called the Murray mouth. The Wakefield and Gawler rivers flow W. into the gulf of St. Vincent. From the Torrens, which loses itself in reed swamps, the city of Adelaide derives its sup- ply of water. On the N. coast the principal rivers are the Liverpool, the East and the South Alligator, the Adelaide, the Daly, and the Victoria. The Roper, which flows into the gulf of Carpentaria, is navigable for large vessels for nearly 100 m. There are many lakes, particularly in the S. E. part, which is called the lake district. Lakes Eyre, Torrens, and Gairdner are large bodies of salt water, each more than 150 m. long. Lake Eyre is only 70 ft. above the sea, while Gairdner, which lies N. of the Gawler range, is 366 ft. high. Lake Alexandrina is about 30 m. long and 15 m. wide. From its E. side a narrow lagoon, called the Coorong, extends about 85 m. parallel to the coast, from which it is sepa- rated by a narrow strip of land. South Aus- tralia is rich in mineral resources. Iron ore abounds, but copper constitutes its chief wealth. The famous Burra-Burra mine, near Kooringa, about 100 m. N. by E. of Adelaide, was dis- covered in 1844 and opened in the same year. From 10,000 to 13,000 tons of ore are raised annually, yielding about 2,500 tons of pure copper. In 1860 the "Wallaroo mines were OJH-IU-.I near Kadina, on the shore of Spencer irulf, HI m. N. W. of Adelaide. In J861 the Moonta mines, about 12 m. distant, were dis- covered. They yield 25 per cent, of pure copper; in the first half of 1874 11,000 tons of ore were raised from them. In 1872 61 copper mines were worked, giving an aggregate annual yield of more than 150,000 tons. Gold has been discovered in several places, and 438 reefs were registered in 1870, giving an annual yield of 10,500 oz. Many small diamonds have been found near Echunga; and jasper, chal- cedony, and opal abound. Silver, lead, and bismuth have also been found, and salt is abundant. The climate of the inhabited part of the country is very fine, but that of the scrub land in the north is exceedingly hot and dry. In the southeast the seasons are the wet and the dry ; the latter begins about the end of August and continues till the end of March. In December and January the heat is very great, and when the wind blows from the north the thermometer often rises to 115. These winds are accompanied by clouds of dust, but seldom last more than a few hours, when they shift to the southwest and south, and the tem- perature falls. The average temperature is 67, and the lowest in the level country 44. The average annual rainfall is about 21 inches. Between March and August heavy rain falls, and the country becomes covered with luxu- riant verdure ; but during the summer months the ground is completely parched and the grass withered. The settled parts of South Austra- lia, however, are not subject to the long con- tinued droughts which are sometimes so de- structive in New South Wales. No epidemic diseases prevail, affections of the lungs are infrequent, and scrofulous complaints are rare ; but diseases of the eyes are common in summer. The forests contain much large timber, but wood for cabinet and other fine work is im- ported. There are many species of eucalypti and acacias, and the pandanus, cycas, and Adan- sonia or gouty stem tree, the fruit of the last of which is eaten by the natives. In the northern parts three kinds of wild fig, a species of wild grape, and wild yams have been found. Native wheat and oats, rye grass, and rice grass also grow in the north. All the fruits common to temperate climates succeed remarkably well, and particularly the grape, many varieties of which are cultivated. Agriculture has made great advances of late, and the colony prom- ises to become a large grain-producing coun- try, enough wheat being grown in some years to supply the neighboring colonies and to ship many cargoes to England, where it brings high prices. The extent of land under cultivation in the year ending March 31, 1873, was 1,164,- 846 acres, an increase of 120,190 acres over the preceding year. The number of acres in wheat in the same year was 759,811, and in the year ending in March, 1874, 784,784 ; the product in the last named year was 6,178,816 bushels. In 1873 there were 5,424 acres of vineyards, and 2,901 in orchards. The return of live stock in 1873 was : sheep, 4,900,687 ; cattle, 151,662 ; horses, 82,215 ; goats, 17,492; pigs, 98,436 ; poultry, 513,883. The kangaroo dog, a cross between the greyhound and the English bulldog, often exceeding 3 ft. in height, is valuable to the inhabitants of this as well as the other Australian colonies. Much damage is sometimes done to the green crops by locusts.
