CENTRAL AUSTRALIA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3893, 8 August 1874, Page 6 (Supplement)

CENTRAL AUSTRALIA.

A gentleman who was lately engaged in, pastoral pursuits in this Province, writes" from Wilcannia, Darling River, the following interesting description of the country through which he has travelled in search of pastures new:—

I am still travelling to see the country, and in search of a run. Hearing that the back country towards the Barrier Ranges was fine sheep country, I staited off, via Echuca, D.eniliquin, Hay, and Booligal, for this place, to spy out the land. I have been up the river nearly to Fort Bourke, and out into the back country between the Lachlan and the Darling; there are immense plains covered with low bushes, salt bush, cotton wood, &c, watered entirely by brackish wells, but the greater part of the country is dry red sand, thinly grassed and thickly covered with low shrubs and trees, over which mallee predominates. Where water can be obtained stock fattens well and quickly. Jt takes 80 acres to a beast, and from five to eight to the -sheep. One curious feature in tliis country is the prevalence of large deep dry lake beds, which have only been filled once (in 1866) in the time of white men.

There is an immense trade on the Darling, about 40 steamers ply on it when there is sufficient water, bringing up stores and supplies, and taking down wool, tallow, and copper, large mines of which are being opened out in various parts of the Albert district.

This country (Albert district) grows enormous sheep, but not much wool, and that of a poor sort, the scoured fleece only realising about 2s per lb, and the greasy about Bd. The wool is full of red sand, and almost without yolk. The climate is very pleasant in winter, but it must be a fearful place in summer. There are fenced cattle stations on the Wilson, and fenced sheep stations at the head of the Paroo. I wonder what Burke and Wills would think of that if they could come to life again. On the upper Paroo there is an immense number of warm water springs and soda water springs, giving a splendid supply of water in all seasons; These springs are on flat ground, and no hills anywhere near, and they supply more water in summer than in winter.

What are called mountains in Central Australia are low, rocky ridges, many of them not higher than Raggedy, on the Maniototo—scarcely equal to the highest parts of Dunedin.

The herbage is wonderfully fattening. On large stretches of country there is no grass at all, but innumerable weeds, such as seven sorts of saltbush, pigweed, pigface, cottonbush, yarren, wulga, wild fuchsia, geranium, carrot, &a, all of which are greedily eaten by stock, A mob of cattle was brought from Flinders River, near Carpentaria, to Adelaide,, and heifers from amongst them took prizes for fat cattle. The bullocks were dis figured with fat, even after that long drive, but it was found that the meaifwas flabby and dark-coloured.