ACROSS AUSTRALIA.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11871, 8 June 1909, Page 6

ACROSS AUSTRALIA.

REPORT ON THE ROUTE

MELBOURNE, May 26. A report by*Mr H. Deane, consuming engineer to the Federal Government, who was deputed to go over the route ol tho projected line from Port Augusta to Kalgoorlie, a distance of 1100 miles, has reached the* Minister for Home Affairs, llie work! «f survey has not yet been completed. It will be about two months, Mr Mahon estimates, before the final report on tjie whole line from east to west reaches his department. The present report deals only with the West Australian division of the survey. Mr Deane's opinion of the land on the West Australian side is, on the whole, favorable. The country passed through, he writes, is not of the desert class. This fact should be distinctly borne m mind. The soil is good throughout, except for a few chains at the crossing of Goddard's Creek, which is sandy. Everywhere along the route vegetation is abundant, and consists of aaltbush, ■ bkebush, grass and edible and other scrub. . The great drawback to the settlement of the country, he says, is the water question. The rainfall is light, and evidently fidmewhat uncertain, and there are considerable difficulties m conserving water. Watercourses ore conspicuously infrequent, The best rainfall would be j located between the 50th and the 105 th j

mile pegs from the commencement of the survey. The country here is of a somewhat undulating character, and there are 'low ranges of hills, which, seem to attract thunderstorms. While the survey of the western end was m progress shallow bores were put xlown, £ICXX) having been voted by the West Australian Parliament for. that purpose. The efforts to find" water m this way were not successful. A further £10,000 has been voted ty the State for testing with deep bores. Mr 'Deane 'remarks : "I am told that six months will be sufficient to put the first bore down. The depth to which sinking may be required is over 2000 feet." He adds m conclusion : '"I do not anticipate there will be much difficulty In obtaining su/ticient water for working tho line."