THE NORTHERN TERRITORY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LVI, Issue 8627, 8 December 1906, Page 3

THE NORTHERN TERRITORY.

News of that mysterious region, the Northern Territory of Australia, is always interesting. Mr Walter Rose, who brought the Lissa dill cattle from Xorth-west Australia, is a practical man, and spent a good deal of his life in the Northern Territory years ago, says the Pastoralistx Review in its South Australian notes. The Roper River country, he says, consists of sandstone, limestone, and basalt country, with open box ridges, blue bush, and lignum swamps. It carries Mitchell, Flinders, and other good grasses, and is well-watered by an ever-running stream for over 300 miles. This river is fed by the Bitter Springs, one of the world's ■wonders, pouring out of the bowels of the earth 20,000,000 gallons per day of beautiful fresh water. The great red lake is pure, fresh -water, and there are no salt-water swamps, except down at the Roper bar, near the coast. The land along the banks is rich black soil flats, suitable for mixed farming. Small lots of wild horses, cattle, and butfaloes are running there, always fat.

" I never saw," says Mr Rose, "cancers or disease among the stock about the Roper, and the whole of the country is much superior to either the Daly, Catherine, qr Adelaide Eivers for pastoral or agricultural purposes, I spent two wet seasons there, and saw buffalo flies only on the Daly and and Adelaide Rivers, and my stock did really well. I camped over three months there this trip, so can speak with authority. The greatest drawback is the trouble caused by the roaming bands of aboriginies. who set the grass on fire when hunting and spearing cattle. The Roper River concession promises to be successful, although the new conditions will be hard to meet and understand, and there is no market; but if Scotch families settle there is good luck for them ;in fact, the Territory is full of promise now for South Australia, and she should reap a reward at an early date under Australia's prosperity."