FROM INVERCARGILL TO THE DUNSTAN.

Dunstan Times, Issue 978, 14 January 1881, Page 3

FROM INVERCARGILL TO THE DUNSTAN.

[By Godolphin-I “Wllat a blessed nuisance it is the coach leaves so early in the m orning 1’ .This was the remark passed by a gentle- [ man the bight previous" to starting ftonl Queenstown for the Arrow, and one in which I thoroughly concurred. I suppose it can’t bo otherwise arranged j but still its very rough on the bird that isn’t in the babbit of rising as early as 5 a.m. to catch the worm—l Iridan the coach. It was a delightful morning—one that you ofteil read About from the pen of a poetical genius, hnt seldom witness yourself. One of my fellow-passengers was a lad between 15 and 16 years of ago—a nice, gentlemanly, well-informed boy—the like of whom I have rarely met vrltli in the colonies He was going A few miles out of Queenstown to Cook for A camp of six men, and on learning this I couldn't help thinking how sadly he was mistaking his avocation. I don’t hold with boys mixing too ranch with men, especially in a camp, inasmuch as the conversation is invariably of an miclassical character, and therefore not tit for juvenile ears. This boy had evidently been well reared by his parents, judging from his general demeanour, and, moreover, ho spoke the “Queen’s English.” Altogether .his conversation was interesting, bacauso it had reference to a country which I was travelling through for the first time; and certainly he w is the most pleasant travelling companion I have dropped across since quitting Australia, After leaving Franktou every now and then one meets with something fresh to attract and please the optics, and the scenery as you pass L ike Hayes, shortly before reaching Arrow town, is,- to my mind, the prettiest and must romantic bit of the Lake District. On a calm daylarge trout are constantly seen jumping out of the water after Acs, and to an angler it s excessively mortifying not to be able to tarry and hook a few of these delicious members of the finny tribs. On the road I was delighted to recognise some old friends in the form of numerous eucalyptus trees, which have been profusely planted on some of the estates, and undoubte lly rtfiect great credit on the proprietors. They seem to thrive ill that part of the country almost as well as they do in their native region. The value of tree planting I in a barren country like this cannot be I over-estimated—an opinion which is held I by sonte Of tile most eriiine'nt botanists I of the old world. Italy, Franco, Algeria, ! and other countries have, within the last few years, imported from the different Australian colonies some millions of blue gum seeds, and planted them in mdarions and barren districts with the , most beneficial and healthful results. The | following vein irks on this subject, from I the Naples Correspondent of the Loudon i Daily News will, no doubt, bo read with | interest : I ; " This hdillhfu! tree is destined to play a - great part in the imiirovement of Italian [soil. Senator Torelli. in his project for l draining and improving malaria districts, through which so many Italian railway lines run,'' indicates the planting of the eucalyptus as a princip d means tothis end. Frivate persons and railway companies have made trials of various species of this tree, and in all cases the, result hart been most beneficial. lit North I aly the : ‘eucalyptus amygdalina’ has succeeled j well in exposed places. A most magnific nt example of this species may be seen in (he , garden of Prince Troubtzkoi, near lotra. I The -ree is ten years old, and measures five feet in diameter, anl about 60 feet in height In 1870 the Railway Cimpa-y Alta Italia planted 462 trees at Wntimigilia. since which time the sani'ary condition of that place has greatly improve 1. At Santa Severa, o-ieof he nuhe.dtliieat of plac -8, the • globulus ’ has already had a beneficial effect. . . . The largest field of experiment, however, is in Tre Fmitane, three kilometers outsi lo of Porta Ostieuse, Where the Trap-lint monks, aided by the State, have fought against the I mdaria In 1863 the air of this place, especially at the monastery, was so do idly that to pass a night there was to citnh a li ve;-. The monastery was known h\- the name of ‘ Tie Tomb. ’ In 1869-7 i) tlio Tnppists made drains and planted the eucalyptus, going dniinj four years to piss their nights at Item, in which space of lime they lost 12 of their number by miasma ic fever. At the end of four years they could again sleep at The Tniab, and last year a large concession of territory was ma le to them. With the obligation that they shoul I plant 100.000 eucalyptus trees in’ ten years. Senator Torelli defines the eucalyptus as a natural pump . . . and it is proved that it absorbs ten times its own weight of wa'er, which is returned to the atmosphere in the shape of vapours rich in camphor. A Captain Migmtrd,- who was annoyed by the mosquitoes in Algeria, tried thneff ;ct of planting a small eucalyptus in a p it and placing it in his bed room, and it drove them alt away. It is propose 1 to make the planting of this tree in affected districts of Italy obligatory by law.” Tint eminent Melbourne litterateur, Mr James Smith,- in one of last year’s numbers of the Victorian' Review, Contributed a scientific and exhaustive article on the efficacy of tree-planting. It is enritled, “ Is the Earth Becoming Bald ?” in Which the writer clearly demonstrates the baneful effects of denuding forests and neglecting to plant timber in the place of that removed by the settler ; and also the wisdom of planting trees in barren and unhealthy districts. It is greatly to bo regretted that the growth of the blue gum is occasionally checked in the neighbourhood of Clyde by frosts, from the influence of which, however, other gums are exempt. Unquestionably it would be a great boon to this part of the country if it possessed a moderate supply of timber, which Would give an impetus to mining and other indUstries. I believe there is a quantity of timber within a comparatively ' short distance from hero ; but in some parts it | is' inaccessible owing to'the rugged nature j of the country. The carriage for tiralier j here is about equal to its value, which, in ■ the eyes of a stranger is appalling. A I tanner whom I met on the road to Cam- | Brians pointed out to mo a funr-foot red

Qian post which, ha informal me, cast 8i ! Thia ia a bad stale of things, and it is surprising that they should have been allowed to exist so long in this age of advainoraoiib. The gro.it want in a large mining district like the interior of Otago la the “ Iron Horae.” From experience aonle of uS know how it has [benefitted other colonies, and iVill continue to beuellt them for generations. Look at America, with her thousands of miles of interior railroads I fids she not prospered by the construction of railways ? America, instead of waiting for settlements, penetrated the heart of the country from iniinmordhk points, and to day she stands pre-eminent as the greatest railroad natioh on the face of the globe. Some people argue, “Ah! yes, hut you see this country’s very young yet, which is falacious in the highest degree. The people don’t want coast lines and “fancy” linos, but what they are sadly in need of are inland lines—to tap the interior, where there efcist the goldproducing and agricultural centres. Not until the Central 0 ago Railway is made and timber and produce carried at a minimum cost will the resources of the goldfields in this Province be thoroughly opened out. It is almost a matter of impossibility, as is well known, for the hiiner. to cany on operations without the aid of timber. At present men with only limited means at their disposal are entirely crippled in consequence of the high prices ruling for timber, coupled with the enormous rates for' carriage. New South Wales has “many a time and oft,” within tho last few years, repented eft her Rip van Winkle proclivities in the past. For a long, long time she was content to repose and allow hei young enterprising rival and whilom daughter, Victoria, to draw to her capital nearly the whole of the Wool and live stock raised in Rivcriua (the largest pastoral district in the colony), the Lachlan, and tho Darling. Squatters dilu’t see the force of travelling their cattle and sheep afld sending their wool probably 500 or GOO miles to Sydney, wfieii they could truck at Eohnca (a border town on the Victorian side of the Murray), and thus savo perhaps one-third of ihe distance. A few years ago a number of capitalists (principally Victorians) formed the Deniliquin and Moama Railway Company. This ia 48 miles front Echnca, on the N.S.W. side, and lias paid handsome dividends. Through the infusion of new blood into the New South Wales Legislature, the colony clearly saw i the trror of her ways, and about two Sessions ago the Farkea Administration initiated a R dhv.iy policy lor tho constiuctiun of interior lines, which, if carried out in its eudrety, will develop her magnificent resources, aul make Sydney the premier city of tho Southern Hemisphere. in order to keep tiade within the bounds of the colony, ihe Railway Department intends carrying wool, cattle, and sheep at a minimum c >st, storing the former, pending its shipment Home, free. It might be ir.fer'e 1 from this that great animosity exists between tho sister coin- j idea, but the feeling is stronger on the part | of Vijtoria, who lias enterprise, but lacks capital ; while New South Wales has the j “brass,” but is sadly deficient of tb’e “go.” Th re is about 50 times triors j commercial energy in Melbourne than in I Sydney, and it seems somewhat strange | that within the hist two or three years I a number of Victorian manufacturers should he allowed to go over to Sydney j and open branch houses. Bat it has had a salutary elfect, and the Sydneyites now keep their “lamps” a little brighter. The colony lost an aecomplishoi far seeing a m'niatvatnr and adviser when "-ir Hercules Robinson quitted its shores for New Z aland. During his tenure of office, he was the cause of many social and political reforms, always evincing the keenest int Test in the penule’s welfare. In fact Sir Hercules was equal to any occasion, and his removal was deen'y deplored by every section of the community throughout New South Wales. TTnlcsa the e is a Federation of tho Australian colonies it behoves each’ of them to protect their own interests and inland railways, there is not a shadow of a doubt, is the best means towards this enl. As the old stock—the “fossils,” win hold their lucre with the grasp of a vice, never dreaming of enterprise—quits this “mortal cod,” and their progeny steps into their shoes, so New South Wales will go ahead—increasing in wealth and prosperity.