A Letter from Queensland.

Manawatu Herald, 21 March 1893, Page 2

A Letter from Queensland.

We are indebted to the thoughtfulnesi of Mrs McCurdy for the following interesting letter explanatory of .tlit effete ef the drought in!

Central Queenslaad. We may state that the letter is written on the spot, some four hundred miles west of Roclihaniptori add almost in tile centre of the sCeOeti of desolatioapk A glance at any good map will uhjW" 3^ how very unreliable they are to take vp 1 land bvj= Jts tne-nlapg-sho#tb€! rivers tW " otily full Badag wet weather" as large and iraportafltj having very many tributaries. Our correspondent says : To fully realise the effects of the drought iv Central and Western (jjueeiislaiid one,, must fi^jtacollie conversant witti tile tJararfc of tfad country and its waiefe^espurceS. Imagine aH exJcut of' level and slightly undulating Country Some "*• 600. miles each way with only an occasional low hill to relieve the monotonous level, and these often a hutidM Mes' apfttt. The country. Is in niany places lot lightly timbered /with stunted looking hardy tvees attd^here & ijatdti of thick 6id|aT stJrilb, 'piit iti other portions of this immense .level there is nothing in ! the^hape, of trees to relieve the^monotony |of ( the western plains. . r ! The rivers Barcdb.'Thoinpson, | Diamantina^ Cooper's creelcand.their tributaries, together with water-Holes, are the only nahOfM suppl^ of The . rivers ..' flfity' ' run - duHfig wet | weather, arifl rlev6r for JfttiiV t paii a few weeks after floods, so iiatlduring dry weather the water is ; p'iir^ ! .|t6 be found in depressions of the riverbed. Then take into cpnpideratiQn the enormous evaporation from these wftter-hoies with a thermometer varying from $6 to l2(jdeg jtt the shade and one will easily arrive at the result of any prolonged series of; l&xiy.H weather. On the large sheep runs tanks are sunk, many of considerable -extent and depth, and dams are made across Creeks to baclc tip the water for preservation.. But these also must suffer proportionate evaporation ill dry times. Now consider that the tjrestern runs are stocked with froni 80,000 to 550,000 sheep, and . many are overstocked owing to the two good seasons preceding this drought, and some idea will -be iprmejl jofrrthe losses consequent on the v 'sMrtaess of water. Grass is not so., scarce, but all the water trontages are picked bare for miles back and ' stock run themselves poor, grow weak, and die travelling from grass: ltd' iWStfei'&nd back. The only resources left to runholders is the: cutting down of scrub (where it occurs near for food for the weaker stoelr, jind sending a large proportion: of-, the stronger sheep travelling along: the stock roads in charge of drpverfl, their destination unknown, but pro • bably to be sold, as travelling stpck at alow rate or more fortunately being able to rent country efitfqute until times mend._ The distance in which the writer of this resides is perhaps better off than further west, but all stations are suffering considerably. One station 1 ipf 80,000 sheep is entirely abandoned, 60.000 being removed, the ffiroats of 4000 ciut to save water, and the remainder, which were left on ..the run to talre their chance, have perished.; Ahoth'erUiiin:- &as sent 220,000 out of 500,000 travelling for grass and; water, and aflphe others have done likewise in numbers proportionate to the size of the run. Camps of men are putting scrub and trees .for, foddef on the water frontages Land, tiie ip^es daily are considerable. All improvements are at a standstill and consequently hundreds of men. are wandering; about unemployed. .... : „, ._,,,,. . Carriers are leavirig their waggons and travelling with, the]? : f pattle/ Mid horses toward th'e T q6ast r ioofcing afor country to " spell !'iri t^' r^i^'cftntes. Those wb^o renjai^ will qply^pi^ " on roads 'wherei ifieir. teapis'cainf mid an "existence* and' jt^4r.e^pw'-out> lying places are : very , ba£ly\oF V provisions, etc., inlhe; west, majitf rs are very serious and' "many Malions are deserted through^BcarGijiyX)tproyisions whilst the stock' are perishing in large numbers. ,T , „.-•;••'['' The average annual rainJTattlfl 40 to 50 inches but last year (I^2) rainfall wag only 15 inches. /tJs|&ially the " wet " season i exlends ' from January tp April inpluaiyp lout tast year there 1 was* fib <''wet '^season and the rainfalls were so scattered that very little water was made either jn watercourses, dams; or waterholes. At the time of writing this, stormy indications abound, j>ut whether " rain " will croWri th> ; 'ekpeb^ationa of the westerners, 1 or are- they again to be doomed, to disappointment remains to be seen". ' • ; ; -! j This summer has been^ unusually warm the average : maximum 1 '^''8 months past being 106degVin V: the shade, the highest 118deg, - vi