SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 63, 14 December 1878, Page 3

SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

Mr. Colin Mec.tulay writes as follows to the editor of the Australasian At a time like tin' present, when annexation seeins to he the order of the day, when fresh countries are being added to tho a'ready vast dimensions of the Biitisb Empire, when Victniian adventun is are Hocking to New Ou -ion, and are soliciting the llome Government to appropriate the greater part "f this future Kl Dorado to itself, n. thinking man cann it hut be struck with the incongruity of the de-ire to possess more countries, while tins immense contiuent of Australia is. comparatively sneaking, a terra in.-og-nita to most of its inlri' na-its. The South. Australi in Government a few veara ngo, aaJe a gallant attempt to op»n tip the large tracts of co'intrv lying nearly '-',OOO miles north of Adelaide—viz., the Northern Teiritory of South Australia. Acres of ground were surveyed lownships laid out. ami every facility was offered hy the Government i . the general pu 'lie f r th'.s purpose but ayct tho whole scheme lus pr. veil a failure, anil the territory is. as it ever has been, a horse.leech to the iVasurv and a gigantic white elephant to the ti .vei-n----ment. The inly cause why 1' ■:> Darn in and the Notthcrn Territory are n it erased from themomory of mankind is that Port Darwin is the station which connects tho European telegraph system with the Australian colonics. The South Australian Government, after having spent thousands of pounJs ou the territory, seem to have lost ail pride in their bantling, ami regard it with evident repugnance and distrust. Notwithstanding the poor estimate tin South Australian community have formed of the phi.--, there are.sonii' \vh •. f"om long residence in other tr.pical countries are enabled to judgo by ci raparis n of the true value of toe territory, and that value is simp'.y Liciilcula ile. ."sir \\ ;.- liatn Jervois sa .v at once tno valuq of Port Darwin as n port; and if hell id ne: it the most cursory visit, with his experience of tropical countries, he would have been, if possible, more euthusiastic than ever in his eulogies of South Australia and her possessions. North Australia is essential!.'.' a tropical country, being til.v about 1-deg south ■ f the equator at its northern boundary, und extending south to about 23deg.or 24<10g. The true secret of the want 'if success which has hitherto distinguished the various attempts of the South Australiun Government towards its settlement is tho ignoring of the fact that it is tropical Europeans, as a rule, do not try to grow wheat at Madras, neither do they breed sheep in Ceylon. Why, then, try to do impossibilities? Instead of sheep breed the llama, an animal almost unknown to the average Englishman, and yet bred in thousands in Peru and Chili—a most profitable industry. Instead of wheat, grow cotton, sugar, indigo, cotteo, rice, cocoanuts, and the thousand and one other productions which the teiritory will grow. With one-tenth of the capital'which has been expended by the South Australian Government in its Quixotic endeavours to settle the country, scores of cotton and sugar plantations " might have been " planted, and by this time would be yielding a profit of cent, per cent, upon capital invested. Surely the saddest of all thoughts is what " might have been !" It is absolutely essential that coolies bo employed in all tropical countries. South Australia has been importing Chinese and Malays to work on tho gold-fields. This, in my opinion, is another of her mistakes. The coolie for tho territory is the Hindoo—tho " mild Hindoo " —a more patient, tractablo labourer the World does not produce They are exported yearly by thousands to the West Indies to Del rarn, to Mauritius, and to the (ape of Good Hope, They are employed upon the collce estates of Ceylon, to the total exclusion of the native Singhalese, ami

the whole of the public works of the island are performed by them, As road makers they are unequalled—to witness, tie- splendid roads throughout that colony, roads which we in the country districts of Victoria would do well to copy. If North Australia i> ever to be turned to any account, cotton and sugar will undoubtedly be her chief ]■■ Id ;: ;i- perhaps I may also odd indigo. An indigenous cotton is found profusely scattered all through the territory,having a staple too -I."it' ir c immer :i«l put poses, yet possessing a softne-s and silkines-s equal to Sea Islander East Indian. It i< easy to perceive on a very rough eal dilation that there i- ample space in North Australia t" grow sufficient cotton to supply the whole of Kughiud, so that in the .'Vent of war we should lot have our supplies cut oil', as happened a feu years ago. Sugar plantations pay well in Queensland, and without doubt would flourish equally well in the territory. Indigo planting offers great indueemi uts to the cultivator on account of the enormous returns to he derived from a carefully conducted estate. Uicogrowing of course, is an industry which can only he carried on successfully by t Irieiltalists themselves, Encourage the immigration of coolies, no matter whether i hiticse, Mulavs. or Hindoos ; they will - I plant riec-tieMs, and by their pcciilar system of irrigation fertilise those spots now sparely supplied with water. Coll'ee can be grown in any part of the country, the rising ground on the north side of the Knper River being admirably adapted for its culture. At this place the planter would have a noble river running through the heart of the country, the dimensions of which will be best understood «u-!i it i* known tl.-it the steamers Omeo and Tnrania successfully navigated upwards of S(i mil- of its channel without nnv mishap. As a field for the 'prudent capitalist and speculator, u-w countries offer the s:\ inducement. 1 sin;. ll companies, for the purpose of staiting c Won and sugar plantations with a very moderate outlay, ci ulil secure, in « few y urs, return far exceeding general expectations.