A GRAND NEW LAND

Temuka Leader, Issue 1064, 6 February 1883, Page 2

A GRAND NEW LAND

The Sydney Morning Herald states * the works for uniting Herberton with Mourilyan Harbor, on the Pacific, are revealing unexpected wonders on the coast range table lands. The Palmerston party

report that the elevated country intervening between the longitude of Herberton and the Pacific must one day become the gardens of Queenland, so rich and deep is the chocolate coloured soil, and so numerous and large are the rivers and creeks. The smallest ravines are repoited to have water trickling down them. Broad sheets of water are also mot with falling over huge basaltic precipices. So dense is the scrub (hat some aboriginal tribes exist who have never seen open country. These are armed not with spears, but with wooden swords, and followed the district Government exploring party for days in largo mobs. The Johnstone River is large and deep, and empties its-lf into the Pacific ten miles north of Mourilyan Harbor, gold and tin being found in innumerable places along its banks. The flora of this region is re* ported to be of incredible luxuriance, and would well repay a visit by scientific men, as it possesses many shrubs and fruits heretofore undescribed. Many of ther nuts are poisonous. The land atound Mourilyan Harbor has been selected by Brisbane capitalists over a distance of 20 miles. Not a road is now to be had* This practice of allowing speculators to take up land, with the intention only of reselling it at an enormous advantage, it ia felt moat seriously retard the progress of the new coast towns. It is thought some conditions of building and residence ought to be attached to the sale ot both town and suburban lots, or the same fate will befall the promising new coast townships of Northern Queensland as lias ruined Port Darwin. We understand that there is a movement on foot to bring about a conference of Australian explorers in Syd* ney to take up the suggestion of Mr La Meslee, made last session at a meeting of the Royal Society of New South Wales, on behalf of the Paris Geographical Society. All recognise that the time has come to enter on explorations into the unknown interior of Northern and Northwestern Australia in a systematic and scientific manner. It is believed that the inforraation acquired, if but put in a proper form, would entitle the Forrests, if not Mr Favenc and Mr Chris'ie Palmerston, to the honors so graciously offered by the French Society Exploring expeditious are costly, if less dangerous than formerly, and to bo properly organised should contain practical geologists and botanists. It is said Mr Moore and Baron Muell«r would revel in the Northern table-lands, so rich and new is the flora o! this remarkable region. The idea at pregent is ihatthe several Australian Governments should contribute rateably towards the fitting out of two expeditions, to be organised on a definite plan, by a committee of scientific men in Sydney, and that the affluent and enterprising public should be invited to start the nucleus of the necessary fund.’