QUEENS'LAND. This prosperous British colony occupies the whole of the north eastern portion of Australia, commencing at a point of the e. coast about 400 m. n. of Syd ney, called Point Danger, in let. 28° 8' south. The greater port-ion of the southern bound ary-line is formed by the 29th parallel of s. latitude. The eastern sea-board extends about 1300 in. to cape York, the extreme northern point of the continent, in lat. 10' 40'. The mean breadth of the territory is 900 to., from the eastern coast-line to the meridian of 138° e. which forms the western boundary-line. This includes the greater portion of the gulf of Carpentaria, which has a seaboard of about 900 miles. The whole of Queensland comprises 009,520 sq.m.—aearly twelve times the area of Eng land and Wales.
The portion of the colony extending along the eastern coast is indented with numer ous bays, which are the outlets of many navigable rivers, having their sources in the cool gorges and deep recesses of a great mountain range, running n. and s., parallel with the sea-coast, at a distance of from 50 to 100 miles. The summits of this great " divid ing range" rise from 2,000 to 0,000 ft. above the level of the sea. Numerous spurs are given off from the range in ridges sloping gradually toward the coast. These ridges are generally composed principally of quartz, and in many places form good natural roads for a considerable distance. The ridges are usually covered with a variety of fine and valuable timber. The iron-bark, blood-wood, box, and other descriptions of wood, very valuable to the Inflater for fencing and building, are found here in great abun dance. • Unlike almost every other portion of Australia, Queensland is correctly described as a "land of rivers and streams." These rivers find an outlet in the many huge and beautiful bays and estuaries on the eastern sea-board. One of these. Moreton bay (q.v.),, receives the waters of five rivers, which are always navigable, The largest of these, the Brisbane, is navigated by good-sized steamers for 75 m., and is nea•y a quarter of a mile wide at a distance of 15 m. from its mouth. The principal rivers on the eastern sea-board are the Brisbane, the Burnett, the Mary, the Calliope, the Boyne. the Fitzroy, the Pioneer, and the Burdekin. The lonaest tidal river in Queensland is the Fitzroy,
which drains an area of not less than 50 millions of acres, and is navigable as far as Yarnba. 60 m. from its estuary in Keppel bay. It receives, its its principal tributaries, the Daw son, Mackenzie, and large streams flowing for several hundred miles from the n.w., w., and s.w. parts of the interior. The tide at Rockhampton (40 in. from the embouchure of the river) rises 14 ft., and the stream is thus rendered navigable for ves sels of considerable burden.
The banks of the rivers are usually well elevated, and in many places consist of very rich alluvium, brought down from the great mountain-ranges. This alluvial soil is fre quently of very great depth, and is marked everywhere by a magniticient growth of tim ber, very unlike the ordinary Australian wood, The enormous fig-tn es and gigantic eucalypt tower aloft, and spread out their great arms, festooned with vines anifflOwer ing parasites, which throw themselves over every spreading branch, and deck it with their varied and brilliant colors; the tall pine trees shoot up their straight stems to a great height; while the cedar, the myrtle, the rosewood, and tamarind trees, display their rich and green foliage in every variety of shade. A thick evergreen hedge of mangroves covers the banks, preserving them from the wash of the stream; and at certain seasons of the year, this is fringed with thousands of flowering lilies.
Ordinarily, the eastern sea-board part of the country assumes very mud) the appear ance of park-scenery in Great Britain, the trees standing at some distance apart, and the ground between them being covered with which is generally green and !luxuriant throughout the Whole year. The regularity of the showers which fall in the suinnwr season keeps the grass growing with luxuriant verdne generally during the hot months. Exceptions to this sometimes occur, and a dry summer appears to have been experienced in this part of Australia about once in every six or seven years. The summer ,of 1F63 formed one of these exceptional seasons. The frosts of winter being generally so slight SA not to injure the vegetation, the country is almost always green from January to December.