SOUTH AUSTRALIA is a British colony, established on the southern shores of Australia, and extending between 132° and 141° E. long., from the coast, to the parallel of 26° S.lat., which constitutes its northern boundary. It is bounded E. by the colonies of New South Wales and Victoria, or Port Philip ; S. by the Southern Ocean; and W. by the unoccupied territory which separates it from the colony of Western Australia. It has a coast line extending from the south east to the north-west about 1500 miles. Within its boundary are contained two large bays, Spencer Gulf and the Gulf of St.. Vincent, and the lower part of the course and basin of the river Murray. Kangaroo Island, which lies before the entrance of the Gulf of St.
Vincent, is also annexed to it. The area of the colony is estimated at 300,000 square miles, or nearly 20,000,000 acres, of which the greater proportion is waste land. The population in 1840 was 14,610; in 1845 it was 22,390; in 1853 it was 70,000, exclusive of about 3700 natives.
The western portion of the territories is a mere waste. Near the western boundary-line, and as far east as Streaky Bay, the country along the sea coast is low and barren, without trees or high bushes, but covered with scrub. It is almost entirely destitute of grass, and also of water, except during the rains and a few days after they have ceased. South from Streaky Bay, the shore is skirted by low sand hummocks. Towards the southern extremity of the peninsula lying west of Spencer Gulf, especially east of Bay, there are hills attain an elevation of between 600 and 800 feet ; they consist of sand stone, and are covered with wood. The interior of the peninsula is low and barren, but interspersed with salt-lakes. Between Streaky Bay and the head of Spencer Gulf lies a mountainous tract, exhibiting a succession of lofty rugged ranges, running from east to west, but turning north-west at their western extremity. They are called Cawler's Range, and attain an elevation of about 2000 feet above the sea-level, but decrease as they advance farther east. These ranges have a barren appearance, but are overgrown with prickly grass.
There are no rivulets or springs, but between the bills are small salt water lakes, with saLsolaceona plants growing round their margins; fresh water is only found after the rains iu the clefts of the rocks. In the country north from the Gawler mugs are extensive tracts of good pasture land, interspersed with fresh-water lakes.
The country situated on the western shores of Spencer Bay is of a much better description. It contains Port Lincoln, the most eaten aive and the best harbour in the colony. The harbour is protected at its mouth by Boston Island, and consists of three basins—Spalding Cove, Port Lincoln, and Boston Bay, in each of which there is not less than 10 or 12 fathoms water, with a bottom of muddy sand ; they are capable of holding the navies of all Europe. Round these extensive sheets of water are many largo tracts well wooded, and others grassy with single trees dispersed over them. The peninsula south of Port
Lincoln is hilly, but well wooded, and has much good pasture ground, as has also the country north of it to the distance of 10 or 12 miles ; but farther north the hills disappear and are followed by a low tract which extends along the shore, and is densely wooded with brush, among which are scattered a few small patches of grass. Water is only found near a few rocky elevations. At the back of this low and rather narrow tract is a moderately-elevated table-land, whose edge is broken, by deep gorges, into portions resembling_hills. The soil is a sandy red loam, greatly mixed with stones, and presents only here and there a little grass, with patches of scrubby bushes, and a few email pines. No water has been discovered.
Tho table-land just mentioned is continued northward from the head of Spencer Gulf, where a rather narrow low tract separates it from Flindcr'e range. This tract is quite level, and has a sandy soil almost without vegetation. It is intersected by a watercourse, which comes down to the head of Spencer Gulf from Lake Torrons, a salt water lake extending northward, and spreading towards the west, with a breadth, as far as it has been explored, of 14 or 15 miles. Flinder's range constitutes the western borders of a mountainous tract of considerable extent. It occupies in width a apace more than 60 miles from west to east, lying east of Spencer Gulf. It may be said that this mountain tract terminates on the south of the banks of Broughton River, in 33° 30' S. lit, where a higher summit, Mount Bryan, occurs, with an elevation of 3012 feet. From these parts it extends nearly due north, with a small declination to the east to Mount hopeless, in 29° 20' S. lat. This region is traversed by a great number of ridges, which in general run south and north, but grow gradually narrower toward the north; fur in 31° S. lat. the region is only 30 miles across, and it is still es& towards its northern termination. In the southern portion of this mountain region several summits attain an elevation of more than 2000 feet. Mount Browu, not far from the head of Spencer Gulf, rises 3000 feet above the sea. Farther north the mountains decrease in elevation. Between these ridges are plains of considerable extent. The higher portions of the bills conslet invariably of naked rock, generally sandstone. The lower slopes are covered with dense brush, and the valleys with low shrubs and occa sional small patches of thin wiry gram. Some of the plains have an undulating surface, and then it is found that the higher parts are quite destitute of vegetation, whilst the elopes and valleys are overgrown with *crab. lu other parts the plains are level, and some of them are covered with salsolaceous plaota Duriug the mine, and a short time afterward', running water is found at a few places among the hills.