HYDROGRAPHY. In its hydrography, ..\ustralia is peculiar, in the fact that two-thirds of its area —indeed all of it, excepting strips of varying breadth on the east, north, and west coasts—has no drainage to the sea. In all this vast region of nearly 2,000,0(10 square miles, comprising the hole interior of the continent, and most of the southern coast strip, the scanty rain that falls is absorbed by the thirsty soil. In this region are rivers of great length, which, in rainy sea sons, may be of considerable volume, but the desert sands absorb their entire flow. On the east or seaward slope of the Great Divide are many short rivers, but none of them are of im portance for navigation. as they run very low at times. Among them are the Brisbane. Burnet, Titnoy, Burdekin, Herbert, Normanby. and Ken nedy. The only river rising in the west side of this mountain system which reaches the sea is the Murray, with its great branch, the Darling; this is far the largest stream of the continent, having a drainage area of 300,000 square miles: with the Darling, it is navigable at high water for 1700 miles. The Murrumbidgee, another large branch, is navigable for 500 miles at high water. The south coast for nearly 1000 miles has no stream flowing to the sea. (in the west coast
the streams are short, and are dry, except in the rainy season. On the north coast the principal streams flow into the Gulf of Carpentaria; these are the Leichman. Flinders, Roper, Gilbert, and :Mitchell. Into Queen Channel flows the Vic toria, while farther north are the Adelaide and Daly rivers. All these streams are long. hut are torrential in character, and of no value for navigation.
The rivers of the interior, though of no service as means of communication, may be put to use for irrigation purposes as settlement progresses; among them are the Cooper and Maeumber. flow ing into Lake Eyre, the first of which is not less than 1200 miles in length, the Herbert. and Diamautina. There are many salt lakes in the interior, which serve as sinks for the streams which flow into them. The largest of these is Lake Eyre, in South Australia, which receives the waters of many streams from a large area of surrounding country. Its surface is said to be a few feet below sea level. South of it are lakes Torrens and Gairdner, and far to the northwest is Lake Amadeus.