PHYSICAL FEATURES. The interior presents no well-marked surface features. It consists mainly- of undulating sand or sandstone plateaus of no great elevation, their level surfaces being broken by isolated sandstone ranges, sand hills, and wind-blown ridges. The southeastern part of the State consists of a limestone plateau about 200 miles wide and ending in a line of steep c•li0's running for several hundred mile; along the southern coast. The only real mountains in the State are the Stirling and Darling ranges along the southwest coast, but their highest ele vation does not exceed 3600 feet. The extreme northern part of the State, known as the Kim berley District, consists of elevated plains in the interior. falling toward the coast in several lines of precipitous and rugged esearpments broken by deep ravines. The coasts of Western Aus tralia are very little indented and afford sea reels' any good harbors. Along, the south coast not a single stream enters the for about 000 miles from the eastern boundary. On the wort west, however. there are a number of rivers, sonic of considerable size, such as the Murchison, Gas eoyne, Ashburton, and Fitzroy. ]lost of the
smaller streams are ID tle more than storm water channels. dry the greater part of the year. In the interior there :ire a number of so-called lakes, whieh in the dry season are nothing but mud flats covered with incrustations of salt.
CItm.vrt.: ND I'rcr:•r.tTtm. The climate is healthful and pleasant and very dry, so that the heat, though intense, is not oppressive. The range of temperature is considerable, and frost may occur in winter. The annual rainfall is be tween 30 and 40 inches in the extreme south western and northeastern sections. between 10 and 20 inches along the western coast, and less than 10 inches in the great interior. The south eastern plateau is covered with rich grass dur ing the wet season, and good grazing land is also found in the upper valleys of the western rivers. The southwestern section of the State is a great forest region, in which the eucalyptus grows to an immense height. The interior, how ever, consists mainly of sandy and stony desert, partly barren, partly covered with acacia scrub and spiny grass, and almost destitute of sur face water.