The Picture of Australia: Exhibiting New Holland, Van Dieman's Land, and All the Settlements, from the First at Sydney to the Last at Swan River (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from The Picture of Australia: Exhibiting New Holland, Van Dieman's Land, and All the Settlements, From the First at Sydney to the Last at Swan River

Africa, and with America, being more easy than that of the average of any of those divisions of the world with the other two. Over every other quarter of the world it has this farther advantage, that it can be cir cumnavigated with ease, and, comparatively speak ing, at all seasons. This is not the case with any of the four quarters. Both the old continents are un approachable on their northern shores and from the Mediterranean, which forms the boundary of Eu rope, Asia, and Africa, a vessel must Circumnavigate the entire quarter to reach the nearest opposite sea. The passage by the South of America is one of great hardship and danger and even where that continent is the narrowest, it is, a voyage Of 'many thousand miles'before the opposite shore can be reached. But Australia may be sailed round with the same facility as Great Britain and, considering the extent, the dangers are not greater. The passage'to Asia is di rect and short that to Africa and the West of Ame rica is equally direct; and even to Europe the pas sage may be made in less time than from the East of Asia or the West of America. If therefore the re; sources of Australia were properly called forth by a numerous and industrious population, the commer cial advantages that it might derive from other lands, and bestow upon them in return, might be greater than can at present be even imagined.

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