After these journeys, and the further explorations of the great JOHN M'DOUALL STUART (Central Australia, and the crossing from south to north) in 1858-62; R. O'HARA BURKE and W.J. WILLS (also Central Australia) in 1860-1--they were the first explorers to traverse Australia from south to north; A.H. HOWITT, 1861; J. M'KINLAY (South and Central Australia), 1862; W.C. GOSSE (West Australia), 1873; Major P. EGERTON WARBURTON (Central to West Australia), 1873; Sir JOHN FORREST (Central to West Australia) in 1873-4; and ERNEST GILES (West and South Australia) in 1875; the main features and characteristics of the Australian continent became known to the civilized world. The first value attached to Australia was for its wheat-growing and cattle-rearing possibilities. Next followed, early in the nineteenth century, the introduction of merino sheep, and for forty years or so the main interests of Australia were pastoral, while the breeding of horses for the use of India ("Walers" they were called, as an abbreviation of New South Wales) became an important object of the settlers. The timber of Eucalyptus, Araucaria, and Casuarina was good enough to export; and the capacity of southern and south-eastern Australia as a vine-growing country soon became apparent. But in the middle of the nineteenth century the discovery on a large scale of gold threw all the other assets of this southern continent into the shade. Australia proved, moreover, to be rich in silver, copper, tin, precious stones, and coal, besides gold; and happily the desert and stony regions, which were quite worthless for agricultural or pastoral purposes, turned out to be better endowed with minerals than the fertile land. In 1812 the total white population in all Australia scarcely exceeded 12,000; in 1912 it is not far off 4,500,000. A hundred years ago this continent of 2,947,000 square miles was a barely known and derelict land, the coasts of which were roughly indicated on the map, the interior being completely unknown. To-day it is the home of a young, white nation, which may some day rival in power and resources the United States of North America. As regards New Guinea, no close attention was given to the geography of that great island until the surveying expedition of H.M.S. _Fly_, in 1842-6, commanded by Captain F.P. BLACKWOOD, R.N., and that of H.M.S. _Rattlesnake_ under Captain OWEN STANLEY, R.N., in 1846-50. This last-named expedition included in its staff as surgeon the great professor, Thomas Henry Huxley. Huxley named the high mountains of south-east New Guinea after his commander, who died before the expedition returned to England. South-east New Guinea (Papua), the portion nearest to Australia, was annexed by Great Britain in 1884.