Chapter XX Nationality of the first finders of Australia--Knowledge of the Malays--The bamboo introduced--Traces of smallpox amongst the natives in the north-west--Tribal rites--Antipathy to pork--Evidence of admixture in origin--Influence of Asiatic civilisation partly visible--Coast appearance repelling--Want of indigenous food plants--Lack of intercourse with other nations--Little now left of unexplored country--Conclusions respecting various geological formations--Extent of continental divisions--Development of coastal towns--Inducements for population--Necessity of the first explorings--Pioneer squatters' efforts--First Australian-born explorer--Desert theory exploded--Fertile downs everywhere--Want of water apparently insurmountable--Heroism of explorers--Inexperience of the early settlers--Grazing possible--Rapid stocking of country--The barrenness of the "Great Bight"--Sturt, the Penn of Australia--Results--Mitchell's work--Baron von Mueller's researches--A salt lake--Stuart first man across the continent--Burke and Wills' heroism--Services of McKinlay and Landsborough--John Forrest's journeys--Camel expedition by Giles--The Brisbane Courier expedition--Further explorations--Stockdale at Cambridge Gulf--Carr-Boyd and O'Donnell open good country in Western Australia--Work done by explorers--Their characteristics--Conclusion. APPENDIX The Pandora Pass Death of Surveyor-General Oxley List of Men Comprising Sir Thomas Mitchell's Party in 1846 Richard Cunningham's Fate Cave Drawings Smith, a Lad of Eighteen, Found Dead, May 8th, 1839 Eyre's Letters Extract of Letter from Major Mitchell Extract of a Letter from Mr. Walter Bagot The Last Letter Received from Dr. Leichhardt The Nardoo Plant The Finding of John King Poison Plants Index of Names, Dates and Incidents Chronological Summary MAPS AND FAC-SIMILES (Not included in this eBook) Exploratory Map of Australia Dauphin Map Map of Tasman's Track, 1644 Captain Flinders' Letter to Sir J. Banks Map of Australia in 1818 Extract from Letters--E. J. Eyre, Sir G. Gipps and Sir Thomas Mitchell Fac-simile of Signatures Fac-simile of Cave Paintings and Drawings, discovered by Lieutenant George Grey, 1838 INTRODUCTION Part I Rumours of the existence of a Southern Continent in the Sixteenth Century--JAVE and JAVE LA GRANDE--Authentic Discoveries and visits of the early Navigators--Torres sails between New Guinea and Terra Australis--Voyage of the DUYFHEN in 1606--Dirk Hartog on the West Coast, his inscribed plate--Restored by Vlaming--Afterwards by Hamelin--Nuyts on the South Coast--Wreck of the BATAVIA on Houtman's Abrolhos--Mutiny of Cornelis--Tasman's second voyage--Dampier with the Buccaneers--Second Voyage in the ROEBUCK--Last visit of the Dutch--Captain Cook--Flinders; his theory of a Dividing Strait--Plans for exploring the Interior--His captivity--Captain King--Concluding remarks.