ate climate, which is perhaps not very different from
that of England, though less subject to violent changes.

The island is intersected by two fine rivers, rising near the centre;
the one named the Tamar, falling into Bass' Straits, on the north, and
forming Port Dalrymple; the other the Derwent, which discharges itself
into the sea, on the south-eastern extremity. Hobart Town, the capital,
is situated on the right bank of the Derwent, about five miles from the
sea.

The natives of Van Diemen's Land are described by all the navigators, as
a mild, affable, good-humoured and inoffensive race.

Though they are obviously the same race of people as those of New
Holland, and go entirely naked, both men and women, yet their language
is altogether different.

The British settlements in Australia are both numerous and important.
The oldest, most extensive, and valuable, was founded, as we have shewn
already, at Sydney. The island of Tasmania was next occupied; within the
last few years we have established the colonies of Port Phillip,
Melbourne, Victoria, Cooksland, and others. The progress of these
settlements has been rapid.

An extraordinary increase to emigration to Australia was given by the
discovery of the Gold Regions.

For many years reports had been current that the Australian Alps and the
Snowy Mountains were full of gold, but it was not till after the
Californian discoveries that any was found in Australia.

Two shepherds were the first persons who found any gold, and for a long
time they successfully concealed the source from which they obtained it;
but being watched, their secret was discovered, and the news spread like
wild-fire over the colony. Everybody was mad to go gold hunting;
shepherds forsook their flocks; traders closed their stores; sailors ran
away from their ships; servants threw up their situations; everybody was
mad to visit this newly-discovered Tom Tiddler's ground, to pick up gold
and silver. A groom informed his master, in one instance, that he would
stop with him, as he had been in the family for five years, for a guinea
a day, if it would be any convenience to him. Another family was left
with only a boy of sixteen to attend them, and his stipulations
were--two pounds a week, and wine to his dinner! In one year the
population of Melbourne rose from 23,000 to 85,000 inhabitants; the town
of Geelong trebled its numbers; perhaps never in the whole history of
the world had there been so e