The history of mankind (1896) (14783798253)

Identifier: historyofmankind01ratz (find matches)
Title: The history of mankind
Year: 1896 (1890s)
Authors: Ratzel, Friedrich, 1844-1904 Butler, Arthur John, 1844-1910
Subjects: Ethnology Anthropology
Publisher: London, Macmillan and co., ltd. New York, The Macmillan co.
Contributing Library: Wellesley College Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Wellesley College Library



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the slope, and often in theheavy tropical rains overflow their banks widely. The Barcoo, flowing along witha slight gradient and endless windings, is capable of watering a full third of theinterior with its tributaries, that seldom have any water in them. But the SouthAustralian lake region, towards which it bears its waters, does not rise very farabove the level of the sea. The characteristics of its desert shores are sand hillsbetween the lakes and on their banks, stony flats resembling the sea-shore andsoil impregnated with salt. There is only one river system of considerable import- 334 THE HISTORY OF MANKIND ance, that of the Murray, the sources of which occupy the whole region on thewestern slope of the mountain range from New South Wales to Queensland.In the north and north-west, where there is more rain, watercourses are numerous,but there is no stream. In the west and interior, we find no doubt plenty ofwatercourses on the maps, but none in reality. They are merely creeks and
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mmwm Eucalyptus Forest in South Australia. (From the account of the voyage of the Novara). water-holes filled by rain during a small part of the year. We shall see howclosely the life of the natives is bound up with these transitory watercourses andsprings, and how insecure, owing to this dependence, is their entire life. The mostpromising collections of water dry up with extraordinary rapidity. The change-able direction of the streams, even in the larger river beds, makes the habitabilityof wide districts, if no permanent precautions are taken for damming up super-fluous water in the wet season, a matter of uncertainty. The rapid change from AUSTRALIA 335 wet to dry causes wide tracts to become barren and desert. Even the lakes aresubject to this, and the maintenance of old lakes or creation of new ones hasbecome one of the most prominent necessities in the cultivation of Australia.Wide districts are impregnated with salt, and perfectly sweet water is a rarity. Good water, says one o