To the people who lived four centuries ago in Europe only a very small portion of the earth’s surface was known. Their geography was confined to the regions lying immediately around the Mediterranean, and including Europe, the north of Africa, and the west of Asia. Round these there was a margin, obscurely and imperfectly described in the reports of merchants; but by far the greater part of the world was utterly unknown. Great realms of darkness stretched all beyond, and closely hemmed in the little circle of light. In these unknown lands our ancestors loved to picture everything that was strange and mysterious. They believed that the man who could penetrate far enough would find countries where inexhaustible riches were to be gathered without toil from fertile shores, or marvelous valleys; and though wild tales were told of the dangers supposed to fill these regions, yet to the more daring and adventurous these only made the visions of boundless wealth and enchanting loveliness seem more fascinating.
Thus, as the art of navigation improved, and long voyages became possible, courageous seamen were tempted to venture out into the great unknown expanse. Australia was the last part of the world to be thus visited and explored. In the year 1600, during the times of Shakespeare, the region to the south of the East Indies was still as little known as ever; the rude maps of those days had only a great blank where the islands of Australia should have been. Most people thought there was nothing but the ocean in that part of the world; and as the voyage was dangerous and very long—requiring several years for its completion—scarcely any one cared to run the risk of exploring it.
CONTENTS.
I. The Early Discoverers
II. Convict Settlement at Sydney, 1788 to 1890
III. Discoveries of Bass and Flinders
IV. New South Wales, 1800 to 1808
V. Tasmania, 1803 to 1836
VI. New South Wales, 1808 to 1837
VII. Discoveries in the Interior, 1817 to 1836
VIII. Port Phillip, 1800 to 1840
IX. South Australia, 1836 to 1841
X. New South Wales, 1838 to 1850
XI. South Australia, 1841 to 1850
XII. The Discovery of Gold
XIII. Victoria, 1851 to 1855
XIV. New South Wales, 1851 to 1860
XV. West Australia, 1829 to 1890
XVI. Queensland, 1823 to 1890
XVII. Explorations in the Interior, 1840 to 1860
XVIII. Discoveries in the Interior, 1860 to 1886
XIX. Tasmania, 1837 to 1890
XX. South Australia, 1850 to 1890
XXI. New South Wales, 1860 to 1890
XXII. Victoria, 1855 to 1890
XXIII. The Times of the Maoris
XXIV. New Zealand Colonised
XXV. White Men and Maoris
XXVI. New Zealand, 1843 to 1890