turesque. They
crossed several dry or slightly moistened beds of rivers, where
indications were clearly visible that in times of heavy rains these dry
beds or insignificant streams were turned to floods. Here and there the
line crossed immense sheep farms and also great wheatfields, but there
were wide stretches of land which seemed to have no occupants whatever.
Most of the country was open and free from trees. Then there were other
parts where the line passed for miles and miles through "scrub," and at
irregular intervals they came upon patches and stretches of Australian
forest.

Harry noted that the forests through which they passed had very little
undergrowth, so that it was easy to ride in any direction among the
trees. Most of the trees that they saw were eucalypti, of which there
are many varieties. The eucalyptus is by far the most common tree of
Australia, and the best known variety is the one that is called "the
blue gum." It is said that fevers do not prevail where the eucalyptus
grows, and this theory seems to be developed into a well-established
fact. Decoctions and other extracts are made from the leaves, bark,
wood, and gum of the eucalyptus and are given to fever patients with
more or less success. The eucalyptus has been taken to foreign
countries, and where the climatic conditions are suitable it has
flourished and established itself. The French government introduced it
into Algeria and planted it at military stations, where the soldiers had
suffered much from malaria. At all those stations the malaria was long
ago driven away by the trees, and places that were once unhealthy are
now renowned for their salubrity.

The youths observed that most of the eucalyptus trees were tall and
slender. The gentleman who accompanied them said that their trunks were
often found with a diameter of ten to twelve feet, and some had been
measured that were sixteen feet in diameter at a distance of ten feet
from the ground. The trees grow very rapidly, and their timber when
green is soft, so that they can be felled, split, and sawed very easily,
but when dry it becomes very hard. It is a very useful wood, as it is
adapted for many purposes. The bark contains a great deal of tannin, and
it has become to some extent an article of commerce.

The leaves of the eucalyptus have a leathery appearance and generally
stand in a vertical position, so that one side receives as much light as
the other. A valuable aromatic oil is e