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the vicinity is very rich, and a considerable trade is already carried on at Port Pirie. About 30 miles south of Port Pirie is Port Broughton, a small shipping place, from which a tramway about ten miles long has been carried into the interior. Again, about 30 miles further down the eastern shore of Spencer's Gulf, is the town of Wallaroo, with a popula- tion of more than 2,000, the seaport of the rich copper mines in its vicinity. Moonta, a few miles inland and about 12 miles further to the southward, is another rich mining district, the population of which is estimated at 5,000. A tramway already connects it with Wallaroo, and one is now being formed from Moonta to the adjacent coast. There is also a tramway from the latter place to Kadina, about six miles distant. Railways, respectively 26 and 35 miles in length, are in course of construction, the former from. Kadina to the eastward, and the latter from Kadina to Port Wakefield. Thus Wallaroo and Moonta will be connected by railway with the head of St. Vincent's Gulf, and thence by lines, either existing or projected, with Adelaide.

Besides the places already mentioned on the shores of Spencer's Gulf, there are on the eastern side three or four points to the southward of Moonta and Hardwicke Bay, where there are jetties for the shipment of wool. On the western side there is a good though shallow harbour, Port Franklin, in the neighbourhood of which the country is stated to be excellent. There is also a shipping jetty at Tumby (Harvey's) Bay.

Near the entrance to the Gulf, on its western shore, is the fine harbour of Port Port Lincoln. Lincoln. There is, however, very little good agricultural land in its immediate neighbour- hood. It is stated that the back country is not rich, and the working of copper mines in the vicinity has not so far succeeded; consequently, the port is but little frequented. It is, nevertheless, the finest harbour in South Australia, and, next to Sydney, perhaps the finest in the Australian Colonies.

Gulf.

To the eastward of Gulf St. Vincent is Encounter Bay, in which are the harbours and Places to eastward small townships of Port Victor and Port Elliot. The mouth of the Murray River is also of St. Vincent's in Encounter Bay. A tramway has been laid, connecting Victor Harbour and Port Elliot with Strathalbyn, about 30 miles inland, and there is a branch from this line to Goolwa, on the Murray River.

Port Elliot is an insignificant anchorage, but Port Victor is capable of being made an admirable harbour for the accommodation of large ships. It is proposed to construct a breakwater there, and when this work has been carried out, and an efficient railway has been constructed for the distance of 11 miles between it and Goolwa--although a portion of the traffic of the Murray will probably come by the 110 miles of railway between the North-west Bend and Port Adelaide-Victor Harbour cannot fail to be the main shipping port for produce coming down the Murray River and the other rivers which flow from the neighbouring Colonies into it.

Further on to the South-eastward are the small harbours and townships of Kingston, Robe Town, Rivoli Bay, Greytown, and Port MacDonnell. The population of all these places at present is small, varying from 50 to 500. They are, however, of more or less importance as shipping ports for wool and produce. A railway has been constructed from Kingston (Lacepede Bay) to Naracoorte, a place 52 miles to the eastward of it, near the border of Victoria. A railway, 50 miles in extent, is also to be constructed from Rivoli Bay to the rich district of Gambiertown.

As regards the coast between Spencer's Gulf and the boundary of Western Australia, Coast to westward there are several bays thereon, viz., Coffin's Bay, Waterloo Bay, Venus Bay, Streaky Bay, of Spencer's Gulf. Smoky Bay, and Fowler's Bay; but although some of these afford good harbours, the country in their neighbourhood is very thinly inhabited, whilst their trade is exceedingly

small, and limited to small coasting vessels.

From this short statement, relating to the coast of South Australia, and the railways Probable nature of either existing or about to be made from thence into the interior, it will be gathered that, attack. whilst a certain amount of traffic will be carried on by sea from the small harbours on the south-eastern part of the Colony, the main routes for vessels engaged in the trade of the province must be from St. Vincent and Spencer Gulfs, and especially the former, in which the capital is situated, and to which the chief communications of the country converge. When the breakwater at Port Victor is constructed, a large increase of shipping trade will, moreover, take place immediately to the eastward of Gulf St. Vincent.

This being the case, it must be inferred that one mode of attack which an enemy might adopt against South Australia would be to cruise off the entrances to the Gulfs, with a view of capturing vessels laden with copper, wool, or other produce, in their passage from Adelaide, Wallaroo, and other ports. As regards Wallaroo, it should be noticed that large supplies of coal are kept there for the service of the mining districts in the neigh- bourhood, and an enemy would thus be enabled to supply his steamships with fuel for carrying on his operations.

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