LATEST AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 69, 16 March 1877, Page 3

LATEST AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

A girl, twelve years of age, was outraged and murdered on the night of the 18th February, at Ulamanbri. The corpse was found with the face battered and the nose bitten off, and a rope round the neck. Heavy floods have occurred in various parts of South Australia—washing away bridges, horses, and cattle, and doing much damage. The rainfall, however, is very acceptable, and all fears of drought have now passed away. Wilson's Circus was swamped by the rain, and could not perform on the night of the 14th of February. The weather at Brisbane is extremely hot. The thermometer in the sun on February 25 registered 149deg. There have been floods northwards. The " Eegister," in summarising the circulars received from farmers, estimates that 950,000 acres have been reaped for wheat, averaging about six bushels per acre. The total yield is 5,730,973 bushels, and deducting enough for seed and food, leaves a surplus of 3,030,370 bushels, or 80,918 tons of wheat available for export. The return All-England match in Adelaide has been fixed for the middle of April. It is alleged that there are many signs that the present year will show a revival in the mining prospects of the Colony. Opthalmia appears to be prevalent in some parts of the country at present. There are several cases at Preston, and a good many at Northcote. It appears that a number of gentlemen in Melbourne, annoyed at the liberality displayed by the majority of subscribers to the Athenseuin, are desirous of starting another reading room, which would be open on Sundays for all who might desire to us it. Mr. Whisker, the English chess-player, won only two out of six games in Sydney, playing blindfold. Brisbane advices by the Somerset report the loss by fire of the ship Harvey Mills, at Port Royal, with 7000 bales of cotton. Offices for the sale of tickets have been opened by the department of Victorian Railways near the Opera House in Bourkestreet, and at the Flinders-street station, but the public, not used to extra facilities like these, have as yet resorted only moderately to them. A man named Martin M'Hale committed suicide by hanging himself at Ravenswood, Victoria. The deceased was a widower, aged 68 years, and had been suffering from a bad leg for some time. This appeared to prey upon his mind, and he became despondent and religious, spending Ins time mostly in prayer. A man named Duncan has been arrested by the police at Orange, N.S.W., for having been concerned in a robbery, j On searching him a number of notes were found in his possession, being portion of those recently stolen from the bank at Coola. He also answers to the description of one of the perpetrators of the robbery. The schooner Douglas, which arrived at Cairns, reports the massacre of three of the crew, named Patrick Troy, Humphrey Coughlan, and Alexander M'lntosh, by blacks engaged from Dank Island to assist to load the vessel with guano. They also wounded the captain and four others, leaving only two men and a boy unhurt, who worked the vessel back to port. Mr. Dampier, while dressing for Hamlet, at Sydney, on the night of the 15th February, fell down in a fit, supposed to be caused by sunstroke. The performance was postponed. The New South Wales Assembly negatived the Bill providing for the strict closing of public-houses on Sundays. A fatal affray is reported fifty miles south of Cooktown, at Schnapps Point, during which, a party of Kanakas killed three and badly wounded two white men. The New South Wales Assembly negatived a resolution to give to the majority of the Assembly the power to exclude strangers, instead of to individual members, as at present. iEneas Head, aged 45 years, living in Faraday-street, Carlton, attempted to commit suicide by cutting his throat with a table-knife, while under the influence of liqour. A telegram has been received from the Secretary of State for the Colonies informing the Governor that Sir William Jervois and Colonel Scratchley leave England on the 2nd April, to advise on the defences of the Colonies. The Argus has received the following intelligence from Hay by telegraph :— " the weather is cool, but very dry, and the river is lower than ever previously known. Stock is dying from starvation in hundreds. Special prayers for rain were publicly offered on Thursday." The ship Strathdon, in 39deg. south, passed a quantity of corks and sawn

timber, together with other wreckage) supposed to have drifted from the wreck about Tristan d'Acunha. It is supposed to indicate the loss of an immigrant ship. The eclipse of the moon was distinctly seen at Sydney. Two deaths from lightning were reported at Deniliquin Police Station on February 16.