CLIPPINGS FROM AUSTRALIAN PAPERS.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2101, 29 January 1870, Page 2

CLIPPINGS FROM AUSTRALIAN PAPERS.

The Jamieson Chronicle publishes the fol. lowing telegram :—“The township at Donovan’s Creek was entirely destroyed by bra on Wednesday night. No life lost, but the whole of the township was completely destroyer!. Both owners of houses and lodgers are entirely without clothing except what they were sleeping in.” “Messrs Donaldson. Andrews, and Sharland,” writes the South Australian Advertiser, “have received from New South Wales samples of a remarkably useful fibre, obtained from a plant indigenous to the country, and popularly known as the gigautic lily, which is found in great abundance in the neighborhood of Newcastle. The fibre is of a reddish color, 3ft. or 4ft., and upwards, in length, and of great strength. It is considered equal to hair for stuffing, and makes first-class ropo. The A.S.N. Company use nothing else for hawsers. As the supply would be unlimited, a very good trade in this valuable product should be established. ”

In an article on the political situation in this Colony, the Hobart Toicn Mercury observes—“ The country (Victoria) is showing more marked indications of its having become tired of the M‘Culloch rigime ; and if Mr Macpherson brings out a bold, welldefined, and liberal policy, he can, with a good grace, if defeated, [seek the assent of the Governor, and with considerable confidence, appeal to the country. An election with public opinion as it now is, would be a heavy blow and great discouragement to the hCCulloch party. On several subjects rejected or lapsed last session, and on that of emigration, the country will not tolerate further procrastination. ” The following rather amusing passage occurs in an article on opium in the Scientific American : —“This opium packing for J867 was just over at Christmas, and nearly 30,000 chests of China opium had been sent down to Calcutta, worth about L 4,000,000. Each chest contains forty cakes—the dark sticky stuff ingeniously inclosed in a coating of dried poppy leaves, so that each cake —weighing about two pounds—presents the appearance of a Dutch cheese or a cannon ball. It has given rise to the saying that in war the British gave the Chinese cannon balls of iron, and in peace cannon balls of opium, thus giving them the choice of being shot or poisoned, and making them pay smartly for either attention. In return for this, they feed us with tea and clothe us in 'silk, which seems to show a truly celestial spirit.”