VICTORIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume V, Issue 316, 10 November 1855, Page 8

VICTORIA.

(From the •' Syduey Empire.'*). We have received Melbourne papers to the 18th ult. Earthquake at Melbourne. The shock of an earthquake was experienced in Melbourne and its vicinity shortly before 3 o'clock on Monday morning last. The « Argus' says:—"The shock appears to have been of so violent a character as to have attracted general notice, notwithstanding its occurrence at an hour when but a very small fraction of the population can be supposed to have been sensible of any ordinary noise or motion. Of course, accounts as to the peculiar nature of the shock differ considerably; some describing it as being a rolling motion, while others say that they were Bens.ble of a hearing and violent vibration. We have received information from numbers of persons, describing the effect of the phenomenon upon their houses. The dwellers in wooden cottages appear to have been most sensible of itsoccurrence, and in some of the large hotels of the city a considerable amount of alarm prevailed caused by the ringing of the bells, the rustling of the window frames, and olas-hiii-.-- of crockery kitchen utensils, &c. At the Imperial Hotel the terror and confusion were* so great that most of the inmates left their apartments, and prome-

uaded the street, where they imagined they were safer than under anything in the shape of a roof. We hear that the walls of the Benevolent Asylum experienced some damage from the vibration, and reports of trifling injuries having been done to other buildings have reached us. In the neighbourhood of Brighton and St. Kilda the shock (some say there was more than one) was severely felt, and the general opinion appears to be that the line of action was from east to west, as will be seen by the letters which wejsubjoiii . . To the Editor of the Argus. Sir, —Wishing that the public may have from various parts of the colony a description of the earthquake which took place last night, I beg to lay before you a few facts coining before me here iir Boroondara. I was awakened, like most people, by the unpleasant rumbling, accompanied by the very perceptible shaking of the house. One of my buildings so violently rocked to and fro that one person called out loudly to wake the rest, that they might escape the expected destruction of the place. My neighbour, Captain Sinclair, was awake before the phenomenon occurred. He tells me that it came from the east, and rolled off to the west, causing the vibration to be felt north and south. A peculiar noise was heard, which he compares to the knocking together of two great stones in a hag, as if the upper stratum of rocks were striking against the lower. At the residence of Mr. Auuaud, Hawthorne, the windows were violently shaken. The chimney of the house of one of my neighbours was split. In his terror the occupant rushed out to the adjoining house of his relatives, to ascertain their safety. At the Boroondara stores, every bottle and box rattled. Tlie plaster fell from the ceiling of Mr. Damian's house, on Gardiner's Creek. The larse iron storehouse on Mr. Ward's farm, by the Yarra, was considerably shaken. One person described to me his sensations of sickness at the time, similar to those experienced by -others during a strong earthquake. The period of the duration of the shocks was from three to five seconds. The time at which the phenomenon -vas noticed appears to have been 23 minutes to three in the morning. If others iv more distant quartets describe the course of this earthquake, we may form some corect estimate of its centre of action. Should it proceed from the east, it may have its source in volcanic New Zealand. James Boxwick. Boroondara Boarding School, 17th September, 1855.

Novel Ferry from Dover to Calais.— The Field on Saturday week contained the fol-lowing-.—An extraordinary American invention is just now being submitted to the French Government by two gentlemen from New York, the trial of which, whether it succeed or not', will certainly create much curiosity and interest' both in England and France. It is intended especially for the service of voyageurs between the two couniries, which it proposes to unite .by a kind of floating bridge, or sea-way, by which the voyageurs may cro.-s the channel literally upon land at least it is so stated by the prospectus. The plan consists in the construction of a gigantic raft, of half a mile in length, and nearly the same in breadth, the foundation being made of the trunk of cork trees strongly bound together. The surface is to be covered with earth, and lai.l out in grounds like a nobleman's park. It is to be provided with an hotel, cafes, billiard rooms, a library, and, in fine, every kind of accommodation. The colossal mass is to be moved by steam and the passengers will walk from the shore into the splendid grounds laid out with trees, roads, and promenades, the extent of which will prevent the motion of the water being felt, even in ihe roughest weather. Ihe travellers may amuse themselves, read walk, or even ride, if so disposed, precisely as on laud. J_h e great object of the inventor is to get nd of sickness—that fearful enemy of most travellers of even the .shortest distance by sea According to the programme, the plan has been tried, in several storms, on two of the greal American lakes, ou a scale little less than now proposed, and with so much success, that a large capital was at once advanced to carry it into execution on ibis side of the Atlantic • the principal places at present in view are between Dover and Calais, and between England and Ireland, „. Si. George's Channel. The inventor of tins extraordinary plan is provided with ample funds to carry it into effect. The great difficulty which presents itself is the finding a

locus in quo sufficiently extensive to try the experiment. It is hoped, however, by the sanguine speculators, that the "floating island bridge" will he constructed and put to the test early in the ensuing spring.— Kentish Independent. The " Lords" and thi. Ladies. — Lord Redesdale, on Tuesday evening, May 15, called the attention of the House of Lords to the fact that on the previous evening ladies had occupied portions of the house to which they were not properly admissablo, to tbe great prejudice of the general appeaiance of the house (oh, oh, and laughter.) That house was a place for debate, and although it was on the previous, evening surrounded more by that which was most beautiful, still it made il look like a casino— (loud laughter)—and was very disadvantageous to debate aud discussion (oh, oh.) A noble earl had expressed to him bis unwillingness to speak because he was surrounded hy an audience of that kind (oh, oh, and lau»hter.) The admission of ladies to the parts of the house they had occupied on the previous evening was contrary to the orders of tbe house, and was, he trusted, a»r\ irregularity that would not be repeated.—EiuV Granville : I remember seeing a French farce in which an English *' milor" was the principal personage, and in which he objected to the presence ofladies at dinner, because they were displeasing to bis eyes. I never before knew the original of that English " milor" (laughter.) I must also add that I believe all your lordships have not had the advantage which my noble friend seems to possess, by tlie frequentation of casinos, of enjoying those views of the female sex which he now wishes to deprive this house of (great laughter.) However, I accept his observations as a very satisfactory reason why some of the speeches on the opposite of the house were, in the opinion of those on this side, less effective than they sometimes are.— English Paper.