SOUTH AUSTRALIA. CAPTAIN STURT AND THE EXPEDITION. [From the Adelaide Observer.]

New Zealander, Volume 1, Issue 19, 11 October 1845, Page 4

SOUTH AUSTRALIA. CAPTAIN STURT AND THE EXPEDITION. [From the Adelaide Observer.]

To those of our readers who are not already aware of the safety of Captain Slurt, it will afford much gratification to learn that the gallant leader (in the exploratory expedition to the northward, which left Adelaide more than a year ago), was, at the date of his despatches, (18th July) at a temporary depot formed at the distance of about 500 mile* from Adelaide, in long. 140° 30" E., and lat. 29 ° 40" 12', being about 90 miles E. by S. from Mount Hopeless, and near the turning point of Mr. Eyre's Expedition ia 1840. With the exception of the late much lamented Mr. Poole, secotid in command, whose sudden decease is officially aunounced in the Government Gazette, notices transferred to our columns, the gallant party has suffered no fatal casuality during the long and arduous journey into the mysterious interior from which " the veil " is yet to be lifted. Mr. Piesse, the storekeeper of the party, accompanied by four men, and a single bullock team, has been the bearer as far as Moorunde of the Captain's despatches, which are so voluminous as to have de termined the Government to defer the publication of their intended digest, until the next issue of the Government Gazette ; we can therefore only lay before our readers such particulars as we have been able to glean, from sources which though unofficial, may we believe, be relied on. Mr. Piesse, who was commissioned to procure fo r the party fresh supplies of provision with a view of further explorations in anoihcr direction, is said to have left the depot with his small etcorl on the 18th July last, three days previous to which date the re. mains of Mr. Poole had been interred. When within four days journey of the Government station (Mooliinde), on the Murray, Mr. Piesse found means to anticipate his necessarily slow progress through some friem'ly natives, by whom his brief note, stating the general safety of the party found its way to the sta" tioo, and thence into Adelaide, many days earlier than the news could o'herwasi have reached us. The extreme northern point to which the party had attained was about 28 degrees of latitude, (only one degree further than Captain Frome reached), and to reach this they had to encounter a country of extreme desolation, aridity, and high temperature, that the thermometer frequently stood for hours at 140 in the sun, 130 in the shade, and 90 underground. In short, during nearly four months of the period of their absence, the party were compelled to remain in the iciuity of a " waler-holc," from which it would have been perilous in the extreme to have made either a forward or a retrograde movement. They had all suffered from scurvy, but were recovered, and in excellent health anil spirits. When the party arrived in the surmised vicinity of " Lake Torrens," they found little to represent the large body of water heretofore so circumstantially described. With an expedition which could not subsist on c(s than a thousand gallons of water per diem, it is easy to imagine the difficulties of a progress through such a country as we have endeavoured to describe; but it is not so easy to appreciate the courage, conduct and enthusiasm, which have not only been equal to the task of extrication, but are even now protracting Capta a Sturt's return, in the hope of reaping for his adopted country some valuable fruits from his self imposed but hitherto unsuccessful toils. It may yet be some months before we witness the return of the hardy expeditionists ; in the mean time, we hope that enterprise so daring, and exploratory ardour so enthusiastic, will not be without their reward. It is most satisfactory to know that the natives met with, have in every instance been inoffensive and friendly.

A Public Meeting; held to consider the best means of preventing the introduction of the conditionally pardoned convicts from Van Dieman's Land, was numerously attended, and a very strong feeling was exhibited. The following was the first and principal resolution. " That the colonists have seen with feelings of the utmost alarm and indignation, the announcement of a recent measure, being a resolution of Her Majesty's Government, authorising the Governor of Van Dieman's Land, to grant pardons as may seem meet, to convicted criminals, upon the sole condition of their not going beyond the colonies of Australia or New Zealand, by which conditional emancipation of felons, this highly privileged, free and now happy and prosperous province, is threatened with an inundation of vice, crime and misery, to the exclusion or forestalling of that abundant supply of free labour from the mother country, which the ample resources of the colony will now enable it provide for itself; and being moreover in direct contravention of the Act of the Imperial Parliament under which the colony was founded, and has hitherto flourished, and on the faith of which the colonists emigrated hither."

We perceive that the banks had taken th* alarm at the fever heat at which the mining mania had arrived, ami had determined not to discount any bills that were connected with mining operations. The payment of the large sum of £20,000 for a special survey, and a rumour that another was to be applied for, were supposed to be the causes which induced the banks to come to this determination. A large amount of capital is expei ted to arrive from England in the course of nexi month, to be invested iv mines. South Australian Ores. — We have been kindly favoured by Capt. Bagot with a copy of the result* of assays, and list of values of the samples of the Kapuuda ores, sent by him to England, and assayed by Messrs. Bath and Son, of the Mining office, Swansea. It is a long document, there having been no less than thirty-nine samples, so that we csn only give the average result. They were all, we should mention, subject to a doubtful trial. The ores were divided into two classes, those which were not rejected by the miners here, and those which were rejected. Of the first, of which there were nineteen samples, the pioduce per cent, ranges from eleven one-half valued at £7. 19s, 6d. per ton, which is the lowest per cent, to 59£ per cent, valued at £41. Us. per ton, of 21 cwt. Of these samples only three — two of llj, and one 18|, are under 20 per cent. The rest range between 20, 30, 40, 50, aud 59f per cent., in nearly equal proportions. The average is 34J per cent , valued at £25. 7s. The rejected ores exhibit the most surprising- results. Excepting one sample, which is iron ore, and which exhibits only I j per cent, of copper, valued at 4s. 6d. per ton, the samples range from 9£ to 34 per cent.., and the value from £6. 8s to £25. 3s. per ton ; the average being 23 one-sixth per cent., at an average value of £\7. per ton. We had almost forgot to mention that " twu stones," were assayed separately— the large : one, of green carbonate and grey sulphuret, produced 53 per cent., valued at £.39. 15s. per ton ; and the small one, green carbonate and black sulphuret, 31 per cent., valued at £22. 15s. per ton. Our readers will judge of the correctness of Messrs. Bath and Son's remark. " The mine must be an extraordinary promising concern."