SYDNEY.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 220, 8 September 1847, Page 3

SYDNEY.

Survey of the Harbour. — We are glad to perceive that the officers of H.M.S. Rattlesnake are at present engaged in re-survey-ing our harbour. This was a necessary work, as it is now above twenty years, we believe, since it was last done.

Return of Dr. Leichhardt. — We are informed by Mr. Ewer, a gentleman who has recently taken up a station on the ConJamine, and who arrived in Brisbane last evening, that Dr. Leichhardt and party have been compelled to return to Darling Downs, having lost nearly the whole of their cattle and goats, three horses, and seven mules. It appears that all the party had been suffering from fever and ague on the Mackenzie River, but they managed to "reach the Peak Downs, and were on the point of bearing off to the westward, when the stock got so wild that they could not be kept together. On one occasion Dr. Leichhardt was eighteen days absent from the camp, and was given up for lost. When he rejoined the party, without having recovered the cattle he was in search of, it was determined upon returning to Darling Dawns immediately, and they reached Mr. I ligh's station, on the Condamine, on Thursday week last, very much distressed, we regret to add, both in mind and body, at the temporary failure of the expedition. As Dr. Leichhardt intends visiting Brisbane in the course of a fortnight, we do not feel justified in making more than a passing allusion to certain rumours which are afloat respecting the gentlemen who accompanied the expedition, and the disunion which is stated to have prevailed amongst them. We shall, doubtless, be furnished with full particulars on their arrival at the settlement. — Moreton Bay Courier^-

Preserved Provisions. — Mr. Israel Joseph, who has recently returned to this colony, has commenced the manufacture of preserved provisions on a large scale. When he was in England he paid a large premium to be allowed to work in one of the patent houses in order to learn the proper mode of performing the various operations. Having done this he purchased the requisite apparatus and materials and came to Sydney. He has formed his establishment at Camperdown, and it is in full operation. The plan pursued is one of the most recently patented, and is exceedingly simple. The meat and vegetables or other articles to be preserved are placed in tins, which are sold *red air-tight ; in tHe centre, of the top of the tin is a small

hole, into which is fastened a tube made of soft tin, about a foot long, and having a bore of less than a quarter of an inch. The tins are then placed iv a bath of chloride of calcium, which can be heated to 250deg., about 40 deg. higher than boiling water, and are boiled in this as long as may be considered necessary. Before removing them from the hot bath the small pipes above named are bent down like syphons into a vessel containing gravy, when the weight of the atmospheric air foices into the tin a sufficient quantity of the gravy to supply the place of the steam which has been driven off, and the tin becomes full. The tin pipe is immediately nipped tight, cut off close to the top, and a small drop of solder renders it air tight : and the operation is complete, unless it is considered necessary to place the tin again in the bath, for the purpose of more thoroughly cooking the meat. The whole of the cooking aud other operations are perform p d by the agency of steam, which is supplied from a large steam boiler. This mode of preparing meat can be carried on to an almost indefinite extent in this colony ; and if, as will most likely be the case when the article becomes known, the demand is large, the price will be low ; probably, for plain meat and vegetables and soups less than sixpence a pound, at which price it will come into use among the whalers and mercantile marine, as the expense of a couple of messes per week will be very little more than the cost of salt provisions. When the establishment gets into full work a ton of meat can be prepared every day, if there is a demand for it. Cannibal Labour. — It appears from intelligence received in Melbourne, that therecent importation of cannibal labour has not turned out a good spec. The interesting savages have turned out to be unmanageable, only working at pleasure, and in several instancps they have walked themselves off altogether.