SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

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

SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

The bridge across the Torrens at Adelaide has been swept a way by the floods ; the Frorae bridge had shared a similar fate. The iron ore in the neighbourhood of Mount Gambier is said to be both plentiful and rich. The South Australian Assurance Company is being wound up, with a serious loss to the proprietors. Mr. M'Leay, who succeeds Mr. Eyre as resident magistrate at the Murray, has arrived at Adelaide j he was formerly a stipendiary* magistrate in Van Diemen's Land. Three thousand tickets- of-leave were rerecently issued in Van Diemen's Land. Sandalwood in large quantities is said to be growing at the head of Spencer's Gulf. A settler near Adelaide has three native women employed as shepherdesses, who are said to be extremely useful.

Yokke's Peninsula. — The Soutl. Australian peninsula above named had for some time been considered an almost useless tract of count;y; chiefly because during Colonel Gawler's administration, two special surveys were taken there — one on the eastern and the other on the western sHe — which the takers were allowed to exchange for two other special survey districts on this side, on pleading the utter unavailableness of thosp they had chosen on the other side of the gulf. In some parts of the peninsula the scrub is impenetrable, extending from shore to shore, and there seems to a considerable extent an absence of surface water. It was ascertained, however, a few months ago, by Mr. Weaver and his party, that some good sheep and cattle runs existed beyond the region of scrub, and they determined to reach them. In pursuance of this design they skirted the coast with their stock, and in their progress discovered a large copper deposit abutting upon the shore, near their cattle luns : and having made special application for two hundred acres of land, Messrs. Weaver and Hart effected the purchase at the last public land sale at the upset price, and thus secured (judging from report and assays made of some of the lumps of ore brought over) a property second only to the celebrated Burra Burra. In point of transit facility, the new discovery infinitely surpasses anything that has preceded it, for the ores obviously exist in abundance, and may be wheeled from the property, and at once put on board lighters, whose loadings may be transferred to vessels of large burthen, for which there is safe anchorage within about a mile. Captain Hart has just returned from the spot, bringing with him many admirable specimens of the ore ; and the LieutenantGovernor having quietly put to sea in the Government cutter yesterday, his Excellency is presumed to have gone on a visit to the new mine, where, we understand, ten or twelve men are already employed. The herbage on such available pasturages .as have yet been discovered, is described as very luxuriant; but those who are depasturing stock thereon j have hitherto had to depend for the supply of j themselves and cattje on a small lagoon of

fresh water, being the only perndaneut supply ' yet discovered. Water Las been found at a depth of about six feet in many places — but invariably too salt for use. In addition to a considerable number of sheep previously, sent . over, Messrs. Coates & Co. have recently forwarded six hundred head of cattle. The peninsula abounds in salt-water lagoons ; in-> r deed some of them may be called lakes, being ten or twelve miles in compas: ; but in summer they become quite dry by evaporation ; then , a deposit of salt, two or three feet in thickness, makes its appearance, being perfectly " white and fit for culinary use or. curing pro-v cesses. We can only hope that the enterprise ; of the co-proprietors may be handsomely -re- 1 ; warded by a successful prosecution of .what - they have fortunately obtained. — South Aits- ■ tralian Register, June 12«