JAVA.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 663, 10 December 1851, Page 3

JAVA.

The Java Courant of the 25th June, states, that the Spanish Government had sent an ex-

pedition to the island" of Mindanao, to" punish the pirates there, aud to prevent the repetition of their piracies. The commander of the expedition had examined the whole island, and done all in his power to find out the quarters of the pirates, but without the wished for result. Express orders have been given to the chiefs of the island, not only to prevent piracy, but to punish it with the greatest severity, as they may rely on the assistance of the Spanish Government, should their own means not be sufficient for this purpose. A cruise was also made in the southern waters, for the purpose of examining the islands there. Accounts have been received from Telok Betong, in tbeLampong Districts, that on the 4th May, after an unusual high tide and calm weather, a succession of shocks of earthquake took place there from nine o’clock in the morning to three o’clock in the afternoon, less strong in the beginning than in the end, and with a duration of five minutes. The shocks were horizontal, and as well as could be ascertained, from S.W. to N.E. This phenomenon was followed by strong winds from the east, north, and west, with rain and stormy leather. According to accounts from Ternate to the end of December, two eruptions of the volcanic mountain there took place on the 15th and 19th November, both being preceded by a noise like that of a heavily charged cannon. The first eruption presented a striking spectacle, from the flashes of lightning which incessantly shot out of the thick ascending column of smoke and illumined the whole mountain. The showers of ashes which fell on that occasion, did not cause any important injury.

Very little could be seen of the second eruption, which took place at ten o’clock in the morning, because the mountain was entirely enveloped in clouds. The showers of ashes fell at a distance in the sea and on Halmabeira.

The English ship, Chebar, Captain Grayson, of 400 tous burthen, from Hongkong to London, with a cargo of the value of about £60,000 sterling, grounded on Brouwers shoal where she remained for some days. After unsuccessful attempts to get the vessel afloat the captain left in a boat for Batavia to procure assistance, and was picked up by an American ship. She was subsequently taken into Batavia.