AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5616, 29 March 1879, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY.

(FEB FBESB AOENOT.) ( FEB HEBO AT AUCKLAND.) The ship Northam, which was fitted up with Mort’s freezing apparatus, was burned at sea when six weeks out on the road to Sydney. While the vessel was burning, the barque Albion, bound for Bio Janeiro, was noticed, and rescued all on board. The passengers lost nearly everything. A contract for the University building at Adelaide, £24,700, has been accepted. Five thousand immigrants arrived at Sydney from England during the year. ’ The fight for the championship of the,colonies and £ISOO, between Foley, of New South Wales, and Hicken, of Victoria, came off near Moatna early in the morning. There was great difficulty in evading the ‘police. Mounted troopers were sent miles in the wrong direction, also crowds of sporting people; who travelled miles and endured the greatest hardships to be present at the encounter. Sergt. O’Meara, of the Victorian police, was present, but was unable to interfere, as the fighting was on the New South Wales side of the Border. Hicken suffered terribly. After the steamer Garonne got off, she went back to Adelaide for . inspection.;. The surveyors reported, that there .was, nothing to prevent the steamer from going to sea, which she accordingly did. ■ - Cook, the billiard player, was a passenger on board the mail steamer to Australia.

Connor and party, with the black trackers,* have returned to Benalla, after a long and fruitless search in the ranges. One tracker died from inflammation of the lungs. A large party of police, with black trackers, have left Mansfield. ■ Their destination is said to be the Woombat Range?. ■ There is a suspicion that the Kellys are in the vicinity of Kerang. A very disorderly-meeting of'the'profession has been held in reference to the position assumed by Dr,' Beaney in England. A resolution was passed repudiating Dr- Beaney. During-the evening'Dr, Blair, who strongly defended Beaney, was turned out. The barque Manfred, of North _ Shields, foundered at Lacepede in , a .hurricane .on January 24. The crew reached Cossack m a Government cutter. The whale ship Runnymede west ashore at Brown Island m the same gale and it is rumored that other vessels also went ashore. The hurricane was felt severely at Eochbonrne. Several houses were unroo-ed. Divash, Loekyer, Stuart, and Clarkson lost together about 200 sheep.