AUSTRALIAN INTELLIGENCE.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 76, 28 July 1863, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN INTELLIGENCE.

ExPBBIJHENT IW TIIK QUAETZ DkPARTMENT. — A correspondent informs us that Messrs Ste.phcnson.and Co., of the Comet Kecf, Tipperary Gully, are constructing a furnace for tho purpose of burning, quartz, in order to consume the mundic. Should the experiment prove successful, "ifc is calculated that one ovnce of gold per ton at least willbeßaved. The furnace will be 12 feet deep by 12 in diameter. — Bendigo Advertise , July 15. . A fatal accident occured yesterday afternoon to a|fihe littlo boy named Henry Stevens nged aim it '"Jo-months, whose parents resido at Kildare. The little fe"owhad, it seems, got away unobserved ;from the house, and when bis mother went down to get a bucket of water from the water hole at. the rear of tbe nremiscs, she was horrified to find her child lying in tho water quite dead. — Geelong Advertiser. July 13. . CONVJJBSIOK 01* THE ABORIGINES.— A few days ago an aboriginal named Major, was buried at Camden. Deceased, who was only 29 years of age, had learned to read and write, and work like a white man. lie nofc only bore a very good character, but a few months before his death was formally received into the Catholic church, became a regular communicant, and w^s really remarkabe for his piety. It is stated that nearly all the remaining members of ths Burrangong tribe | are now.Catholics. — Gonlhurn Herald. j ALOCAL LITKEAHY COEIOSITY.— The followI ingis atieJ-6aK/»copy of a letter which wps read ! at the meeting of fche Castlemaine Council yesterday :— " Wattle Flat, July 14, ISC. to Chare Man and Members ofthe Mun ie pality of Castlemain Gentlemen I the undersigned will feel Much oblidgcd if you will be as kind to Grant Me the Libarty to Put two young Calvs in the Reserve for won Calander mounth. — I remaine Your Obadiut Scrveut, Andrew Balintin Wattle Flat." The schoolmaster is evidently "abroad!" — HI. A. Mail, July 18. Pencil Pinb. — A correspondent at the Forth writes on 7th inst. : " I don't know whether Mr Smith will tell you about his pino logs. Several came down in the flood. One I saw myself measured twenty-three feet in length, and four in diameter at one end, and three feet at the other, porfectly sound, lt is a beautiful pink color, with ' a very strong perfume liko the pencil cedar ; in fact, that is what it is. Tho log I saw camp down from tho Dove River, a tributary of tho Forth, and three miles from the Cradle Mountain. Will not this mne day prove a valuable nrtie'n of commerce ? " — Launceston LExamincr, July 11. A Dangerous Blast. — Several men are engaged in excavating earth, &c, at the end of Lvtteltou-s .vet, near the railway line, and i. cdiutely opposito . .r Paynter's residence. Yesterday afternoon they put in what proved to be a very powerful blast, in order to break up a body of rocky stuff; the blast was so strong that it sent up a perfect mass of rock, earth, &c, into the air, several large pieces being hurled ovor the road into Mr Paynter's and Dr Preshaw's gardens. Two pieces thus hurled over the road weighed over 50 lb. With such force were tho pieces thrown by tho explosion that Mr Payntei's new fence was shattered. It is fortuuate that no serious accident happened in consequence of this careless use of powder so near a public thoroughfare. The fragments of a rock wero sent out with such force that if any one of them had struck passers by tho result would have been serious. The workmen and their employer should receive notice that blasting will not be allowed, or we may have a repe. '.tion of such dangerous and careless proceedings. — 3T. A. Mail, July IS. Laculan lUvek. — At the date of our previous advices (2Sth June,) the Lower Lachlan was rising rapidly, overflowing the banks, aud throwing Iho back-water into the ana-branches. Weather very fine. The back country between this river and the Darling is being occupied and stocked. Our advices from the Lower Lachlan are now to the 6'th July (Monday.) The Lachlan was still rising, having overflowed its banks, and great effort were I in progress to stock the country between that river j and the Darling Water on the vast plains was abundant, and somo of the settlers were busily occupied in making "races," dams, and reservoirs, in doing which several successes are recorded wliich we shall in a future number detail. The weather was cold and unsettled, and looked threatening for rain. Lambing was proceeding favorably. — 'l\istoral Times, July 10th. Experimental Rao Gatherer. — A man, who make.-t his living by pioking up the discarded garments thutothers throw away, thought that the profits of his calling might be enlarged by deluding, to his own satisfaction what i<, and what ought to bo cast away, visited the outside of some tents owned by Chinamen working midway between the Five Flags and Strathloddon.* Tie, Argus-eyod, discovered the remains of clothing thafc t'\e Mongolians despaired of using with any hope of protection from wind, from weather, and from exposure to any portion of their Celestial persons. He readily pickt-d up all thafc the Celestials bad thrown away, and added to the meagre supply a large slip of calico he saw suspended close by a tent. The dark-eyed Mongolian notirrd fhe movements ofthe barbarian gatherer of shreds and patches, nnd in a body the Chinamen sallied from their paddock by tho creek, surrounded the calico abstractor, despoiled him of his prize, rifled ).U cart of inniimerablcs, and gave him a practical lesson that petty thefts wero not to be practised upon Chinamen. — M. A. Mail, July 18. Tjie Taiiadale Staijbing Case. — The prisoner William Jones, who stands charged with stabbing constable Madden, of Taradale, with insut to murder, is an old oilciido:-. lie is a ticket-ol'-leave holder for Melbourne. InlSoo he was tried r* .Melbourne on a charge of committing a rape, was found guilty, and sentenced to death: that sentence was commuted, and the wretched fellow was sentenced to fifteen years on the roads. He obtained a ticket-ol'-leavo on the 28th of May last, having done about half his time. It is evident he soon returned to his old manner of life. He is suspected to be one of the gang who have fov a long time past.infested Taradale and Elphinsfone. The cowardly crime with which he now standcharged will probably be so clearly proved against him that he will receive a fresh sentence. Hois an athletic, determined looking fellow. We might make some remarks on tho want of regard for ihe public safety in thus letting loose on society nvn who have been sentenced to death, and against whom the charge of rape has been proved. Hut wo forbear ; the folly ancl even criminality of such laxity anil leniency aro obvious, — 21. A. Mail, July' 10.