INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

Southland Times, Issue 1185, 20 December 1869, Page 2

INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

VICTOEIA. The immigration and emigration returns for the month of October show that 405 persons left Victoria for Sydney, 159 for South and "Western Australia, 266 for Tasmania, 376 for New Zealand, 251 for the United Kingdom, and 26 for foreign ports, making a total of 1485 souls, of whom 1070 were males and 415 females. Against this there was an immigration of 2534 souls, making a balance in favor of tne population of 1049. If the crops in this district (writes a Sandhurst correspondent) resemble those in the other parts of the colony, Victoria has seldom been blessed with so overflowing a harvest as she will be this season. The crops around Sandhurst are the finest that have been seen for years. At Marong, Axe Creek, the Loddon, Campaspe, &c, the wheat crops are of great height, and the ears are fine, full, and long. There is no sign of rust, or any other plague, the only unfavorable influence of any account being the two days of hot wind we had at the time of the Bendigo races. For wheat very iow prices are ruling at present. The Australian Diamond Company forwarded 197 diamonds, weighing 51i carats, to their agent in England, by this mail steamer. This parcel makes a total of 588 despatched from Melbourne since the opening of the mine. A telegram was received on Monday from the manager, at Mudgee, stating the result of last week's work as 61 diamonds, and 12oz 13dwt 15gr of gold. A grand naval review of the Flying Squadron took place in Hobson's Bay on the 4th inst., but its effect was somewhat marred by heavy rain and mist. The vessels sailed from the Bay on the 7th, but did not make much progress. The gale that sprang up in the afternoon compelled them to get up steam. After arriving at Queenscliff they anchored there for the night. Next morning at 6 o'clock they cleared the Heads, with a good breeze. The Courier has been shown by Mr Mitchell, director of the Leviathan Company, Ballarat, a stone hatchet or large knife, which was taken from the alluvial dirt lying between the basaltic rock and the bed rock, and which evidently belonged to some remote period prior to the volcanic disturbances which caused the ancient valleys to be filled up. In length it is about a foot, including the handle, the head projecting about six inches, and three inches wide. The handle is finely formed, with a short curve at the end similar to that of a modern axe, and bears traces of considerable care in its manufacture. From the depth, 330 feet, at which it was got, in the bowels of the earth, there is little doubt that from being covered by at least three successive layers of basalt rock, it is contemporaneous with the forests, traces of which are still found in a perfect state as regards form. Indeed this is confirmed in the present instance, from the fact that the hatchet was found in proximity to some tree roots in the lignite state, and the fact that the handle and head are all in one piece, shows a rather higher branch of stone manipulation than is at present practised by the blacks, who bind the stone bead to a wooden handle, The curiosity will be

sent to Professor M'Coy for his inspection, and doubtless it will form a link in the chain of deductions which are bein^r rapidly accumulated by students of geology. The hurricane which blew throughout Thursday night, 2nd inst., caused a good deal of damage in the town and suburbs of Melbourne, and at the town pier, Sandridge, the destruction by collision and other causes amounted to several hundred pounds. The Freemasons of Ballarat contemplate erecting a masonic hall, in which the various lodges may meet. At the meeting of the Ballarat Borough Council on the 7th, an application was received from Mr F. M. Claxton applying for a site of 120 to 130 feefc on the Gnarr Creek reserve for that purpose. Everybody who travels much, through the country must have remarked the large quantity of bones lying about, especially in places where kangaroo shooting has been at all briskly carried on, remarks a "YVarrnainbool journal, and it would well repay any man who has spare time, and a horse and dray, to go about picking these bones up. Thirty shillings per ton is offered for bones delivered at Grassmore. Mr James Coutts, a farmer residing in the neighborhood of Talbot, was badly bitten one morning by a diamond snake. Professor Halford's cure, by injecting ammonia into the veins, was applied by Dr Dowling, and next day the man had quite recovered.