AUSTRALIAN NEWS ADVENTURES IN NEW GUINEA.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 250, 28 March 1888, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS ADVENTURES IN NEW GUINEA.

The steamer Ciympio arrived at Thursday Island on March 15th from Tort Moresby. jMr Cameron, mining explorer, writes on March 12th as follows :— "Tho late ven- j tare up tit. Joseph's River proved a complete disaster. We lost everything, of the party only ha\ ing a piece of cloth round their waist. We lott \uille inland with L'loo worth of tiado and two interpreters, who inionned the natives what tho cases contained. Al Mawabue, tne chief ordered the party to remain, bub a portion went to Elva, returning with 40 native carriers. After ti long palaver and nearly a tight, the Chief permitted the removal of fciado to Elva, where the big Chief Bowra incited the nalhes to kill" tho party and take the floods. The party presented the principal chiefs with long knivc> to appease the Mohawks They consented at length to take the party to Ama, but, pilfering and treachery and manifest hostility induced the party to surreptitiously build a raft. Wo put nearly all the goods on board to float down the rapids and get, out of danger. Sweeping down the river at twelve miles an hour, we struck many snag^ and lost everything except our lives. One night we were out in heavy rain, and had no° clothes. We reached a friendly village at Anio Amo, where we got food. Wo then rafted four miles, and stole four canoes belonging to our late enemies, and travelled all night, reaching Melle Island on Sunday, were wo received iood and clothing from the French ivuVsion. The Government have done nothing to facilitate parties ooi ng inland to develop the country. Five miners are now at Yuille, ready to go up country if a leader is available.

Daring Jewellery Robbery. A dariug robbery took place at Morgan's jewellery 'establishment, Penrith, early on the morning of St. Patrick's Day. Morgan held a large stock of gold and silver watches and jewellery. The burglar or buglar* got on the top of the kitchen, a on>storey building, from there on to the back balcony and then through the daughter's bedroom, whence they took a gold watch and chain oil the table, and then went downstairs and opened the shop door by means of a carving knife taken out of the kitchen. They took some 50 sjold wathes, 100 silver ones and a large number of gold rings and brooches, valued at over £1,000. The inmatas never knew anything till they rose at the usual hour next morning. The police were put on the alert, and ascertained that a man of suspicious character weutawayby the mail train, carryiogaba£\vhichappearedtocontainsomething very valuable, by his peculiar action. As tilie police were not warned till long after th», the man could have arrived in Sydney and got away.

Disastrous Bush Fire. A telegram from Goulburn, March 17, states :—Disastrous bush fires are raging round the Uoulburn district, and arc spreading rapidly, owing to the strong v mds. This houses of two selectors named Na4i and Callaghan were completely destroyed, and others had very narrow escapes by using almost superhuman eflorts. Xash lost 300 sheep, und other iossea in bheep are alao believed to have taken place. Immense damage has been done to grass and fencing. Thousands of pounds worth of pioperty bus been destroyed, and it is> almost impossible to realise the awful effects of the conflagration and the heartrending scenes attending it. Mrs Nash, the wife of the ' farmer who lost his all, had a narrow escape from a terrible death. The tire was upon the place before the occupants knew it, and Mrs Xa^h rushed back into the house to tiy and save some clothing belonging to the children (^ne having seven), when the roof fell in and »be had to fly for life, being unable to save anytliinf*. The whole of the contents of the house wero destioyed. A number of stock, cattle, and &heep belonging to Xash were driven by tne flames into a corner of the log fence, and being unable to escape were burnt to death. The roars of the cattle con id be heat d for miles and the spectacle the bodies pie?ented after death was horrible, Theaieaof the fires was very extensive —from Biooks Hill to Gidleigh and to Molouglo Plain—and it raged on both sides or the railway almost from Bungendore to Tarago, a distance of Jive miles. A hisfh v md was blowing and the fire literally jumped along, leaping from o'i.j side of the road to the other, the long dry grass —in some places two feet hign—aftording every facility for the pi ogress of the fire. The people from all around worked to confine the flames, and last night had succeeded in getting them pretty well under command. Men were stationed with water carts for fear of another outbreak. The frantic exeitions of one man whose homestead was threatened were painful to witness. He would dip his hands in a bucket of water and rub them on the burning grass, -and at last m desperation lie rolled on it.

A Ship on Fire. The ship Aristeneme, 750 tons register, loaded with 2,730 tons coal, caught lire at Newcastle on the morning of March 19th. Directly the alarm was given the tug Game Cock steamed off, followed by the Edith Young and Bungaree, the latter with the City and Honeysuckle Fire Brigades. The iu-e was raging" fiercely below, with volumes of .smoke rolling up from every hatchway. The fire-extinguishing appliances were quickly brought into play, and streams of v.aterwere poured down the hatches, but for a long time without apparent ofiect. It was then deemed advisable to hhift the ship from her moorings, unrl tow her into North Harbour, and there run her ashore. With the assistance | of the steamers Goolwa and Bungaree, this was done at about half-past 11 o'clock. The whole flotilla of tugs and steamers were in attendance, ami the fire brigade were still at woik pumping into the hold. The reason for the removal ■vra* the fear that the burning vessel might sink in the waterway, and cause a stoppage of traffic near the mouth of the harbour. Eventually, the source of the fire was discovered, at about 3 o'clockf in the after peak, amongst a quantity of matting, but the cause was not ascertained. At about half-past 3, through the continued exertions of the brigades, the ship's crew, the police, and others, the fire was completely subdued, and all further danger was at an end. It is calculated that fully 1,000 tons of water were poured into the hold. The Aristomene is an iron vessel, and belonged to Liverpool, being owned by Fernie and Sons. The damage is estimated at X' 3,000. Arrangements have been made for relief gangs of men to start to-night to ,pump out the water.

The Melbourne Blackmailers. At the Melbourne Criminal Court on March 19bh, George Gossip. John Bourdon, -John Holmes, and John Murray, young men, were charged with haviug committed robberies with violence. The

chief case was that of assaulting and robbing John Irvine, manager of the vSt. Kilda branch the of Bank of Australasia, Mr Justice Williams said the prisoners had combined with others to make iqnlandabominablcehargesagainstinnopont persons, and the atrocity of their crimes had been deepened and blackened by loathsome- villainy and cowardly brutality. l!oss!p waes .sentenced to 18 years' hard labour, with two whip pinj^ ot 10 lashes each; Keardon to 20 years' impugnment: John Holmes, 10 years' nnpiLsonment, and .John Murray" 10 yeais; in addition to which earli is to receive three whippings ot fifteen laches and the tirs»fc four days of eu'iy year to be spent in Military conlincment.

Kcnisirlviible Suicide. A sad occurrence i& reported from Cmnberwell, William Francis Ariell, aged fcl), teeond son of the late Mr Aiiell, of the well-know n firm of Swallow and Ariell, committccUuicidebyaliootinghimseU. Deceased was employed in the office of Llojd Brother.-, leather meichanc-, and had been working very hard of late. On the night before the occurrence ho sat up writing, though advised to retire. In the morning his friends discovered, that his bed had not been slept in, and a memorandum was found in the room saying lit- would bo lying on the racecourse, near a uateiholo. A search being instituted, the body was found as indicated, with a bullet in his brain and a discharged ;re\olver at his feet. No reason is assigned for the rash act, and it is supposed that a? deceased had been working hard lately his biain had become afiected. At the inquest a verdict of suicide whilst of unsound mind was returned.

Distressing SuicideA distressing case of suicide occurred at Tibooburra recently. A watchmaker named He&lop a short time previously arrived there with his wife and sister-in-law. On Sunday evening Heslop and his wife went for a walk, while the sister-in-law remained at home. When Heslop returned he found the doors locked, and after forcing one open found his sister-in-law lying on the bed insensible, frothing at the mouth. He noticen a bottle of cyanide of potassium of the table by the bedside. This bottle had been taken from the box which his sister-in-law had forced open dining his absence. Mr H. Given, the chemise, was called in, and administered antidotes and emetics, but alter 13 hours the girl died. Sho never regained consciousness. An inquiry was held by thp Police Magistrate of Milpaiinka. The evidence showed that deceased, who was not quite eighteen year* old, was despondent in consequence of the death of her lover. Deceased's name was Alice Maud Bridges.