TASMANIA.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 246, 28 February 1860, Page 3

TASMANIA.

We have papers from Hobart Town to the 4th instant.

On the Ist, the new and powerful machinery recently erected at Fingal, by the Midland Quartz Crushing Company, was formally brought into operation, his Excellency, Sir. H. E. F. Young setting it going, and taking the lead in other events of the day. The papers give a glowing account of the proceedings, which went off to admiration, and were brought to a close by a lunch, to which eighty invited guests sat down, and which for the variety and quality of its dishes, the Mercuty says, has never been equalled in the colony. Out of the large numbers who were present not one left the ground who was not firmly persuaded that we have gold-fields which only require a little energy and a little capital to make them payable.

The Governor in Council has been pleased to grant a reward of £50 to constable George Burton for his meritorious conduct in the apprehension of the convict John Nash, now under sentence of death, for the murder of John Dowling, at Richmond; and rewards of £12 10s. each to constables William Baker and Samuel Bridges, for similar conduct in the apprehension of John Vigors, lately executed at Oatlands, for shooting at Mr. Baker. Sir Richard Dry having been solicited to allow himself to be nominated to r. present the district of Devon, in the Tasmanian House of Assembly, has declined the honor, assigning as his reason for so doing that "although in many respects his health is much improved, he still finds himself quite unequal to the duties he has been asked to undertake—the nature of his illness rendering it absolutely necessary that he should avoid the excitement and anxiety which are inseparable from political life."

Mr. Henry Maule, D.A.CG., has taken charge of the commissariat department, vice Mr. A. C. G. Bovell, removed to Swan River.

The Lannceston Examiner reports a most melancholy case of accidental shooting, which adds another to the many warnings frequently recurring of the folly of leaving loaded firearms about a dwelling. The unfortunate victim in this instance was a young woman, eighteen years of age, the daughter of a Mr. Burnett, a resident of Muddy plains. It seems that her brothers had been out shootiug opossums, and on their return home had placed their gun loaded and capped in the bedroom. On Saturday afternoon Miss Burnett and her mother were engaged in cleaning the apartment, when, having placed the gun on the bed, Miss B. said, " Mother, I'll take the cap off this gun"; she accordingly leaned over the bed, and, with the muzzle of the gun pointed towards her, lifted up the hammer, which slipped from her thumb and the charge immediately exploded, lodging the shot in her abdomen. She exclaimed, "Oh, mother, I'm shot!" Mrs. Burnett immediately placed her daughter on the sofa, and Dr. Casey was sent for. On his arrival he found the intestines protruding from the wound, which he pronounced to be of a mortal character, and in two hours after the accident the poor girl expired.

CRYSTAiiUSED Gold.—We yesterday saw a splendid specimen of this somewhat uncommon metallic phenomenon. The piece, which weighs about loz. 2dwt., is a perfect bunch of crystallisation, the facets and the arras or sharp edges of the several crystals being well preserved. Each crystal is pentagonal in form. Tbe specimen was produced from the claim of the Union Company in Slieep'shead Gully, and dropped from a piece of stone while loading up from a kiln to go to the crushing machine.— Bendigo Advertiser.

A Minister op the Old School.—A story of a quiet pulpit rebuke is traditionary in the "East Neuk of Fife," and told of a seceding minister, JVlr. Shirra, a man well remembered by s,ome of tiie. older generation for many excellent and some eccentric qualities. An officer of a volunteer corps ori, duty in the place, and very proud of his fresh Uniform, had come to Mr. Shirra's church, and walked about as if looking for a seat, but in fact to show off his dress, which he saw was attracting attention from some of the less grave members of the congregation. He came to his place, however, rather quiclfly, on M,v. Shirra quietly remonstrating, " 0, man, will ye sit down, and we'll see your new breeks when tlie kirk's dune." same Mr. Shirra was well known fVom. his quaint, and, a,B it vvpre, pflre^thptifAal cojhtijients \vhl9h he introduced in/his reading of Scripture, as. for exampie, on reading from the Tl6th' '"Pdalrti^l said in myb^te all men are liars,'' he quietly observed^ '•.indeed, DaivvidJ, ati,' ye had been i' the p^rfoh,,y.e ( tx\i%\\t h^e sftid it a. your Jepsuvr. jy&ean Ram 7