SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 246, 28 February 1860, Page 4

SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

"We have Adelaide journals to the 2nd instant.

Estimation of Runs—The Government haß appointed Mr. H. T. Morris, Chief Inspector of sheep, to the important duty of estimating the various runs for their capacity of bearing stock; and we understand it is intended that he shou'd complete his woik before the meeting of Parliament, though this we hardly think he will have time to effect. Mr. Morris is a man of considerable practical knowledge, having been in the colony from its commencement. He was thirteen years a stockholder in the Encounter Bay and South-eastern districts, and siuce that, for the last five years, he has been Inspector of Sheep. He possesses, we believe, the very general confidence of the lessees of the runs.

The State of the Far North. —A gentleman recently arrived from the Far North. Mr. Frederick Andrews, of Bandoota, brings melancholy lidinjs of the effects of the drought and heat upon men, beasts, and the faoe of nature there. The whole country, with the exception of here and there a little salt bush prefent the appearance of a dwary wilderaew, all

other vegetation having perished. The cattle are dying by hundreds through want of feed and scarcity of water, the springs failing in many directions. It was reported that of 800 head of stock belonging to Mr. Levi, whioh were being taken, to Stuart's new country, only 40 survived. [This particular rumour, though we have heard it from three several sources, appears to have been very much exaggerated. Mr. Levi informs us the the 800 head of cattle belonging to himself and Mr. Braund were being taken by the latter gentleman from the North-west bend of the Murray to the Welcome Springs in the far north ; that fifty or seventy five of them had died, and 320 had got away ; but that the rest, so far as he knew, were safe. He tells us, however, that besides the cattle seven horses died.] The sheep in the north are severely suffering, quantities died on some of the runs. The horses are feeding on sticks the size of a man's finger, and readily eat their own droppings. [This is confirmed by a letter which we have just received from a resident in the north] At several of the stations the settlers are hard-up for supplies; and numerous drays conveying them are detained on the road, owing to the bullocks having died. On the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, which were so hot in Adtliide, the temperature north of Port Augusta was 150 in the. sun. The ground was painfully hot to the feet, and some kinds of stone were so hot as to blister the hands if held io thera. Mr. Thompson, on his way from his station to Port Augusta, on January 25th, fell in with the bodies of two men! perfectly dead, who were supposed to have expired from heat and want of water. He informed the police of their locality. It was feared that numerous similar instances of death would come to light. A shepherd had been lost at Grant's Station. He had been absent for ten days, and as nothing could bo learnt of his movements search was being made for him. Mrs. Lindsay Paterson was dead, and it was reported that her death was occasioned by her having taken strychnine whilst in an over-ex-cited condition of the brain, brought on by the heat of the weather. A blackfellow had been taken by the police said to have been associated with three men who were hung some yearsagofor the murder of a shepherd. Mr. Goder was progressing northward, having lost some of bis horses through the heat and drought. His well digging corp3 were rome hundred mile ahead of him, sinking for water. Mr. Stuart was reported to be sinking for gold in the country already discovered by him. The mines of the Far North were some of .thera being worked, but without the most distant prospect of getting the ore to the seaboard during the present season, owing to the shortness of feed and want of water.

A Manifesto. —Mr. Hewitt, a candidate- for parliamentary honors, advertises the following curious jumble:—My views are—To support Reform extension in the law, to stop the overextravagant expenditure of the Government, free trade direct taxation, a fair proportion of the revenue to each district, a great reform in the system of immigration, also in the educational Bill, the Central Road Board to be differently constituted, a great change in the time of sitting in the House, paid members, and a change in the Executive Council."

The Philosophical Society.—On Tuesday evening, January 24th, the usual fortnightly meeting of this society was held at White's Rooms. His Excellency Sir Richard Graves Macdonnell presided. After the formal business had been gone through, Dr. Woolridge read the report of the committee appointed to consider the subject of artesian boring. Thereport wasa brief one, and Mr. Babbage to its briefness explained that although the committee had consulted all the available authorities on the subject, they were too limited to enable thb committee recommend any plan with certainty. In the report there was no allusion to the cost of effecting an artesian boring, and after some discussion the report was adopted, and a resolution passed to make the committee a permanent committee to further deliberate upon the matter, and to report the result of their labors at some future meeting. His Excellency then produced a smail note which he said he had received from Mr. Bab bage, complaining of a reference to his report contained in the published narrative of his Excellency's recent journey to the North, wherein it is expressed that Mr. Babbage must have been deceived in his description of the boundaries of Lake Torrens, and the description Mr. Babbage gave of the Lake could not be reconciled with the supposition that he (Mr. Babbage) took bis observations from Hermit's Hill, the locality which his report stated he took them from. His Excellency stated tbat he had been on the top of the hill, and it was palpable that the country within view of that spot embraced a connected margin of Lake Torrens, and he wished to know upon what authority Mr. Babbage had separated the lake, and called the western portion of it Lake Gregor. He said there was an apparent division of the lake into three parts, but it was clearly evident to any one who could inspect the place that it formed one like, ami that the old "plans of the Lake Torrens were correct. He thought it of great importance that if the old plans were correct, that the names fixed by ;t|ie early discoverers should not be altered, and in consequence the Executive had issued orders that the country described as Lake Torrens in the old plan should be adhered to, and that Lake Gregory, as laid down by Mr. Babbage, should not be recognised in the Government plans. Mr. Babbage replied t 0 his Excellency in a very warm manner, stating that the remarks in his Excellency's narrative implied that he (Mr. Babbage) had never been on Hermit's Hill, and therefore that it was an impeachment of his integrity. Mr. Babbage continued to express himself, on the subject in a strain that induced his Excellency to call him to order. His Excellency repudiated any intention to impeach Mr. Baggage's integrity, but having examined the spot himself, and those with him having formed the same conclusion as himself, there were grounds for impeaching his (Mr. Babbage's) accuracy. After this subject had been disposed of his Excellency made some reraaiks upou tlie extraordinary nature of the springs iv the country he visited, and which he had traced in a chain for 200 miles, and in the country beyond he saw no indication's to warrant a supposition that those springs did not continue to still greater extent. After describing minutely the nature of the springs and country and pronouncing them of an extraordinary character, : he said if any one.of the members.present knew of any country similar to it it, would be useful to the colony that it should be known. Mr. Babbage said tos of the younger tyegory^ had

described to bim a series of similar Springs c*" isting in some part of Western Australia; and tie (Mr. Rabbage) ventured an opinion that it might be possible that further exploration might find the existence oi a continuous chain, by which means of which a path might be found either in north or north-west di.ectioa actoss the continent.