AUSTRALIA.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 437, 31 December 1861, Page 3

AUSTRALIA.

(From the Sydney Empire, and Herald.) WEEKLY REGISTER.

Some particulars were received at the beginning of the week relative to discoveries by Mr. M'Kinlay's exploring party in South Australia, of the remains of. four white men in the far interior, who had been murdered by the blacks. The details will be found highly interesting. A diabolical attempt has been made to blow up the magazine connected with the harbor works'at Moruya. The fire burned within an inch of the end.

A young woman named Jemima Waller, in the employ of Mr. A. Thompson, of Pittatreet, lay dawn on her bed on Sunday morning, leaving th& w\\&\§ truing by her

1 side. A lew hours afterwards her clothes '> took fire, and during the day she expired. [■ A snake 7 feet 6 inches long was caught , near the Fairy Bower, Manly Beach, on - Sunday.; 1 By late news received from Europe via * California, we learn that a rupture is anp ticipated between Spain and Italy, i We have later intelligence from Queens- | land. The inhabitants of Brisbane are ; making a move, to get the All-England i Eleven to that co!ony. i An anti-separation meeting has been ; held in the Clarence district. It seems that the people are anxious to be constituted into a separate colony, but do not wish to be annexed to Queensland. Further news has been received from America, and is highly unfavorable to the cause of the Northern States. Lexington, one of the chief cities in Missouri has fallen I before the successful arms of the South. On Monday, an inquest was held at the Willow Tree Hotel, on the body of an infant who had died from suffocation, through lying on its face in bed. The New South Wales Cricketing Association are a little more actively at work. At a recent meeting it was announced that about £300 had been subscribed. A Volunteer Rifle match between sixteen me-.nbers of the right-wing of the Sydney Battallion, and sixteen members of the left wing came off on Monday, at the Military Butts. The latter won by 178 to 149. A bazaar in aid of the liquidation of a debt, upon the new Wesleyan church at Balmain was opened in the Temperance Hall on Wednesday. The collection of articles was unusually good. The volunteers of Sydney gave an amateur dramatic performance at the Victoria Theatre on Wednesday evening. His Excellency the Governor and Lady Young were present, and the theatre was filled with a most numerous and fashionable audience. The entertainment was a complete success. An interesting lecture upon • Mahommed and the faith of Islaam ' was given by R. Ronald, Esq., to the Balmain Band of Hope on Tuesday. The conclusion arrived at was of course favorable to temperance. - A c'erk in the house of Leverrier, Curcier, and Co. absconded at the beginning of the week. It is not said that he is a defaulter to any large extent. His Excellency the Governor visited her Majesty's steam -ship Pelorus on Wednesday. A salute was fired, and the French and other English men-of-war also manned yards. On Wednesday a man fell from the fore-top-gallant yard of H.M.S. Miranda. Three of the crew immediately plunged into the water and rescued him. A violent hail-storm passed over Paramatta, on Wednesday. A considerable amount of damage was done, the stones being of an unusually large size. The 'course was from south to north. The Pitt-street tramway is already pronounced a decided failure. It is not yet in use, but the trials that have been made indicate this fact. " It seems that the case of Mahoney against Cunningham is to come again before the public. It will be remembered that the plaintiff having been seduced, under a promise of marriage, obtained a verdict against the defendant, with damages £300. A rule has now been granted for a new trial, the judges at the same time, expressing their concurrence in the verdict, and their approval of the amount of damages. Three ruffianly Europeans recently stopped a Chinaman, near Tenterfield, and having stripped him and robbed him of £20, they left him fastened to a tree, with his hands tied behind his back. They also deliberately made a bonfire of his clothes. It was by burning at this fire the ligature with which his hands were fastened, and at the expense of great pain, the poor fellow succeeded in freeing himself. He believed that he will be able to identify the robbers, and it is to be hoped that they will be apprehended. There has been another and most painful case of suicide. Miss Mary Loftus, a lady of good family, well educated, and highly respect* d, has committed suicide by orecipitating herself from a rock in the Domain. She was so severely injured that death ensued, although she was removed to the Infirmary and received every care. The evidence went to show that although not absolutely insane, her mind was disoi de ed, and her spirits depressed from religions doubts, and trom fear that certain property which she had in New Zealand would lose value, and that she would become poor. The coroner's jury, however, have returned a verdict offelo de se.