VICTORIA

West Coast Times, Issue 320, 2 October 1866, Page 1 (Supplement)

VICTORIA

The Richmond Election. — The .election of a member of the Legislative Assembly to fill the Vacancy occasioned in the representation of Richmond by the retirement of- Mr Wardrop took place yesterday. The affair passed off very quietly, the outward signs of interest in the contest being apparently chiefly confined to the supporters of the protectionist candidate, Mr Kyte. Mr Coppin, the other candidate, was a long way behind at every polling-booth, excepting that of the Jolimont division, Avhere he had a majority of seventyeight votes ; and his opponent distanced him by 203 votes. When all the returns had been received, the successful candidate briefly addressed the electors from an . upper window in the Vine Hotel. Mi* Kyte said he could hardly find words to thank them for the honor they had conferred upon him. When they considered the immense opposition, they had to contend against, supported by all that money could do, they ought to regard that as the brightest day Richmond had ever made for herself. In spite of this powerful opposition, they had ' asserted undeniably their manhood ; and they might rest assured that when the working classes took it upon themselves to strip tyrants of power, success would be theirs. — " Avgus," Sept. 26.

Extraordinary Suicide. — The " Oyens Constitution" says :—": — " When the Melbourne coach was at Everton, six miles from Beechworth, a passenger named Ollerenshaw got the driver, Fred. Williams, to stop at the Golden Ball, as. he saicl, for 'five minutes. Finding that his passenger did not come at the end of the time, the driver cooeyed, and still getting no answer, went into the house, and then into the back premises, where Ke found the unfortunate man in the water-closet, with his throat cut from ear to ear, and quite dead. Information was given to the police at Beechworth, and on Saturday morning I)r Dempster, the deputy coroner, held an inquest on the body. The son- of the deceased, who has a share in the Eureka claim at Hillsborough, said that his father had just come out from England to join him. The only way in which he could at all account for his fath er having committed the act was that his mind might have beeu affected by the .result of some unfortunate speculations in England. From the evidence of Mr Michael O'Donnell, the Squatter,- of Bosnian's Forest* and also a passenger in the coach, it seemed thaf the unfortunate man was apparently in good health and in good spirits. " Deceased showed him the knife with which he afterwards cut his throat, and said it had *been round the world with him. A verdict was recorded that the decased James Ollerenshaw met With his death by cutting his throat with > knife, whilst he was suffering from temporary insanity. Deceased was fifty-six years of age." y

Adventures on the Lakes. — Some missing excursionists on the lakes of Qipps Land -have returned to Sale. Their adventures are reported by the " Gipps • Land Times;" which says:— "^ Shortly after they got into Lake Wellington, on Saturday, it commenced to blow rather fresh, when, finding that they could not return or make the opposite shore for Strathfieldsaye or Iloseneath, they were compelled to run to Tucker Pomt — a reed-bed projecting into the lake — for- shelter. . There their miseries commenced in earnest. Having avoided death by drowning, they narrowly escaped the opposite element, as a fire they lit spread with such rapulitv, that they experienced great difficulty in keeping clear of the flames. An attempt to leave the point by land was signally unsuccessful,- Mr Tricks, senr., sinking to his shoulders in mud, and he would have gone deeper had not timely assistance been rendered by his brother, in dragging him from his uncomfortable and perilous position. After -that -the attempt was abandoned, and they returned to the Point,, where they were compelled to remain until yesterday morning On one of' the days a stone barge was seen passing up, but notwithstanding a blauket was kept flying from the top of a tree as a signal of distress, and gnus were fired, they failed to attract the attention of those on boari, the boisterous state of the weather preventing the report of the firearms being heard. By some mischance they also missed the steamer. All the provisions they had were one tin loaf, three pounds of steak, and three bottles of porter— the former portion of which was soon consumed, nlthouo-h they had the fortitude to reserve two of the latter until the last day of their detention. To add to _ their mortification, numerous foot prints of wild pigs were to be seen, but though diligent search was instituted, none could be found. Had they been compelled to remain another day, they would have been too weak for want of food to get away, but fortunately the

weather mod/orated sufficiently toenablc therii to return.'' ■ ■

Kangaroo Hunting. — Success to the hunters of kangaroos (says the "Argus") will be wished by a}l who are interested in the western district (\yhere the increase of their numbers during the last few years has been wonderful), as well as by those who enjoy the hams which these hunters have sent to market. The " Geelong Register" gives the following information as to the doings of one of these parties : — " A communication has been received from Messrs Niffne*cker and party, who are now in the neighborhood of Camperdown, prosecuting their new industry of kangaroo hunting and curing the hams, stating that they have latterly been very successful in their enterprise. Last week they killed eighty-nine kangaroos, and sent down to Mr Hiscock, of Moorabool street, fourteen hundredweight of hams. Beyond this, they have ready for transmission to other places 125 hams ; and they intend stopping another month in the same place, should the weather not prove too warm. The demand for these hams is still as brisk as when they were first introduced to public notice, and the difficulty appears to consist in keeping up the supply." '

A Stag Hunt in Victoria.- — A correspondent writes as follows: — " Seeing a paragraph in your to-day's issue, stating that/ a stag of noble proportions is enjoying himself in the green crops of the Mount Cotterell farmers,' ' I may send you ,a short account of the manner in which •we managed to catch this noßle fellow on Saturday last. The master and whips, accpmpanied v by five gentleman well mounted, arrived at the scene of action —at about a quarter-past nine, having come down with the hounds by the halfpast six train. We started him directly, and he looked an immense fellow as he made two or" three rings in the forest preparatory to making a start across the open country. After clearing the wood, he first made for Mount Cotterell, over some walls, and then turned in the direction of the Kororoit Creek, taking us over some stiff stone-walls. We gave him time to have a short swim in the creek, and then started him again. He went' off at a great pace, over some beautiful undulating country, in the direction of Mount Misery; under this mountain the walls' and fences became very numerous. After crossing Mount Misery near the summit, we came at its base to a stiff three-rail fence, about five feet high, all getting over it_safely, with one exception ; the master and whips and four others all going well together. The deer now made for Mount Aitken, where, s taking a turn towards Diggers' Rest. We then had some beautiful sport. We could see the deer now and then on the rises of the hills, and towards the last the hounds hunting well up a creek towards Mount Aitken, where, after a slight check, caused by ■a large flock of- sheep, we ran into him in a wood below the mountain. T^he hounds were taken off, -and the deer was so beaten that we thought he was done for. However, after about an hour's nursing we succeeded in getting him into a stable at Mount 'Aitken homestead. I believe this to have been, if not the best, one of the best runs ever known in the colony. We must have gone at least twenty-six miles from point to point, and the run lasted two hours. As this is the last run of the season, it is very satisfactory. It is to be lamented that there were not more men out tp enjoy it. Those that were lucky enough to see the finish were — the master, on Sea King ; Sam Waldock, on Happy Jack ; Mr Bright, on Longbow ; Mr Robt. Power, on Dela'ncey; Mr Austin, on The General ; and Mr Nicholson, oh Euclid"