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West Coast Times, Issue 388, 20 December 1866, Page 3

An experiment of an interesting nature is about to be tried with one of the staple exports of Victoria. Hitherto all the wool exported from Australia has been sent to London or Liverpool, almost exclusively to the former port. It appears, however, that American buyers are not infrequent at the London sales, and to test the United States market a fine ship — the Isabella HorcUs — has been placed on the berth for New York direct, carrying wooL The result will be looked forward to -with considerable interest. It is very rarely that a vessel sails from Melbourne direct to any of the cities of the east coast of America. This is only the second ship which has been placed on the New York line during some years past. If the Isabella Ilercus finds a good market, a new trade may be opened up. The "Argus" says — "A lamentable affair is reported from Seventy-foot. A woman named Grist has acted stvaupcly of late, owing, it is 1 presumed, to the effect of excessive poverty on her mind. On Saturday night sbe proposed to her daughter to go to a waterholo for the purpose of fetching ■water. The young woman agreed, and they proceeded over the old shafts for the purpose. On arriving at a shaft some sixty feet in depth, the unfortunate woman, turning to her daughter, said, 'Well, Maria, I think we've had enough poverty lately, don't you think so too ; what do you say of our ending it together?' Seizing her daughter's dress, she then jumped into the shaft. Fortunately for the young woman she was enabled to hold on with one hand to a sapling, and thus prevent herself from sharing the fate of the would-be murderess and suicide. Her screams raised an alarm, and her mother Was brought to the surface — not dead, but much injured. She had broken a leg in two places, and was otherwise injured. She was removed to the Maldon Hospital." The"Eockhamton Bulletin" of 4th instant states , on the authority of its correspondent, that mining matters at the Crocodile diggings are brisk on the whole. The population seems to have settled down steadily to work. Many' holes that were abandoned as duffers are again taken up, and in many instances payable gold found. The yield of gold continues steadily to increase. During the past month duty has been paid at the Customs on 3106 ozb 13 dwts 6 grs gold, but in this quantity are iucluded 739 ozs 9 dwts received from the Peak Downs, leaving 2367 ozs 4 dwts 9 grs as the produce of the gold diggings in the vicinity of Rockhainptor, or 591 ozs per week. The yield for the month of October, estimated by the amount of duty paid at the Customs, was 1955 ozs, or 400 ozs per week. The population is estimated, at the present time, at 3000, and this number is being daily augmented.