AUSTRALIAN NEWS. (FROM PAPERS BY TH E 'HERO.')

THE CARL MASSACRE.— FURTHER SHOCKING DISCLOSURES. At the Sydney Water Police Court on November 8, Charles Dowden was charged on remand for that in or about the month of August. 1871, he then, being mate of the British registered brig 'Carl,' then 011 the high aeas, did of hia malice aforethought feloniously and wilfully kill and murder a man whose name is unknown. — George Heath, at one time a seaman on board the ' Carl, ' deposed that Dowden was mate on board that vessel ; described the cruise of the vessel amongst the South Sea Islands, when natives came off in canoes ; trade was offered to them by holding beads, paint, pipes, and tobacco over the ship's side. This induced many to come alongside the vessel, when the canoes were capsized by throwing a small cannon into them ; the cannon was tied to a rope which was attached to a part of the ship before the canoes came up, with the intention of using it in the way described. At Bougainville and the adjacent island of Booka bhe ' Carl ' stopped about two or three days, and during that time got 85 natives, who were pufc in the hold with the other natives. Witness could not say how many we had altogether, but the hold was full. The natives were kept below by cross pieces placed across the hatchway like gratings. There was no room for a man to get through. After leaving these islands the ' Carl ' sailed for Levuka. AbDut five or six hours after leaving Booka the natives commenced to kick up a row in the hold. Next night, abeut 9or 10 o'clock, a disturbance commenced in the hold, aa if the natives were fighting amongst themselves. A revolver was fired over the hatchway by Mr., Scott, another passenger, and a Melbourne man. That did not quiet them, as the disturbance still went on, the natives fighting amongst themselves, and trying to lift the hatchway up with the poles from the bunks ; this was prevented by firing down the hatchway ; they were firing into the hold for half an hour, and at the end of that time some of the Solomon and Melicolo islanders got up the fore hatchway ; the firing was then renewed, and lasted until after daylight, prisoner being one of those who fired. The guns were loaded with duckshot and others with smaller shot ; one revolver was loaded with patent cartridges and others with bullets. A man named Tjotii". x> " "»"»ji <*"" ma. Mount went down into the steerage by a laacier. There is s, partition between the hold and steerage, and you could see into the hold by holes that were cut in the partition for purposes of ventilation. The natives were then fired at with revolveis through these holes, and they became quiet. It was daylight then. Prisoner was not with them. The gentlemen came on deck, and after breakfast some of the natives came on deck, and those who could not come up were dragged up by means of ropes ; some of the crew and passengers went down below with the ropes ; some of the natives were dead and others wounded. The dead were thrown overboard, and some of the wounded also. Ten of the wounded, however, were kept by Dr. Murray, who thought they would recover. The natives were put overboard by the passengers and crew. Prisoner assisted, and said it was no •ise to keep them on deck, and that they must be'put overboard. Some of them were alive at the time, but were badly wounded in the legs, back, and arms ; some of them had three or four shot wounds. The ship's hold was afterwards cleaned by the nabives, and washed and whitewashed. Witness could not say how many dead were brought Jon deok, but all he could say was that out of the Bougainville natives only 10 were saved. The warlike natives were fighting down'in the hold. If the Bougainville natives had not been stopped, I have no doubt they would have killed the other quiet natives. — Senior-lieutenant Taylor, of H.M.s.s. 'Cossack,' stated that during the holding of a Naval Court at Levuka in reference to the case of the ' Carl,' he went on board that brig, and upon examination of the hold found numerous shot marks, which from their position had evidently come from the hatchway.— -Prisoner was committed for trial at the next Criminal Court, bail being refused.

THE CHARTERS TOWERS RIOT. The Brisbane Telegraph contains the following with reference to the serious riot that occurred at Charters Towers a few days ago : — "It appears that Messrs. Symes and Trevethan raised the price of meat without notice, from 4d. to 6d. per lb., whereupon from 500 to 600 diggers assembled and pulled down ihe whole of the building. Three of the ringleaders were arrested, and on Trevethan proceeding to give evidence at the Court-house, armed with a revolver, ho was attacked with bottles and stones, &c, and was severely wounded, -whereupon he fired three shots, and wounded three men, but it is not expected that fatal consequences will ensue in either case. By the exertions of Sub-Inspector Clohesy, Trevethan was rescued, but the mob were so infuriated ihat it was with difficulty the police, aided by Bishop Quinn, could lodge him safely in the lock-up. Trevethan has been committed for trial and admitted to bail j be has left the Towers and shaped for Townsville. None of the wounded men have died, but in one case, where the party was shot in the neck, dangerous consequences may yet ensue. Two ringleaders were arrested, and have been brought up and admitted to bail, and if thia course had not been adopted i the chances are that the mob would have carried into effect their threats of a general sack. A crowd of 500 were assembled at the Court-house. Fortunately Mr. Jardine ia on the spot, and has been instructed by the Colonial Secretary to swear in as many special constables as he might consider necessary, the men to be paid at the current rate of wages. Up to the morning 40 • specials ' had ' been sworn in, and the rioters had amused themselves by pelting them with, rotten eggs ; but at' the latest advices things were comparatively quiet, and the people were on good teiras with the police."

MURDER BY ABORIGINALS. The Rockhampton Bulletin states that a characteristically brutal ~ murder by the blacks was committed at Lake's Creek on Sunday night. The victim was a black boy recently brought down from Mornish by. Mr. Odgers, Who is now residing at Lake's Creelt. The .unfortunate black appeared to have been first tomahawked and then disemboweUed,

\ presenting when found a horrible spectacle. I The cause of the murder is supposed to be j tribal jealousy.

DEATH OF TWENTY. FIVE POLYNESIANS. Great mortality has occurred on board the schooner ' Jason ' during her late labour cruise to the South Sea Islands. The Wide Bay Neios makes the following remarks : — " The total number of deaths on board the ' Jason ' amount now to 25, and we understand that the sickness has not left her cargo yet. This terrible mortality — neaily 30 per cent, of the whole number — ought to open the eyes of the Government to the necessity of appointing medical men to accompany these Bhips. In a mere commercial point of view, it ought to pay the* importers to take precautions against incurring so heavy a loss ; of course humanity, beyond that prescribed by the Act, is too much to expect from manstealers."

A WOMAN MURDERED BY HER HUSBA.ND IN MELBOURNE. The Argus reports that on Monday last a charge of murder was preferred at the City Court against Richard Cooper, a sugarsorter employed at the Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway sheds. The version given by a girl of 16, Mary O'Shannassy.a daughter of the deceased, and stepdaughter of the prisoner, ia that the pair had been drinking during the afternoon, and that in the evening the prisoner asked the deceased for some money with which to buy beer. She gave him half-a-crown, and he went out. At about a quarter past midnight he returned sober. The deceased, who was lying on a couch in the front room, asked him for some of the change oat of the half-crown, but he only used bad language to her. She went up the stairs ; he followed her, and gay« he*- a kick in the stomach with his booted foot. The woman was about seven months gone ia pregnancy, and she was seen to be bleeding immediately after she was kicked. She said, "It is nothing," and went outside and lay on the giound in a very exhausted state, till some neighbours came with a cab and removed her to the hospital, the prisoner accompanying them. The cab was corered with blood. The girl said that the woman gave Cooper no provocation, and that he was sober. They had not quarrelled in any particular manner before that, though he had on one or two occasions " given her a couple of black eyes." The deceased was about 32 years of age. At the hospital the prisoner remarked to the constable that he did it, and would probably swing for it. Prisoner was committed for trial for manslaughter.

THE GRENFELL MURDER. The following particulars of the appalling murder at Grenfell are given by the correspondent of the Burrangong Argus: — "For some time previous to his death Ashton, known under the sobriquet of ' Rarey,' had been engaged shooting wild horses on Mr. Glassons run, and lived by himself in a lonesome spot among the ranges, and on the day before the murder he was seen riding towards his hut by one of the shepherds belonging to the station, this being the last time the poor fellow was seen alive. About two days afterwards, as Mr. Glasson was riding over this part of the run, it occurred to him to call on Ashton, as he had a little business to transact with him, when, upon reaching the spot, he was rather surprised to find the hut burnt down, and, on examining more closely the ruins, waB horrified at discovering the body of Ashton partially consumed by fire, and terribly mutilated. The body was found to be in an advanced state of decomposition — the right leg and right arm completely burnt off; the back part of the skull was smashed in, whilst above and below theheart were two large wounds, but whether inflicted by some blunt instrument Dr. Sedgwick, who went with the police, could not determine, on account of the decayed state of the body. The remains were conveyed to Grenfell, and on Saturday an inquest was held. In the mean time the police had not been idle, as by noon on Saturday a man named Lowry and a youth named Murray had been apprehended on suspicion, and were brought up at the inquest. After a nnrtipn nf +Vie «vj^fi"«« !■» J Seen taKett dergeant Lane applied for a remand, which was granted. — The adjourned inquest on the body of the murdered man Ashton was resumed on Saturday morning, and concluded at 11 p.m. The jury returned a verdict of Wilful murder against a lad named Sheridan, 17 years old. George Lowry and James Field were found to be accessories. The prisoners were committed for trial at the next Bathurst Assizes. Great public excitement was manifested in connection with the proceedings.

DESTITUTION AT PORT DARWIN. Repeated warnings and a number o failures seem to have little effect on diggers ;f the moment they hear of gold being found in some distant locality, especially to the north, away they start, trusting to chance for the necessaries of life. Tort Darwin is no excoptjon to the rule, as the following telegram from distressed miners there to the .Chief Secretary of Victoria will sufficiently prove :-~"Porb Darwin, October 23, 1872.— One hundred and fifty Victorian diggers here. No gold in country. Destitution certain to prevail. Have offered £500 —all the money the men possess — towards chartering 'Bengal . ' Ship requires £1,300 to Melbourne. Adelaide } Government 1 refuses Will Victorian Government assist to take their miners back ? Adelaide Government offer is not sufficient to keep the families left in Victoria — 4g. 6d. per day, without rations. Committee — James Tardy, Ross K. Macartney, James Bell." Mr. Francis has forwarded the following reply :—": — " This ! Government regrets the position of applicants, but cannot bring back to Victoria all persons who may enter on enterprises without due consideration. — J.G.F."