DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE:

Daily Southern Cross, Volume I, Issue 28, 28 October 1843, Page 3

DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE:

' Flax Dressing. — It was our intention this week to report upon the progress of Flax' Dressing, but we are tmavuidably obliged to postpone this subject ; and can only observe that various experiments are being successfully made. Lieutenant JJennet, R. E., has by means of boiling the green flax with Fouler*, earth, which is abundant in this country, produced some very fine samples. We understand Mr, Beunet

is about adapting machinery to the after process of cleaning. We trust his experiments will succeed. Mr. Bennet has always manifested a praiseworthy interest in furthering the prosperity of the colony since he came amongst us. Mr. Dixon, Engineer, is preparing a Dressing Machine, of the success of which we have great hopes ; and Mr- Smithson is indefatigably employed in prepaiing flax by means of his beating machine. | v Piracy: — The Ariel sailed on Monday last, with Capt.Stewart, the Chief Police Magistrate, the Harbour Master, Ensign Wellman, a detachment of the _80ih, and some Constables, for the purpose of capturing the schooner Hanna, which appears to have been piratically seizeS at the Chatham Islands by a person of the name of Ellis, formerly in command of the Lunar. Ellis was a passenger in the Hanna from Port Nicholson, and lifter the vessel arrived at the Chatham Islands, and while Bell, the master of the vessel was ashore, Ellis contrived with the assistance of a gang of ruffians from the Islands, to obtain possession ol the vessel after killing the mate. The information was given by a party whom Ellis sent to this place to purchase provisions, and to discount at the Bank a Bill given to him on the Treasury by Capt. Wood of the Tortohe We trust that he and his piratical crew j may be captured. — Since the above was written, we ' are happy to be able to state ihat the Ariel has returned about 5 o'clock on Friday evening, after having succeeded in taking the Hanna; the Captain aud crew of which have been brought to Auckland as prisoners. The Government, and especially the j ' gentlemen to whom the management of this affair was entrusted, deserve great credit for the promptness ; ' and energy with which the undertaking was executed. Captain Rough was left in charge of the Hanna. We believe that Ellis offered little, if any resistance ; he thought the Ariel was merely on a trading voyage, and dreaming of no danger, allowed her to run alongside of his vessel ; when the soldiers presented their arms, he became alarmed, and laid hold of a pistol to shoot himself, but was prevented by one of the sailors. The Cultivation of Barley.— We beg to call the attention of our country friends to the correspondence published in this day's paper. On which we would only remark that the price mentioned in the letter of Messrs. Tooth, is rather below the average rate at which barley sells in Sydney. At the present moment it sells at about six shillings per bushel. But why should not our settlers malt their own barley, and send it in that shape to Sydney ? They would then obtain a much higher price.