Australian News.

Bruce Herald, Volume IX, Issue 805, 23 May 1876, Page 6

Australian News.

The weather having been exceedinglyfavorable for the vintage since the date of our last notice (writes the ' Albury Banner'), the work has progressed rapidly, and is now drawing to a close. The yield from the Murray Valley vineyard, as near as can be yet estimated, is likely to be close on 30,000 gallons, and as, in addition to this, Mr Fallon purchases an equal quantity from the small vineyards in the neighborhood, the new wine stored in the Kiewa-atreet cellars will amount to something like 60,000 gallons. Owing to the spell of fine weather and hot days which succeeded the late rains, the quality of the wine musts has considerablyimproved, and the average strength will prove greatly in excess of expectations formed a fortnight since. The end of next week Avill probably see vintage operations for the season brought to an end. As a specimen of the average spirit strength i>f the musts in this locality, and as a proof, if any were required, of the absurdity of the Thudicum theory, we append a list of the strengths of eight samples of must tested a few days since as the}' came into cellar : — Reisling, 25 0 ; Carbinet, 26 0 ; Verdeilho, 27-5 ; Tokay, 276 ; Shiraz, 28 8 ; Pineau Noir (Burgundy), 296; Aucarot, 313; Muscat, 34 0. We learn from the { Tamworth News ' that another victim has been added to the already long list of those who have succumbed to the peculiarly Australian danger of being lost in the bush. Some time in June, 1874, the election of a member of the Mining Board for the north- western division took place, Mr A. J. Kyle, of Uralla, being a candidate. It seems that Mr Kyle left Uralla, wh^re he lived, and wont to the Peel diggings to meet the electors, and was never afterwards heard of. An active search was instituted and continued for some time, it being believed that Mr Kyle had gone astray in the bush, but nothing was seen of him. Ab;>ut the end of last week, however, the remains of a man were found in the bmh between Hanging Hock and Uralla, and these have been identified as the remains of Mr Kyle. who. no doubt, perished from hunger, thirst, and exposure, tho results of having been lost in the bush. A n Aus tralian paper says : — "Ourold friend , the axe, stands in danger of being superseded by a new invention, which promises to clear our forest lands by the use of gun cotton. The pmcess is simple, and it is said not very expensive. Gun cotton is compressed into discs, which are placed around the tree about to be operated on in a continuous band, the edge of each disc touching that of the disc adjacent. This band is exploded or detonated by means of a stroke from a spring hammer so arranged as to permit all persons concerned reaching a safe distance before the detonation is effected. The { Engineer,' which recounts the experiments

by this Bystem of gun cotton discs says that ' a band of these discs was placed around the trunk of a very large tree at Upnor, and detonated, the result being that the tree was severed instantaneously, a3 though foiled by one blow from, an axe.' " The Melbourne ' Argus ' publishes the prospect ub of the Americau District Telegraph Company, which undertakes: to come to the rescue of its subscribers in case of fire, burglary, and sickness, and which, a correspondent vouches, is in successful operation. The following is an extract : — " Subscribers having the apparatus can instantly summon a policeman, fireman, messenger, or servant, .* to perform any reasonable service. A subscriber awakened by a burglar can touch the telegraphic key located near his bed, which will record the number of his house at the district office, and within three minutes a policeman will be at his door. In case of fire on the.premises of a subscriber, the fact , can be instantaneously communicated to the district office, and the fire department then notified, the company beiug supplied with keys to the tire signal boxes. A policeman will also be in attendance within three minutes, with a fire extinguisher. In case of sickness requiring the attendance of a - physician or nurse (night or day), a messenger will answer his summons, prepared to execute any order. Tf a subscriber wishes at any hour of the day to send a telegraphic despatch, a touch of the key will summon a messenger, who will forward his message to any part of the world. Thus every subscriber's house becomes for him a Western Union Telegraph Office." At the Baringhup show on Weduesday last (says the ' Mount Alexander Mail '), his Excellency the Governor received a royal greeting from a monarch he did not anticipate meeting ; this was no other than King Billy, one of the Bet Bet tribe of aboriginals, and supposed to be the last of his race. Billy gave Sir Gr. P. Boweu a hearty shake of the hand, which was duly returned. He then remarked — " Poor blackfellow ; him no land, no cattle, no sheep ; whitefellow take all ; he -want blankets, clothes and boots." Hia Excellency commiserated Billy, and giving him a shilling told him not to get drunk with it, but the unthankful fellow only danced a pirouette acd then bolted to the nearest booth, where he soon melted the coin. It is stated, on the authority of the c South Australian Advertiser,' that the estate of Colac, of "Messrs Robertson Bros., the wellknown stock breeders, consists of 23,000 acres, divided into sixty - five paddocks, 20,000 acres being laid down in artificial grasses. It depastures 8500 head of cattle and 30,000 sheep. 3000 fat cattle are annually sent to market. The total receipta from the estate last year were £92,000. The value of the improvements on the estate is set down at £80,000 During the last three years the sum of £30,000 has been spent in improvements.