AUSTRALIA.

Press, Volume XI, Issue 1338, 20 February 1867, Page 3

AUSTRALIA.

or the adam bat SETTLEMENT. The Adam Bay settlement has been abandoned, and the pioneers sent there arrived in Melbourne on the 3rd inst. tIT T> Sy<3ney ' "* route for Ad^a »de, by f e A Melbourne paper lunushes the following particulars :— T % left Adam Bay on the 11th

ult., in the A.S.N. Co.'s s.s. Eagle, and arrived in Sydney on the 2Sth ult., alter a pleasant passage of seventeen days. The party consists of Mr J. T. Manton, Government resident ; and Messrs J. Milner, W. Rowland, C. Young. J. Davis, Y. W. Hood, 11. D. Packard, It. Watson, J. \Y. Bennet, J. •X. Benham, and laborers, numbering in all thirty-one ; iv addition to which are eleven members of M'Kinlay's expedition, who had remained at the settlement after the departure of their leader, under the charge of Mr Thomas Gilbanks; thus, with the wife and child of a settler, the part}- makes a total of forty-four souls. Jn consequence of the limited accommodation on board the Eagle, some stores and baggage had to be left behind, which will no doubt be considered legitimate plunder by the natives. Although the immediate locality of Adam Bay may not at present afford a desirable site for settlement, the country adjacent is spoken of in high terms, particularly Port Down, which possesses a harbor quite equal to that of any of the Australian colonies. It is distant from Adam Bay about sixty miles, a low range lying between, and from the coast to the Adelaide river the land presents a prospect of grassy, undulating, pastoral country. The climate is warm, but not unhealthy, for, with the exception of a few isolated attacks of ague, no sickness of consequence was experienced by the expedition during the past two years, notwithstanding that much privation was experienced from shortness of supplies, and considerable hardship had to be endured in hunting for game up to the middle in swamps. At first the natives exhibited a hostile feeling to their invaders, but subsequently became very good neighbors, as they encamped within a couple of hundred yards of the stockade which the party had erected for the protection of themi selves and stock. The aboriginals of this country are represented to be vastly superior to those of the more southern districts: tall, muscular, and intelligent, with a distinguishing trait in their character which elevates them above the general ity of their race, viz., a particular sensitiveness as to the chastity of their women. Pish and turtle were in great abundance, and were caught in large numbers by the natives, and by them gratefully exchanged for some damaged flour. Had it not been tor these timely supplies the expedition would have suffered severely from want of provisions—a cargo only arriving once in ten months. There was great mortality amongst the Bheep when they arrived —induced, it was supposed, by the change from the heated atmosphere of the hold of a vessel to the pure air, and the feed upon which they had to subsist, a sort of cake compounded of chaff and bran. Those, however, who survived and were shorn, and allowed to graze, throve remarkably well. The grass grows to the height of ten and twelve feet, and the country is generally well timbered, but the latter is, of stunted and dwarfish growth, owing to the prevalence of bush fires. Although the summer is excessively warm, the rainy season sets in early, generally about the end of January, and ia exceedingly heavy, the rain falling in the course "of a night to tho depth of five inches. Before leaving the settlement, six mares and an entire colt were driven into the interior, also two cows and two bulls, the progeny of which it is hoped will be found of considerable benefit to future explorers. Some buffaloes, sent from the Dutch settlement of Timor, had also been liberated, and the natives asserted that several young ones had been seen. The woman and child alluded to above as the family of a settler, were the wife and child of a German, named Bowler,who was unfortunately drowned by the partial upsetting of a boat in October last. He accompanied the original expedition as a free settler, and agent for a number of his countrymen, to take up land and open a store. The party was to leave Melbourne for Adelaide the next day, and soon after their arrival it is expected the official, despatches of the expedition will be published.