COLONIAL NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume I, Issue 18, 10 May 1851, Page 3

COLONIAL NEWS.

SYDNEY.

The Wellington Independent of April 26, gives the following extracts from, the Sydney papers. {From the Sydney Herald.) Several London ships are now overdue. The "Achilles" is making a very long passage, having been out 144 days. The "Oriental" has been out 132 days, and the "Regina" 121 days. All these vessels may be hourly expected. Some of the December ships may also be expected, should the wind hold for a day or two. f they sailed on the clays advertised, the " Lady " Sale" has been out 113 days, the " Challenger" 105 days, the "Mary Bannatyne" 100 days, and the " Penyard Park" 95 days. The sum of 935 Z. 15s. SMd., had been contributed, under the auspices of the Sydney Diocesan Board of Missions, in aid of the Bishop of New Zealand's noble design for imparting to the natives of New Caledonia and die adjacent islands a knowledge of the Gospel. This sum is also increased by a sum of 40/. 2s. which will be continued as annual donations.

A meeting of employers was called for the purpose of devising means to provide for the increasing demand of labour, (the Land Fund as administered being quite inadequate for this purpose,) as it appears that funds in aid of this demand must be raised by the colonists themselves.

The rage for emigrating to California, which had for a season been cooled down, was evidently returning with increased furor. Almost every day, says the Herald, some new placard stares us in the face, announcing cheap passages to the regions of gold. And almost every week, for some time past, has witnessed the departure of a ship crowded with passengers for that destination.

The Sydney Cattle Disease.—The Board of Inquiry appointed by His Excellency the Governor to inquire into the nature of the prevailing epidemic in stock, in the county of Cumberland and the vicinity of the city, Sydney, have reported that their examinations fully confirm the opinion that the disease is one of a highly inflammatory character; and they so clearly point out the seat of the disease, that they have no hesitation in calling it an inflammation of the spleen and intestinal canal, or, in pathological language, a splenoenteritis. The Board also state that it is an epidemic, or more correctly an epizootic disease, and that its attacks have been principally confined to the Sydney side of the mountain ranges, to the country between the Blue Mountains and the sea, between the Bulga Mountains on the north and the Illawarra Range and Razor-back on. the south. The Board declare themselves unable to prescribe any rules of prevention, and their..experiments have not enabled them to ascertain: whether the disease is or is not contagious; The disease, it seems, was first noticed in some pad-' docks between Liverpool and Camden in 1847, and since, with one short interval, it has never ceased to attack cattle at all times of the year ; more, however, in hot weather. At first it was entirely confined to cattle, but for some time past, above a year, it has also attacked sheep. There have also been many deaths among horses. The Board state that the external symptoms are not very strongly marked, and the wildness of the cattle here renders observations difficult. Those, however, who are conversant with the habits and look of animals, can frequently say when they are affected, though not many hours before death. The animal is dull and heavy eyed, almost as if blind, occasionally violent as if from pain ; a very short time before death blood and slime flow from the nostrils and anus. Death is described as generally easy. The internal appearances on dissection are very interesting to pathologists, presenting constant signs of inflammation of the spleen or melt, and of the intestinal canal, and not unfrequently of other parts, with great engorgement of the whole venous system, and a peculiar change in the appearance of the blood. The disease, it appears, is not on the decrease.

Sydney Census. —We have been informed that the population of the city of Sydney, exclusive of the suburbs, will approximate to 44,000 persons. It is a singular fact that there is hardly the difference of 100 in the proportion of males and females in the whole amount.

One thousand nine hundred and ten acres (Dugworth) at Maitland realized 5369/. Large importations of Chinese labourers have taken place at Moreton Bay.

A question of importance to the shipping interests was brought before the water police office, relative to the right of sailors to break their articles in case of the captain's death, or substitution of another captain, from other causes, in his room. Captain Browne- suggested the propriety of the case being brought befove the judges. ' He regretted that the only authority adduced against the seamen was a marginal note of an American decision.

The University. — The Sydney College Buildings have been leased to the Sydney University for two years. The names of the Rev. Mr/Cary, of St. Mark's, Alexandria, and the Rev. Mr*. Trollope, of Port Phillip, are named in connexion with the Professorships ; but nothing definite has yet been arranged.

Population of South Australia. —By the abstract of the census returns for 1851, we find that the population of the colony of South Australia comprises 34,975 males, 27,0(54 females, or a total of 02,639. The number of houses in the colony is 11,981. The city of Adelaide contains 14,277 inhabitants.