NOTES AND NEWS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 5, 9 March 1866, Page 2

NOTES AND NEWS.

Prevention of Scab in Sheep. — The flock owners of Victoria have proposed to establish a boundary line near the northern and eastern frontiers, across which no sheep are to be permitted to be conveyed except from the protected district, to the Melbourne market. When this isolated piece of country is proclaimed clean, it is proposed to extend the line southwards, and so on by degrees, until the whole colony is freed from the disease. In the separated districts, the curative process is to be rigorously carried on, and attention to the duty enforced by penalty. Population of Victoria. — According to the latest quarterly abstract of the Registrar General, the present population of Victoria is 357,496 males, 269,034 females; total, 626,530. The increase during the quarter is 3,706, and during the year 21,029. Disease among Pigs. — At dunes in Victoria, the pigs have been attacked with a disease which makes them stagger and unable to walk, and which, proves fatal in some instances, in three or four days. A Curious Impostor. — A man named Brian, lately a clerk in the Land-orders Office, in Brisbane, tried to pass himself off iv South Australia, as first lieutenant of the Confederate war steamer Shenandoah, whose name was Whittle. Being detected, he attempted to commit suicide. A Bank Manager. — Mr. Bramwell, la"te manager of the London Chartered Bank, in Melbourne, has been appoiuted to the Lou-

don Agency of the National Bank of Australia. Many shareholders in Victoria and South Australia have objected to the appointment. . The Panama Route.— lt is reported that the New South Wales Government oppose the granting of a subsidy to the Panama route, and are averse to the steamers stopping at Tahiti. The Sunbury Murder. — All the three prisoners in this case have been acquitted, at the Melbourne sessions. It is with great satisfaction that we record the almost complete break up of the great drought, which for the last two years has carried ruin and dismay among the flockowners of the various colonies of Australia. During the past month there has been several very heavy falls of rain, not only in Victoria, but in New South Wales, Queensland, and the far north of South Australia. These beneficent visitations have once more put the diggers and squatters in good spirits ; while in Victoria at least, the farmers and winegrowers have every reason to be satisfied with the prospects of their respective crops. The harvest is nearly, if not quite, finished with excellent results, and the vintage is expected to be one of the finest ever gathered. — Australasian, Feb. 24. . Queensland. — The Wild Scotchman has stuck up the Peak Downs mail and burnt the letters. North Western Australia. — By the 'Kestral' and 'Mystery' we had intelligence from Tein Tsin Bay's. It is satisfactory to be able to report most favorably of this promising country, as although no rain had fallen for eighteen months, such is the nature of the vegetation, that the stock without exception, is in first-rate condition, and rapidly increasing ; and the settlers are so well satisfied with their prospects, that several have come down with the view of shipping more stock to that place, and several new runs have been taken up by them. Notwithstanding the long drought there is abundance of feed and water: and although the former to all appearance is completely dried up, it will not burn. During an exploring expedition, the mouth of the Fortescue River was found, and is reported to have a clear entrance to the sea, with apparently deep water for some distance up; the land immediately round the mouth is said to be worthless, but this is a matter ot little moment if the river should prove to be navigable, as doubtless Mr. Shale will decide upon it as the site of the principal town of the district, the access to it from an enormous extent of fertile country beiug easy. The natives are very quiet, and are found to be excellent laborers ; the health of the settlement is good. — Perth Gazette. January 24. According to the Canterbury papers, the Grey district is decidedly the worst in the West Coast for crime. A farmer in the Gleulyon district, Victoria, has thrashed 3.000 bushels of wheat, the product of 90 acres. Port Albert, Victoria, has had a narrow escape from destruction by fire, by the overheating of a quautity of lime for the powder magazine. The new mace used at the late opening of the Victorian Parliament, is of pure silver, overlaid with gold. The weight is over 270 ounces. Messrs. Kilpatrick and Co., London, are the manufacturers. The editor of a French paper, in speaking of the dedication of a new cemetery at Lyons, says — "Mrs. Gascoigne had the pleasure of being the first individual who was buried in this delightful retreat !" A sale by auction has just taken place, which demonstrates how enormously the value of laud, in the City of London, has increased of late years. The site of the Spread Eagle Inn, in Gracechureh-street, which comprises au area of 12,600 feet, about half of which is freehold and the remainder held on lease for a long term, brought £195,000, being at the rate of £285,000 per acre, or about£7 10s per square foot — English. News. The number of the new arrivals for the late wool sales in London, was 52,105 bales. The number catalogued was as follows : — Australian , 15,662 bales; South Australian,

1,901; Port Philip, 6,915; Tasmanian, 607; New Zealand, 4,450 ; Swan River, 15. The quantity of fish sold in the Melbourne market, in three weeks, from the 22nd of January, to the 10th of February, was 441 baskets, or about 13 tons. The number of native inhabitants scattered over the Fiji Islands, is about 150,000, and the number of Europeans, about 200. Gold in Adelaide, — The papers say there has been a rich gold discovery at Highercombe, on the property of R. D. Ross. Lundyfoot snuff of excellent quality has been manufactured from locally grown tobacco.