ARRIVAL OF THE MARY FRANCIS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume VI, Issue 1711, 17 May 1869, Page 5

ARRIVAL OF THE MARY FRANC IS.

GOLD DISCOVERY AT THE GULF OF CARPENTARIA. Bt the barqno Mr.ry Francis, -which arrived in harbour yesterday morning, we hare Newcastle pipers to the Ist ins'ant. We m:ike the following extracts from the Chronicle of that date : — " KICH GOLD DTSCOYERT. " The announcement contained in niir telegraphic news, if true, is about the most startling and important piece of intelligence that it has been onr lot to record for a very considerable time. The tel«.»ram is to the effect that a <zold field ha? been discovered at the Gulf of Carpentaria, which bids fair to prora one of the richest ever opened, not in tbie colony alone, bnt in the whole continent of Australia. About eighty man, we are told, were at work when the p iriies bringing the news to Sydney left, and ao prolific was the yield of the precious "metal, that it wa= being taken to the Bank of New Sonth' Wales in pounds weight! Our telegr.ipbio correspondent says this information haa been received en ' reliable authority,' in which case leport i 3 likely to turn out better than the generality of rumours of this character. We sincerely trust that it may, and that the new gold field may auj-pass in richness the rioheet of the Victorian mine:. Nor should we be at all surprised if such were to be the osse. The Gulf country wag long ago pronounced highly auriferous, and only a short time back we saw something tending strongly to corroborate that view. Such a discovery at the present time would do an immen*s amount of good in relieving tha overcrowded lubonr market of this and other di-tricts, and it is o a this account thnt ■we sha'l watch wi'.h great interest for a confirmation of the pleasing neire. In th<* meantime, the public ■will do well to bear in mind the ever memorable Port Curtis rush, and tha almost incalculable amount of wretchedness and misery whbh ensued from a want of proper exercise of caution on the'part of the excited mnkitude who flocked to the JEM rado of Northern Queensland. "PEDESTBiANi3ir—The Western Examiner states that Austin ran a match at Orange, against time. The report says :—At half-past four the champion started On his great race against time. In point of condition he seemed excellent, and the first moiety of the distance was performed within time. At the expiration of the honr, however, he was distant about 150 ya*ds from tbe g?al, and at the souut of the gun, announcing the time was up, he bounded witn the celerity of a deer, and ran with ths speed of the -wind, arriving horns a boat twelve seconds behind time. He was loudly cheered by those present, who were astonished at the wonderful powere of enduranoe displayed—the univareal feeling being that be ought to have won though ho did nof. Beyond a temporary exhaustion, the result of the laet spurt, Austin did not appear at allpunished by his efforts. A collection was made on tha ground, and a handsome sum was realized for the yoang man's benefit. About 300 persons were present to witness the feat. "No less than forty verseU were loaded with coals at Newcastle from the 2.7 th ult. to the let instant ; eight of these sailed for New Zealand."