AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1249, 6 February 1896, Page 29

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Syd ■jey, February 4. On Saturday last the ship Knight cf St. Michael, coal laden, left Newcastle. She put into Sydney last night with her cargo dangerously heated. Barou Von Mueller, of Melbourne, is moving in the matter of an expedition to solve the fate of the explorer Leichardt, lost 43 years ago. There is a belief the party was overwhelmed b.> flood waters in tho desert waste on the eastern side of the overland telegraph. In such case the blacks in tho neighbourhood would come into possession of much paraphernalia after the flood-water had subsided. The aboriginals keep relics by them a long time. The Baron's own view is that the party succumbed gradually, some from fatigue and waut of water, others by accident or illness, while a few of the strongest pushed across the great north-west land desert in a futile attempt to reach a south-western settlement. The" Baron enquires whether there is not some bright spirit in Australia who is i desirous of emulating Sir Thomas Elder and j MrHorn. He will send a party to penetrate j

the central desert to tribes not yet seen by a white man, and endeavour to find a resting place for the explorer. The cost would be about .£ISOO or .£2OOO. A fire at Parkes destroyed a hotel and five shops, and the damage amounts to several thousand pounds. Melbourne, February 4. The Government propose to spend ,£±oo,ooo in improving the Flinders street railway station to meet the requirements of the suburban traffic. It is also intended to carry out renovating work at the suburban and country stations in order to give work to the unemployed during the winter. A strong agitation is on foot to increase the Australian team to 15 by including A. E. Trott and Lyons. Brisbane, February 4. Quite 50 out of the 02 miles of the Clermont railway is submerged, and the permanent way is badly damaged in many places. Three hundred cases of distress have been relieved in Tovmsville. The weather is now terribly hot. The schooner Lavinia was totally wrecked off Maguiro Island during the cyclone. One man was drowned. Advices from the northern towns report fierce gales, but the cyclone seems to have concentrated its force on Townsvillo.