LATEST AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 942, 5 November 1879, Page 2

LATEST AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

[PER S.S. HERO AT AUCKLAND.]

Melbourne, October 28.

Maraquand, the suj. posed wife of the female impersonator, DeLacy Evans, summoned Londrigan, a well - known mining agent and miller at Sandhurst, for maintenance of an illegitimate child. The case was adjourned for a week to enable an arrangement to be made. Londrigan is a married man and tolerably wealthy, with grown up daughters. Nearly a thousand parsons visited the race-course to-day to inspect the improvements and witness the grand parade of horses. The fourth officer of the steamer Afghan was found on Saturday night on the railway line near Richmond with his head cut off. It is not known whether it was an acoident or suicide. No reason is known for the latter. From the show at Saturday's practice cricket match it is not encouraging for our chances m the inter-colonial against moderate bowling. The batting was very ordinary. Slight, Groube, Horan, Blackham, and Boyle were m best batting form. Palmer, however, bowled splendidly — eight wickets for thirty-six. Competent judges say, with Cooper's bowling, although easily punished when found out, will prove very effective at first against the New South Wales men. Palmer's bowling cannot be trifled with at any time. Sydney, October 28. A destructive fire occurred this morning at Darling Harbour, Sydney, resulting m the total destruction of Larkins* palace produce stores. The fire was discovered at midday and raged fearfully. Seven manual and steam engines were on the spot. Nothing could be saved. The clear loss is about £10,000. Insurances on the building : Colonial Mutual, £1,000 ; Norwich, £1,500. Stock : £1,500 m the International Office. Cooktown, Monday. The F. and A. Co.'bR.M.S. Somerset arrived at Cooktown yesterday morning, and left at half-past three o'clock bound south. Wm. Johnson, a passenger by the Somerset, reports having been attacked by the blacks on the 14th inst. off Piper Island, one and a half miles from the lightship. He employed the blacks m obtaining bache-de-mer. They attacked him on board the cutter Bowen, and fastened him down below the hatches. Johnson says he shot one of the blacks through the hatchway, and eventually drove the others off. Johnson himself was wounded, and on landing went to the hospital here, where he is recovering. The truthful reason given for the attack is that it was out of revenge for the death of 11 of their tribe m August last through the capsizing of a boat belonging to Robinson and English, of the schooner Spray, after which the leading men of this tribe expressed their determination to murder every white j man that falls into their clutches. H.M. gunboat Beagle arrived at Cooktown on Saturday from Thursday Island. The Queensland Government schooner I Spitfire returned to Cooktown from a cruise yesterday, during which she has been repairing beacons m the inner route m the Straits. On Saturday night she was boarded by Captain Webb, of the schooner Pride of the Logan, who was m distress off No. 4 Howich Group, with a cargo of beche-de-mer on board He reported the massacre of a portion of his crew at Cloudy Bay, New Guinea. The men killed were Alexander Drew, publican, and Henry Gavies, master mariner, Thomas Henry Mulholland, and a Malay woman, his wife, and three children. The massacre occurred on the 10th October, Captain Webb was away fishing on the reef, and on his return to the vessel m the evening he found her completely gutted, and the natives had a rope from the cathead turning her ashore. Captain Webb jumped aboard, cut the hawser, slipped the anchor, and stood out from the bay, and returned next day, but could see nothing of the survivors, and the natives having taken all the arms and

ammuition, he could not land. therefore made sail for Cooktown, and Mr. Fahey Collector of Customs, m despatching the Spitfire with anchors and provisions to the succour of Captain Webb, and the schooner will then proceed to the scene of the murder to arrest the murderers. The natives of Cloudy Bay laughed at the punishment inflicted by H. M S. Beagle, saying their little girls could burn grass villages and cut down cocoanut trees. The natives gave Captain Webb no cause to apprehend treachery. The steamer Strathleven, having Jon board 572 immigrants and the machinery for preserving fresh meat (by the Bell-Coleman process, arrived m Sydney harbour after a favourable passage from Plymouth. Great importance is attacked to the trip of this vessel, m consequence lof the proposal to send home by her a trial shipment of Australian fresh beef and mutton from Sydney and Melbourne. The machinery is on board m thorough working order, producing dry air at a temperature many degrees below freezing point, and even below zero ; but those primarily intersted into the project out here will be disappointed to learn that the intention to send a quantity of English game, and meats preserved by the apparatus on board has not been car* ried out.] The freezing room is simply occupied by passengers' luggage. Its capacity is sufficient for about 60 tons of meat, which is considered enough for. the experimental shipment. The reasons assigned for not sending out the means for practically proving the efficiency of the process are that considerable delay would have been occasioned m getting the machinery m proper order, and also the expense of keeping it constantly at work during the voyage. Several gentlemen went on board this morning, and were shown the machinery and freezing-room. The principle employed is transmission of to the cold dry air through pipes ■ room iv which the meat is stored. The machinery was tested three or four times during the voyage, and found to produce most satisfactory results. It was started again this morning just as the steamer entered the Heads, and iv a very short time the cold m the freezing-room waß intense. Snow was generated m large quantities around the pipes, and some of the visitors m a little snow-balling exercise. One of the reporters of one of the journals brought a snow-ball ashore with him. In the freezing-room the air waß perfectly dry, though a small quantity of snow had got into the cases covering the pipe. Doubtless the gentlemen entrusted iv the shipment of meat here, and who attended the meeting at the Exchange the other day, will take an early opportunity of visiting the ship and inspecting the apparatus. The immigrants have arrived m good health, and are a most contented lot.