AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 2, 13 October 1877, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

(From the latest N.Z. Papers.) Xi:w Zealand. lt.p.irts of gold yields continue to come from Doctors Point, Dunstan, New /.aland. i'OMO Worth of gold was got during the week ending September 4th, from the Prospectors' claim. Sydney. The rarer, Barb, was offered and passed in for 1000 guineas; Canterbury, and Ralph Leigh were passed in at 300 guineas. A great fire occurred at the Bee Hive store, Crafton, New South Wales, on Septemlier 3rd. The damage is overlive thousand pounds. Bovd oilers to come out to row against Triekett if £3OO are allowed for expenses, and Triekett lays £ISOO to £IOOO. There has been great destruction of property at Wallscnd, owing to the falling "in of a pit. The Wesleyan Chapel, which cost £I2OO, has been totally destroyed. Watkin's Hotel has st.-tiled down two feet, and all the plastering is cracked and shattered. About a dozen other places have either settled down or canted to one side. The streets iir the locality are full of great openings, and much alarm is felt by all the residents of the surrounding The magnificent new synagogue at Sydney is nearly finished. The interior dimensions of this splendid sanctuary are ab.iu -is ft. by 00 ft. within the actual synagogue, but about 100 ft. from w-,; ' .\v to w.i.low, and the iioor V'll be laid in mosaic, whirl, will have a very elegent design, in harmony with the architecture of the building. A large number of stonemasons are out on strike. A irentlcman writing from Warren to

jv. geuueuiau writingiroui uanen io a friend in Bathurst] says:--- 1 have just returned from a trio down the .Uacquarie and Castlereagh. This drought is indeed fearful, and I fear the end is not yet. Squatters, win., twelve months since could draw a cheque and get it paid for XI000!). can't draw one now for £IOOO. Indeed, there are some poor fellows who, through hard work and frugality, had nearly reached the top of the ladder, before'this frightful drought visited them, but, alas! now they are nearly beggars. 1 don't exaggerate when I tell you I know some ■ squatters who, out of herds of (say 50,000) sheep, have not a tenth of them left, and cattle-owners on many stations are just a.s great losers. The noi.se of axe and saw can be heard on many runs, falling the handsome ami drooping myalls to sustain life in the perishing beasts, who now almost refuse it as food on account of the almost imperceptible sjiriiiLT i" the young grass on some partly favoured spots on the runs. There are some runs which are all right vet, for feed and water, but for how Follg is another matter. The heat is now almost too great to bear down the rivers, and the sky is always destitute of clouds. The black caterpillars in myriads are on "the leaf," and eat up every vestige of green feed. Such is my plain an.l unvarnished tale. Warren August loth, 1877." Days of humiliation and prayer for rain have been held in various upcountry towns in New South Wales. A Mudgee telegram of the 24th says:— " Yesterday was strictly observed as a day of humiliation and prayer. Every business place in town was closed. . Services were held in the difl'crenl places of worship, which were crowded. A united service, addressed by clergymen of different denominations, was held in the afternoon, in the Mechanics' Institute. Th.re was a change in the weather, ami a slight rain fell this afternoon, and appearencos of more." The drought is over in the pastoral districts of the north-west of New South Wales, where it lias been raining steadily since August 28th. Melbourne. Mr. William Thome, manager of the Bank of Victoria, Ruthcrglon, fell down a shaft of 80 feet and was killed. 901,000 acres of land wore applied for in Victoria during the last seven months, shewing a largo average increase. A boy eleven years old was butted to death by a goat.' Defalcations of upwards of i!2rto have ! been iliseovi r.d in the accounts of the secretary of the Booth Melbourne I'ermalient Building Society. The MacduH'. with forty-six passenger*, arrived with imall-pox, and has ken

quarantined. 11. pa an -till live cases.: Flireo are getting bettei , two others are I of a serious nature aw of the latter is the chief offii i i.;- vessel had no u on board William Scully, a young man. was so severely injured during a tight lhat he died iu the hospital. He never recovered consciousness. A warrant has been issued for the apprehension of the other young nutn.Oorrio, who washw opponent; and two young men have been arrested for being concerned in the affair. Mr. Michael Staunton, a fanner, residing at WaiTong, Victoria, died from tin- effects of a wound which it was suppi sed had been accidently inflicted by himself. He was buried on Friday last. His son, John Staunton, a young man about twenty-one years of ago, was very much affected by the occurrence, and has since shown signs of deep grief. Yesterday forenoon he was very bad indeed, but observed that he would go into his room and cry himself all right. His friends thought it would be better for the young man to be alone, and allowed him to go to bis room by himself. Soon after a report of a gun was beard by the other members of the sorrowing family, and on going to the room of the young man they were horrified to find that he bad committed suicide. He bad . apparently placed the stock of the gun between two bags of (lour, and then leaning with his chest on the muzzle, pulled the trigger. A terrible wour. d was inflicted, and death must have been instantaneous. The occurrence necessarily, coming as it did immediately after their bereavement, shocked the surviving members of the family very greatly, and Mrs. Staunton, the mother of deceased, was so dreadfully affected that she was immediately taken very ill, apparently from grief and the shock fco the nerves, and died within two hour.; afterwards. These terrible occurrencehave created a profound sensation in the locality, the family being generally known and respected.