NEW SOUTH WALES.

Colonist, Issue 95, 17 September 1858, Page 3

NEW SOUTH WALES.

In the Legislative Council recently, it was stated by the Solicitor-GeneraLin answer to a question put by Mr. Deas Thomson, that the telegraph between Sydney and Albury will be completed by the early part of OctoW-next, when the three colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia, will be brought into immediate communication with each."otlier. The work should have been completed in, May last, but owing to the difficulties which the contractor had to contend with, he was granted an extension of time as above mentioned.

A bill to prevent and punish, the sale of unwholesome and adulterated articles of food, is one of the most useful pieces of legislation which has emanated from the Upper House during the present session. • This measure provides that, in addition to the destruction of the article seized, the person offending shall be liable to a penalty, of £20. An inspector of provisions is to be appointed to carry the act into effect, should the measure receive the approval of the Assembly. .

The Legislative Assembly has recently^ voted the sum of .£712,000 for the extension of.railways to Penrith, Picton, and Singleton, by a majority of 5 to 1. It is understood that the new lines Will be proceeded with immediately. Coal of a superior quality has recently been found^ in the: Berrima'disfrict. A late number of the Goulburn Herald contains the following paragraph:—A beautiful sample of coal from the mines near Berrima has during the week been received in town, and we hear'it is the intention of Mr. Woodward to obtain a sufficient quantity with a view of testing its properties for the purpose of making gas, upon the arrival of his retorts now on their way from England.

A new gold-field has been discovered lately at Port Curtis, North Australia. From the Herald of the 26th August we extract the following :—" Private letters received from Port Curtis, more than confirm the most flattering accounts'of the richness of the gold-fields in that district. Although it has been attempted as much as possible to conceal the extent of the discovery, yet it is known that large orders for stores have .been received for the.district. ■i' We have it on authority we cannot doubt, that one went out and secured .1^ lb. weight of gold in 10 days without trouble. A large number are now employed on the gold-fields, and all are. doing well. As far as possible, we have endeavored to ascertain the truth of these statements, but the next steamer fi\>m Wide Bay will, probably, decide the matter."

There is at present on exhibition in Sydney one of the most extraordinary developments of juvenile growth that, perhaps, this or-any other country ever produced. The subject of our notice is a youth named William Abernethy; his age is nine years and eight months, and he weighs no less than 16 stone 1 lb. He is a native of the. colony, having been born at Brisbane Water, and is the second son of James Abernethy (a sawyer) and Barbara his wife. He was baptised by the Rev. J. McGarvie, D.D., Minister of St. Andrew's Scots' Church, on the 29ch of November, 1848. The measurement round his arm is 16 inches, round the waist 49, round the thigh 34, and round the knee 20^ ; his height is 4 feet 10| inches. He beors all the appearance of being in good health, and manages to walk and move about without the least difficulty.

The following is an extract from a letter written by the chaplain of H. M. ship Iris to Mr. Alfred Roberts of Sydney, with reference to a present of books forwarded fiom that city, to the. descendants of the Bounty Mutineers, at Norfolk Island :—" The school is thriving, and the books I am very glad to say have been arranged, labelled, catalogued, and are now being lent out to all who want them : they have set.apart a room as a library, and fitted it up with t-helves and presses, the schoolmaster, Simon Young, acting as librarian. I looked over the books, and if they had only a little stronger binding, might be ■ considered quite a model little library." It is further stated that the general condition of the Islanders is much improved since,their removal. -They appear to have advanced in wealth, energy, and cheerfulness, and in. spite of the failure of their first crops, they are in possession of; ample supplies of food.

Killed by Falling from the Gallery into the Pit of a Theatre.—Great consternation was caused a few days since through the finding of the dead body of a man named Corcoran, in the pit of the Prince of Wales Theatre, Sydney. It appears that deceased'was a shoemaker, residing in Kent street, and that he went into the gallery of the Prince of Wales Theatre whilst intoxicated. During the performance he fell asleep, and after it was over, his little boy with several others tried to awake him, but the gas being put out at the time, they were obliged to go away and leave him; the nexl morning he was found lying in the pit with the back part of his head fractured and his thigh broken. It is supposed that the deceased must have awoke during the night, and when getting up to Walkaway, fell over the rail into the pit. The deceased has left a wife and six children unprovided for. ■ -

Recent accounts from Moreton Bay mention that the Dugoug and turtle fishery is being carried on with considerable activity. A dozen turtles had, been brought up duriug one week, and readily found purchasers at prices varying according lo size from 20s. to 60s. each. About thirty gallons -of Dugong oil has been procured in the same period—the parties securing the same netting 555. to 60s. per gallon for the quantity. Several enterprising townsmen are fitting out a fishing party upon a novel principle, for the securing of the " Dugong"—namely, by extending an immense net across the tide way or passage between Moreton and Stradbroke Islands, the idea being, that these finny monsters will, in their, endeavors to get to .sea by this opening, become entangled in the meshes of the nets in such a manner as to render them an easy prey to the men ou the look-out for their capture.

It would appear that a remarkable increase has taken place during the last few months in the productiveness of the New South Wales gold fields. In the jear 1856, the quantity produced, for the sis months, ending in June, was 45,190 ounces; in 1857, 66,150 ounces ; but in 1858, : we find that it has increased to 105,397 ounces; approaching in value closely upon ,£1,000,000 per annum. [From returns published, it is shewn that population alone is needed to ; develope the richness and extent of these mines, many of which have never yet been fairly tested, owing to the greater attractions presented to the mining population, in the first flush of the gold discovery, by the diggings of the sister colony. Individual success is far more frequent in New South Wales than in Victoria. While Victoria shews a weekly yield of 30,000 ounces to a digging population of 80,000 or 90,000, New South Wales produces 4000 or 5000 ounces to a population of only 10,000 or 12,000.

It was stated by a clergyman of the 'Chima of England, in a public place of worship h Sydney, lately, that he had heard there were not less than seven hundred boys employed eveiy Sunday afternoon, within an area of a mile, ii that neighbourhood (the Glebe), in tossing aril gambling! He could solar endorse that statement as to stake his existence on the fact, tint there were not less than five hundred bors spent the afternoon of Sunday in that manner' An Australian Hermit.—A stout powerful looking man, with an immense and venerable beard, who gave his name as J. J. Cowan, was lately brought before the Sydney Bench by constable M'Kenzie, who stated that he discovered him iti a cave or grotto in Coopers Bush. There was no bedtliog in the cave, but there were evidences of fires, and of the place having been inhabited for some considerable period of time. The furniture, &0., in the cave, consisted of, a quantity of books, a stool, a loaded, revolver, powder and flask, percussion caps, lucifers, ham and bretd, &c. He had also a parchment, miner's rights and a sum of £1 13s. lO|d; on his person. When M'Kenzie asked the man what he was doing there, he replied that he was the lord of the manor and owner of the domain. He also said that he had been living in that abode during the last six months. The Bench discharged him from custody.' ■"'.'" ■ " ■ •

The electric telegraph has been at length completed as fur as Gundagai and messages have been freely exchanged between that place and Sydney within the last few days. By taking advantage of the mail between Guudagai and Albury —the extremity of the southern line—this last extension brings Sydney within thirty hours of Melbourne, and it is said that many more weeks will not elapse ere uninterrupted, communication can be held at all hours between the two

caj.rals,

The Sydney Herald of the 30th August, reports the following:—Among the events of the week has been an inquest upon the body of an infant fourteen months old, named Ann Keen. The facts disclosed at this enquiry were peculiarly disgusting and painful. The poor child perished from sheer starvation, notwithstanding the efforts of the mother to afford her nourishment. The frame of the. mother herself was too muqh exhausted to render her efforts availing, and for this exhaustion her husband- —one Edward Keen—is responsible, having, by inveterate drunkenness, brought his wretched wife and children to this state of frightful destitution. The poor woman had herself labored for the support of her offspring, but of late had been unable to do so. Her only resource was a small allowance of rations from the Benevolent Society, which her -drunken husband shared. Efforts seem to have been made to rescue the remains of this family from destruction, but one fearful sacrifice has thus been offered to the demon of intoxication. The husband has been committed for trial on a verdict of manslaughter by the coroner's jury.

As a pleasing set-off to the fact we have just recorded, we may mention the important and interesting event of the. foundation stone of a working mau's church, iv connection with the Church of England, having been laid by the Bishop of Sydney. It is to be erected in Pavramatta-street, amidst a dense laboring population. Efforts at church extension are also still being made by our Wesleyan brethren. A well attended meeting upon this subject was held iv the York-street chapel on Wednesday.