AUSTRALIAN

West Coast Times, Issue 10437, 16 December 1896, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN

Sydney, Dec- IS.

Work in the Stockton colliery will be resumed to-day. Special precautions will be taken to preclude a recurrence of disaster.

The steamer Amur brings news of two more murders of whites at the New Hebrides. A trader named- Clarke wa§ founj| shot in the bush ajj Tanna Island. The second murder was at Ambryn. Wamage, mate of the cutter Espeige, was going ashore to trade when the natives'' opened fire and shot him dead.

Sir John Higginson, of the French New Hebrides Company, who has .just returned from a visit to France, sjiy^^hg destiny of the islands is that the/should tecome French possessions, and to effect this is the immediate purpose of the French Coy., which already owns twothirds of the land in the group. He characterises the present dual control as a wretched failure. They had civilization all round the group and yet the islands were without any civilised authority. The condition was practically anarchy and if right is might it was inevitable that the grqup become French possession. Great Britain and France, he considered, could easily settle the matter between themselves, but the former had to consider Australian susceDtibilities and sentiment.

Butler's shipmat^e aboard the Olive Branch gives spme details of Butler's carr eer in Brazil. Jjfe met tym at Rio yh§ij yellow fever was. raging, gu^er joined the Olive Branch at that port. When he got to sea, Ashe, as he was then known, stated he was in Brazil for three of iom? yearaiV during which time he gained all possible in- £ ortaation about people witK money.Tkese he enticed when possible to a lonely spot popped them off. During the revolution in Brazil a number of ship captains who went up country never returned, and f he believed that Ashe could account for their disappearance. Ashe told his companion .that the revolver was his companion and means of living and wh.en Jeaving £i Q intimated his intention of following up his previous career in Australia and there make money by 'pinking' them. Hobart, Dec. 15.

A hundred and sixty houses, huts, and tents, were destroyed at Penghana. Over 250 people are homeless. The Government are sending relief.