The Express.
London, England, 1863-12-26 00:00:00

A COLONIAL NERO.

The West Australian Times of October 15 con-
tains the following : As incident le the life of a poor
man was related lad week in the course of our Crimins!
I Sessions that, in a former age, would have excited general
admiration. Two shepherds were in charge of one of the
flocks of Mr. John Hassell, at a remote station. There was
no other station within 20 miles of them. One &hansom,
some time ago, one of these men while occupied io his hut,
which was only composed of stakes and rushes, fancied he
heard a groan at a little distance. Going outside he again
beard the sound of low moaning, and soon discovered his
companion, Charles Storey, lying inseesitde in • beaks, and
cowered with innumerable veer-wounds. Carrying him on
his beck to the hut, be laid him on his kangaroo-skin rug,
washed and probed his wounds, succeeded in extracting the
barb of a spear which was buried in hie side, and ultimately
restored him to cooscroust. ees. It tamed out that Storey bad
been attacked by a band of natives, who wished to Wig the
sheep. This was admitted by the native witnesses at the
trial of one of the party for the murder of Storey, who even-
tually died of his wounds.
The two usfortneate men remained awake all night ; one
in extreme polo, the other carefully attending epos him.
Next meeting the native, earrouaded the hut, and began
throwing spears, which completely passed through both
sides of it. Finding that they would be moldered,
Edward Ladbury, the witness, who told the tale
in simple, unvarnished terms, leek his only weapows, his
pocket-knife and bill-hook, and boldly sallied forth.
He had covered the bill-hook with his coat, so as only
to display the boodle, which the Datives took to be a pistoL
He threatened to fire upon them unfree they withdrew, and
after some deliberation they sullenly retired. All that
day the men remained in fear of their return. During the
next night Storey said he felt better, and they resolved to
endeavour to make their escape to Mr. 'is next
station, 20 miles distant. At 2 o'clock in the morning
they stole out of the hut. Edward Indbory was laden
with their bedding and effect., and Stony duos to
his arm. After crawling about 150 yards the wounded
man said be could go no farther, and urged
Ladtury to leave him to his fate, and safe him-
self. it appeared to be almost imp:amble to rescue
Storey, bet Ladbury &demised not to leave him to cer-
tain death. He hurried forward with his load and deposited
it a quarter of • mile off, then returned for his comrade,
hoisted him oo to his back, and carried him to the same
spot, where ha exchanged him for their personal effects (the
sole property of those poor fellows), which he again carried
a quartet of a mile farther. Then he returned for his
friend, and thus they journeyed, one needy dead of his
wounds and the other exhausted with his exertions, for a
distance of seven miles, when they reached a spring of
water. HIM they remained a while, scarcely able to crawl
any farther. Ladbury could no logger carry Storey, but he
managed to drag him along. After a miserable joniney of
two days and a night they reached Mr. Hasselrs station at ,
Jerrymungup, both of them nearly dead. The wocuckci 1
man after necessary rest, was trot forward in • cat tto the
hospital at Albany, where his sufferings were terminated by
death.
Few men have better deserved the Victoria cross than this
bumble shepherd, Edward Ladbury. What struck us most
forcibly about the matter was, that his conduct elicited Dot •
single comment or remark from either court, counsel, or jury.
From which we are inclined to infer that such acts are far
from singular or uncommon in this country. For our own
part, we feel it to be only one degree lower than a crime to
allow such ao instancy of generous self.devotion to pass
without the tribute of applause ; and although in this, as in
most other cases, virtue is likely to he its own reward,
Edward Ladbury rosy return to his hard life with the con-
sciousness thas he has nobly earned the sympathy and ap-
p.-obeli°n of his fellow-colonists.

Comm IN Eoyrr.—A letter from Egypt, in
the Saha Pe rlie of Lyme, gives the following account of
the puttee trade is that country :—" A traveller proceed-
ing by nil from Alexandria to Cairo sees nothing before
him but an immense plain watered by small canals, which
intersect it in every part. Irrigation is carried cm by
differeot modes, which would take too long to describe.
The soil, however, is well tilled, sod produces wheat, riot,
and cotton in abundance. During the last few nous
the cultivation of the last-named article hos taken
the lead of every other. Barges, camels, and
donkeys laden with cotton, may be seen in all directions.
The Arabs °covey it to Zagarig for sale, when the railway
intim is completely encumbered with it, and that town
having breams the great cotton mart, has acquired CCM-
siderablo importsoce. Year years ago it only coutaioed
about 4,000 isktbitanta, and the number has DOW In.
creased to 20,000. Almost all the Bedouins sad farmers
have abandoned their former cultivation and devoted
themselves to that of cottoo. At Bence, another small tows
on die live to Zagarig, I saw a number of Arabs who bad
retorted from Alexandria literally lades with ban of gold
and silver, which they had remind for their cotton, all of
which they had sold to fleglish sod French merchants,
Whew the fresh-water tend of the Bees Company shall be
completed, immense plebe. now unprodoctive, will for the
nod part be planted with cotton. The wealth of the
country will norms,. and this fine prospect excites the
most sanguine hopes of gain. The farmers are still engaged
is getting is the crop of cotton. the gathering of which
commenced in October lad."
INertotanrem flf Yonxstints.—Another, making
the twelfth, inceediary lire on the Yorkahire +olds occurred
at Hugon on Wednesday night. The ire broke out upon
the weld farm of Mr. Hanley, batsmen to have been found
set early, aid the deetruetioe only included one corn deck.
Theirs is listierod to have been the work of an ioosodiary,
The is at image. The great number of incendiary fires of
late has caused an extraordinary somber of applicants for
11•11110C111, and the Suniiffiee has met the demand by midst
id rate from is. to lee guinea per cent for farm produce.
Oilier otiose are expected to follow snit.