The Express.
London, England, 1852-04-14 00:00:00

SMOAPOItE.

From a letter, dated Singapore, March Gth, it ap-
pears a very lamentable accident had occurred at
Palembang, by which nearly all the Dutch officials
at that station met a watery grave. On February
20th, the whole of the European residents, twenty
in number, were crossing the river in a cutter, there
being a strong wind and current at the time. By
some accident the vessel upset, and went down. The
resident, Licut.-Col. de llraaw, and nine other gen-
tlemen were saved, but the remainder perished. The
following are the names of those who were drowned ;
Major van Bloomerstein Captains Kum and Schmidt,
and Limit. Knew, all of the infantry; Captain Bis-
choff van Heemskirk, of the engineers; Captain
Poelman, paymaster; Adjutant Muller, Captain van
Ocluseee, Mr. &did, resident's secretary; and Mr.
de Groot, merchant.

COLONIAL.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

Via Batavia and Singapore, accounts from this
colony are brought down to January 6, and journals
to the 3rd. The intelligence by this opportunity is
of a very painful and unsatisfactory nature. From
the first establishment of the colony it has experi-
enced a rapid prosperity unexampled—its mining
treasure raised it above the sister settlements, and its
far-famed Burnt Burrs at length became a term in
every one's mouth to denote Feat mineral wealth.
A crowded, busy, and industnous population, a per-
fect freedom from the taint of convictism, served to
accelerate the progress of South Australia, until its
chief city, Adelaide, teemed with the happiest of the
colonial population. A rapid change has passed
over it : the once crowded city is now
deserted. Its busy population have quitted
the shore, not because it has failed in any one of its
allurements, but because the alluring prospects of
the gold fields of Victoria have worked the inhabi-
tants into a state of mania which has prevailed so
generally that Adelaide's condition is not inaptly
illustrated by the example of Goldsmith's " Deserted
Village." This intalligenee is of a nature to strike
dismay into every well-wisher of the colony. By
sea and land it is no exaggeration to say the colo-
nists were leaving not by scores or hundreds, but
literally by thousands, for the Victoria gold diggings.
In example of this, we may mention that the go-
vernment report of emigration for the fortnight
ending December 27, gives a balance against
the colony of 744 adults, not counting those
who left by land, which was considerable.
Perhaps no graver instance of the effect of the panic
can be cited than the price and value of Burrs Burrs
shares, which in December were at 160/. On Janu-
ary 2nd these hitherto much coveted shares were sel-
ling at 1161.; a private letter, from a trustworthy
source, dated the sth, reports them as selling on that
day at 911., and a letter of the oth quotes the price at
801., holders eager to sell and few purchasers. The
revenue had seriously suffered: the quarter ending
December 31st, compared with the some period of
1850, shows a falling off of 7,000/. The deficiency of
the month of December was not the most remark-
able and painful; in consequence of this the govern-
ment has resolved to reduce the estimates by 50,0001.
by which many contemplated works were stopped.
The government was justly alarmed—the conster-
nation was general, and the prospects of such
as remained were frightful in the extreme. In
order, if possible, to stem the tide of emi-
gration, the governor had offered a reward
of 1,0001, for the discovery of a workable gold mine
within the colony, and had, in anticipation, not only
issued regulations fixing the license fee at thirty
shillings per month, but, on the recommendation of
the legislative council, had suspended the operation
of the regulations for one month as an additional
encouragement to gold seekers. The Adelaide papers
contain numerous accounts of gold discoveries, but
much uncertainty prevailed on the subject, and a
general opinion was current that unless a workable
gold field was found before March—when there
would be an abundance of water at the Victoria fields

for gold washing—the colony would lieTsTr----nost dips.
pulated.
Captain Sturt, the colonial secretary, has heceeee
almost blind, and been compelled to relinquish the
duties of his office. In comideratiou of his early ez.„
plorations of the Murray, the Legislative Council b
voted Captain Start a pension of Ma per anew,
As a sign of the pressure of the times, no Its, than
four journals have stopped issue in Adelaide-.
namely, the South Australian, Austral E.-amino
Daily Times, and Odd B.Pows' eldranidr. 111;
shipping interest was suffering severely ; no coal
were obtainable for any other destination than
toria. The crops on the hills were reality, but
the plains abundant ; labour, however, was so sew,
that it was feared the greater part of the berm
would not be got. in. On Jan. 2nd Sir Ilt nry yusil
prorogued the Council.