The Sun.
London, England, 1847-07-02 00:00:00

Til_E

visable to issue a circular letter to all boards of guar- 9
dians to point out the nature of its provisions, and the
powers and authorities which the statute conferred upon
them ; and we urged upon the guardians the exercise of
these powers. A difficulty was suggested as to the
proper construction of the statute, with refbrence to the
places in which the boards of guardians could act ; and
we were consulted, on several occasions, as to the extent
of its operation in rural districts. 'We expressed our
opinion that the Act had a general operation in all parts
of England and Wales ; and we are glad to learn, from
a communication lately made to us by your direction,
that the Law Officers of the Crown have given the same
opinion. We believe that many boards of guardians
have acted upon the statute with beneficial result.
The report concludes with the details of the proceed,
ings in Ireland under,the Poor-law Commis;ion.

PROGRESS OF DIF,UOVERY.
(From the Grahamstown Journal)
The folle,wing is the account given by Sir Thomas
Mitchell of the most, important discovery made by him
in hia'..ecent exploratory journey in New Holland. His
dislYstch is dat'ed—
Camp on the River Balonne, in lon. 148 deg.
46 min. 44 sec. E., lat. 28 deg. 2 min. S.
On ascending the range early next morning, I saw open
down and plains with a line of river in the midst, the
whole extending to the N.N.W., as far as the horizon.
Following down the little stream from the valley in which
I had passed the night I soon reached the open country,
and during tea successive days I pursued the course of
that river, through the same sort of country, each day as
far as my horse could carry me, and in the same di-
rection, again approaching the tropic of Capricorn.
In some parts the river formed splendid reaches, as
broad and important as the River Murray ; in others,
it spread into tour or five channels, some of them several
miles apart; but the whole country is better watered
than any other portion of Australia that I have seen
by numerous tributaries arising in the Downs. The
soil consists of rich clay, and the hollows give
birth to water-courses, in most of which water
was abundant. I found at length that I might
travel in any direction and find water at hand,
without having to seek the river except when I
wished to ascertain its general course and observe its
character. The grass consists of panicum, and several
new sorts, one of which springs green from the old
stem. The plains were verdant ; indeed, the luxuriant
pasturage surpassed in quality, as it did in extent, any-
thing of the kind I had ever seen. The myall tree
and salt bush (acacia pendula and salsolse), so essen-
tial to a good run, are also there. New birds and new
plants marked this out as an essentially different
region from any I had previously explored ; and
although I could not follow the river throughout
its long course at that advanced season, I was con-
vinced that its estuary was in the Gulf of Carpen-
taria ; sat all events, the country is open and well-
watered for a direct route thereto. That the river is
the most important of Australia increasing as it does by
successive tributaries, and not a mere product of distant
ranges, admits of no dispute ; and the downs and plains
of Central Australia through which it flows, seem suffi-
cient to supply the whole world with animal food. The
natives are few and inoffensive ; I happened to surprise
one tribe at a lagoon, who did not seem to be aware that
such strangers were in that country ; our number being
so small, they seemed inclined to follow us. I crossed
the river at the lowest point I reached, in a great south-
ern bend, in lon. 144 deg. 44 sec. E., lat. 24 deg. 14 sec.
S., and from rising ground beyond the left bank I
could trace its downward course far to the northward. I
saw no callitris (pine of the colonists) in all that country,
but a range showing sandstone cliffs appeared to the
southward, in longitude about 145 deg. E., latitude
24 deg. 38 min. S. The country to the northward
of the river is, upon the whole, the best ; yet, in riding
ninety miles due east, where I crossed the southern hand,
I found plenty of water and excellent grass ; a red gravel
!here approaches the river, throwing it off to the north-
ward.
The discovery of this river, and the country through
which it flows, was more gratifying to me after having
b.,en disappointed in the courses of so many others. The
Cogoon, the Maranon, the Warrego, the Salvatur, the
Claude, the Belyando, and the Nive, are, nevertheless,
important rivers, and a thorough investigation of the
mountain ranges in which they originate, will enable
me, I trust, to lay before your Excellency such a map
of those parts of Australia as may greatly facilitate the
immediate occupation of the country, and the extension
through it of a thoroughfare to the Gulf of Carpentaria.
to which the direct way is thus laid open. With a deep
sense of gratitude to the Almighty, and loyalty to my
Gracious Sovereign, I named the river watering the bast
portion of the largest island in the world, the Victoria;
and hastensd back to my party on the Salvator. I
reached that camp on the Bth ultimo, having been
absent about a month, found the cattle and horses re-
freshed, and in condition for pursuing our route home-
wards. In nine days we reached the depot camp, where
I left Mr. Kennedy with the heavy drays and cattle, and
received the agreeable intelligence that, during the long
period in which that party had been stationary, the
natives had given no trouble; that the men were all well;
and the old cattle in good condition. I had straightened
the route in returning, so that it is now a most conve-
nient road, well watered by permanent supplies.

AN AUSTRALIAN ROMANCE OF

REAL LIFE.

We have been favoured, says the Gateshead Observer,
with the perusal of a letter received in Gateshead from
the other side of the globe, bearing date " Melbourne,
Oct. 25, 1846." The writer, Mr. Jas. Nelson, formerly of
Northumberland, but now a colonial farmer, reminds
his friends that a vessel named the Britannia left this
country with emigrants six years ago for Sydney, and
never arrived at her dectination, nor was hard of else
where. Sometime, however, in 1846, a discovery was
made which gave a clue to her fate. In Gipp's Land,
on the set-roast (a tract of country inhabited by only a
few whites), a shepherd in search of a stray sheep,
found the Christian name and surname of a stray female
scratched on a tree. The first name was " Eliza," the
second Mr. Nelson had not learned. He made known
what he had seen, mid an inquiry was immedi-
ately set on foot. One of the black women,
who abound in the neighbourhood of Melbourne,
averred that a white woman was among her
countrymen, and that she had seen a child (or children)
which she had by a black (or blacks). This woman, it
is understood, was a passenger on board the Britannia,
and the only survivor. The police—horse and foot,
black and white—were set in motion, and ascertained
t hat she was kept in durance by two superiors of a na-
tive tribe, who observed great wariness and secresy in
their movements. One of the mounted police informed
Mr. Nelson that be had one night slept within thirty or
forty yards of the woman, but did not know of it until
too late. One of the wives of the black men, the
keepers of the Scotch woman, was taken, and gave the
police some information. The authorities, who are most
anxious to recover the prisoner, got a number of hand-
kerchiefs prepared, with inscriptions in Gaelic (from
which we presume that she was known to be a High-
lander), intimating that armed white men were seeking
her rescue, and suggesting that she should walk
abroad in early dawn. These were to be dropped in
various parts of the " bush," in the hope that they
might meet her eye; for there was reason to believe
that she was ignorant of the efforts that were being
made to restore her to freedom. On the 22d of
October, the Shamrock, Sydney and Launceston
steam-vessel (which calls at Melbourne both
ways), left Melbourne for Sydney with these
handkerchiefs on board, in charge of a body
of armed men (ten blacks and six whites). On
the arrival of the steamer off Gipp's Land, the
exploring party were to leave her in two whale-boats,
and disperse the handkerchiefs. Other measures
were also to be adopted, but, if possible, no violence
was to be used. It would have been easy to resort
to compulsion, but the coloniaLGovernment were un-
willing to take any step which might place the pri-
soner in jeopardy, and bury in oblivion the fate
of the emigrant ship. The blacks state that she
was wrecked on the coast ; that some of the per-
sons on board got to land ; that the natives at-
tacked them ; and that they retreated to their boats, but
were overtaken and destroyed, with the exception of
this woman. The two men who have her in possession
nott
aastmprhn eaeednai
trskyfoaobirEodog
mdfin. to
ehll
seibeh.samehe
back,"
a warmlyewuiTktph.Theyh.They
nsywcTlsol attachediorn.bttaois:
twtiels
vlooasereoshklbni blanket
aroundr
n,
kuaatenertdegr
everyoolelthelaae determineddrbnoidurnoatg uyt
townsn_htoe,
town and beg from those that will give them."

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN COMPANY.—The eleventh an-
nual meeting of this company was held yesterday, at
the offices in New Broad-street, City. G. F. Angas,
Esq., having taken the chair, the manager read the
report of the directors, from which it appeared 3 that the
was co
total value of the company's property,o23/. Ss.
3d., in which, however, the mineral property was not
included. The expected improvement in thecircum-
rental
stances of the colony had been realised. The
from the town buildings was 3,3911. 4s. 7d., and from
the country lands 3,693/. 2s. 6d. The total quantityof
country land leased was 14,256 acres. The sales of
stock during the year amounted to 2,783/. 4s. 2d., and
Ole value of sheep and cattle killed for rations during
the same period was 8991. 63. Bd. The net proceeds of
the wool :=ales amounted to 2,890/. 1 Is. 3d., being only
about 6001. less than the total receipts from wool last
year, while the remainder of this years clip would
realise in all probability 2,000/ The gross number of
she'll in October last was 38,379, of horned cattle
2,532, of horses 102, and 150 goats. The revenue for
the past year was 15,819/. 43., and the expenses were
11,6971. 83. 101 Mr. Giles estimated a clear profit of
5,0004 next year, fromn
e newly discovered mines of
the company. 'During the r the debt to the South
Australian Banking
-
COmpan-y'ehaa'd been reduced nearly
18,000/. •, besides which, the advance made by the Bank
of South Australia for I
had been repaid to trhethe purchase of the mineral lands
extenta of 6,000/. During the
year, about 300 tons of ore i
from Lynedoch Valley sold fodr beenl_L
6received. A sample
regretted they were unable to advise lthse. d
eTe ter
ation o
of
directors
a
dividend, but hoped it would be the last time they would
b)) compelled to make such au announcement. The report
sed to the
as
adjourned.
was adopted, and a vote of thanks Wasp
directors and managers, when the meeting a j
UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE.-O%YORD' JUNE
—This morning Mr. Francis Turner Pal.Ta '
is ve scholar
of of Baliol College; Mr. George Herbert Curte
scholar of University College; and Mr. William Ince,k'
B.A.
8.A., of Liucoln College, were elected Fellows of Exeter
College. At the same time the Rev. George Eveleigh
Sanders and Mr. Samuel Joseph Hulme, 8.A., scholars
oF Wadham College, were elected Probationary Fellows
of that Society; and Mr. Walter Waddington Shirley,
commoner of University College (son of th, late Bishop
Shirley); Mr. Starling William Day, Bible clerk of
Wadham; and Mr. James Davenport Kelly, were elected
schalara of the same Society.

SUN,

RAILWAY COMMITTEES,

HOUSE OF LORDS.—(YESTERDAY.)
Room B.

MAN CSIBSTER, BUXTON, MATLOCK, AND

MIDLAND 31714CT10N.
The Committee were occupied the whole of the day
with h .wring evidence in favour of the proposed line.

Room E.
MAST LANCASHIRE (SOUTHPORT
BRANCH).
Evidence in support of this branch was adduced
during the entire day.

Room F.
LONDON-BRIDGE TERMINI ENLILRGE-

WENT.
After hearing engineering evidence in favour of the
proposed enlargement, the Committee adjourned at an
early hour till eleven to•morrow.

HOUSE OF COMMORS.-(YESTERDAY.)

GROUP VI.

SALISBURY AND YEOVIL-EXETER, YEO-
VIL, AND DORCHESTER-AND ISLAND-
FORD AND BRUTON.

Mr. COCKBURN resumed his address, whit la again
occupied the attention of the Committee during the
entire day, and was about to allude to the proposed
schemes of the Bristol and Exeter Railway Company,
and to show their insufficiency to supply the wants of
the district proposed to be accommodated by the pro-
posed lines of the South-Western Company, when the
Committee decided that they would adjourn till to-
na,rrow, at eleven o'clock.
The Committee adjourned accordingly.