The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-24 00:00:00

NEW SOUTH WALES.
ATTEMPTS AT DISCOVERY IN AUSTRALIA
FE LIZ.
The Galway Adverticer of the Sth of August has the
following account of a frustrated expedition of Mr.
Smythe, coloniol surveyor:—‘• Yesterday this indefati-
gable explorer returned from his second expedition to
Cape Otway. Ilis return has been hastened in conse-
quence of the murder of one of his men by the blacks.
After the expedition left the Earwon Heads, about a
month ago, they encountered a succession of westerly
gales, and made several ineffectual attempts to get round
the cape. They at last landed on the eastern side and
encamped, while Mr. Smythe, accompanied by four men,
penetrated to the westward to survey the Eyre River.
Mr. Smythe started on the 25th of July. Proceeding
along the shore they fell in with a tribe of blacks, cc m •
rased of one man, four women, and three boys, all •'
whom had been at the tent some days before. Mr.
Smythe prevailed on the man and one of the boys
to act as his guide to Gunna-wear, or Eyredale. After
travelling for about three hours, they came to a part of the
country with which Mr. Smythe was familiar, and as he hivd
no further use for the blacks, he sent them to the tents, first
givirg them a supply of tea, and a note to the coxswain,
directing him to give them some flour. Mr. Smythe re-
turned on the evening of the 31st. when he learned that
one of the men, named Conroy, had been barbarously
murdered about 200 yards from the tent, where he had
gone to cut wood. This happened on Sunday morning
between nine and ten o'clock. The blacks had arrived
at the tent early that morning, and had been supplied
with damper. They then went away along the beach ;
and lust previous to the murder they were seen re-
turning, making a great noise. On their again retiring,
the body of the deceased was found by his companions
dreadfully mangled about the head, and life entirely ex-
tinct. A tomahawk was found near the spot, with
which no doubt the blows had be en inflicted. The left
jaw was broken, and there were several deep gashes on
the left temple ; there were three eeep cuts on the neck
and throat, the clothing had been stripped from the
body and carried off—even the boots were not left
behind. The body was not mutilated in any
other manner, so that it appears the only ob-
ject of the murderers was to possess themselves
of the clothing worn by the unfortunate man. The
body was buried. After this event, Mr. Smythe finding
his stock of provisions nearly exhausted, deemed it ad-
visable to return. The party, therefore, re-embarked,
and sailed eastward to Loutit Bay (under Plattopped
Point), a well-sheltered harbour, where they 'beached
their whale-boat, and secured it above high-water mark,
Mr. Smythe determining to make his way to Geelong
by land. It is his intention, we believe, to make a third
excursion to the Cape Otway country as soon as he has
given in his report to Government. Under the circum-
stances of Mr. Smythe's return, he was prevented from
bringing many geolog;cal specimens. On one part of
the coast the cliffs are a pure chalk, and he has ascer-
tained that the coal formation extends to the westward
of the Cape, towards Moonlight Head. In the neigh-
bourhood of Loutit Bay there are immense beds of rot-
tenstone, used for polishing brass, &c. The rivers and
water courses were almost impassable from the floods."

AMERICA-

A SLAVE CASE.—A curious slave case occurred
lately in New York. Information was received at the
office of the National Anti-Slavery Slandard, on the 19th
of October, that a brig, called the Mobile, from Savan-
nah, and commanded by a Captain Buckley, had on board
a coloured man, who was suppos d to be a slave; that
he was not allowed to leave the vessel, that the mate had
been seen to beat him, and that his cries had attracted
the attention of several persons in the neighbourhood, to
some of whom the man had declared himself to be a
slave. On the reception of this intelligence, Elias Smith.
who is an officer connected with the Anti-Slavery office,
immediately procured a writ of habeas corpus, and with
an officer proceeded to the Mobile. After a good deal
of altercation the poor fellow was brought from the ship
and taken on shore. He bore upon his face and person
evident marks of the ill treatment to which
he had been subjected, and of the stout resistance he
had made before the officers of the Mobile had succeeded
in confining him in the irons which were found upon
him. According to the statement of Captain Buckley,
this person, George Kirk, concealed himself on board
the brig Mobile, at Savannah, and was not discovered
for several days after she sailed from that port for New
York. She was then too far upon her voyage to return.
He acknowledged himself to be the slave of Mr. Chap-
man, of Bryan, Galveston, who had hired him to a Mr.
Warren, a stable-keeper in Savannah, in whose service
he was when he concealed himself on board the
Mobile, in the hope of reaching New York, and gaining
his freedom. It was the purpose of Capt. Buckley to con-
fine and conceal him till the brig returned, or some other
opportunity offered by which he could return him to Sa-
vannah. This outrageous and inhuman purpose would, no
doubt, have been successful, but for the vigilance of Mr.
Lewis and the promptness and energy of Mr. Smith.
The case came before the court of oyer and terminer, and
the fact having become publicly known, the court-room
and the passages leading to it were crowded with people
of all complexions and classes, and of both sexes. The
City hall was surrounded by hundreds: of people, chiefly
coloured, who awaited in deep anxiety through the
whole day th - decision of the court. On the following
day a decision was given by the presiding judge
(Judge Edmonds), and George was discharged from
the custody of the captain of the Mobile. George was
brought into court to hear the decision, and hardly left
the court-room when officers arrived with a new process,
to take him before the Mayor, under an infamous law of
New York, by which a right is given to the captain to
seize and return any fugitive who may be found on
board his vessel, on an order of the mayor or recorder.
George was out of the building but a moment before the
officers were in pursuit of him, and was taken, amid the
shouts of an excited multitude, to a place of cone-al-
ment. Ile was subsequently found out, anel brought
again to prison ; and this was done merely for the sake
of a reward of fifty dollars, offered by the captain of the
Mobile, instigated by which, and authorised by the chief
of the police, the whole police force of the city became
da,ve hunters. Under a new writ of habeas corpus, the
case again came before Judge Edmonds this morning, but
what the result may be it is impossible to tell.
T--- T

HE _ 'JAMES REGATTA.-- The amount of sub-
seriptions received for this annual regatta, exceeds 6001.;
and among the donations are the following :—Prince
Albert, 101.; the Duke of Buceleuch, 10/.; Duke of
Northumberland, 51.; The Vice-Chancellor of England,
.51.; the Lord Mayor, 5 guineas ; Oxford University Boat
Club, 3:01.; Cambridge University Boat Club, 251.
ROYAL ARTILLERY.—The good-conduct warrant,
so beneficial to the non-commissioned officers and men
of the ordnance corps, cavalry, and line regiments of her
Ninjesty's service, which was promulgated last year, and
took effect from the Ist of January last, when it came
into operation, made the pay of corporals, having three
good-conduct stripes, exceed the pay of a sergeant. On
this difference of pay being made known to the autho-
rities, they have taken the subject into consideration,
and it is now understood from good authority, that in-
stead of reducing the amount of pay to well-conducted
corporals, it is to remain as stated in the good-conduct
warrant, and an addition of 3d. per day is to be added
to the pay of sergeants in the Royal Regiment of Artil-
lery, and that amount, in addition to what they have
already received, will be paid them, calculating from the
time the good-conduct warrant came into optration, on
the Ist of January last.

DISTRESSED NEEDLEWOMEN'S SOCIETY.—On Tues-
day night a full and fancy dress ball took place at the Han-
over-square Rooms, in behalf of the Society for the
Protection and Relief of Distressed Needlewomen. This
very appropriate method of benefiting the meritorious
class, for the relief of the necessitous and deserving
members of which the society was established, was sug-
gested by some members of the Middle and Inner
Temple, who acted as stewards of the evening. The
arrangements were those of a private party, and were of
the most efficient and delightful character. Among the
guests were the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, the Lady
Mayoress, Mr. Alderman Farebrother, president of the
society ; L. J. Hansard, and about 300 visitors, includ-
ing several families of high distinction. Dancing was
commenced about half-past ten, and was continued with
great animation until two o'clock when the supper was
announced. A munificent donation of 1001. was an•
nounced from L. J. Hansard, in aid of the funds of the
society, and we aro glad to hear that the funds of this
meritorious charity will receive a considerable accession
from the proceeds of the ball. After an elegant. repast,
pciorimtptoanthe
iedx
nh rbartema
kg
strains
go
fw
Adama s res uems
up until a late hour.
ebda nwdi,t ha
nnde twh es

MURDEROUS ATTACK.—The day before yesterday
being fine, I took the gun on my shoulder and walked
out to look for some snipe on Cunan bog, and went on
from one bog to another, until I came out on the road,
close to where Mr. Bates is building a new mill. I then
bs anwi betweeniing,
runningtw
twenty
napn d
thethir thirty people,ad. and as they passed employed on the
some of them said, " You had better take care, for
there is a man coming with a drawn sword, and be
will murder some one." I took no notice, but walked
on along the road, and in a few minutes heard the
imprecations.patterinof feet behind
I behitnudrnemder,onana therendthe
aosstanhoartrroid.
cious-looking ruffian, stripped of coat and waistcoat,
with a heavy ship's boarding cutlass ir. his hand, swear-
ing he would cleave my skull. I called out to him to
know what he meant, and to stand back, bringing the
gun to the recover, having both barrels loaded. I had a
moment's reflection within myself, whether I would fire
at his right hand, to disable him from using his weapon;
but seeing several women and children (who had run out
of the house) in the line of fire, and fearing to hurt
some of them, I thought it best to take my chance of
closing, and grapple with him. He delivered a down-
right cut at my head, which, had it taken effect, would
have killed me. I watched his eye, parried the
(which aro cut
closedrrewlsithofthothreoffizatitz
and in doing so I
threw the gun from me on the bank of the ditch, fear-
ing an accident in the struggle. After a desperate en-
counter, in which lie attempted to shorten the weapon
and stab mi, , I wrested it from him, and threw him with
ibthore), the
barrels
his heal into the hedge. I followed him to the ground,
pot my knee upon him, and got a good grip of his
i jpP After I got the sword from him, he made
binlotow the
win. p
a
great effort to reach my gun, which was in the ditch,
hut I succeeded in preventing him getting hold of it.
While the grapple lasted, not one of all the fellows
employed at the mill, and who were looking on,
ever put hand to help me; but as soon as I had got him
down, and had throttled him, they came. When two or
three of the fellows had got a secure hold of him, I let
him up. A decent sort of man, who appeared a kind of
steward at the mill, came forward, and got the ruffian
secured. He turned out to be a carpenter, who mistook
me for one of the pay-clerks of the public works, against
' whom he had some enmity. I have lodged informations
against him. The steward said, if I had not been mer-
ciful, I would have shot him, and I wondered I did not.
—CorreApondent of Northern Whig.