The Sun.
London, England, 1867-08-15 00:00:00

The Scotch Moors.

The shooting season opened on Monday in Perth-
shire under very favourable circumstances, so far as
the weather was concerned. At an early hour the
mountains were enveloped with mist, but by 6 o'clock
the fog had disappeared, and the sun shone out
brightly, and the day throughout continued to be
the hottest of the season, with scarcely a breath of

wind blowing. Never before, however, or at least
for the last 30 years, did the grouse shooting open
with more gloomy prospects for sportsmen on
the principal and best moors of Perthshire than
this season, owing to the deadly results of disease
among the birds. On the extensive moors of Drum-
mond Castle, Glenartney, Lochearuside, Monzie,
Auchinapree, Glenalmond, and other places, there
was no shooting yesterday, and none of the moors
will be shot over this year: The moors of Glenturret,
Innergeldie, Fendach, Glenquaich, and a few others
in the central district of the county, were tested

yesterday, but we had received no returns of the
success of the various sportsmen up to the time
OUT parcel was oezpatehea, with tho onooption of
two gentlemen, who had only bagged five pair
of grouse in six hours' hard work ; and last year
73 brace were killed on the same moor in less time.
The reports we have received the last few days show
that on the extensive range of shooting grounds
stretching from Crieff to Lochtayside the malady
still lingers among the few grouse still left in many
places, and that both old and young birds are found
dead daily. The fact that on several moors the whole
stock of parent birds have been swept away by the
distemper, and young birds are affected and dying
daily, shows too plainly that the disease has not
resulted, as some maintained when the malady broke
out, from the grouse feeding on frosted heather. It is
now the opinion of many that the cause of disease has
resulted from atmospheric influences ; for while
on some grounds the distemper carried off nearly
all the grouse, on the neighbouring moors few
birds were affected. At all events, the morta-
lity has been unprecedented, and the disease ap-
pears to be as mysterious as when it first broke
out. All descriptions of low-country game are
abundant, and have seldom been seen in better
condition. Partridges especially, though the young
covies are unusually late, are plentiful in all direc-
tions, and the birds are improving rapidly with the
present warm weather. Capercailzie and pheasants
are numerous in all the preserves, and the birds
are well grown and will afford excellent sport.
'The prospects of sportsmen in the forests were
never more encouraging. The deer are numerous,
and the animals have improved rapidly in condition
and appearance since the beginning of June, owing
to the richness and abundance of the pasture in the
glens. The herds show a goodly number of fine
stags with splendid heads, but there will be no stalk-
ing in the forests of Glenartney and Turlem this
season in consequence of the grounds being unlet.
Scotsman.

New South Wales.

_f

Very severe floods have occurred in the colony,
and at Windsor much damage has been done. A

despatch from that place, dated June 21, says :
" It rained heavily all last night, and the river
has risen to within a foot of the great flood of 186-1.

.t is still raining, and the waters continue to rise

slowly. There is no communication by railway,
and the letters posted last evening are detained.
Many persons in imminent peril have been taken off
lofts and the roofs of houses in Wilberforce and

Cornwallis. There are few boats available, and the
six telegraphed for are expected from the govern-
ment. There is a perfect sea all round. Windsor,
Wilberforce, Cornwallis, Richmond, South Creek,

and Pitt Town, bottoms are flooded, and numbers
in the town have been obliged to leave their dwell•
ings for higher spots. The School of Arts and

other vacant buildings have been thrown open, and

are filled with people. Up to this time the water
has risen 48 feet. Great distress is anticipated."
A. later despatch says :—" The flood still rising and

rain continuing.

The waters are now three feel

higher than the flood of June, 1861. 'The Govern-
ment,boats have arrived from Sydney, but, we fear

too late to be of much service. It is believed that
every one has been brought to the town that was in
danger, but if the waters rise much more there is no
saying who will be safe. The waters are across the
lower part of George-street three feet high. Fami-
lies have been taken off the tops of trees. No mail

communication. The waters are at the top of the
arch of the viaduct over South Creek. It is blowing

a :earful gale. There will be great distress."
The Sydney Morning Herald refers to the floods
in the following terms :—That the heavy rains
of the last few days should have caused floods

is not surprising. Like causes produce like effects
Our tortuous rivers that drain great areas will al-

ways ow their banks when the rain-water
drains into them faster than it can get away
to sea. Whenever we shall construct great and
numerous reservoirs to store the storm waters, and
whenever we cut new and straighter channels to the
ocean for the surplus water, we shall diminish the
risk and damage of floods. BukWoeems as if these
are workslthat belong to a BIICAMIXtIag generation.
Meanwhile, so long as the country remains in a state
of nature, or modified by the removgpf the forests,
floods will recur at intervals just as itlaoy have done
for centuries, and the alluvial land that has been
formed by a succession of overflows will be always
subject to repetition of the process. But the ac-
counts which appear in our columns when these
river floods are rolling to the sea are apt to give
a very false idea of the necessary dangers and
losses to which agriculture in this colony is
exposed. We read of farms and fences under
water, of families carried off in boats from
their house roofs, of haystacks, pumpkins, pigs,
and poultry rolling down the impetuous tor-
rent, of crops spoilt, and sometimes of the sur-
face sail carried away. But for these disasters
there is generally an abundant compensation. The
flood that desolates also enriches. The slime left
by the receding water gives a rich top-dressing to
land that often receives no other manure. The har-
vests of subsequent years /make ample amends for
the loss of an occasional crop. Ground that other-
wise would be exhausted by merciless cropping thus
renews its fertility. The-best proof of this is to be
found in the money value attached to the alluvial
lands. When purchased in freehold, a high price
is always given for it ; when rented, from two to
four pounds per acre per annum are readily
offered, and when the drenched tenant leaves
another dry one is always ready to take his
place. The rich and frequent crops account for
this rental. When the land is laid down with
lucerne six cuttings a yea: are obtainable in good
seasons, and for other 4:mops there is a propor-
tionate return. It is worth while to submit to
an oc asional inundation to maintain land at such
a standard of fertility. In seasons of drought,
too, the alluvial lands become doubly remunerative.
When farmers on the high grounds can get no
crops at all, or at best only stunted crops, those ou
the alluvial have the produce markets at their
mercy, and coin money ; and, with all the precari-
ousness of our climate, the seasons are generally
impartial enough to give us, on the average, a dry
year for every year of. :floods."
From the gold fields we have the following intel-
ligence :—" Few new discoveries have been made at
Luau-creek, and consequently there i 5 a large portion