The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-23 00:00:00

EXPLORATION OF A USTRALIA.

The present position of the expedition is this :
Major Warburton, the Commissimer of Polite, who
has already distinguished himself by his energy and
caution in travelling in previously unexplored por-
tions of the country, has been appointed to the com-
mand of the expedition. The gallant Major left
town on Saturday week by the Marion for Port
Augusta and the northern exploring camp, to relieve
Mr. Babbage of the command of the expedition.
Major Warburton will, we believe, continue the
northern explorations with as many of Mr. Bab-
bage's party as may feel inclined to join him. He
is accompanied by Sergeant-Major Hall and another
police-trooper'
and also by Baker, one of Mr. Bag-
bage's men,who returned to town a short time
since with Harris. The appointment of second in
command has been offered to Mr. Chas. Gregory,
and accepted by that gentleman. Major Warbur-
ton will probably fix his depot on the river disco-
vered by Messrs. Stuart and Forster, and thence
explore the country in all directions north of that
place to, at least, the boundary of the colony. On
his return be will endeavour to connect by some
practicable route across the bed of Lake Torrens,
which it is believed exists, the waters discovered by
Parry to the West of Mount Serk, with the per-
manent water laid down by Stuart and Porster in
lat. 29 deg. 30 min., and long. 137 deg. If stock
can be taken to the new country across the head of
Lake Torrens, the difficulty proceeding through
Swinden's Desert to the north of Port Augusta,
and thence along the western shores of the lake,
will be avoided. Mr: Chas. Gregory, who is re-
ferred to above as Major Warburton 's second in
command, is a brother of Mr. A. C. Gregory, the
gentleman who was recently sent out by the New
South Wales Government with a party in search of
Leichardt, and who made his way across from
Kennedy's Victoria River to Lake Torrens. His
brother went up to Mr. Babbage's camp with some
horses and equipments purchased by the South
Australian Government, and in returning to Me.
laide was met by Major Warburton, and accepted
the offer made to him. With regard to the disco-
veries of Messrs. Stuart and Forster, we may say that
two or three months since they started from Mount
Eyre, upon the eastern side of Lake Torrens, near
PortAugusta,accompanied by a bla ck and four horses,
with a very scanty stock of provisions, on a private
exploring expedition to the north and north-west
of Swinden's Country. They crossed over to the
west of Lake Torrens, and for six weeks or two
months nothing whatever was heard of them.
Their friends, believing they had not taken with
them provisions enough to sustain life for that
length of time, and supposing the country into
which they had penetrated to be an inhospitable
and a waterless desert, had almost given them up
for lost, when, to the joy of all interested in their
enterprise, they turned up at Fowler's Bay, a har-
bour upon the coast close upon the south-western
boundary of the province. They had forced their
way to lat. 28 deg. 30 min. S. and long. 133 E.
The full particulars of their discoveries have not
yet publicly transpired, but we are in a position to
say they are of considerable importance. About
25 miles to the north of Mr. Babbage's camp on
the Elizabeth they found a considerable extent of
permanent water, and to the north-west of that
again a large river was discovered,. with fish in it,
running in an easterly and westerly direction, with
numerous tributary creeks running north and south.
The explorers also discovered what they believe to
be the real Lake Torrens, a large inland sea, pro-
bably receiving the drainage of the Victoria River
discovered by Capt. Stokes on the north coast, and
of various other northern portions of the continent.
—South Australia .Register, Oct. 11.

PUNISHMENT OF THE SHO WEE-BATH

IN AMERICA.

Great excitement existed in the Auburn State
Prison on the 2d inst., resulting almost in a per-
fect outbreak among the convicts in that institution.
The facts were as follows :—A negro convict,
named More, on Wednesday was overheard mut-
tering threats against a foreman in his shop (the
hame shop), and was seen sharpening a knife. The
foreman, deeming his life in danger, immediately
entered a complaint against More, when the latter
was taken to his cell and confined until about 10
o'clock, Thursday forenoon, when he was removed
by his keeper, Baker, and. the deputy warden, B.
F. Gulick, to be taken to the shower bath for
punishment. As More was being taken from his
cell in one of the wings of the prison he broke
away from his keeper, ran into the centre yard,
and fled to his shop. A convict from the machine
shop pursued and caught him as he was in the act
of entering the shop. The keeper and deputy war-
den seized More, conveyed him back to the shower
bath, pinioned and thrust him into the rack, and,
amid the shoutings and pleadings of the poor, help-
less negro, let three barrels of water on to his head
—the punishment, as Baker afterwards testified,
occupying half-an-hour. After all the water was
used up on the negro ho was taken from the bath,
fainting and dying, and immediately carried to the
hospital, where he died in five minutes after his ad-
mittance. The fact of his death became known at
once in the prison, and at 5 o'clock p.m. as the con-
victs were marching to their cells from the shops,
the companies from the hame and machine shops
caught sight of the convict who assisted in catch-
ing More as he was going to his shop, and immedi-
ately broke their ranks, and in- a body rushed after
him, crying "Kill him!' ." Kill him!" The convict
managed to evade them ; and, after the most intense
excitement, the riot was subdued, and the rioters
securely locked in their cells. Coroner Siltzer held
an inquest on the body of the deceased More. Baker,
the keeper, swore that More was naturally good-
natured, always laughing, but that when crossed in
his purposes his temper was terrible ; that he was
perfectly healthy, robust, and active ; that he went
into the bath with great reluctance, and was putin,
his limbs adjusted, and his head secured in the
hopper only by the united exertions of three strong
men. Baker also testified that More received three
barrels of water, and that he cursed and threatened,
begged and entreated during the punishment ; that
when taken from the bath he appeared " kind a
weak like," and could hardly stand when they
wiped him and threw some blankets over him ; that
in a few moments he fell over, gasping, and was
conveyed to the hospital. Dr. Charles G. Van Anden,
the physician of the prison, swore that More gasped
but once after entering the hospital, and died in five
minutes from the time of his admission. The jury,
an intelligent body of eight men, only six of whom
were connected directly or indirectly with the pri-
son, rendered a verdict on the case quite peculiar
under the circumstances. After reciting the ap-
pearance of the body of the deceased, as examined
by Drs. Van Anden and Wilkie, " which was ex-
tremely healthy in all its parts," the verdict is, that
the death of the deceased was " undoubtedly has-
tened by the application of the shower bath, as ad-
ministered at the hands of his keeper and the
deputy warden."

THIS DAY'S MARKETS.

CORN EXCHANGE.

IMPERIAL WEEKLY AVERAGES. - Wheat, 40s 2d;
barley, 33s Ild ; oats, 21s 10d; rye,:32s sd; beans, 41s ld ;
and peas, 46s sd.
THE Six WEEKS' AVERAGES. - Wheat, 41s ld ;
barley, 35s Od ; oats,.22s 8d ; rye, 31s 10d ; beaus, 42s 4d ;
peas, 44a 11d,
ENGLISH GRAIN SOLD LAST WEEK.—Wheat, 99,187 ;
barley, 99,187 ; oats, 11,602 ; rye, 73 ; bezzia, 2,821; peas,
987 quarters.