Star.
London, England, 1831-07-01 00:00:00

SWAN lIIVER.

COCKBURN SOUND, WESTERN AUSTRALIA,
JAN. s.—The promising discovery of the river,
and good soil at the eastern ,foot of the mountains,
forming the Darling range, according to the report
of Mr. Dale, has been extended and confirmed by
the Governor in person, and by several settlers,
who had proceeded thither in separate parties. As
far as I have been able to learn, all are satisfied
with the soil and country in general, although some
are much less pleased than others. The depreciat-
ing circumstances are its distance from the coast,
or rather port, and the obstacle to communication
and transport presented by the rugged, steep, and
arid range of hills that is to be passed. The rough-
ness of the surface to be traversed is not, however,
so general as to preclude the possibility of discover-
ing a route sufficiently plane, nor the steepness so
universal as to prevent by a little circumambulation,
a declivity gentle enough for sumpter animals,
even for loaded carriages. The scarcity of water
must be compensated for in the stimmor season, 3
or 4 months, perhaps, by wells. The distance in a
direct line, east from Perth, is between 40 and 50
miles, and we walked it with baggage horses in
two days and a half, making several detours. The
river is the only part that has not maintained the
character first given it. The commencing droughts
of summer, at the time of our visit in the end of
October, bad already diminished its Waters, where
there was any thing of a current, to a brook fo►da-
ble without going above the knee, and only a few
feet wide. The soil near its banks is a light brown-
ish clay-coloured loam, in many places exposed,
with a very scanty, and at the time I refer to, dried
up wiry herbaceous vegetation, destitute, however,
of the hard and nutritive shrubs, and but thinly co-
vered with the wood so prevalent near the western
shores. In many places, particularly in the narrow

valleys which abound around the feet of isolated gra-
nite bills, and more especially on the flats, whence
the waters of the flooded river of winter have with-
drawn themselves either in part, leaving an ever
verdant swamp, or in the whole, giving up a richly
clothed pasture land, where the herbage is every
thing that could be expected. The evil-auguring
class of Banksias scarcely once obtrude its offensive
presence, and the dubious grass tree (hawthorn)
seldom raises its spiked summit into view. The
forest timber is not very frequently met with of the
tall stature and huge girth that it generally .attalos
on the coast, or in the mountains. The different i
species of eucaliptis are rarer, and the smaller
mimosre more common, whilst the surface is alto-
gether much less encumbered, and the labour of
clearing to the agriculturist would be comparatively
easier. According to the report of those who ex-
tended their examination, and our knowledge cast
of the river I allude to, which has received the
name of Avon, as far as 40 or 50 miles beyond it,
the country continues of the same general charac-
ter with, but as is to be expected, infer for to the
vicinity of the river. No other stream of any size,
only a few fresh-water ponds or lakes, end several
salt, were encountered.
In the beginning of November, the First Lieu-
tenant of the Sulphur examined, in boats, the
coast to a distance of two hundred miles north of
Cockburn Sound, in the hope of finding out
some harbour for shipping, or at least commo-
dious anchorage, and the estuaries of whatever
rivers might empty themselves in that direction
into the sea, and by which access might easily be
procured to the interior of the country. The search
was unfortunately wholly unproductive of any use-
ful discovery, unless one could be satisfied that the I
knowledge of the non-existence of anything to be
turned to account, possesses a no small di-free of
utility. The coast is very similar to that. io the vi-
cinity of the Swan !liver, presenting :,,-euerally
sandy beach, which, being sheltered by inure than
one line, always tnore or less broken, of coral reefs,
is, during all seasons, and all sorts of weather, fa-
vourable to boat-landing. The soil is sandy and
unproductive, as well as destitute of feesli
for several hundred yards, as far as we could pene-
trate inland, and altogether unpromisiug, to the
settler. The hair-seal abounds on the several
small islaudi wide' lie at a greater or less dis-
tance from the main land. These islands, and the
whole shore are composed of calcareous sand,
mixed inland with arenacious .luartz—of the same
materials, cemented more or h‘ss firmly- into a sand-
stone, and of the moor compact calcareous !lota-
factions and incaustaiions which so remarkably
characterise this class of rock, that is almost pe-
culiar to Australia, and that has hitherto been re-
garded as holding a very uncertain, or perhaps
more rria;teriy an undetermindd place in geogra-
phical nomenclature.
The Governor has just returned from visiting
Augusta, the coast east of it, and King George s
Sound, to the last of which places he was induced
to go by a strong contrary wind, on board the
Sulphur. The kitchen-gardens at Augusta have
given much satisfaction by their produce ; and the
small patches where corn had been sown and
has been reaped, encourage the prospect ol'
abundant returns to the farmer. Some very
good golf' has been discovered towards the
head a the . liver, and good pasturage at
no very great distance. The Kangaroo (what is
called the forest) and which often weighs 130ibs.
has oven hunted with great success, and the few
interviews which have been held with the natives'
have been exceedingly amicable. The south-east
winds, which are the prevailing ones of the sum-
mer, and blow rather fresh, will make the landing
in the bay attended with some difficulty, if not in-
terruption, during that season. Ships ought also
to have tolerably good ground tackle, and with this
and common care I think they will have nothing
to fear. A few labourers, chiefly artificers, have
been added to the settlement.
Between Augusta and King George's Sound,
the Governor had entertained the hope of the ex-
istence l); some harbour, or entrance of a large
river, more particularly among the many and dis-
tantly surveyed indentations of the bold shores in'
the neighbourhood of Cape Chatham. This hope,
however, has been almost totally dispelled by a
close examination of every sinuosity, except for a
few miles, where it had been formerly seen that if
anything did exist, it was only the outlet of a
river. Dr. NVilson's estuary was found about
seven miles east of 'Joint ; and that part of
the country inland, which he compared to the
cowpastures of the Sidney Government, is now
described by the natives as pastured by horned
cattle and horses; in every probability those
which had strayed from the banks of the Swan and
the Murray.
Mr. Peel's establishment is wholly broken up,
and the recently populous town of Clarence now
only musters two or three families. He is farming
with some fifteen or twenty hands on the Murray, I
and the people whom he brought out have been
distributed over the colony under the direction of
Government.

It is not generally known that Philip, the eldest
brother of the late Mr. lluskisson, resides in a state of gnat
seclusion on a small farm at King'■ Norton. In non. of
the bio•traphics which appeared at the time of 3lr. Huskis-
son's lamented death was the existence of his Mother Philip
ever mentioned. General and Captain Huskisson, who at-
tended the funeral, were stated to be the only surviving
brothers.

TILE CHORE!' NOT IN DANGER FROM Itz-
rottm.--SFEEcn OF THE BISHOT OF 8111PT0L....-The

Lord Bishop of Btistal held his annual rwiation on Ft iday,
the 10th inst. in the Cathedral, and afterwards dined with
the Clergy of his diocese, at the Illtite Lion Inn. We are
indebted (says the Bristol Caulk) to a correspondent who
attended the dinner for the information that, after the re.
moral of the cloth, and when a toast was given alluding to
the state of the Church, the ltev. Dr. C--- expressed
his fears that the venerable fabric stood in great leo-
, partly, and that the great and increasing influence of the
Dissenters on the one hand, and the defection of the
Government on the other, rendered the stability of tiv
Establishment eery doubtful. Ile also expressed great
alarm lest the intended reform should lead to revolution,
and the order of the Clergy be swept away in the common
deluge. To these awful annunciations our Right Rev. Pre-
late replied, with all that soberness and moderation so con-
spicuous in the character of a Bishop, that the apprehensions
of his Rev. Brother appeared to be founded in misconcep-
tion, both of the character of the Dissenters and of the
designs of those who advocated reform. For himself, be
felt that to reform those abuses, or to repair that decay,
which time had produced, either in Church or State, was
the duty of a true Christian, and there was more danger to
be feared from neglecting so essential a duty than from un-
dertaking it. With regatd to the Bills about to be intro.
dined into Parliament for commuting tithes and other ec-
clesiastical arrangements, he was convinced that his clerical
brethren would have occasion to rejoice rather than be
grieved at them. These liberal sentiments were received
with the greatest satisfaction by the company.

OLD BAILEY, Jun SO.
These sesskal commenced yesterday, before the Right
Hon. the Lord Mayor, Alderman Si, C. Flower, the Recor-
der, the Common Serjeant, and the other civic authorities.
The presiding judges are Mr. Justice Oastlee, and Mr.
Justice James Parke.
Thomas Sawyer, aged 21, a soldier, was indicted for
assaulting and Busting from the person of Hugh Orioles,
three half crowns, three shillings, and nine sixpences.
The prosecutor, who is a mariner, stated, that on the oth
of April he was at a public.house at Edmonton, and had a
sovereign and a shilling in his pocket. Sawyer, the pri-
soner, was there. He asked witness to lend him a shilling,
and witness did so. A short time afterwards the prisoner
asked witness for the loan of 21. MOM Witness then changed
the sovereign and lent him that sum. The prisoner, his
brother, and other persons, refused to suffer witness to leave
the house until he paid for eight pots of beer. He subse.
quently threw witness down, arid the prisonsr cut off wit.
ness's watch fob with a knife, which he borrowed from one
of the persons present for the purpose. He handed the fob
to persons of the names of Flood and Taylor, who ran away
with it to another public house. IVitness followed them.—
Taylor struck him, and the prisoner tripped him up. Five
of the parties were apprehended the same night.
Henry Smith, a pot-boy, proved that while the prose-
cutor was down, the prisoner's brother endeavoured to cut
the kb off. The prisoner declared that he would have no-
thing to do with It. Witness then went away, and told his
master of what he had seen. Flood, Taylor; and the pri-

goner, ran out of the house.
Thomas iVicks saw the prisoner, his brother, Flood, and
Taylor, dividing money.
Another witness proved that he saw the prosecutor snuck
and tripped up.
Mr. Justice OABELZE stopped the cam, observing that the
evidence was not sufficient to call upon the prisoner for his
defence. _ _

The Jnry accordingly acquitted the prisoner.
Win. Young was ,indicted for breaking and entering the
dwelling-house of Robert Gordon, and stealing a side of
bacon and other articles.
The prisoner has for many years been known in the neigh-
bourhood of Hounslow ass desperate fellow. It belonged
to a gang of depredators, who kept that and the neighbouring
parishes in a state of the utmost tenor for many years. He
was also concerned in the Tcddington Lock-house robbery,
which, it will be recollected, occurred about two years ago,
and which at the time created a great sensation. He then
saved his life by turning King's evidence, and his brother.in.
law and some other men were convicted on bis testimony at
the Kingston Assizes, and afterwards executed for the offence
at Horsemottger-lane gaol. From all that transpired the
prisoner was the guiltiest party, and this led to his being
prosecuted for other burglaries. Ile defended himself by
saying that the King's pardon absolved him from all former
crimes; but the evidence not warranting a conviction, he
was acquitted without the question which he raised having
been decided.
Mr. C. Pniv.tra and Mr Cunwax conducted the pro-
secution. and Mr. CLARKSON defended the prisoner.
It appeared that the prosecutor lives at Hannondsworth,
in the county of M iddiesex and that his house was bur-
gloriously entered on the 12th of May, and robbed of a
flitch of *bacon, his wife's watch, a jacle-et, and a variety of
other articles. The bacon was found under the prisoner's
bed, and the prisoner had the jacket on when taken into
custody.
The prisoner declared that he was innocent.
Mr. Justice JAMES PARKE having summed up the
evidence, 1112 Jury found the prisoner guilty.
Thomas Bartley was indicted for stealing in the dwelling-
house of Mary Dwerrihouse, and others, a watch, value 121.
their property.
Mr. C. PHILLIPS conducted the prosecution, and Mr.
CLanxsow the defence.
It appeared, that on the day named in the indictment, the
prisoner celled at the prosecutrix's shop in Davies-street, to
solicit alms, and that as soon as he was gone a gold watch
was missed. The prisoner was apprehended the next day on
Westminster-bridge ; and a pawnbroker identified the pri.
soner as the person who had pledged the watch. Mrs.
Dwerrihouse did not reside in the house.
The prisoner made no defence.
Mr. Justice Gaszces summed up the evidence, telltale the
Jury that they were bound to acquit the prisoner of the ca-
pital part of the eln.rge.
The Jury found the prisoner guilty of stealing only.
Alan Hyde was Indicted for stealing in the dwelling-house
of James Mackie teen mats weight of rubies and ten
carats weight of emeralds, value 501. his property.
It appearel that the prosecutor resides in King-street,
Soho. and that on the 30th of May, he and his wife went
to Cooke's Circus. The following morning his wife
observed some tubies on the floor of their bed room,
and on going to the drawer missed the articles mentioned
in the indictment. The prisoner knew what the drawer
contained, and when asked about the robbery she said that
she would not be surprised if it had been committed by a
gentleman who lodged in the house. A officer was sent for
and the apartments and person of this gen lentatn were
searched, but nothing was found that could warrant a sup-
position that he had been implicated in the transaction. The
prisoner, however, subsequently confessed that she had gone
to the drawer out of curiosity ; that site had taken the
rubies and emeralds, and that she bad thrown them into the
water closet and dust hole. This confession was made to
the prosecutor's wife, and the prisoner begged of her to plead
for her. The water closet and dust hole were searched,
but none of the rubies or emeralds were found. The eon-
duct of the prisoner in attempting to shift suspicion from
herself was marked by great cunning. None of the pro.
perty was found either upon the prisoner's person or in
her box, but she acknowledged to Scholfielti, the officer,
that she placed a ruby on the floor of the lodger's room to
avoid suspicion, and to have him taken up for the robbery.
The prisoner put in as a defence a long written state-
ment, in which she denied her guilt.
Mr. Justice James Paul summoned up the evidence.
The Jury found the prisoner Guilty.
John Armstrong, aged 18, was indicted for stealing, in
April, silk handkerchiefs and riband, the property of Messrs.
Morris and Harrison, silk-menus, In •Tottenhant.court-
road, his employers.
William Davies, a shopman in the employ of the prose.
=tors, 'moved the theft; and
' William Pritchard, a serjeant In the B division, deposed
to having apprehended the prisoner, while disposing of the
property to a Jew salesman.—Verdict Guilty.
James Davits, an elderly man of respectable appearance,
was Mound guilty of :stealing, on the 18th of May last, 24
yards of silk, from the shop of Mr. Henry George Hill,
draper, St. Martin's-lane.
James Evans, aged 50, was capitally convicted of cattle
stealing,
The following prisoners were convicted of larcenies N...
Thomas Bartley, aged 38 ; IVm. Bennett, 21; Wm. Good-
win, 40; George Poulden, 17; James Cowell, 17; Wm-
Clark, 18; Boaz Rudd, 49 ; Michael Mullins, 41; Henry
Curtain, 32; Chalks Harris 22 ; John Arrostiong, 18;
James Davis, 24; Thomas Harris
ant, 30; Benjamin Bate.
man, 17; Wm. Webb, 16; John Cullen, 20; Jane Wid-
geon, 33 ; Wm. Williams, 25; Benj. 'fay tor, 20 ; William
Smith, 30; Robert Ptielham, 16; John Mason, 22; Rich-
ard Reynolds, l l ; J. Whittaker, 14; Mary Allen, 45; W.
'Ault., 21 ; John Farquhar, 26 ; W. Carver, 12 : Wm.
Purdy. 25 ; John White, 12; and John Williams, 38.
The following were acquitted :—Joseph Spencer, James
Butler, Joseph %Williams, Thomas Begot, George ISPI.oeh.
lan, John Chapman, and Geo. Sheen alias Andrew Conner.

POLICE REPORTS.
GUILDHALL.-Mr. Michael Chick, who consented to re-
main In custody till the forenoon of yesterday, without any
ground for his detention being laid, was again brought before
Mr. Alderman COPiLAND, some business having prevented

the Lord Mayor from taking the case.
When the prisoner was put forward, the Alderman asked
where the complainant was ?
BPLean, the officer, add he had been there that morning,
but he was abseil, now.
The Alderman then discharged the prisoner, telling him
it was not by any act of his that he had been detained since
the previous morning.
THAMES Poucc.—Yestcrday, George &midden, and
Samuel Williams, seamen of the Royal Saxon, FASt India-
man, were charged with mutiny, and assaulting Captain
Petre and Air. Hays, their chief officer, at sea. It appeared
that one of the seamen having intruded into the steerage,
and insulted a lady passenger, all hands were mustered to
detect the offenaer. The crew murmured at being called
out of their hammocks, more especially Williams, who
said they were drove about like dogs; and on being told
to be quiet, struck the chief officer, tore the shirt from
his back, and beat and kicked him severelv The
others officers rescued Mr. Hays, and ordered Williams
into irons, but he swore a dreadful oath that he would
not be confined, got away, and secreted himself till next
day. Snadden was found to be the offender who had
Insulted the lady, and was ordered on the poop, but
be refused to go there; and the captain, after remonstrating

with him for a long time, was violently pushed against the
hen-coups, repeatedly struck, and his coat torn by Shadden,
who was eventually placed in irons. Daring the disturbance
he frequently made use of the most gross epithets, and as
well as Will►ams, excited the ship's company to mutiny.
Four of them, and more particularly Berry and Graham,
joined in the violence offered to the captain and chief officer,
but on expressing contrition the next morning, were for.
given. It was, however, found necessary to make an exam-
ple of the prisoners, and they were brought home in confine.
ment. Shadden had once before gone into the steerage, whtre
he was found by the Captain, and threatened with puni,h.
ment if he wan found there again. The boatswain was alto
very mutinous, and refused in one instance to turn the hands
up. Mr. Billantine said it was a most aggravated
of assault and mutiny, and committed the prisonets foe
at the next Admiralt Sessions.

SUDDEN REMOVAL.—We are credibly informed
by a gentleman in the country, that at Pine Grove, in this
State, during the late gale, a stable newly erected, which
contained seven horses, was removed ten feet by the violence
of the wind, and set don n without injury to objects animate
or inanimate !—Philadelphie Gazelle.
How TO CATCH AND HOW TO CURE A COLD.
—At this time of the year colds are easily caught, and very
difficult to cure. The following will be found effectual:—
After a quick walk of an evening, sit in the draft to cool ;
the consequence will be a severe cold, attended with a cough ;
the next day you will have a hoarseness, short breath, and
much expectoration. In the evening, at seven, go to a well.
frequented tavern, and drink three or four glasses of strong
punch, or stiff rum and water ; stay till eleven o'clock, then
walk home, and go to bed. You need not get up next day,
but send for an apothecary, the following for a physician,
and the next day your friends will send for the undertaker.
You will never feel the effects of a summer cold after.

wards."
OPPRESSION IN POLAND.—Russian Justice:—
The Grand Duke Constantine, when he wished to press a
conviction, has been known to change the Judges four tunes
before he could obtain it. If this tells much against the ty.
rant, it tells something also for the magistracy.
An itinerant traveller in jewellery attempted to
commit suicide last week, at the Coach and Horses, Tea.
bridge Wells, by cutting his throat, which not doing effect
wally, he tried to suspend himself by the strap of his box,
which he was pleased to find would not bear the weight of
his anxieties—namely, the supposed inconstancy of his fait
inamorato, with whom, however, he departed the next day
in good spirits, and with no further complaint than a sore
throat.
At Selby Church, on Sunday week, when the
officiating clergyman was publishing the banns of marriage
between several parties, at reading the names in one of them,
a man rose and said, " I forbids them banns." " Very
well," replied the clergyman, " the reasons can be heard
hereafter." After service, he was requested to attend in the
vestry, and there being asked what impediment existed to
prevent the solemnization of marriage between the parties,
he replied, "A very good one, the parties be'ant agreeable."
" Indeed," said the clergyman, " how do you know that ?"
" Why, I'z.e the man myself—so l'se like to knew," re.
joined the swain, whom some one wanted to dub a Benedict
without his leave or liking. The clergyman considered the
man, of course, in this instence, to be a good judge in his
own cause ; and the banns were struck out of the book • and
the parties will, for the present at least, remain in " ;Ingle
blessedness."—York Courant.
FORTUNE-TELLING.—On Saturday se'nnlght
one of those itinerant gipsies, who till up occasional employ.
'nerds by an assumed intercourse with the stars, in the
course of her peregrinations fell in with a zealous votary in
the person of the kitchen-maid at the Marquis of Granby
inn, Gainaborough. Whether, however, the promised bles.
sings of wealth were not sufficiently extensive to fill up the
measure of her wishes, or the husband of her choice was
only to be obtained through a hempen noose, is not clearly
explained ; but no scones had the prophetess departed than
the girl informed her mistress she should make away with
herself. Accordingly, she took advantage of an opportunity
up stairs to carry her purpose into effect—locked her doer,
hung some " filthy dowlas" over the window to prevent
peeping intruders, and launched herself for another world.
Luckily for her the circumstance was soon known, and the
door being forced open, she was taken down in time to pre-
vent her folly being expiated with her life.
FACULTY FEUDS.—It is the fortune (good or
ill is matter of opinion) of the town of --, in Kent, the
population of which is under 3,000, to have six apothecaries
among its denizens. The junior partner in an eminent
wholesale druggist house, travelling for the firm this spring,
was so pleased with the orders he obtained from them in the
morning, that, in the overflow of his heart, he invited his
customers to sup with him at the Saracen's Head in the even.
ing. Mr. Jones arrived first, and mutual greetings were
exchanged • but on the appearance of Mr. Thompson a few
minutes after, Ith. Jones took up his hat and walked away.
Mr. Thompson teok himself off with no less precipitation on
the entrance of Mr. Wilkins, who, in his turn, stalked away
indignantly at the sight of Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith bad
barely time to pull off his gloves and enjoy a single sniff of
the effluvia of a couple of line roast ducks which Tom, the
waiter, was placing on the table, when in walked Mr.
Simpson;—away bolted Smith with a look of fiery indig.
nation at his entertainer, while Simpson, who, luckily for
himself, was the last corner, sat down to table alone with
his hoes, congratulating himself that he had escaped the
" company of the scoundrel who had just left the room."
FECUNDITY.—A friend and correspondent re-
*int in Newton. Stewart writes as follows :—As you are
I had of the curious, I beg to communicate a circumstance
which occurred in this neighbourhood, and the truth of which
I eanestablish to your perfect satisfaction. Mr. John M'
Mill, fanner, Parkinaclury, has a cow in his daily of the
Gaileway breed, which produced about ten days ago no
hewer than four calves at a birth, three of which, with the
mother, are in a thriving state. The fourth was lost by an
isoideat. What is nearly equally remarkable, the prolific
main. (herself a twin) has dropped at four successive births
the extraordinary number of ten calves, viz. two, one, three
sad four on each occasion." Query.—Does Mr. Malthus
carry his doctrines so far as to lodge a caveat against the
'smarty of milkers ?
" HOME, SWEET HOME."—I have travelled
some little in my day; and 1 never yet saw the place over•
seas where I could say, here I will live and die. My steps
have been arrested by beautiful spots—by savage spots--by
pat and luxurious cities ; a week, a month, 1 could spend
in many—and spend it happily, but not life—sot all my
days. This may be prejudice ; I believe it Is; but his the
only prejudice I have no wish to part with. I know of no
pleasure that will compare with going abroad, excepting
one—returning home. I pity English colonists wherever I
find them, whether at Tours, or Pao, or Lausanne, or Brus-
sels, or Nice, or Florence. They all talk of the delightful
climate, and delicious wines, and cheap living, and easel•
lent society • and yet, I believe, there may be but two cr
one among :hem all whose words came from the heart—but
two or one among them all who, if they dared to appear
poor, would not turn their backs upon the climate, and wine,
sad society of foreign lands, and reek the shores of England.
Travelling is a charming recreation ; but, after all, England,
to an Englishman, is the only country to live In.—Daseat
Conway's Tour in Switzerland.