The morning call., 1891-09-06
AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.
Interesting Miscellany From the
Australian Archipelago.

The Mariposa, which arrived yesterday,
brings Auckland dates to August 14th and
Sydney dates TO August 11th, from which
the following items are taken:
The Melbourne papers give intelligence
of most disastrous floods, whereby loss of
life, loss of stock and interruption of railroad
travel has ensued. The rains appear to
have been general, and in many districts the
loss of property has been immense. Among
those lost 0. P. Whitelaw, mining surveyor,
and his assistant, Mr.. w. r. Gordon, are
prominently mentioned. 4 number of
miners were caught in the food ;.
Great trouble exists betwee tie union
and the n0n-union sheep-she arers, but the
latter are filling up the gap, and the sheaTing
is not retarded.
The Government is sustaining the Rail-
way Commissioners in the charges brought
against them. 1t is the same old story of
souless corporations against the people.
The following is from Auckland. which
allows no monopoly of sea-snake stories:
"When the Union Company's steamer R0to-
mahana was between Osborne and Napier
on Saturday morning, the chief officers at
tenti0n was called by the quartermaSteT to
a long seTpentine monster, which rose slowly
from the sea to q height of so or 40 feet,
then gradually disappeared. It was about
half mile off, and next made its appear
auce closer to the vessel, not more than 100
yards away. and rose perpendicularly out
of the water to a great height. Both men
say the monster could not have measured
less than 100 feet 10 length. On disappear
ing a second time it was not seen again"
The public hangman attended at Pen
fridge Stoekade to administer the lash to
John kirwan, convicted at the Bendlgo
AssiZes on June 18th of assaultIng young
girl with intent MI Justice Molesw0rth
presided at the time and in sentencing kir-
wan to five years Imprisonment and two
f1oggings of fifteen lashes each he referred
in strong terms of condemnation to the Of
Tense of which the prisoner had been found
guilty. The punishment yesterday, though
severe, was borne with great fOrtitude, al
though it was but five weeks previously
that Kirwan received his first fl0gging.
About the end of March, while at Malayta,
Solomon Islands, Captain Pearce of the
schooner Lochiel picked up piece of a
false keel of Oregon timber feet long, IA
inches broad and 4 inches deep, fastened
with copper bolts and copper clamps at the
side. He also picked up piece of a mast
head, Is inches in diameter, with cap 8
inches broad. Captain Pearce heard from
the natives that there was a quantity of
wreckage on shore, including a mlZzen
boom. A three-masted vessel was seen by
the natives off the island shortly before the
discovery of the wreckage. The captain
cannot say what kind of vessel the frag-
ments belong to, but she was evidently
large one. L lie nHllVeS UOOh l4uU weight Ol
copper off the bottom of the vessel, which
had drifted ashore on the southwest side of
Malayta. A hurricane occurred from the 4th
to the 9TH of March, and it is probable that
this vessel was wrecked between these
dates.
A league has been formed TO break up the
different forms Of Chinese gambling.
Silver in large quantities has been discov-
cred in the CookStown District, Queens
land.
project is on foot to lay a Government
cable line to Brisbane.
The Postmaster General OF New Zealand
is in communication regarding the San
Francisco mail service. He has given his
personal assurance that the contract will be
renewed.
The Salvation Army has opened Rescue
M