Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1849-08-01 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

SOUTH AUSTRALIA.--Advices from Adelaide to the ltith March have hem received. The mining interest were suffering from a scarcity of money, and, under such circumstances, the market for shares was drooping. Few of the adventures recently commenced were stated to be making much progress, but the leadcompany, the Burra Burro, was prospering, and the quotation for its shares kid latterly fluctuated between £147 and .C 1.50. The construction of a railway from Adelaide to the port was occupying attention ; and the smelting had at present, so far as means would permit, proved successful.  An account of a serious and fatal occurrence on board the " Medway" convict ship, at Ireland Island, Bermuda, has been received. On the morning of the 3rd of July the whole of the convicts on board that vessel, amounting, to between four and five hundred, were as. sembled on the spar deck (the forwat d part of the slap), to Wit less the puoishment of one of their number, James Cronin, for mutinous conduct. The overseer, F. B. Black, Esq., and hisofficers, with the convict guards, fully' armed, and their pistols being loaded with ball cartridge (the usual practice), were drawn up on the quarter deck— they r.umbered 20 ill all. The medical officer was also present. The quarter deck is divided from the spar deck by a railing about five feet high. The man to be flogged had a brother on board the slip, older than himself, who had permission from the overseer to absent himself from witnessing the punishment ; but this kindly offer on the part of Mr. Black was refu,eil, and he appeared with the other prisoners. When the proper officers were in the act of securing the man to the gratings or ladder, his brother rushed forward, and leaping on the barrier and waving his hat, called to him by name. He (the elder Cronin), then affilressed some words in Irish to the convicts, which was answered by a wild cheer, and a rush of some two humlred and fifty to the barrier, upon which they clustered like bees, preparatory to a descent upon the quarter deck. The men were desperately excited. The overseer waved his hand, and called to the men to " fall back," which order was quite disregarded. Mr. Black, plainly perceiving what must be the object of the prisoners, viz. the rescue of Cronin, and the probable butchery of himself and his small party, gave orders to t'u. guards to fire, which was immediately followed by a volley from the front tank. This did not have any immediate ellect, the desperate men entertaining the idea that only blank earn idges were fired. The rear tank of the guards, which had been kept in reserve, then moved to the front, and under order from Mr. Black fired. Two of the mutinous convicts fell dead, and 12 were wounded ; this instantly quelled the mutiny, the men horriedly retreating to hiding-places in the forward part of the ship. The punishment was then administered to the younge.r Cronin. An inquest was subsequently held on the bodies of the two men killed. The jury unanimously returned a verdict of "justifiable homicide." Another of the wounded men died on the afternoon of the day the occurrence happened. The ringleader, Cronin, was wounded in two places. Two others are maimed for life—one having had his leg amputated, and the other having received a ball in the spine.