The Sun. — 1846-12-24 (London, England)

NEW SOUTH WALES.  ATTEMPTS AT DISCOVERY IN AUSTRALIA  FE LLX.  The Galway Advertiser of the Bth of August has the following account of a frustrated expedition of Mr. Smythe, colonial surveyor :—" Yesterday this indefatigable explorer returned from his second expedition to Cape Otway. His return has been hastened in consequence of the murder of one of his men by the blacks. After the expedition left the Barwon Heads, about a month ago, they encountered a succession of westerly gales, and made several ineffectual attempts to get round the cape. They at last landed on the eastern side and encamped, while Mr. Smythe, accompanied by four men, penetrated to the westward to survey the Eyre River. Mr. Smythe started on the 25th of July. Proceeding along the shore they fell in with a tribe of blacks, cc m • posed of one man, four women, and three boys, all of whom had been at the tent some days beforp. Mr. Smythe prevailed on the man and one of the boys to act as his guide to Gunna-waar, or Eyredale. After travelling for about three hours, they came to a part of the country with which Mr. Smythe was familiar, and as he had no further use for the blacks, he sent them to the tents, first giving them a supply of tea, and a note to the coxswain, directing him to give them some flour. Mr. Smythe returned on the evening of the 31st, when he learned that one of the men, named Conroy, had been barbarously murdered about 200 yards from the tent, where ho had gone to cut wood. This happened on Sunday morning between nine and ten o'clock. The blacks had arrived at the tent early that morning, and had been supplied with damper. They then went away along the beach ; and just previous to the murder they were seen returning, making a great noise. On their again retiring, the body of the deceased was found by his companions dreadfully mangled about the head, and life entirely extinct. A tomahawk was found near the spot, with which no doubt the blows had been inflicted. The left jaw was broken, and there were several deep gashes on the left temple ; there were three deep cuts on the neck and throat, the clothing had been stripped from the body and carried off—even the boots wero not left behind. The body was not mutilated in any other manner, so that it appears the only object of the murderers was to possess themselves of the clothing worn by the unfortunate man. The body was buried. After this event, Mr. Smythe finding his stock of provisions nearly exhausted, deemed it advisable to return. The party, therefore, re-embarked, and sailed eastward to Loutit Bay (under Plattopped Point), a well-sheltered harbour, where they beached their whale-boat, and secured it above high-water mark, Mr. Smythe determining to make his way to Geelong by land. It is his intention, we believe, to make a third excursion to the Cape Otway country as soon as he has given in his report to Government. Under the circumstances of Mr. Smythe's return, he was prevented from bringing many geological specimens. On one part of the coast the cliffs are a pure chalk, and he has ascertained that the coal formation extends to the westward of the Cape, towarda Moonlight Head. In the neighbourhood of Loutit Bay there are immense beds of rottenstone, used for polishing brass, &e. The rivers and water courses were almost impassable from the floods."