Northern Times. — 1859-09-20 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

MASSACRE IN  AUSTRALIA.  take from the Black Cree  Amherest Acker tiser Ole following letter of their. correspondent, under date Rochampton, May 10 :  party of 200 miners started from Port Curtis on )specting tour. Having provided thems(  Ives with a  stock of tools and various useful implements, as also an abundance of provisions and a large quantity of guns and ammunition, they commenced their march with 169 horses into the interior of the country. They proceeded about 200 miles without meeting any inter ruption, but at this distance from the Pert ihey encountered a great number of the natives, who endeavoured to prevent their travelling any further into  the interio:  journey, k  whites,  continued  each mile they travelled. Arriving at the de;spot, they prfieeeded to work, and after pros bet sinking, winch paid 1 dwt. to the dish, from the surface to the bottom. A portion of the party being dissatisfied, determined on starting out to a splendid-looking flat about three miles distant from the encampment. One morning they left, to the number of thirty, taking with them a sufficient quantity of provisions for the day, and fifty horses. Not returning at  .. .. night, the main body became alarmed ; but as it would have been perfectly useless to start in the dark, seeing that a thick scrub grew between th6ir encampment the spot the prospectors had gon mined on waiting until t  peep of the day the whole party set out, and succeeded in penetrating through the scrub. Arriving at the spot, atorrible sight met their gaze. There lay the mangled bodiei of their companions, having been killed the previous day by the natives. The black rascals, seeing the arrival of the remainder of the whites, came down from the hills, and made a most determined attack. A furious battle was the consequence. The whites, finding the natives increase in numbers, determined on retreating, but the scrub behind presented an impenetrable barrier when exposed to such a murderous attack. However, to remain was to die ; they therefore decided on making the attempt. Discharging their guns, they made a desperate rush in the direction of the scrub, but were met by another band of the natives, who had advanced from an opposite direction to the assistance of their comrades. savage fight ensued, whites and blacks falling like sheep in a slaughter-yard. This could not last long. The whites had the upper hand, and emboldened by their, success, charged the tribe between them and the scrub, and succeeded in driving the murderous villains before them. The whites then passed the scrub, and escaped for a time from the natives. In this meMe they lost fifty of their men. The fifty-nine horses had been appropriated the day before, The blacks not following, they decided on resting that day, and commencing their march to Port Curtis the following day. The next day arrived, but during the night' a new and more terrible enemy had sprung up. Disease, with his giant strides, had appeared among them. Several were attacked with yellow fever, and so sudden and virulent, that. to move was impossible. Those in good health determined to move to an encampment, to prevent contagion from spreading abroad, and there to remain until their companions either recovered or died. Is a few days nine out of seventeen attacked died, the others recovered. After burying their unfortunate friends, the remainder, saddened by disapointment, worn out with fatigue brought on by constant watching, bade a final adieu to the last resting place of their brave brothers in misfortune, whom the hand of disease and rapine had brought to an untimely grave, and set out on the journey back. They journeyed twenty miles without meeting any interruption, but there the natives reappeared and commenced a series of guerilla attacks, which lasted with little intermissisn until they reached a spot about equidistant from the port. Here they appeared in almost overwhelming numbers, but whether they ' had stepped beyond their mortal ken,' or that they were tired of following, or perhaps (which is not likely) had some feeling akin to pity for the unfortunate men they had so cruelly harassed, they disappeared, and the party succeeded in reaching Port Curtis in safety."