Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald and General Advertiser (Qld. : 1861 - 1908), Thursday 29 July 1869, page 3


TIE FOTITTUE GLORIES OF BOWEN. We liko to see the quality of hopefulness welldeveloped in the human mind, and therefore feel pleasure in quoting the following from a leading article in the Port Denison TYmes, in allusion to what may be expected to be one result of the opening of the Suez Canal:o80 long as the track for merchant ships, whether bound to India or Australia, was round the Cape of CGood Rope, it made comparatively little difference whether a vessel bound for Sydney went round Cape Leeuwin or by the apparently more direct course through Torres' Straits-[Thel writer should have looked at his map.--Q. T.]--as slhe had already made nearly as high south latitude as she required to make, and indeed the advantage of any distance that might be saved was more than counterbalanced by the iotricacy of the navigation and the want of the constant westerly winds on which such reliance could be placed in high southern latitudes. Consequently as a rule no outward bound vessels ever did come througlh Torres Straits. [W\Ve should think not.] The opening of the Suez Canal, however, will change all this. In the first place, a vessel coming by that route, no longer necessarily compelled to double the Cape of Good Hope, would find that the deviation required to come via Cape Leeuwin would place her at a very serious disadvantage as compared with one coming through Torres Straits. In the second place, the necessity of having steam or some othelr aplliance to carry vessels through the conal--[Steam-tugs would be used].-will cause the proportion of vessels with at any rate auiliary uengines to those trusting to their canvas alone to increase yet more rapidly than it has hitherto done; so that from this cause and the improvements being rapidly developed in machinery, fuel, &e., in no very long time few ships indeed will be able to afford to place their whole reliance on the winds, to whatever degree of perfection Lieutenant Maury or his successors may be able to carry their wind charts. This will do away with many objections that might otherwise be made to this route on account of its passing through so much narrow water. The power that will carry a vessel through the Suez Canal will serre equally well to take her through the channels of the Indian Archipelago and the Coral Seas. Thirdly, Torres Straits and those other narrow seas that have so long been a bugbear to mariners, are daily getting better known. Shoals are being beaconed, aceuroate charts made, and lighthouses will no doubt be erected as soon as the increase of tralle will justify the outlay, and ere long these will be as well beaconed anid lightedas the English Channel. Fourthly, thIe severe weather of the high south being avoided, will render it possible to employ a large proportion of Lascars in the navigation of the ships, and thus materially reduce expenses. With all these adrantages it appears to uo that Port Denison ought to be, and in proper hands would be, the great commercial entrepbt of Australia -[This ought to have been in capital letters]--and that instead of Bowen being dependent on Sydney for her supplies, Sydney ought to get them from her, that is for a good many years to come. Eventually, as we have before expressed our opinion, some city on the shores of the Gulf of Carpeotaria will be the commercial Queen of Australia, but that will not be until the Grand Trunk of Australia railway is completed, and even then by aid of a railway from Norman Town, or wherever else the said Queen chooses her sent, to Bowen. Port Denison ought to be able to keep the trade of the whole of the eastern aeaboard in her own hands. [Bravo, bravo! stick to that.)] But as we have said before, we lay no claim to thle commercial knowledge required for discussing this matter. We consider that we have done our duty in bringing tIhe matter forward, and with one more suggestion will leave the matter in abler hands than ours, only hoping that it will meet with the attention that we feel confldent it deserves. The last suggestion is that now that the trade is small, and it could probably be done on favourable terms, Bowen should get the Government to proclaim Port Denieon a free port, and if it can be managead in no other way, buy the port dues from the Government at anything ik a fair price, and throw her harbour open to the world. [The writer seems to think that the expression "a free port" simply means a portat which no charges are levied on shipping.)

Wa hbave received a fine specimen of copper ore obtained from a lode near the Black Snake reef, Kiliran, on ground which, after the original prospector's right we purchased, has been leased from Governmoent by a company, consisting of several gentlemen occupying a leading position in Sydney. Average epecimens, we are informed, have been tested by Adelaide assayers and at the Sydney Mint, and found to contain from 50 to 52 per cent. of copper, and 15ozs. dwte. of silver to thie tono, but no trace of gold. The lode has been opened for several chains, and the stone is described as being 40 feet in width. Competent judges pronounce the ore to be superior to what is at present obtained from the Burra, and equal to that from Moonts. Arrangemente are being made to have the ore reduced to regulus on the ground, and shipped direct to England.-Courier. Under the heading "Vogaries of thile Queenslal Times," thie WIaFreick Ar~uas of yesterday has a letter signed "Todhunter," referring to the liberal local undertaker and ourselves, by which we feel completely crnashaed-in tfaonet, oomeohat in the condition of Hool's "mangled Tybalt." The following is the concluding paragraph :-" The undertaker published a letter of remornteonco in your journal, which elicited anothelr series of croaks in thle shape ofa few (intended) funny remarks on the editor's anticipated decease. Whether this may be paralleled by thle reckless hIighwayman who boasted that hIe would dance (tpion sotliing,) at his own funeral is a matter for study to a physiologist. I do not, however, prognosticate the speedy dissolution of thle 'Able Editor,' Des [Qy. Les?] btles farouteols are generally as fell of life aos thley are devoid of cranial furniture. To drop irony, he is what tle Frenchl call enfaet gdil. Being sole ' Able Editor' in Ipswiclh hie has lhad it all his own way. The metropolitan and other journals did not think it worthl while to chastise him whlen he deserved it (whichi was constantly), so that, like Carleton's diminutive tailor, who could not prevail on any one to fight him, and wio consequently believed that everyone was afraid of hlim, thle man is " blue-mowlded for want of a batin.'" I hope he will receive his present punishment with due humility and gratitude. Let hlim wholesomely remember that there is plenty of tlhe same stock on hand : "country customers served withs promnptitude and despach." In our mianing report, published on the 14th inst., the yield from 24 tons fron thle prospectors' claim, Dodd's Reef, cruslled at Threlkeld's machine, was 16iozs., since which we arce informed thle specimens from tile same lot of stone-or ratlher the nuggets, for such thley really are-contain 137ozse. 6dwtls. 12grs. Tise result from the 24 tons averages therefore 12oes. Odwts. 10grs.-Gympie 2'itses. At the nomination for theKennedy at Bowenu one of the speakers, Mr. J. H. Scott, observed :-Let us elect a man of some weight at home, who will take our case before the Queen and try for redress. There is no man more eminently qnalified for this purpose thans thle Honourable John Bright--a favourste with tihe Queen, a favourite with the nation--the representatire of trade, commerce, and manufactures in the Government and the champion of liberty, and yet a loyal subject. If we can enlist lois sympathies, we are right. I believe be is the man who will break the iron rod of thle South and set us free; for he las already fought for the liberty of the subject, and I cannot believe lie will turn a deaf ear to our manifold sorroes. (1e trustour friend Peact will not overlook this.]

WILL STEAM PRDoUCB IZlITIoN ?--This curious question is discussed in a recenout number of the Seieoein/e Aomerisae. It is urged that as tile heatI generated by a hydrocarbon in combination withll a combustiblo fibro will produce combustion, and nas a fibrous material saturated with oil will, ife posed to the sun's rays, burst inso flame, it follows that a greater degree of beat, lwhetlher produced by steam or auny other ageney, may produce like results. Aftermentioning the inflammablo condition acquired by wood through which a steam-pipe hlas been passed, it is remarked that every engineer of lengthy experience and close obserrvation knows tlhat it is possible to ignite combustible or inlnammable substances by the direct impact of steuam. Cases hare becu recorded wheredry wood was ignited by eceaupiog stiami, and, as an exporilment, oil-saturated rotlon waste and dry pine wood have been liglted by tie steam from a boiler at a distnmce of twelve feet, the boiler pressure at the time being only 951bs., and the temperature 335 degrees. The material burst into flame iu a few minutes. An adcvertisement appearing in a Coalifornia paper about a new eathenwaro coffin, combibing thie advantages of durability, cleanliness and chrealcuess, the editor, in a paragraphic spuf, reanrks " tihat ay one haviug ose used this collin, would use sio other!" £We don't see if there are people in thie world tecelnicslly kbown as " undertak-ers,' and they use a great many cofilss. ]esides, cofllins are made now-a-days with appliances for easy exit, so that it is opes to anO one to try before buyiog.-?. I.]