Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Wednesday 5 February 1862, page 3


QUEENSLAND.

By the Samson, we have papers from Brisbane to the

1st instant.

The Guardian of that date mentions that the Rev. Mr. Creyke was free from pain, and altogether better than he has been since the accident took place, but there is every reason to fear that the sight of one eye has been most seriously injured, if not altogether de-

stroyed.

The same paper states that the total amount of revenue collected at Brisbane during the month of January, 1862, was £¿161 6s. 8d., which is greatly in excess "of the amount collected in the corresponding month of last year.

About two-thirds of the immigrants per Saldanha arrived in the city by the Breadalbane, during the afternoon of Friday. They numbered 380, a large proportion being first-rate mechanics and artizan«, viz., carpenters, joiners, masons! &c.

The Rockhampton Bulletin of the 26th ultimo reports as follows :- A man named John Corbett, a shepherd,

belonging to the Sweeptakes, in company with Joe Ellison, left the ship on a piece of plank about four-teen inches wide and ten feet long, intending to paddle themselves over to Curtis Island, for which purpose one of the men had provided himself with a couple of chips. The tide, however, was too strong for them, and they were taken out into the bar, until they lost sight of the vessel. They contrived to get on to a rock about eight miles distant from the main-land, where they remained over night, and in the morning they set off again with the plank to endea-vour to make the ship. They propelled themselves in a singular way, one man sitting astride the plank and paddling with his hands, the outer swimming and pushing the plank before him. They sighted the ship about nine a.m., but could not reach her ; they, how-ever, eventually made the land near Broad Mount. They lay in the bush that night, and in the morning they came to a creek, which they could not cross ; they tried to head the creek; but failing in that, Corbett swam across, and left his companion to wait until the tide receded. He shortly afterwards saw the Ben Bolt, and was taken on board. The missing man found his way to Archer's Cattle Station. He was very much exhausted, but has since recovered.

The Maryborough Chronicle, states that twenty five acres of land have been planted with cotton in that district, by two white mea and some blacks.

THE BLACKS.-The Burnett Argus says :- We have just received intelligence from the Upper Burnett

River, that the blacks have there congregated en masse, no fewer than five or six hundred of them being located in the vicinity of Dalgangal. Among the mob are some of our old acquaintances, Mr. Peter and Co., upon whose sanguinary cobras retributive justice should inflict her direst punishment. This aboriginal (Mr. Peter) is accused of the murder of a cook at Mr. Landsburg's, and also of causing the death of a German on Messrs. Ridler's station ; Killa-murry is also with the mob ; his name is well known to the inhabitants of the Burnett, in connection with the murder of Mr. Tiverton, of Rawbelle. The audacity of these blacks in thus coming to the vicinity of our dwellings, after the crimes they have committed, is unparalleled, as is also the cowardice of those persons who, knowing such murderers to be in existence, lack courage to shoot them.

SOME OF THE DOINGS OF THE ABORIGINES.-The Upper Burnett correspondent of the Queensland Guardian, writing of the 6th January to that journal, says that at Cania the blacks are far from quiet, as

the following facts will show :-Two years ago a German shepherd was met by two blacks on his run. They asked him for tobacco, and whilst in the act of

taking it from his pocket, one of the wretches struck his arm with a tomahawk, at the same instant the other also inflicted a wound on his head. He sank on his knees, but recovering himself quickly, sprang up and fired at them without effect. The man is now dead, but his murderers may commonly be seen at the station. They are always in the scrub when the police come, and one who is notorious as the murderer of several other white men, is allowed to walk about these stations with impunity. Eighteen months back, a man of the name of Belmartin, lost his son. It was thought he had absconded, and no tale or tidings heard of him since; but from strict enquiries it turns out that the "very blacks" have turned informers, and it appears by their statement that one "walk-about Jacky" and two others met the boy as he was going home late in the evening, killed and then threw him into a waterhole. Twelve months since, a hutkeeper, at an out station, whilst sitting at the door step, was struck on his face and nearly killed. The would-be murderers then set fire to the yards, which were burned to ashes, and in consequence the station was abandoned. Now, whether these cases have ever been brought to public notice I am not aware, but from all I have heard it is said there are not wanting those who would screen such murderers. I, therefore, feel it to be a duty to mention these things at the present time, as showing that what blacks have been guiltv of before, they have the will to accomplish at pre-sent. Men carry firearms here, but what of that; a few hundred blacks may come on them in an un-guarded moment, and then what will avail their arms? Let the police but establish their station here, and distribute a few ounce balls among the ringleaders, and then we shall have no alarm in their future gatherings.