Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), Wednesday 29 November 1826, page 2


Shipping Intelligence

Yesterday arrived, from England, which she left on the 9th of July, via the Mauritius, His Majesty's ship Success, of 28 guns, and 171 men, Captain Stirling, with specie for the Colony.

On Monday last arrived, from Port Dalrymple, which place she left the 10th instant, the Colonial cutter Speedwell, Joseph James Master. Lading, 627 bushels of wheat, 4 bales of wool, 12 bullock hides, and 50 sheep skins.

On Sunday last arrived, the ship Speke, Robert Harrison, Commander, with 156 male prisoners on board. She left Sheerness the 8th of August, and comes direct. The guard consists of Lieutenant Scarman, 30th Regt, who is accompanied by Mrs. Scarman and four children. Surgeon Superinten-dent, Dr. Osborne, R. N.

On Saturday last sailed, for Batavia, the ship Chapman, Captain Milbank.

Yesterday sailed, for Hobart Town, the Sydney

Packet.

Projected Departures.—The Governor

Phillips, for the Isle of France, and the Governor Arthur, for Port Dalrymple, are announced to sail to-morrow ; and the Regalia, for London, on Friday.

REMAIN IN THE HARBOUR,

His Majesty's ships Warspite, Volage, and Success.

SHIPS Corsair,

Speke, Wellington, Boyne, Hawels,

Regalia, Woodlark.

Adrian, sciioohbr Ardent (hulk) Alligator

Portland. CUTTERS

BRIGS Speedwell,

Earl of Liverpool, Governor Arthur, and Fame, Fanny. Governor Phillips,

Twenty Thousand Pounds—a most accepta-ble sum—has arrived on His Majesty's ship Success, in British specie. This supply will effect wonders in the mercantile and trading world, and we hope will convince the Public—the unbelieving por-tion—of the necessity that exists for accrediting what we promulgate from time to time. The Home Government looks after our interest in this part of the world, and will never forsake us so long as we conduct ourselves consistently with the character of Britons. The poor dollars will now certainly be driven off, and the sixpences, shillings, and half crowns, will be flying about in every direction.

His Majesty's ship Success relieves the Fly on this station. The Success has instructions, we understand, to proceed to Melville Island, which settlement is to be broken up, and the whole of the establishment is to be brought further Eastward ; since it is found that the present Settlement is without the track of the trade of the Malays, which was the primary object of the Government, in its formation, to secure.

The Speke left Sheerness the 8th of August, up to which date she brings Papers. These, however, contain scarcely any thing of importance-indeed, we may say, there is hardly any thing new. ' Very few letters have arrived by this opportunity, though the Government received a huge quantity of des-patches.

The Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen's Land, it is said, is most certainly to be relieved, and his Successor, some go so far as to report, is named.

We understand the Honorable Mr. M'Arthur has received advices of this fact, if it be not corroborated upon higher authority. We always conjectured how unexplained misrepresentation would terminate. Colonel Arthur should have despatched one of his Cabinet Ministers to Downingwstreet, by which'

means his enemies would have been foiled.

A new Attorney General is appointed for Van Diemen's Land. By birth, it is said, the learned Gentleman is from Hibernia, and one of the O's. We

should hope ¿nat the report in circulation, of his non possession of talent, isfoundedin any thingbut truth,

since we feel assured that the Home Government

must, by this time, see the necessity of sending out public men of zeal, talent, and integrity,

Our Readers will observe the present state of the Mother Country by a perusal of our Extracts. England still languishes, though there can be little doubt entertained that her future march of pros-perity, after these trifling storms subside, will be -unimpeded.

Having been most obligingly honored with Pa-pers up to the Gth of August, all the Euglish News our columns con afford will appear.

The Sydney Gazette.-In looking at No. ?Ï of this Journal, and at No. 1203, we are not a little astonished and gratified, because the points of comparison almost form a perfect con-trast. The progress of the eldest Journal of Australia, for very many years, and even up to 1823, wa3 indeed but slow, if not imper-ceptible. "Its Founder, with the commencement of 1803, who may justly be styled the Father of Typography in this distant hemisphere, prog-nosticated even that an era would arrive, when his efforts, in the public cause, should be crowned with distinguished success; and although, in his day, the Sydney Gazette "was chiefly distin-guished for its utility, aud not on account of its political character, yet^ we all know that th

character it Uten sustained arose from necessity and not from any paucity of talent in the active Proprietor. In the late Administration, which was marked for its liberality in favour of the Free, dom of the Press, the predictions of our-Pro-genitor began to be fulfilled. The Censorship, that bane of public discussion, that destructive enemy to the moral and political happiness of man-kind in every age, and in every nation where it

prevails, was exercised with a most, liberal hand by Major Goulburn, who never interfered» except on one or two occasions, which were brooked to with silent, though sullen, dissatisfaction ; but we have no wish to attribute any kind of censure to the Major, because he was invested with extraordinary power at (he time, and might have exercised his Censorial duties in a way that would have been not only detrimental to the interests of the Colony at large, but also entirely destructive to the prospect of the Paper, though he otherwise nobly comported himself. In 1824, however, to the surprise and gratification of the Colonists, the only Paper published here, made its appearance in nearly its present enlarged size, and thus paved the way for those Journals which have subsequently appeared. It was conjectured hy some that we should not be able to conduct it upon so large a plan, even during the first year-they did not reflect that the People had begun to think and to feel that they were Britons ; and, when the Aus-tralian became talked of, it was confidently antici-pated, either that the Gazette would be eclipsed by the new Paper, on account of ih coming out armed with thunder and lightning, and all the habiliments of war requisite to prosecute an oppo-sition campaign, or that the Gazette would make a successful stand against the formidable ar-ray of gentlemen and scholars, and thus render the prospects of a second, or secondary, Journal en-tirely abortive ; but we have lived long enough to ascertain that the Public of New South Wales, whilst they have flatteringly supported the eldest Journal, have also imparted a comfortable sub-sistence to the Australian. The inclinations of the Public were put to the test when a third, but at present suspended Paper made it3 appearance» and claimed patronage and support, under the de-signation of the Express. This paper started in May 1825, with about 300 subscribers, and would have continued unto the present hour, but from the circumstance of finding it necessary that the Ga-zette should be published twice a-week, from the same Office at which the Express was printed; and, as the mechanical means were not adequate to such labour, the Express unfortunately dropped, whilst its subscriptions continued at 300 in num-ber, during the period of its publication. Li Oc-tober 1825b t'»e Gazctte, therefore, came forth twice in each week ; and, to demonstrate that the liberality of the Public kept pace with the energies of the Colonial Press, the Australian, somewhere about the month of May, continued to imitate the Gazette, by also coming out twice a-week. At this crisis we certainly had our fears, though not for ourselves, that the Public might become too econo-mical ; by which means the patronage of the Press would possibly be subjected to diminution. How-ever, it is clear, despite of our intimate acquain-tance with the People of Australia, that we had only entertained a very superficial view of their charac-ter ; for, lo, and behold ! in the month of May, with his eye askance, a third Journal, 'yclept the Monitor, rushes into the field. Well ! and has this last Paper met with any thing like common maintenance ? We believe it has-and that already so kind and considerate has the Public been, the Proprietors have some thoughts of lifting up their aspiring heads, in the course of time, with their venerable compeers. The reason of this liberality is evident. The people have begun to- feel and think, as we have j ust stated, that the required infor-mation. The best means that presented themselves were the public Papers, and the Public were re-solved to support that medium by which free, and liberal, and patriotic discussion was secured. The amor patria nobly begins to predominate over every other feeling?. Thus it will be seen, and no doubt wondered at by that part of the world which interests itself iu our fate,'a that five Papers, one being of pretty huge dimensions, are issued weekly, in the Town of Sydney alone; and we trust it has been satisfactorily made to appear-a fact that speaks volumes in favour of this rising empire, that the public purse continues to flow in propor-tion to the growing efforts of the Press of Autralia. We believe we may, with confidence, challenge any part of the world, under the peculiar circum-stances in which we have been placed, to afford an instance wherein any Colony, or any Empire, has made such simultaneous and manly efforts in favour of political discussion : in this respect, proud and aggrandized America is a fool to us ; Hindostán cannot hold a candle to us ; and there is not a Co-lony attached to the British Empire that puts forth more respectable Journals than those produced in Australia. * When we speak of America, be it re-membered, that time alone is regarded ; since we

know that, in New York, there are two or three I respectable Papers published ; but, in reference to most, if not all the other States, even the Monitor would be considered a phoenix. Jonathan "guesses" aud " calcúlales'" so pieposterously, as to give the Monitor au evident superiority over him. When we cast our eyes to the West India Islands, and keep in view the Monitor, the latter would unquestionably produce an eclipse, such meagre looking Journals do those Colonies of ages continue to publish. The Royal Gazette of Jamaica-and Jamaica is rather of an antiquated complexion-costs £o per an-num, is published weekly, and does not by any means come up to the scratch with the Australian. Even the Irish Papers, a solitary instance perhaps excepted, we say, do not surpass the Papers printed in this Colony. For many years, at the Cape of Good Hope, the rag of a Paper called the Govern-ment Gazette, was u disgrace to its species, and

but for the timely introduction of Mr. Greig, the disgrace would have/ still continued... But, let us look to Hindostán, that presumes ecclesiastically to

lord it over us. There is not one Journal in that immense, interesting, and enriching quarter of the globe, that we should feel ambitious to own ; yet, as this may justly be attributable to the prohibi-tion of free discussion, every allowance ought conse-quently to be made for the apparent absence of that spirit and tact which should display themselves in Papers conducted by Englishmen. The Public of New South Wales, therefore, have handsomely acted in extending liberal support to the Journals of the day, and whilst that patronizing spirit diffuses itself throughout our Community, the Proprietors of every Journal should take fresh courage to go for-ward, never ceasing to be animated by those im-pulses which originate in the most laudable motives that can possibly influence the mind of the sincere Patriot. Satisfied, therefore, as we are with the feeling of the Public towards its zealous servants, and conscious that the era has amued.when energy should be redoubled permanently to promote the public weal, upon the very best counsel that could possibly be procured, it is known that we fully pur-pose to convert the Sydney Gazette into a Daily Paper. Though the undertaking assumes an overwhelming aspect,. and to common minds may appear impracticable, yet we feel the fullest confidence in beiug able lo complete our project one that we have looked forward to with much anxiety. If we were led to suppose-and we dare not think thus meanly of our enlightened and li-beral Patrons-that public support would diminish, when our zeal and tnients must become quadrupled, we would not be so insane as to make the es-say ; but, as we have before said againand again, we place implicit reliance in the universal countenance of the Australian Public. A daily Paper in the interior, weare aware, would sensibly deteriorate, in its utility, did it not reach (he principal towns on the day of publication, but, even in the event of no public conveyance, which we think impossible, being established, we are providing against such casualties, so that the towns of Parramatta, Wind-sor, and possibly Liverpool, may receive their Gazettes on the morning of publication, and we .calculate that the Papers will reach Windsor every day by 11 or 12 o'clock. Until regular posts are established, in a pecuniary sense, we shall suffer considerably, but that will not be regarded so long as the supporters of our Journal are satisfied with our exertions. Advertisers and Contributors, as we shall have Agents in the towns of Windsor and Liverpool, anti a Receiving Office in Parramatta, will be saved the expense of postage, whilst their communications will be forwarded with certainty and despatch. The price of our Journal cannot be less than four-pence halfpenny, or not exceeding five pence, and the price for advertisements will be somewhat assimilated (o the customs of America, and such cheapness must ensure the unintermitting proponderation of advertisements, Thus far have we thought is advisable to descant upon the labours in which we are about to embark, though we had nearly forgotten to make one observation, and a very important one, viz.-that to those subscribers who may live so remotely, as not possibly to re , ceive the Gazette above twice or thrice a week, will nevertheless be equally as new to them as upon the present system, and much more reasonable, for, instead of two Papers at one shilling and six-pence, they will receive six papers for 2s. 3d. or 2s. Gd. at the most, so that for the odd nine-pence or twelve-pence, there will be an increase of four Journals, each of which will be printed in such type, as to contain as much, if not more, than the present sized Australian ! The Government, too, and the various Public Departments, it must be recollected, will no longer be confined to two days in the week, as regards the publicity of Ordinances, Notices, &c since the Authorities will have the very great advantage of having a Daily Paper con-tinually at their command; and this alone, both as regards the Government and the governed, will be attended with the most advantageous results to the Colony. Independent of this however, our friends in the interior, and distant Settlements, have not the opportunity, if they all possess the means, of falling in with the popular periodicals of the day, in which are embraced all that concerns man in every age and in every state. From these in-teresting sources of pleasure and improvement it will be our study to make copious extracts, which from their length and importance will require being pub-lished in consecutive numbers, and by these means the Sydney Gazette will not only be the Official Organ as regards Public Notifications, but it will also con-tinue the same useful vehicle of politics that has rendered its career so distinguished, and will like-wise embrace all that is instructive and amusing, and become a source of pleasure to the extending literatioi Australia. From these periodicals we shall

not fail to select those scientific articles which will be useful to the Colony in general, bul particularly so to the youth of genius, who are to become our future philosophers. By this means the rising race of the Colony will be supplied with the opinions, re-searches, and results of experiments of men in eveiy department of science-of men, whose labours com-mand the admiration and reverence of the world.

Let the heads of families only reflect on the paucity of manufactures in this Colony-the successful in-troduction of steam-the resources of the country and it will evidently appear that this part of our plan will command the attention of the Public. Therefore, in whichever way our Daily Paper may be viewed, it cannot be seen iu a disadvantageous light, though we confess, had we the means of sending it every morning to each Subscriber throughout the Country, it would doubtless increase that pleasure we at all times experience when laboriously engaged in the public cause. Perhaps enough has been advanced to enlighten the mind of prejudice even, should that feeling exist in any breast, especially when we mention the fact, that the moment Australia produces a Daily Paper, at that instant, in this respect, she rises superior to Scotland, in which kingdom a Daily Paper is a- thitig unknown. But we must be content to let our humble efforts speak for them-selves, and therefore consign the subject to the con-sideration of that liberal and discriminating Public who, \vu have no doubt, with us, will energetically

strive to "advance Australia,"

Private letters have arrived from some of Sir Thomas Brisbane's Suite, but nothing very in-teresting is related.

Major Goulburn, on the third day after his arrival in London, set ort' for Ireland to join his family, alter an absence of nearly 6 years.

The new Solicitor General, James Holland, Esq. with his Lady and family, has arrived on the Speke. His salary is £800 a-year, . as Commis-sioner of the Court of Requests, into which depart-ment we suppose, he will immediately step. The learned Gentleman is quite Neto to (lie Colony, and his name being Holland, it seems rather a-propos.

The Martin-a 20-gun ship-which was convey-ing the despatches from the Admiralty to S r James Brisbane, whilst on the Indian station, has never been heard of. It is supposed that she must have foundered in some of the gales which were prevalent at the time of year she was expected ; in which case all the crew haye haplessly perished.

The ilap-daih lucubration! of brother Ned, and hit twelve-penny orations in behalf of crimen and criminals, nave startled not a few of ihe thinking part of the Public, whilst there wa« scarcely a rag-amuffin in the Colony that did not

" Grin horribly.a ghastly smile,"

when they saw the pitiful sneaking manner in which he strive!, in his last paper, to compromise matters wi.h the Australian. But the most absurd portion of his paper, it that part where he boast» what he will do in case an attempt should be made i to injure public morals and public freedom. It I would be but waste of words to prove that the Monitor's moiality, leaving Christianity entirely out of the question, is completely at variance' with the opinions entertained by every civilized nation on eurth, because we have repeatedly shown this already. His constant couspurcation of the most sacred and healthy institutions of his Country, hat rendered him an abject of derision and curiosity to those who hold virtue in the least regard. We do not intend, on the present occasion, to ex-tend our remarks to any thing beyond a few of the vapid opinions which he delivered in his last number, and we would not even condescend

I lo, do this, were it not that we entertain some

slight hopes of eventually converting him to i the dictates of reason. In giving his opinion ' on the proposed Regulations of the Government

respecting the granting of tickets of leave and emancipations, he says they are inoperative and amount to tanlaltzulion, and proposes that " four-teen years men and life men should be placed in the same scale, as to tickets of leave, as the seven years men," and thus endeavours to set up his judgment agaiuit those laws which have been framed by the collective wisdom of his Country. It was but a short time ago that he argued in de-fence of the classification of prisoners, but alas, how mutable are the opinions of this poor infatu-ated man ! Now he would reduce them all to one

common level; the good, the bad, and the indif fereat, although the only consolation which the well intcntioned short sentenced man has, is his consciousness of not having dipped so deep in crime as he whose atrocity has caused him to be deprived of hi» liberty for life. Were the Govern-ment to act upon the plan proposed by the Moni-tor, distinction would be destroyed, and in place of having criminals transported to our shores for inferior crimes, we should have none but such as had perpetrated those which had incurred all but death. In every nation, civil and barba-rian, punishment is, or ought to be, inflicted ac-cording to the nature of the offence. " An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth," says the old-est law authority which we have extant, but the Monito«' says no, it should only be a tooth for an eye, whilst his own practice is at'variance with his profession, as the records of the Police catt testify. Had the Monitor considered the opinions which he had given to be correct, why should he have attempted and succeeded in preventing a life man from obtaining a ticket of leave? Why preach one thing, and practice another ? It is not

declamation alone that will suffice to convince people of the propriety of his wild and unnatural projects, and when what he utters is mere cant, it becomes our obvious duty to expose him. If the levelling system which he proposes were correct, then any sentence beyond seven years is wrong, but even this is a mystery. The grand objec-tion which we have to the Monitor, is the practice to which he invariably adheres, of endeavouring to make it appear that the prisoner is labouring under something unjust, and that the Government acts a cruel and oppressive part towards him.

This sort of conduct we consider to be criminal in the highest degree, because it ia calculated to make the prisoner forget his situation, and imagine that his sufferings arise from oppression, and are not therefore the effect of his own misdeeds. This is the very way to harden and render these men desperate. Remove from them the consciousness of their own misdeeds-make them believe that their punishment is unmerited-and there is no calculating what the result may be ; yet this is what the Monitor is constantly aiming at, and on the present occasion he remarks, " it is no use saying the fellows ought to be this and that, and that they have a particular duly to perform in submitting to the caprice, contumely, and bru« ta lily of their Botany Bay masters." This is the way in which the Monitor propagates his false and malicious slanders, and endeavours to work upon the feelings of hif Barrack dupes; but we will not allow him to do so with impunity, and therefore require him to prove what he so fear-lessly asserts, and to state upon what occasions, and by whom, this infamous doctrine was ever urged. But we know it to be as untrue as it it in-jurious ; and, as far as the Government is con-cerned, it receives no countenance whatever, since every thing which human ingenuity can devise is had resource to, in order to prevent oppression, to benefit the settler, and to humanise the cri-minal, who, if he&uffers from brulal treatment,has his remedy pointed out to him. '* A man, (says he), beyond fifty, transported for life, may, by that principle, be said to be cul off from.all reasonable hope," and he again says "we think, and always thought, that to extend a convict's term of pro-bation in proportion to the length of his sentence, without regard to his age, is very objectionable." For our own part, although we are 6trongly in-clined to the exercise of lenity, we would feel a much greater difficulty in shortening the proba-tion of an aged than a juvenile offender, because there is a possibility thal the latter may have erred without contemplating all the consequences, but he who, with ihe experience of half a century, would violate the social compact, is little deserv-ing of commiseration. Bul the Monitor gene-rally claims indulgence for his Barrack suppor-ters as a matter of right, and not of courtesy, although he is sensible that, by the laws of the land, they have forfeited all their rights, and thal whenever clemency is extended to them it ought to be received with gratitude. If the prisoner be doomed to die as well as to live a slave, on whom, we would be glad to know, should the charge of ha'rd-heartedness fall ? . The auda-cious libeller, the Monitor, charges it upon Royally itself, and represents our Government here, as if tiley were a band of cruet and unfeeling task-masters. What, then, is lo be done in order to avert the grievous charge î Why it will just ex-actly amount to this, upon the Monitor's own shewing-Iel loose the whole of the prison popu-lation, because it is cruel lo exact work from them, as one part of them are old, and another pan young; never prosecute for robbery or any other offence, or al most, if criminals should be prose-

cuted, do liol punish them when found guilty, be-cause that will be vastly cruel; discharge them immediately, and they will become sober and in-dustrious; for the Monitor sajs, he has "proved that convicts (his favourite expression) will do more work voluntarily than when under coercion," and for which cause they ought to be all set at large. To what an admirable state would society be reduced were this system lo be carried into tffeel ! but the Monitor would do away with all

law-the unfortunate man would be knocked

down and plundered without the hope of obtain-ing redress-and we would be reduced to a state worse than the most barbarous nation ou earth

This would be the effect of the Monitorial sys. tem, yet lie still continue« to utter hil frantic denunciations witlvall the arrogance of the most profound coxcomb. We are much afraid that we will long bave cause to consider all that he may be capable of saying, aa

" Tain told by an idiot,

Full of lound and fury, lijrnifyinp; nothing,"

The long rigmarole stories, both in the Austra-lian and in the Monitor, about the,New South Wales Corps, are, indeed, rather of the riddle-ma-ree description. These men, no doubt, were told that they would be " superintendents and overseers of convicts," but not before opportunities presented themselves for their services. Now, it happens, that many have been appointed to such posts, and many others will also be put into office as soon as circumstances admit, but until that period or« rives, it cannot be a very great hardship, we should think, in order to maintain discipline, to require them to perform garrison duty. As for the story of these troops being in worse circum-stances now than they were in England, we think it rather anomalous, since with their " full rations," mid their good pay, they cannot be much less com-fortable here, with the prospect of bettering their condition too, than even could have been the case in England. Not regarding what our contemporaries have advanced upon the subject, we cannot help offering it as our opinion, that impatience is a spirit that should not be allowed to vitiate the minds of staid old soldiers ; for we feel assured that they, in common with others of His Majesty's loyal sub-jects, will meet with every consideration to which their continued good conduct muy entitle them. Rome was not built in a day.

« We do not expect the present Commissary General to make any improvements in his office at this late time of day ;" and then the Monitor pro-ceeds to vituperate the alleged " gross impropriety of tenders being opened and shewn to the under-lings of office, when the parties making such ten« deis are all absent." Now, we suppose, were the Public Departments to be searched all round, that there are not two more particular Officers than Mr. Wemyss and Mr. Lithgow. All tenders are committed to certain boxes or places assigned for them, the keys of which are kept from all " under-lings in office," and on the day of examination, the tenders are opened in the presence of those Officers who are specially appointed for that pur-pose. There is not a word of truth in the JWoni tor's statement in this respect; and the utmost fairness and impartiality have been invariably ma-nifested to every tender. But, we say, to the proof ! -«-^-*^

Among the vessels which had sailed, or were about to sail, when the Speke left Sheerness, were the following :-The Phoenix, Grenada, Woodford, and Sir Charles Forbes, with prisoners ; and the Admiral Cockburn, Magnet, Cumberland, and Tiger, with merchandize.

The London Gazette, of July 31, notices the Eromotion of Assistant Surgeon Ivory, of the 3d

legt. (Buffs) vite Dr. Anderson, the present Surgeon of that Regt, who retires on half pay.

Much has been said about the tolls of late, and the lamentable difficulties the settlers are put to in paying them, although the rates are precisely what they were originally, and what they have ever since been. Had the Community felt or considered these rates to be oppressive, a contemporary might have had some reason for his remarks, although the posi-tive necessity would have still existed for their exaction. It would be well if people would pause before they presumed to wag their tongues against

beneficial institutions.

An article in the last Monitor - states, that " it is reported the Reverend John Joseph Therry, a man of truly apostolic zeal, affection, and humility," &c. &c. We suppose Mr.Hall had in view Mr. Therry's letters to Governor Mac-quarie-Mr. Therry's letter» to Sir Thomas Brisbane-and Mr. Therry's letters to His pre-

sent Excellency. Humility ! ! !

We are glad to see, whilst in the humour, that the Monitor so respectfully apologised to Dr. Douglass for his misconception of the nature and profits of that Gentleman's public situation.

" We are the Wilberforce« of Australia," says the Monitor, and we believe him, if Wilberforce has been the advocate of drunkenness and adultery, and has insisted on liberating the most abandoned criminals, and of letting them loose upon society,

in order to amend their morals !

No doubt Mr. Dunn, and Messrs. Cormick and Amsden, would feel particularly obliged for the genteel manner in which their, names were taken notice of in the Monitor on Friday last. We would seriously recommend this bungling Editor to use a little discretion when talking of such vigilant and praiseworthy officers.

Mrs. Bodenham'g new millinery warehouse has not only been honoured with the call of Mrs. Dar-ling, but many of the principal Ladies of the Co-lony, who were anxious to witness the choice and variegated specimens that have thus been so re-cently imported. We have much regret to state, however, that Mrs. Bodenham was utterly incapable of attending to those distinguished FASHION-ABLES, on account of the severe illness and lamented demise of an only and lovely little daughter, named Emma, aged 5 years and 6 months. This domestic and very tender bereavement will sufficiently apolo-gise for any apparent want of attention on the part

of the afflicted Mrs. Bodenham.

The heat, and hot wind of Saturday last, excelled all that we ever experienced in the Colony. On board the Volage, in the shade, the thermometer was 106°, and onshore it was, in some parts of the town, 100°, and in others 104°. To traverse the streets was truly dreadful ; the dust rose in thick columns ; and the N. W. wind, from which quarter our hot winds invariably proceed, was assisted in its heat by the surrounding country being all on fire so that those persons, who were obliged to travel, felt themselves encircled with lambent flames. Syd-ney was more like the mouth of Vesuvius than any thing else. Sunday, however, brought a change of wind, since which the weather has been somewhat

more endurable.

During the extensive and frightful conflagration that occurred in the woods on Saturday last, the house occupied by Mr. Milsom, an industrious settler, in Neutral Bay, at the North Shore, was consumed. Mr. M. was from home at the time, and his wife and five children were on the spot, destitute of the assistance of a man servant. The whole of the property was destroyed, and the inmates, especially Mrs. Milsom, with difficulty escaped with their lives, though Mrs. M. was much burnt. Never before was any thing equal to the devastation which the fire has effected ; the grass, is destroyed for miles upon miles, and the trees are continually falling, to the danger of the traveller beneath, from the effects of being burnt at the roots. Mr. Wollstonecraft's lovely retreat at the North Shore has shared in the ruin which many poor people have experienced, the fence and huts of the men being destroyed, though the cottage escaped uninjured. It is feared that cattle in this neigh-bourhood have been burnt to death, as many head are missing. We have just heard that a poor man was burnt to death on Saturday, at Kissing Point, in endeavouring to save his little all.