Sydney Chronicle (NSW : 1846 - 1848), Saturday 23 January 1847, page 2


THE BUNYIP, OR KINE PRATIE. (From the Port Phillip Patriot.) From the earliest date of our intercourse with the aborigines there has always been a traditional ru-mour amongst them of a creature hitherto sup-posed to be fabulous, and many extraordinary stories have from time to time been current as to the con-formation and habits of this animal. Speculation and enquiry have been on the rack to find out, first — whether there was any reasonable foundation for these traditional rumours; and secondly — supposing the animal to exist; to what genus or species of animals does it belong ? At the Hunter's River the reports of the natives would lead us to classify it with the carnivorous species. In this locality it is called Yaa-hoo, and is described as having much resemblance in form to the human figure, but with frightful features — the feet like those of a man, but reversed or turned backwards. In the immediate neighbourhood of the river the animal is called Wowee Wowee, and the blacks picture its haunts and habits as purely aquatic. It is a fact well known to residents and others near that river that the aborigines will not readily venture into the deep and dark pools which remain when its bed is par-tially dried up. On the Murrumbidgee River, es-pecially on the lower parts, rumours of the existence of this animal are more than usually rife, and there. the aborigines far and wide describe the creature as inhabiting the waters. From their account it has a head and neck like an emu, with a long and flowing mane-feeding on crayfish (with which the river abounds( and occasionally on a stray blackfellow ; that it inhabits the darkest and deepest parts of the river, and in some of the lakes and lagoons that longest retain water. This account appears to be " nearer the mark" than any we have met with, and the facts we are about to detail will settle the question, as to whether such a creature ever existed or not, An animal never yet described by any naturallst " lives, moves, and has its being" at the present day, in the continent of New Holland, or in the most

sceptical point of view, it is clear that it cannot be very long since such an animal did live in the land or water of the Terra Australis incognita. At the station of Mr. Hobler, on Lake Paika (situate some 25 miles below, the junction of the Lachlan and Murrumbidgee) it has been observed that the natives have ever evinced a strong disinclination to bathe in the lake, alleging that the Kine Pratie would attack and devour them, and some short time since two of Mr. Hobler's servants solemnly stated that, on looking early one morning across the lake, they espied on the other side of it, two animals, which they at first supposed to be two horses, but being puzzled about the movements of the creatures, they rode round to satisfy themselves on the sub-ject, but on arriving at the spot they could discover no tracks or trace of any animal whatever. If what they saw, or fancied they saw, were horses it is pro-bable they would have left some traces behind them, but as no traces were found the only conclusion to be arrived at is, either that the creatures they saw were aquatic animals and seen on the water, or that the whole was an optical delusion. Now we may easily suppose that one man's sight and senses may be imposed on, or pervererted, but that the sight and senses of two men could be simultaneously and similary deceived in open day light, is a matter of no easy belief. Mr. Hobler writes thus — "Two Kine Praties have been seen at the same time at Paika, and that there is such a creature we are now sure, as the skull of one, evidently of recent date, and therefore in perfect preservation, has been seen by Mr. Phelps, a settler in the neighbourhood, and Mr. Stack, brother to the Rev. Mr. Stack, at Maitland — it was picked up near Waldare, and is in possession of Mr. Fletcher. Another was picked up by one of the Adelaide travellers, who very sagaciously threw it away, but thinks he can find it again." — Mr. Hobler offered to purchase the skull of Mr. Fletcher, who, well knowing the value of the prize he had got, would not so much as listen to his offer. The skull here alluded to is either in the possession of Mr. Fletcher, son of Dr. Fletcher, or of Mr. Gilbert, Secretary of the Mechanics' Institute. It is described as being the skull of an animal of the carnivorous order, as is ascertained from the teeth, with a very large cavity for the brain, and a long protruding bill or jaw, which: is broken off before the molares ; the lower part is altogether wanting, and so is the top of the skull. Sufficient is however left to show that it belongs to an order of animals not yet described as either of anti or post diluvian existence. Mr. Hobler also writes, that he has been informed one of these creatures was lately seen at Lake Tarla. situate about eight miles from Lake Paika, making a great disturbance in the water, and that another is known to be in a smaller lake which is fast drying up, somewhere in the same neigh-bourhood, and that a strict watch is being kept up. with the hope of taking the creature as the element so necessary to its existence recedes. The Weragerie blacks call the creature the Kine Pratie, but the Mutmuts, Watti-wattis, and other tribes, have each their own names for it. RENEWAL OF TRANSPORTATION. — A pub-lic meeting on this subject is to be held at the Court House, Windsor, on Wednesday next, the 27th instant, at noon. The meeting has been called for the discussion of the question, by persons both for and against the measure. THE REVENUE. — From an abstract of the Quarter's revenue, ending December 31st, 1846. published in the Government Gazette of Tuesday last, it appears that the increase on the corresponding quarter of the year 1845, has only been 9£ 17s. 5d. The principal item in the decrease is on assessment of stock by Commissioners of Crown Lands 2235£ 1s. 8d. ; there was also a decrease of 805£ 18s 2d. on proceeds of the sale of public property ; and 836£ 9s. 5d. on quit rents, and redemption of quit rents. Amongst the items of increase, the largest are duties on spirits imported. 2261£ 6s. ; and ad valorem goods imported, 1644£ 7s. 10d. From another abstract of the year's revenue, it appears that the increase upon the whole year has been 12,276£. 17s. 10. The principal items of increase are as follow:— Duties on spirits imported, 10,563£ 18s. 21d.; assessment on stock by Commissioners of Crown Lands, 8027£ 10s. 11d.; duty on spirits distilled in the Colony, 4271£ 1s. ; proceeds of the sale of land and town altotments, 1243£ 1s. 3d.; quit rents, and redemption of quit rents, 873£ 12s. 3d. ; proceeds of the sale of public property, 950£ 6s. 10 ; post office collections, 720£ 1s. 7d. ; fees of the several offices of the Supreme Court, 504£ 17s; fees of the Courts of Requests, 445£ 19s. 10d ; fines collected by the several Courts of Petty Sessions, 453£ 12s. 3d. ; proceeds of the sale of confiscated and unclaimed property, 450£ 14s. 7d. ; fines collected by the Sheriff, 322£ 9s. 6d. INQUEST ON THE JOCKEY MARSDEN. — This inquest which commenced on Saturday last, before C. Bethel Lyons, Esq., coroner at Parra-matta, was terminated on Wednesday. A good deal of evidence was taken, and one of the witnesses the Jockey Higgerson who was in the race, gave it as his opinion that the accident was owing to the jockey Gilligan drawing his mare across the one deceased was riding, after deceased was along-side of him; whilst two other witnesses, Mr. Dixon and Mr. McKay, were of the opinion that deceased was to blame, and that he had acted foolishly in attempting to pass inside Gilligan's mare. From the evidence of Dr. Hill of the Parra-matta Hospital, it appeared that deceased had received a very extensive fracture of the cranium on the right side of the head, and a considerable portion of the bone was depressed on the brain. The deceased, when taken to the hospital was insensible. The depressed bone was raised, after which the deceased recovered a good deal, and appeared better. After two days he became conscious, and so remained until the twelfth day, when the pressure on the brain returned and continued to increase till Saturday morning, when he died. Death was caused by the fracture of the skull, but immediately by the forma-tion of matter on the membrane of the brain. The deceased did not recollect the accident. The jury after being in consultation for some time, returned thie following verdict :— "The jury have carefully considered the evidence before them, and are of opi-nion that George Marsden met his death in conse-quence of coming in contact with a post on Home-bush Course, and that John Gilligan, having pressed Marselen on the off side, was the occasion of his striking the post. The jury, therefore, consider that Gilligan did not act with that caution which he should have done, and that, in order if possible, to prevent similar occurrences, a severe reprimand should be passed on Gilligan; with a further recom-mendation from the jury that Gilligan be not allowed to run races for the future. A GENTLEMAN ATTORNEY !— We have been favoured by a friend with the sight of a bill of costs, in which, after enumerating all the items of services performed, the gentleman winds up with five shillings for writing his bill, six shil-lings and eightpence for attending to receive it, and thirteen shillings and fourpence for receipting it Upon being remonstrated with upon the illegality, of his charge, the cool reply was, "The Court allows it." Now we tell this gentleman, the Court does not allow more than one charge for attendance to receive an account; and if it did, it might as well legalise its officers as public robbers at once. What would any gentleman think of a bootmaker who would furnish his bill thus — Attending to take measure .. 0 6 8 Receiving Instructions .. 0 6 8 Making boots .. .. 2 2 0 Making out bill .. .. 0 5 0 Receipting same .. .. 0 13 4 and who will say that the bootmaker is not as well entitled to the charge as the attorney ? Oh Joshua ! Joshua ! ! ! CURE FOR THE BITE OF SNAKES OR OTHER VENOMOUS REPTILES.—A correspondent who signs himself P. has furnished to the Sydney Herald of yesterday an extract from the Hongkong Gazette, signed by H. J. Thornton, Assistant Surgeon, in

which that gentleman states that ipecacuana paste applied by him in two cases, to the bite of a snake and of a poisonous fish, effected a perfect cure. As death is frequently the result in this Colony of the bite of snakes. we feel it to be only an act of duty to give all the publicity we can to the above, and we would advise the immediate application of this remedy in any case which may hereafter come under the observation of any of our readers. We shall also be happy to hear of a well authenticated cure having been effected by this simple remedy, which is stated to be likewise very efficacious for the bite of cen-tipedes. A BOLTER, — We understand that a clerk in one of the Insurance offices of this city has bolted, robbing his employers to the amount of about £5,000. THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE. — For a considerable time past, the complaints made by the police force relative to the treatment they experience at the hands of this functionary, have been, not only loud, but deep. They are about to come to an explosion at last, one of the force being determined to beard the lion in his den, and lay the arcana of the present system of police misgovernment before his Excellency Sir C. Fitz Roy.