Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893), Saturday 6 September 1851, page 4


Sydney News.

MARANOA DISTRICT.

(From the Moreton Bay Courier, Aug. 23.)

We have information of a daring outrage committed by the aboriginal natives in the pas-

toral district of Maranoa on the 22nd ultimo. On that morning a party of blacks, amounting in number to four or five hundred, attacked the station of Patrick McEnroe, situated about twenty seven miles from the station of the

Commissioner of Crown lands at Surat. The

stock-keeper was out on the run, and a man named John Carpenter, who was left in charge of the hut, observed that a native black woman, who had been in charge of the milking cows, turned them out of the stockyard, and walked away herself. Immediately afterwards two native blacks appeared, and caught hold of her. Carpenter went out with his gun, and walked towards the spot, when the blacks took shelter behind trees, and he then returned towards his hut. At this moment a native youth, called "Jemmy Hawk," who had been for some time living with the men at the hut, receiving his food, from them in return for his services, called out to Carpenter, not to be afraid, but to come on. At the same time about forty blacks appeared among the trees, and while Carpenter was hastening to his hot, about fifteen or twenty more blacks jumped up from the creek on the other side of him, and the whole of the natives pursued him to the hut. He succeeded, however, in reaching it, and, having barricaded the door, opened the port-holes (which are usually made in huts on the frontiers, for the purpose of resisting the assaults of the natives), and laid the fire-arms on the table. From one of the port-holes he saw about five hundred blacks assembled on a ridge about a hundred and fifty yards from the hut. They were all fully armed and painted white. Carpenter le-velled a gun and called upon them to stand off; but, after a short hesitation, they made a rush at the hut, and surrounded it on all sides. They blocked up the port-holes before Carpenter

had an opportunity of firing at them, but he stabbed one of them in the eye through a chink beside one of the holes. Finding that the blacks were now pressing upon the hut, and observing that some of them were carrying off some meat, he fired and shot one dead. It ap-peared from the deposition of Carpenter that he was hardly pressed, and with difficulty kept off the natives, some of whom climbed on to the roof of the hat, and set fire to the bark roofing. He kept firing at them as he could get an opportunity, and shot four of them in

all. The blacks then drew off to a distance of two or three hnndred yards, taking their dead and wounded with them, and the hutkeeper was taking advantage of the opportunity to endea-vour to extinguish the flames on the roof of the hut, when he heard a shot, and Charles Hunter, the stockkeeper, immediately afterwards came galloping in. It appeared that Hunter, on re-turning to the hut, had found about four or five hnndred blacks around it, with a large lot

of cattle and a horse amongst them. He immediately galloped towards them, and fired at them, and then hastened to the hut, to ascertain the fate of Carpenter, who came out to meet him, bringing the fire-arms. The hut keeper required assistance to extinguish the fire, but Hunter was chiefly anxious to recover the horse from the blacks, as their escape depended upon that. Accordingly he begged Carpenter to hold the hut for a short time, and charging the blacks amidst a shower of spears and boom-erangs, succeeded in driving the horse from them to the hut, where the other man mounted, and both rode off, leaving the hut in flames, and the blacks in charge of the cattle. These facts being duly substantiated on oath before the Commissioner of Crown Land, on the same day, a party was organized as soon as practicable to proceed in pursuit of the stolen cattle. The party followed the blacks, and ascertained on their way that the cattle had been regularly slaugh-tered as they were required for use by the plun-derers. The pursuers came up with the natives near Grafton Range, and, after a conflict in which four of the blacks were killed, succeeded in recovering 150 head of the cattle. — The Charles Hunter mentioned above is the person who accompanied Mr. Gideon S. Lang some time back, as reported in this journal, in his jonrney through the unexplored scrub in the Maranoa district. He is an old dragoon, and quite famous in frontier warfare.

Mr. Walker, the commandant of the native police, had left Surat only the day before the

attack was made on Mr. M'Enroe's station. He

had a body of troopers with him, and had done good service before leaving; but his horses were nearly exhausted, having travelled over from Wide Bay. As he had left Surat for Callandoon, a distance of about 120 miles by a route not be-fore traversed, it was considered useless to send after him. Intelligence had since been received of his having reached Callandoon.

We learn that most of the water-holes in the

lower part of the Balloon were dry, and that the showers which have so recently fallen nearer the coast had not reached the Maranoa district. Mr. Roderick Mitchell, the Commissioner of Crown Lands for that district, proceeded to Sydney in the Beaver, for the purpose of purchasing equipments for the party which he is to conduct

in search of Dr. Leichhardt. Mr. Mitchell ex Eects to return in about six weeks, and to take

is departure on his interesting journey as soon

as may be expedient after the expected rains have fallen in the "far west." A gentleman named Haughton is likely to accompany Mr. Mitchell on

his expedition. Hunter, the stockman, is also to form one of the party.

We are happy to learn that the herbage on the

route between Surat and Drayton appeared fresh and abundant. The graziers in that direction

are likely to have a plentiful Limbing.

It is reported that three grains of gold have been extracted from an isolated piece of quartz

rock found in the Maranoa district.

Mr. Atkins, the Provincial Inspector of Police, was passed about fifty miles this side of Surat, on his way to that station.

TUMUT, AUG. 21. - DESTRUCTIVE FLOOD.— I am sorry to have to report the occurrence of one of the most extraordinary floods that has been known on the Tumut river, and one likely to be serious in its consequences. On Sunday, the 17th, the weather was showery, on Monday it rained steadily the greater part of the day, and only during Monday night and until about noon on Tuesday, the 19th, can it be said to have rained heavily ; certainly on Tuesday morning the rain was quite tropical in its character. About eleven o'clock on Tuesday the Tumut first overflowed its banks, near Mara's public house, and at 1 p.m. the water rose around the stores and public house to an alarming height. Many families on the opposite side the creek now left their huts, and retired to those of their friends on the ranges. About three o'clock the atten-tion of the people in the inn was attracted to

the situation of a woman and two children on the other side of the creek. Her husband, Murphy, had gone to the diggings ; Mr. W. S. Caswell, John Bowman, and a black fellow, went over with the intention of removing them. This they were unable to do until J. Bowman caught a horse, on which he gallantly succeeded in carrying them all to the store. In doing so he had a narrow escape, as the woman in her fright dragged him off, though fortunately not till the horse had touched the ground. Mr. Cas-well succeeded in reaching the township after having been swept off his horse by the rapidity

of the current. The black fellow remained in a

tree all night. To give some idea of the height of the flood, at ten o'clock on Tuesday night it was nearly impossible to walk "between the town and Watson's stores. The water was 3 feet deep in Eggleston's hut; at Anderson's and Flood's it ran through the house, and even came into Haydon's ; the greater portion of Mara's fences have been swept away ; his wheat is much in-jured, and a dray was actually taken by the force of the water from the side of the house. Mr. Vyner has lost a great deal of fencing, and his wheat is much injured ; his family during the flood were compelled to leave the house and take refuge in the stable. The only dry spot on the plain was just round this building. Mr. Shelly

has lost a quantity of fencing : his farm I hear was almost all under water. At Mr. Caswell's farm the earth and wheat have been almost all

swept away ; this place had not been flooded for the last 16 years. All the wheat in this district has been more or less injured, but it is at present impossible to form an estimate of individual losses. I have heard of several lives being lost in the direction of Tarcutta and Gundagai, but you will probably receive accounts from your correspondents at those places. There is scarcely an inch of soil here, that has lately been turned over either by spade or plough, that has not been washed away. The Gilmore Creek rose fifteen or twenty feet near Downey's. At the mill they were flooded out; Dwyer narrowly escaped drowning.- Correspondent Goulburn Herald.

GUNDAGAI. - DESTRUCTIVE FLOOD AND LOSS

OF LIFE. - During the last fortnight we have had constant rain, and from 17th to the 19th Aug. it rained in torrents night and day, and also on Wednesday morning. The river rose rapidly, and the warp of the punt was forced to be cut ; but the boat that was fast to it not having rope enough, the water rose above her, when she filled and went down ; fortunately a new boat had been built for sale, or many lives would have been lost. The river began to overflow its banks in the morning, and persons had time to secure their goods; towards night it had rose as high as the great flood of 1844, and swept all before it. The destruction of property of all kinds has been great, particularly of fencing. A new store, lately built by a French gentleman named Gosse, has been completely destroyed. The Addelong Creek rose higher than it has been known for

years, and washed away a stockyard belonging to Mr. John Moore, which had stood the fury of the floods for many years, and also the whole of his paddock fencing, and we expect to hear of much more damage. The Tarcutta Creek was higher than it was ever known by the white men residing near it. To those who know the locality it is sufficient to state that the water was at the ridge pole of the blacksmith's shop. Some very narrow escapes occurred, but no lives

were lost here. Three loaded teams were swept away before the new inn lately built by Mr. Mate ; one belonging to Mr. Frederick Manning has not yet been recovered, nor has any of its contents, with the exception of a bag or sugar. His loss must have been great. The names of the other owners have not yet been learned. This we had from the maildriver, who gallantly swam every creek, up and back, at the risk of his life ; but no mail had arrived from Melbourne or from Wagga Wagga. Ellis's Creek, most dangerous even in half-flood, as the banks are

abrupt and high, was equally flooded like the rest; two men were drowned here - one was found stuck up against a tree; the other was a well known carrier, by the name of Jemmy Smith, or the Sergeant's Jemmy as he was called. The bridge over the Gilmore Creek, by the mill, which has stood many floods, was washed away; also the bridge built over Morley's Creek, and the one over the Addelong ; these last two were built by government, the former to give access to Gundagai from Sydney. Correspondent of Goulburn Herald.

THE LONDON MAY WOOL SALES-Private

letters received yesterday state that the wool sales were progressing most favourably. No account sales of Sydney wool have come to hand -but judging from the Port Phillip wools, the February prices appear to have been maintained. From the nnmerous arrivals from Sydney and Melbourne in the early part of May, the quan-tity of wool to be offered exceeded 44,000 bales, of which 22,000 were from Melbourne, and

11,000 from Sydney. So large a portion of the Port Phillip clip being cleared ofl at this sale, afforded every prospect of good prices being ob-tained at the succeeding sales.-Herald, Sep. 3.

THE MODEL "EXILE" SYSTEM.-Below we sub-join, from the Government Gazette of August 5th, a list of 137 ticket-of-leave holders for Moreton Bay, whose tickets-of-leave are can-celled at one fell sloop, for being absent from their district. On inspecting tbe list, it will be seen that the following are the numbers of those persons who have recently arrived in the colony, under every tender attention and indul-gence appertaining to Earl Grey's " Exile Sys-tem," viz. :-Mountsluart Elphinstone, 45 ; Bangalore, 58 ; Hashemy, 8 ; Randolph, 3 ; Adelaide, 3;-total, 117 ; showing that only 20 of the absentees are "old hands." What reason-able man, can. after this, defend this mistaken system ? Instead of devoting their labour to these districts, it was natural that the men would take advantage of the many opportunities offered to go elsewhere, where they were not known. Moreton Bay Courier, Aug. 23.

TBE DRY DOCK.-In the account of the Dry Dock now forming at Cockatoo Island, which appeared in the Herald of Saturday last, there was a mistake in the dimensions. The following is the exact size it is intended to be :-Length level of top altar will not be less than 271 feet ; breadth at ditto ditto, 76 feet ; depth over cais-son sill at high water ordinary tides, 20 feet ; breadth at entrance between the piers, 59 feet.

Herald.