Colonial Times (Hobart, Tas. : 1828 - 1857), Tuesday 8 June 1847, page 3


Domestic intelligence

NEW NORFOLK. His Excellency and family returned from this place yesterday, after a sojourn of fourteen days at the Bush Hotel We understand that his Excellency and Lady Denison are both much delighted with this township, which stands unrivalled as a healthy place. As maybe remembered at the levee his Excellency was so unwell as scarcely to be able to stand ; the New Norfolk air soon recovered him, and he is sufficiently well to return and resume the disH cdt government of Uric troublesome colony; It is generally understood that as the return of spring the family will be almost constant residents of Nsw Nodb|M,ao4'asiminy consequently anticipate shaping will go ahead, and be what it wanted yje»'bac»Vn happy and thriving settle MM, p " , tr

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HUNTING On Saturday last Mr. Sharland's hounds threw off near Busby Park, and after some good running killed the kangaroo. There was a numerous field -Colonel Cumberland, Major Wilson, Captain Eyton, R. Dry, Esq., M.L C, Dr. Robertson, Captain Madden, R.E., and many sportsmen in the neighbourhood, besides several others from Hobart Town. It has been suggested to us to recommend Mr. Sharland to name fixed periods, so that many persons might assemble to partake of this manly sport. The distance from Hobart Town precludes the possibility of any attending whose company might be agreeably dispensed with and should Mr. Shar-land think proper to comply with the request, we will readily insert the notice in our local intelligence. His Excellency proceeded to the place where the hounds threw off, but did not join the

hunt.

THE LICENSED VICTUALLERS' DIRECTORY FOR THE YEAR 1847 -Mr. John Morgan, in his untiring zeal for the licensed victuallers, has produced, under the above title, a very neat and most comprehensive little volume, containing all that relates to the trade of the wholesale and retail dealer, and the colonial enactments connected therewith ; an alphabetical list of all innkeepers in town and country, with the charges of carters, etc, Customs, and wharfage dues, &o and to crown all, a very neat and correctly coloured code of Barfoot's signals, engraved by Bruce, and about the size of a crown piece. It is very appropriately dedicated to Mr. M'Lachlan, the Patron of the Licensed Victuallers' Society, for whose interests that worthy gentleman has evinced so much zeal and exertion. The compilation is greatly creditable to Mr. Morgan, and the typographical portion by Mr. Burnet is equally meritorious. As to the utility of the work, we need say nothing : comprising as it does such a mass of useful information, and in so portable a form, not only should every licensed victualler in the colony be possessed of a copy, but every person in the remotest degree interested in the trade. If industrious accuracy deserves reward, verily hath Mr. Morgan well earned it. of

NEW NORFOLK HOSPITAL -It is a positive fact that the mutinied overseer will be shortly on duty again, as the tenders to build the handsome addition to this building are accepted, and the

work is to be commenced forthwith. The mounted overseer, as foreman of the works, will have to superintend the building, at which no doubt more men will be employed than he ever had under his command in the engineer department. Whether the mounted foreman is competent or not remains to be seen a man can write a very good letter if he has a clever clerk, and has only to sign his name ; so with accounts-they can be made very correctly and easily if the signature to the corner is alone required.

GOLD A paragraph appeared in our Tuesday's number, copied from a Van Diemen's Land paper, announcing that gold had been recently discovered in this district, and that Capt. Clinch, of the Flying Fish, had brought over a sample of it. As we had heard nothing of the subject before, we stated that this valuable discovery was " news to us," and so it undoubtedly is but it is nevertheless true The circumstances are these, as detailed to us by Mr. Forrester, the jeweller, Collins-street, in the presence of several gentlemen. About two months ago, a shepherd (un-known to him) came into his shop, and showed him some metal which the shepherd thought was copper, and asked Mr. Forrester to test it for him. The sample produced was about the size of an apple, and the shepherd said there was plenty more of it where that came from, but he would give no particular information as to the locality further than he had found it under the roots of a large tree which had recently been blown down, the ground thereby being much torn up. The station, he said, was about sixty miles from town. Mr. Forrester tried the metal by the usual tests, and found it to contain sixty. five per cent, of virgin gold and he has at the present moment in his possession a sample of it in its pure, another in its impure state. The shepherd is expected

in town in the course of a few days, with a much larger quantity of the metal than he at :'\ first brought ; but as the utmost secrecy is observed by him in his movements respecting his discovery, we do not expect to learn any fresh information on the subject for some time to come.

-Js. P. Herald.

THE THEATRE-The Pantomime continues

its attractions, and the house was tolerably well attended last night, to witness its last represents, tion at first price ; to-morrow evening it will be given at half-price, and conclude the entertain-ments, the first piece being an entirely new romantic drama, entitled Rinaldo Rinaldini, or the Brigand and the Blacksmith. With respect to the Pantomime, we should recommend Mr. Rogers to print his very excellent " Opening ,-" the circulation, both here and in the neighbouring colonies, would well repay the cost, and but few

alterations are necessary to place it in a publish,

able form.

TRANSPORTATION QUESTION. We have received Mr. W. R. Allison's " Remarks " on this all-important question they shall be duly attended to in our next publication.

HOBART TOWN MARKETS If, notwithstand-ing the now known to be appalling extent of the famine in Britain, and the scarcity in all Europe, wheat in these colonies cannot be brought up to a higher price than an average of 4s. 6d, and in this, the granary of Australia, to 4s. 10d., what can be expected to become of our agriculturists when they have to meet the difficulty of free labour, and no British Government expenditure ? Malt barley is scarce in this market at 5s., and Cape and oats at 4s. Potatoes are rather better to-day, the best " blacks" being £3 per ton. Hay brings from £3 10s. to £5 as. per ton and garden produce is rather on the advance.

THE WEATHER The winter has set in with great mildness and serenity. There have been no severe frosts, no snow, no really winter weather. The average barometer of twenty-four hours is 29.5 ; the average temperature, 48.

LAUNCESTON MARKETS Wheat has taken a rise, 3s 10d. and as having been given since our last Launceston Examiner, June 5.

SPIRITS At a meeting of licensed victuallers on Thursday evening, about twenty-five being present, it was resolved to raise the retail price of brandy to 8d., and rum 5d. per glass. The wholesale prices asked by merchants are, rum, 5s.

to 5s. 6d., brandy, 15s. per gallon, gin, 20s. per

I case Ibid.

i BISHOP OF MELBOURNE The Rev. Charles Perry, M. A., minister of St. Paul's District Church, Cambridge, has been appointed first r Bishop of Melbourne, Cornwall Chronicle.