Geelong Advertiser and Squatters' Advocate (Vic. : 1845 - 1847), Tuesday 12 January 1847, page 2


PUBLIC THOROUGHFARES.-It having been represented to the Government that fences have been erected in several places across the usual line of road, by persons holding depasturing licenses in the dis-tricts beyond the boundaries of location, whereby great public inconvenience has been sustained, His Excellency the Go-vernor deems it necessary to point out, that a license to depasture gives no right to the party holding it to place obstruc-tions upon Crown Land which has hitherto been used as a customary public thorough-fare, or is necessary as a way to more distant stations; and His Excellency therefore calls upon all persons who have caused such obstructions to remove the same without delay.- Government Ga-zette. MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT.—We regret to have to record a melancholy event, which has spread a gloom over our small community. It appears that Mr Hussey, who has been for a long time in the Bank of Australia, went out on Thursday evening for a ride, and not having re-turned, his absence was noticed, and at 12 o'clock yesterday great alarm was expressed on his account, as it was cer-tain that a person of his regular habits, and who held a most responsible office in the Bank, would not be absent unless some serious accident had occurred. The alarm was increased, when news reached town that the horse upon which Mr Hussey had left his home, had been found at Pentridge, with the saddle and bridle. Mr Simpson was applied to, and he dis-patched Mr Chief Constable Brodie, who was joined by a number of citizens, and went out in the direction of Pentridge, and, after several hours, discovered the unfortunate gentleman quite dead. It appeared from his position that he had been leaping his horse, a young and rather spirited animal, over a log, when he had been thrown, and had died on the spot. The place where the body lay, was only fifty yards from the main road, and Mr Brodie had thrice passed within a few yards of the body, without dis-covering it, when a cottager named Perrie found it. It would appear the poor youth had not died instantaneously ; for his trousers and waistcoat were opened, and one hand was supporting his head, and it would seem as if he had suffered much before life became extinct. A coroner's inquest will be held this morning on the body. He had a great many friends and acquaintances (but no relations in this district) who deeply re-gret his ultimate fate.—Gazette. THE BUNYIP.—The legend of this animal has again revived. The fol-lowing additional particulars are fur-nished by a correspondent of the Pa-triot. On the Murrumbidge River, especially 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 other we have met with, and the facts and circumstances we are about to detail will settle the question as to whether such a creature ever existed or not. An animal never yet des-scribed by any naturalist "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 asserted that, on looking early one morn-ing across the lake, they espied on the other side of it, two animals which they at first sup-posed to be two horses, but, being puzzled about the movements of the creatures, they rode round to satisfy themselves on the subject, 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 that they would havve left some traces be-hind 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 perverted, but that the sight and senses of two men could be simultaneously and similarly de-ceived in open daylight, is a matter of no very easy belief. Mr Hobler writes thus—"Two Kine Pratie's 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, of Maitland—it was picked up near Waldare, and is in the 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 of this town, or of Mr Gilbert, Secre-tary 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 pro-truding 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 how-ever 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 dry-ing up, somewhere in the same neighbourhood, 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 Wera-gerie blacks call the creature the Kine Pratie, but the Mat Murs, Watti Wattis, and other tribes have each their own names for it. The Times of the 31st August has an ex-cellent leading article, shewing up Mr Polk, and his tricky, vacillating policy towards England and Mexico.

THE POTATO DISEASE- This singular disease baffles all the skill of the agri-culturists of the United Kingdom. The most feasible theory as to its nature and cause is advanced by a Mr Dixon, in a letter published in the London papers. It is as follows : 1.-The cultivation of potatoes, since the termination ofthe French war (1815), having increased prodigiously in consequence of Loudon and the greater towns requiring them as a chesaper food than bread under hie corn law, the farmers found their fields too much occupied by them, and for this purpose, hastened their growth by forcing manures, to shorten the time of their occu-pation of the Land. 2.-That the potato, in the last century, occupied the ground eight months. Latterly it has been allowed only five or six. 3.-That late planting, and early gather-ing, have weakened the constitution of the tubers; which deterioration in vigour, is solely to be attributed to the modern unna-turally rapid mode of cultivation. 4.-That by going back to the mode of culture of the last century, the diseased tubers will regain their ancient vigour. 5.-That until they shall have done so, no seed should be planted for a few years to come, which has not been allowed to remain untouched in the field, in the drills, covered, before frost sets in, with their own haulm, and a quantity sufficient, of wheat stubble or other warm covering; in fact, not dug, till the approach of planting time, say March. 6.--That the frost cannot penetrate this covering, so as to affect the tubers. 7.-But that such seed, so left in the earth until required for use as seed for the next crop, that is to say until March, is not to be depended on as thoroughly sound, unless it were planted (in England) not later than the first week in April, instead of the last in May, as many farmers have been the last ten years in the practice of doing; and to which the writer attributes, exclu-sively, the decay of the constitution of the present stock of potatoes in the United Kingdom, Europe, and America, in con-nexion with early digging. S.--That for use, potatoes may be taken up a mouth or two after their haulm is thoroughly decayed, but not before; inas-much as the last and best finish to their ripening, takes place in the ground, after the haulm is decayed: and that, dug imme-diately after the haulm is decayed, such potatoes are not ripe, and therefore will not keep well; and are totally unfit to be used as seed. Sir Frederick French, a great lover of architecture, and a zealous improver of London, has joined the (London) Times, in deprecating the Parliamentary grant lately made for the improvement of Buckingham Palace. He recommends that Palace of Swamps to be applied to other public pur-poses, for which it is well adapted; the gardens attached to it to be given to the public as a place of public recreation; and a palace to be built on the highest part of Kensington Gardens; the houses between the said site and St Paul's Cathedral, to be all taken down, so that a vista, two miles in length, may he opened, the cathedral standing in full view at the end of the said vista. The Morning Chronicle states, that the Protectionists have formed a league for the purpose of persecuting the free traders in the registration courts, by vexatious objec-tions. The Chronicle goes on to say, that upwards of four thousand objections in the city of I,ondon alone mas, be taken as a specimen of the scale on which this conspi-racy is going forward, and adds, "there is no use in blinking facts because they happen to be disagreeable. It is as well to know the worst in matters of business ; and then we can pitch our efforts accordingly. We therefore tell the city of London electors, in plain terms, that unless they bestir them-selves most promptly and resolutely they will be represented in the next House of Commons by four Tory Protectionists. The fact is just as certain as that the hour and minute of high water at London bridge this morning will realise the prediction of the almanack. This is the status quo of things, according to registration law, as applied to the existing relations of " claims" and "ob-jections ;" and nothing on earth can alter it, except the legal appearance of the claimants in the registration court, to quash the ob-jections. No enthusiasm, indignation, or "enlightened public opinion" will mend the case one jot ; nothing but a legal and busi-ness-like attention to the details of what is simply and solely a matter of legal busi-ness. Nothing, we repeat, but most de-termined and immediate exertions on the part of the free-trade electors to protect their legal right to the franchise by legal means -for we lay out of view altogether the dishonourable alternative of a policy of reprisals-can save us from seeing, a year hence, four Protectionist members of Par-liament for the City of London, with a county representation to match." CORN RIOTS IN FRANCE.-The increase in the price of cornt has created a great deal of discontent in France. Some serious riots have taken place mn the departments, and the papers speak as if they thought the dis-content had by no means reached its utmost height. In tbe middle and east of France the discontent has taken a more alarming shape. Every day's papers bring accounts of incendiary fires in different quarters, and they appear to be daily increasing. In Burgundy and on the banks of the Loire they are particularly numerous. Letters announce that several fires have lately broken out at Villeneuve-sous-Charny, Nain sons-Thil, Chazelles, and Bierne. Packets of combustible materials have been found at Saulieu. Other fires are reported at Mardelles, Placardelle neur Vienne le-Chateau, Bassu, Vitry le Francais, St. Lu-mier la Populeuse, Arembecourt, and Couv-rot de Villers, in the department of the Marue, by which no fewer than fourteen houses and several barns were destroyed. A letter from Saulieu of the 19th says, that on that day they could see on the one hand a conflagration that destroyed a great portion of the village of Nain-sous-Thil, and on the other hand a great fire at Cha-zelles I'Echot, a farm belonging to Count Perrot de Chazelles, one of the King's aides-de-camp.-Bell's Messenger. LARGE ARRIVAL OF PRESERVED MEAT FROM RUSSIA. - by the Marquis of Chandos brig, from Tavanrog, arrived in the St. Katha-rine's Dock, has been received the first importation of preserved Russian beef into the Port of London. The Marquis of Chlan-doe brings 24,822 packages, each package is inclosed in a tin case, the contents weigh-ing from 8lbs. to 10lbs. each and is pro-nounced, by good judges, to be of excellent quality.--Bell's Messenger.