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An Inkwell of 19th century Australia
Carefully putting the historic telescope to her eye , a 21st Century Descendant of Convicts and Emigrants focuses her attention on the Electronically Emergent Shades of 19th Century in the Colony of NSW.
She sees Murder, Mystery and Mayhem. Drunkenness and Flood 25 feet deep. In the Gutters lie lasses and lads in Gross Indecencies and wee servant girls run into the streets with skirts ablaze.
A twist of the scope and a ship is in sight, two storeyed and filled with fever and fiends. And up on the Macleay are mud holes into which two men could fall one on top of the other. Many a tale to be told. Lost Tribes and men greedy for Gold.
THE WELL IS DEEP.
WRECK OF THE SCHOONER
AGNES.
LOSS OF EIGHT LIVES.
We have been favoured by the Post and
Telegraph Department with the following in-
formation, the telegrams being dated tho 14th
instant :
Sydney wires-" Reliable report has just
reached Ballina of the loss of the schooner
Agnes and all hands six miles north of the
Brunswick River. Two bodies have been re-
covered. The vessel carried a crew of eight all
told, and belonged to Mr. Kethel, Market
Wharf, Sydney."
The manager at Tweed Heads reports by
post to superintendent at Southport:-" Mail-
man from Brunswick yesterday reports that on
the beach between here and Brunswick Heads
a bottle has been picked up with a letter inside
from the captain of schooner Agnes, saying
that it is impossible to save the vessel. Further
along the beach the bodies of Captain Power of
the Agnes and one of the crew were found, and
there is a quantity of wreckage on the beach
about the same place."
'Tho Agnes was bound from'Maryborough for
some Southern port evidently.
A telegram from Brunswick states that a
bottle was washed ashore last night six miles
north from that place containing the fol-
lowing message :-" Sunday, about 9th
March. Schooner Agnes, of Sydney,
thirteen days out from Sydney bound for the
Tweed River. Captain Power, mate, cook,
three hands, and two working their passages,
eight in all, on a lee shore, blowing an easterly
gale." A large search party of residents pro-
ceeded along the beach in the morning, and
found three bodies near the north end
one being that of the master with the ship's
papers tied round his waist. A boat, a deck
frame, and spars were found on the beach.
Tho Agnes was one of five vessels wrecked in
Byron Bay last July, being the only one saved.
CHARGES OF FALSE PRETENCES.-George
Angus (57), described as an ex-schoolmaster,
was charged with having, on the 5th October,
at the Brunswick River Heads, obtained goods
and money to tho value of £3 from Edward
Haines. Detective Parks having given evidence
Help fix this text!
as to the arrest of the accused, he was remanded
until Monday
ORIGINAL POETRY,
THE PRAYER OF THE UNEMPLOYED.
BY ONE OF THEM.
O Lord, look down upon this Westery city ;
Shed on its unemployed thy tender pity ;
For though the fervid warmth of summer
days
Softly enwraps at night the houseless strays
Who feed in dreams for lack of better fare,
Yet feeding fade, for need of just a shara
Of work and food that should be free to all,
Yet's not obtainable. On Thee we call,
O Lord, to shed upon the hearts of some,
Whose voice to aid is mightv, yet is dumb,
A ray of helpful love and gentle pity
For willing workers starving in their city.
C.
Perth, January 31st, 1895
TALLEBUDGERA.
[FROM A CORRESPONDENT.]
January 30.
THINGS are looking up considerably at
Tallebudgera. Now that the main road to the
border is in working order, I believe it is the
intention of Cobb and Co. to send a daily
coach through to the Tweed. The bridge over
the creek, which was completed some time ago,
is a first-class affair, and a very great con-
venience to all. A new industry is about to
start in our midst, as a steam saw-mill plant is
now on its way from Brisbane, which the
owner, Mr. Belgrave, intends setting in motion
in a very short time. The venture should be
successful, as there is sure to be a great
local demand for timber besides the
Brisbane demand. The township of Burleigh
is almost in a state of nature, owing in a great
measure to the difficulty of getting timber. A
survey party is now at the Currumbin Heads,
two and a-half miles from Tallebudgera, sur-
veying a township there. The Government
should have no difficulty in disposing of the
allotments, as it would be hard to find a
prettier spot for a summer retreat, and the
fishing and boating in the river are excellent.
In judicial affairs we are rather badly off. Now
that three of our local men have been raised to
the dignity of the bench, why not hold a Court
of Petty Sessions here instead of as at present
taking every case either to Nerang or South-
port ? Even in a simple case of drunkenness
the prisoner has to be taken, at the Govern-
ment's expense, to either of these places. The
police quarters lately built are quite good
enough to do duty as a court-house.
For explanations of terms used in LETTERS OF SAND
for a tribute to the little people of the past present and future
sources of information and sites used for LETTERS IN SAND
MURDER ON THE HIGH SEAS.
John Charles Lewis, master mariner, was indicted for murdering a male adult person unknown, by shooting him with a blunderbuss, on board the Will of the Wisp barque, on the 15th November, 1849.
The evidence adduced was similar to that on
the police-office examinations. Captain Lewis
was trading for sandal wood among the Loyalty
Islands when he heard that the islanders of
Maree, one of the islands, notorious for the
treacherous and cannibal propensities of its in-
habitants, had formed a scheme for enticing him
on shore, murdering him and the crew, and
plundering the vessel. On reaching Massacre
Bay, the spot selected, he was boarded by three
natives from the shore, and soon found, from
closely watching their conduct and that of
bodies of the natives seen coming down to the
shore, that the report was correct. At this time
the vessel was inside the bay, about half a mile
from shore, and a strong breeze was blowing, so
that a resolute attempt by the natives to take
the ship would have placed her in great danger.
Captain Lewis ordered the three natives to leave
the ship, but they refused, even when they saw
firearms brought up, and at last he fired at the
leader, killing him, and wounding a second man,
who fell into the water, where he was shot by
the sailors ; the third man was also shot by the
sailors in the water, and swivels were fired at
the natives on shore, but without apparent effect, except inducing them to disperse. The three natives on board had urged a native woman
there to throw herself into the sea out of the way, before they should commence the attack on
the crew. Lieutenant Pollard, of H.M.S.
Bramble, at whose instance Captain Lewis's
conduct had been investigated, fully confirmed
the account given of the treacherous character
of the Maree islanders, and bore testimony to
the high character given of Captain Lewis by other islanders. For the defence similar testimony to Captain Lewis's general character for humanity was given, and Mr. Foster, who with Mr. Holroyd
conducted the defence, contended that Captain
Lewis's conduct was fully justifiable, as he was
clearly acting only in self-defence. The jury, after a few minutes' consultation, returned a" verdict of not guilty, and Captain Lewis was discharged.
THE PLAGUE OF LIFE.
To the Editor of the West Australian. Friday 10 December 1880
' Dear Sir.-Can you do anything to urge upon the Government the necessity of introducing some female immigrants. The want of domestic servants is deplorable, and I am nearly driven wild in attempts to teach the only domestics I can obtain.
Yours truly,
A DISTRACTED HOUSEWIFE.
Perth, Dec. 1st, 18S0.
[Some remarks on this subject shall appear
in our next.-Ed. W. A.]
To Painters & Glaziers.
TENDERS arc required for Painting,
Glazing,and Plastering three School-houses.
For particular, apply to Mr. JOHN WILLIAMS, Par
ramatta-street, Sydney, opposite Newnham and
Tooth's Brewery.
9th December, 1839.
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