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ANGLO-AUSTRALIAN NOTES .
LONDON, 17tic January.
From Our Correspondent.
At a meeting of tho Royal Colonial Institute
held on the overling of tho 14th Inst., Mr. Wil
liam Austin Hornc, ouAdelaide, South Aus
tralia', read a paper on Tho Scientific Exploration
of Centra! Australia. Mr. Home, in the course
of his paper, described tho experieuces of
tha exploring party which lie himself organised
And equipped, and which included lending
scientific men, nominated by various colonial
Governments. The expedition started from
Oodnndatta, tho northern terminal point of tho
railway from Adelaide towards Port Darwin, on
6th May, 1894, its purpose being tlio scientific
examination of tlio country from that plaoo to
the M'Donnell Ranges. Tho expedition returned
to Adelaide in August, 1894. Much of the
country traversed wn» of almost impossabU
denerr, but the M'Donnell Ranges, riaiug to an
altitude of 5000 feot abovo tho sea level, had a
remarkable in flue no a. Thin land, which had
been reduced by drought to tho condition of a
moving tmus uf sand, wan soinotimos covered
within a month of a heavy fall of rain with tho
most luxuriant vegotation, capable of carrying
an enormoun quantity of stock. As to the
aboriginen, who wero fast dying out, tho expedi
tion had been successful iu obtaining informa
tion in relation to their manners and customs.
A very largo number of valuable photographs
were taken, some of them boing of ooromonics
and rites whloh were vory raroly witnessed by
white men. The collections, zoological, botanical
geological and ethnological, which tho party
made wero very valuable. Among them were
six mammals, several birds, fish and Inaeots,
and a number of plants new to science. This
had necessitated many of them being sent to
speoialista for classification, and had conse
quently delayed the publication of tho reports.
It waa hoped tbat thoy would result in the pub
lication of a book worthy of being con-
aidercd a standard work of reference
on Central Australia. In tho discussion
whloh followed, tho question of admitting
Asiatics to tho northern portion of Australia
was raised, and Mr. Thomas Plnyford, tho
Agcnt-Genor&l for South Australia, stated that
they did not want coolie labor. They wanted
to pay fair living wogeH to every in&u, and
meant to keep Australia for the Anglo-Saxon
race, to the exclusion of Asiatics nnd the lower
races of humanity. With regard to tho blacks,
the missionaries and tbc Government had come
to tho same conclusion as Mr. Homo, that they
could not be civilised.
Sir Henry Norman, lato Governor of Queonii-
land, arrived at Plymouth on the 12th inst. by
the Ruapohu. Ho addressed a letter to Ttiio
Times in which he denied that ho told tho
representative of Router in the course of con
versation that tho principal towns in Queensland
were suffering from the number of unemployed,
who wero principally of an' idio. and dissolute
character, Qo added that he was happy to
say that the number of unemployed in Queens
land was steadily diminishing.
Tho reporb of tho Peol River Land and
Mineral Company for tho yenr :endtd 30th
June last states that the net incomo was
£23,164, as against £23,100 earned during tho
previous twelve months. The wool clip nettod
£37,157, an increase of £1098; and tho num
ber of eheep shorn was 219,180, an increase of
5135. The sales of live stock had amounted
to £11,591, au increase of £1816. Sinoe 30th
June the stations had suffered somewhat from
drought, but good rains fell in npd after Sep
tember. The present clip would be of good
quality, but light. A further distribution of
2 per cont. on the capital was recommended,
making, . with 1£ paid in July last, 3£ percent,
for the year.
Tho Uuion Bank of Australia has removed
into its now premises m Cornhill, whioh form
ono of the finest bank buildings in London.
A farewell dinner to Mr. L. A, Samuels was
given at the Holborn Ro&tanrant on tho 11th
inat. The chairman, Mr. II. J. Echorington,
stated that Mr. Samuels was a mining manager
with 30 years' experience in Victoria, and he
felt certain that if the same amount of money
had been invested in Victorian mines as
bad been sent to the Transvaal enormous
results would have bosn produced. Mr. Samuels
appears to think that Australia is in advance of
Groat Britain iu mining appliances. Surely he
cannot have made very good use of his time,
or becamo acquainted with recent Amerioau
inventions. It must always be remembered
that gold mining in this country is iu a very
rudimentary condition.
Lady Robinson, wife of the late Governor of
West Australia, wns thrown from bor bicycle on
the 3rd inst. by its being run into by a bolting
horse, and was very seriously bruised. Fortu
nately no bones were broken.
Mr. George Howard Bowen, the son of Sir
George Bowen, a former Governor of Victoria,
was married yesterday to Gertrude, the
daughter of Mr. Richard Chamberlain, the
brother of the Seoretary of State for the Colo-
nies, at Holy Trinity Church, Sloane-street, in
the presence of a large and distinguished
company, which included the Secretary
of State for the Colonies, and Sir
Robert Herbert. The bride was attended
by her brother as page, and by six bridesmaids
— Miss E. A. Chamberlain, sister of the bride ;
Miss Alfreda Bowen, sister of the bridegroom ;
Miss D. Stanley, Miss Williams, Miss A.
Vaughan Lee, and Miss Campbell. Mr.
Lionel Bethell acted as best man. Mr. and
Mrs. Richard Chamberlain afterwards received
the bridal party at their house in Cadogan-
square.
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