John Wroe, the founder of a sect called the "Beardies,"
from their partiality to hairy barbarism, has arrived in
Melbourne. He is described as a man of eighty years
of age, but hale and strong; and announces that he has
a divine mission to preach in the colonies. He
commenced operations by preaching in the "Sanctuary"
on Sunday, the 15th September, whither all the members
of this new sect resorted.

A species of Thuggism, it appears, exists among the
blacks of the Darling, by which numerous wayfarers
and stragglers, as well as shepherds in isolated situations,
have been sacrificed. An aboriginal had made revelations
which led to the discovery and exhumation of
five bodies, all of white men, and each in the last stage
of decomposition, the identity of their persons being
completely obliterated. The squatters of the colony
had been completely startled by a recent land purchase.
For the first time since the passing of the Crown Land
Sales Act, the power thereby given of purchasing by
private contract 20,000 acres, or more, at the minimum
price, had been brought into play by W. J. T. Clarke,
Esq , who bought up a tract of 20,000 acres of land at
Mount Macedon, including the principal stations of
several eminent squatters, utterly destroying the tenure
of these parties, who must either purchase or abandon
their stations. The squatters are resolved to litigate the
matter, conceiving that the imperial act (5 and 6 Vict.,
c. 36) only empowers the governor to sell any block of
"unsurveyed land" comprising 20,000 acres; or more,
and that the land in dispute does not come within that
definition.

The Adelaide Journals show the rapid progress of
South Australia. As exhibiting the crowing commercial
importance of the port of Adelaide, the following
analysis is made of the shipping on the 25th of October
last. The ships and vessels from British, extra-colonial
and foreign ports, amount to 12,750, and are manned by
556 officers and seamen. The vessels employed in the
coasting trade of the colony are 955 tons, navigated by
84 men; and the vessels employed by the local government
are 730 tons, with 47 men. The last-mentioned
service includes a steam-tug, which is of incalculable
advantage to the mercantile interests of the colony by
expediting and facilitating the larger arrivals and
departures. At the port only the population numbered
about 6000 souls. The Burra Burra had published
their half-yearly report of the mining association, and
declared a dividend, making 3 dividends of 200 per
cent. for the year. It is stated that at no time have
the mines been in a more nourishing condition, or have
the general prospects of the companv afforded such
ground for congratulation.

From New Zealand the principal article of news is
the death of the celebrated native chief, Heke, the ever
active enemy of the Europeans, which took place in
August last. The following letters, the last written by
him to the governor, will be read with interest; they
are characteristic of the old chief, who, on the eve of
death, charged the young men to "sit in peace for ever,"
as war was a game at which all parties were losers.

               Kaikohe, 30th of the days of May, 1850 .
O Friend the Governor!—Salutations to you. Your loving or
affectionate letter has reached me. Lo! this is mv loving letter
to you. Yes, my illness is great, but do not be dark or sorrowful:
this is not the permanent place for the body. The thought is
with God as regards us both, or we are at the disposal of God
My words to you will not be many more, as I am very ill.
Present my love to your companion, Lady Grey. Salutations
to you and to your companion.—From your loving friend,
                                    (Signed) Hone Wiremu Heke Pokai.

                                Tautoro, 4th of the days of July, 1850.
O Friend the Governor!—Your letter of the 1st of July has
reached me; I have seen it. Are you not willing to have a
vessel sent hither, so that I may ship some cattle for you? If
the vessel comes, and a letter from you, I will send you four
head of cattle. It will not be safe to ship the cattle on board
Kanara's vessel, as I got myself into difficulty on a former
occasion in sending you my pigs. I went to Paihia, and conversed
with the Major, but he would not provide a vessel. I therefore
say to you, arrange this matter yourself, because your love to me
is very great: but as regards my love to you, it has not been
openly shown, or you have not had any token of my love to you
This is the reason why I say let me give you four head of cattle,
as a proof of my love to you.—From your friend,
                                 (Signed) Hone Wiremu Heke Pokai.

PROGRESS OF EMIGRATION AND COLONISATION.

A Female Emigration Association has been formed
at Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land. At a preliminary
meeting (held on the 26th of August last) a
committee was appointed, with power to add to their
number, for organising the Association. It is called the
Tasmanian Female Emigration Association, and it was
resolved, "that its primary object shall be to co-operate
with the association formed in England by the Right
Hon. Sidney Herbert; that a home be at once provided
for the purposes of this association; that the home shall,
so far as may be consistent with the primary object of
this association, be made available for all female
emigrants of good character; and that subscription lists be
opened to receive the contributions of the colonists for
carrying out the objects of this association." A general
meeting of the committee was held on the 2nd of
September, when Lady Denison, Lady Pedden, and Mrs.
Nixon, were named patronesses; steps were also taken
to form a ladies' committee, to engage a suitable building,
and to make the other necessary arrangements.
The committee numbers no less than 54 influential
gentlemen; and on the 20th of September the amount
of £161 16s. of annual subscriptions had been
contributed by 35 individuals.

The following statement has been published respecting
the Emigration from the River Clyde in the year 1850,
from which it appears that it has nearly equalled that
of 1849, which far exceeded any previous year. The
total numbers emigrating from the Clyde in 1850 were
14,206, and their destinations were—

The greater portion of the Scotch emigrants were small
farmers and tradesmen, particularly working engineers,
and, generally speaking, they were able to secure a
comfortable passage, and take some little means with them.
The great majority of the Irish emigrants went out
under apparently very wretched circumstances, but
nevertheless there were some of them known to carry
out amongst their rags sums varying in amount from
£10 to £50 and upwards. The emigrants for Australia,
Canada, and the Cape were of a vastly superior class to
those going to the States. The amount of money taken
to the States by these emigrants was nearly £40,000, to
Canada about £10,000, and to Australia about £2,000.
The number of emigrants from the Clyde in 1849 was
14,986, of whom the destinations were as follows, viz.:—

We have the peculiarity now that the emigration
continues regularly throughout the winter, although it was
formerly confined to the summer. The emigration from
the Clyde during the last seven years has been at the
following rate:—