COLONIES AND DEPENDENCIES.

From the latest accounts from Bombay it appears that
things are assuming a warlike aspect along the line of
the north-western frontier. From Peshawur, it is
stated, along to Dhera Ismael Khan, the tribes are
either in arms, or preparing to take them up against us,
and a general rising seems to he meditated. On the
frontier a couple of skirmishes had already taken place.
A detachment at a place called Muta, four miles from
the outpost of Shubkudr, and to the north-east of Dubb,
where the force of Sir C. Campbell has for some time
lain inactive, was attacked by a large body of Momunds
on the 8th of December. Our party consisted of a party
of the guide corps, under Lieutenant Miller; a detail
of artillery, under Lieutenant Simeon; and the 2nd
Punjab cavalry, the whole commanded by Captain
Jackson, of the latter corps. The enemy appear to have
thought of taking our men by surprise, but the reception
they met with quickly made them fly. The loss of the
Momunds was variously estimated at from 8 to 12 killed
and 6 wounded. The guides had one man slightly
wounded, and a sowar of Jackson's Irregulars, who
were too late in the field to pursue the enemy with
effect, was struck on the head with a spent ball. It is
said that two of the chiefs of the Momunds, named
Nawab Khan and Shaikh Abdoola, were both in the
fray, and bore themselves very gallantly. The force
under Sir C. Campbell had not been molested further
than by small parties of the enemy descending from the
hills on the camels and cattle while out grazing, several
of which they had succeeded in carrying off. The fort
at Dubb was proceeding rapidly, and till it was
completed the general did not intend commencing offensive
operations. The enemy were collecting in large
numbers in his neighbourhood in the hills. He had been
reinforced by Waller's troop of horse artillery, and some
cavalry and infantry. A wing of her Majesty's 53rd,
under Colonel Mansfield, while on its way to join his
camp, had been directed to proceed to Muta, where
they arrived on the 9th of December. The force at
Peshawur were on the alert night and day, and the
whole of the artillery had been recalled to the station.
Messrs. Carne and Tapp, of the salt revenue department
on the frontier, have been murdered by a party of
natives in the Hazareh. They had been advised to
take a guard with them, but they had omitted doing so.
The business on which they had gone having been
performed, they were on their way back when they were
surrounded at a place called Moozufferghur. Mr. Tapp
was for fighting their way with the few armed followers
who accompanied them, but the treacherous natives
promised them so solemnly that no harm would befall
them if they gave up their arms, that Mr. Carne
unfortunately persuaded his companions to avoid bloodshed.
They accordingly gave up their arms, and had
no sooner done so, than they were set on by the wretches,
and cruelly murdered by being stoned to death. The
murderers were demanded of the Chief of Am, whose
subjects they were, and after considerable evasion
on his part, 28 men were given up to Major
Abbott; but it turns out that they had had no hand
in the murder, but had been seized merely because they
belonged to the same tribe as the murderers, who had
never been apprehended by the chief at all. Matters
are daily becoming more critical at the capital of the
Nizam. His highness's debt has not yet been entirely
liquidated, £310,000 remaining to be paid us, and the
bankers refuse to advance money to the minister. A
monetary crisis has taken place in the city, and credit
has fallen to a very low ebb. The Nizam will not pay,
and it is probable our government will not allow
themselves much longer to be trifled with; appropriation of
territory in liquidation of our claim will, after all, most
likely take place. The State of affairs in Oude is
unsatisfactory; the king gives himself up to debauchery, and
corruption in his ministry is loudly complained of.

Accounts of the Australian gold mines have been
received from Sydney to the 11th November, being a
month later than the previous dates. They confirm all
the anticipations thus far entertained of a permanent
and increasing yield. At Bathurst, and on the Turon
River, operations were being steadily carried forward,
and new deposits were found with sufficient frequency
to show that the ultimate results are likely to be
precisely similar to what has been realised at California.
The fresh spots chiefly mentioned are at Braidwood and
Lake Bathurst, about 150 miles south of Sydney, and
consequently in a direction different to the discoveries
hitherto, which have been to the north-west. Including
the amount shipped in the present vessel (about £80,000)
the total export from Sydney had already reached
£340,000. This was during a period of five months, and
as it was estimated also that at least £100,000 was still
in the hands of miners, it would appear that the total
production has been at the rate of upwards of £1,050,000
per annum. Some considerable quantities of the gold
from the Port Philip mines had found their way to
Sydney, and had been readily bought on account of
their great purity. 1000 ounces, purchased by one
party at £3 4s. 6d. per ounce, were found 7¼ per cent.
better than standard. The scarcity of money, coupled
with the wholly disproportionate arrivals of goods and
produce, had created a ruinous state of affairs in the
import market. Flour had fallen from £25 to £9 per
ton, sugar from £23 to £17, and everything else in
proportion.

The dates from Melbourne, Port Philip, are to the
6th November. The general rush from Melbourne and
Geelong to the mines at Ballarat appears to have
resulted in great disappointment, but there was
subsequently a reaction in their favour. The police in the
district had proved inefficient, and there had been some
serious disturbances, accompanied by one or two
instances of murder. The lieutenant-governor, during
his visit to Ballarat, had proposed to the miners that
they should withdraw for two months, their claims
being meanwhile guarded, in order that the crops of
the colony should not be destroyed. "This," it is said,
"was warmly responded to by a very large majority,
so that our harvest may now be considered safe."  It
remained to be seen, however, whether the resolution
would be maintained, and it was likely to be affected
by some great discoveries since made at a place called
Mount Alexander, which was alleged to eclipse
Ballarat, and where it was said one man had obtained
11 pounds weight of gold in 48 hours.

The accounts from British Guiana are to the 12th of
January. An important public meeting was held at
George Town on the 30th of December, for the purpose
of co-operating with the British and Foreign Anti-
Slavery Society in an effort to bring the case of the
West Indies under the notice of the imperial parliament
at an early period of the present session; petitions to
both houses were drawn up and agreed to; gentlemen
were also nominated to convene district meetings in
various parts of the colony, for the purpose of seconding
the measures adopted. The neighbouring colonies were
expected to take the same course, in which event it was
hoped that the case of West Indian distress would be
laid before the British legislature with all the authority
of a peaceful and loyal people addressing in a
constitutional manner the representatives of the empire.

The last accounts from New Zealand describe a
project which was likely to be carried out for the
establishment of steam communication between the
various settlements in that colony. Proposals had been
submitted at a public meeting at Nelson for the formation
of a joint-stock company, with a capital of £10,000,
in shares of £5 each. Two iron screw-steamers, one of
170 tons, and another of 50, would answer the
contemplated purpose, and it was hoped that the services
hitherto performed by the government brig would be
transferred to the company, and that the £2000 a year
thus saved would be conceded to them for five years, or
until the undertaking should be in a condition to
dispense with it.