Domestic Intelligence. - Colonial Times (Hobart, Tas. : 1828 - 1857) - 26 Jun 1846 (original) (raw)

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Fri 26 Jun 1846 - Colonial Times (Hobart, Tas. : 1828 - 1857)
Page 3 - Domestic Intelligence.

MR. RAVAC'S CONCERT.—Last evening, Mr.

Ravac's Concert was given at the Mechanics' In-

stitute, to a numerous and very genteel audience.

The admiration of our neighbouring contempo-

raries is not without good cause, for decidedly

Mr. Ravac is a wonderful performer; not,how-

ever, as to the power and force of his instru-

ment, but for the fine tone and feeling—nay,

indeed, of sentiment itself—which he expresses.

His first piece, a concertino from D'Beriot, was

the least pleasing, and his last, " Le Carneval

de Venise," arranged by himself, the most at-

tractive. To our taste, however, his adagio

performances are the most pleasing and delight-

ful, breathing, as they do, the very soul of me-

lancholy and pathos, and thus constituting the

very poetry of music. The audience was per-

fectly entranced during Mr. Ravac's perform-

ance, and the applause which burst upon him

at the conclusion, evinced no less admiration

for the performer than their own decided grati-

fication ; he is, in our opinion, the greatest

genius as a violinist that has appeared in this

quarter of the globe. Diffident, however, of

our own judgment, we subjoin a short notice of

Mr. Ravac from the Port Phillip Patriot, and

then confidently appeal to those—and there

were excellent judges amongst them—who had

the pleasure of hearing him :—" With Mr.

Ravac, all the most extraordinary difficulties on

the violin appear to vanish before the thrilling

outpourings of genius and taste; his rapid execu-

tion never obtrudes, it is the means, not the

end. We can only correctly describe his style

by tho French expression, ' il fait chanter le

violin.' In the Souvenir de Bellini he gave

the theme ' Tu vedrai,' with the same enchant-

ing loveliness that pervaded Rubini's style of

singing it ; the iteration was perfect. The

charming French air, ' Ma Céline,' with varia-

tions by Ernst, was of the ultra modern school,

and developed Mr. Ravac's power in apeggios

and double stops. ' La Melancholie' was the

most touching performance of the whole ; his

harmonies are truly astonishing. The audience

were, however, most delighted by Paganini's

Carniva of Venice, which they encored. This

gentleman, we understand, is accompanied by a

Mr. Imberg, who enjoys the reputation of a

brilliant pianist. These gentlemen could not

hare made their appearance at a more propi-

tious moment than the present." The Concert

of last evening was announced as the last ; may

we recommend one more at the Theatre, with

theatre prices ? We may add, that the orchestra

comprised the principal musical talent of our

city, and performed some spirited overtures

THE STREETS.—The public voice is loud in

reprehension of the disgraceful condition of the

streets of this city ; it is scarcely necessary to

particularize, as all are more or less in places

almost impassable. But the New Wharf cer-

tainly takes precedence in this abomination ; in

many places it is impassable, and opposite the

temporary Barracks and the George the Fourth

Tavern, there is one large hole and numerous

ruts, which cry " shame" upon those who ought

to " mend our ways." What is the Town Sur-

veyor about ? This is the more reprehensible

as it interferes very seriously with the traffic on

the Wharf ; and we should like to know who

would compensate any injury to life, limb, or

property, should such occur, and that such will

occur, if the evil is not speedily remedied, we

think more than probable.

DREADFUL AND FATAL ACCIDENT. — We

deeply regret to announce the dreadful death

of Mr. McCann, plasterer, of Liverpool-street,

and that of his apprentice, a lad named Hurst,

which occurred last evening, under the follow-

ing distressing circumstances :—Between six

and seven o'clock the deceased were both en-

gaged in cleansing out, some loam from an oven

recently built by Mr. Meikle for Mr. Serjeantson,

in the rear of his new shop, opposite Mr. Wat-

chorn's, when, melancholy to relate, the brick-

work gave way and fell upon them, by which

they were almost instantly smothered and

crushed to death. Assistance was immediately

rendered, and in about a quarter of an hour

the bodies were extricated. Mr. McCann was

a very worthy man, and much respected : he

has not, as a contemporary of this morning

states, any family beyond his poor afflicted and

THE COMMISSARIAT.—The appointment of a

Commissary-General to any station at home

during peace is extremely unusual, and indi-

cates " preparation." On the 8th February

Commissary-General Henelson arrived at Cork

to take charge of that department in Ireland.

It is said that four Deputy Commissary-Gene-

rals are appointed under him.

WHALING.—Mr. George Watson's shore

party, at Recherche Bay, have broken the ice

this season, by taking three whales on Saturday

and Monday last. Mr. Watson is a fortunate

man, and we heartily wish him success in an

enterprise so beneficial to the colony.

HOBART TOWN MARKETS.—On Tuesday our

report stated that there was a rising market ;

we are happy to say it is steadily progressing.

Wheat may now be quoted at an average of

5s. 9d., the best samples bring readily 6s. This

journal does not usually recommend the "hold-

ing on" system, but in the present state of the

colonial market generally there is every ap-

pearance of an advance. Best samples of malt

barley now fetch 5s., and Cape and oats 4s.

Hay is steady at, loose, £5 ; pressed, £6 10s.

Garden produce, although in plenty, yet fetches

fair remunerating prices.

THE WEATHER.—There has been an uniform

high stale of the mercury for the last few days,

although with occasional drizzling showers. The

temperature is, however, mild and seasonable,

although the wind generally from the north-

west is cold. Barometer this day 29-9 ; ther-

mometer at noon in the shade 60.

IT is humbly suggested to Sir Eardley
Wilmot, that he can render a great boon to
these colonies, by simply using his paramount
influence to get the names inserted
in the list at the Post-office which
enumerates the colonies permitted to send to
England their newspapers free of postage,
instead of, as now, every paper sent from
Australasia being charged one penny on
delivery, and every newspaper sent to
Australasia having to pay one penny on being
posted, or confiscated. His Excellency could
at once get this colony added to the following
free-of-charge list: -

Antigua Dominica Monto Video
Bahamas Esseqnibo Montserrat
Barbadocs Franco Nevis

Berbice Gibraltar Newfoundland

Bermuda Greece New Brunswick
Bagota Grenada (New) Nova Scotia

Bremen Halifax Peru

Buenos Ayres Hamburgh Quebec

Canada Hayti St. Domingo
Coraccas Heligoland St. Kitt's
Carthagona Honduras St. Lucia

*Cephalonia India St. Vincent

Columbia *Ionian Isles Spain via Cadiz
*Corfu Jamaica Tobago
Cuxhaven Jersey Tortola

Demerara La Guayra Trinidad
Denmark Malta Zante

*Via Southampton.

A LOCAL newspaper has recently commented
upon complaints which it is understood
have been made by Mrs. Bowden, the
Superintendent of the Anson female hulk, in
regard to some circumstances connected with
her superintendence. It is certainly to be
regretted that any public appeal should be
made to the newspapers, either with the
knowledge or consent of any public
functionary, in regard to the office which he or
she fills, which if not considered satisfactory
can be easily remedied. Lloyd's Weekly
London Newspaper of the 18th January,
however, speaks of Mrs. Bowden in a
manner which would seem to have come from

some friend of her's. The public will probably
be of opinion that it is an injudicious
communication. The following is an extract
from that newspaper:

"Five hundred female convicts were sent out in

the ship Anson, under the conduct of Mrs. Bowden,
the intelligent and exemplary matron of the
lunatic asylum at Hanwell. Another vessel was to
be despatched before the Anson, with male
convicts, who, according to the intention of Lord
Stanley, would have arrived in Van Diemen's Land,
and have been cleared from the vessel by the time
the Anson had made the island. This second vessel
was not, however, despatched until long after the
Anson had sailed, and matters were so thoroughly
mismanaged, that when the last accounts came
away, viz , three years after the convicts had been
put on board the Anson, Mrs. Bowden and such of
the females as had not been placed out to service
were still remaining in that vessel. With
regard to those who had obtained a service, if for
any reason or accident they could not remain with
the particular employers with whom they had
been placed, they are sent, not to the Anson, to be
again under the superintendence of Mrs. Bowden,
but to this pandemonium, the Brickfield Factory,
to mingle with the most abandoned of their sex.
On a visit of inspection made by Mrs. Bowden to
this wretched place, the poor creatures who had
been under her care implored her, with tears and
passionate entreaties, to take them again to the
Anson; but this was beyond her power. Mrs.
Bowden's difficulties with regard to the females
who remained with her were very groat, and
would have paralysed the efforts of any person of
inferior zeal and fewer resources. Like all others
who have effected any good in their attempts at
reforming prisoners, Mrs. Bowden depends very
much on being able to command a supply of useful
labour for them. She desired to employ them in
making their clothes, but the local government
chose to supply her with clothes already made.
She then made application to the shopkeepers in
the island, who sell ready-made linen, to employ
her prisoners in making shirts, which they were
willing to do, but could only afford to pay seven
pence per shirt. This price she gladly accepted,
but the regulations of the government again
presented an obstacle. Local wisdom had determined
that the true price for making a shirt was half-a
crown, and that Mrs. Bowden was responsible for

as many half-crowns as the Anson produced shirts;
and she was actually surcharged for the difference
between sevenpence and half-a-crown as to every
shirt made under her superintendence. It is true

that after many protocols, much diplomacy, and
great misgivings on the part of the local govern-
ment, Mrs. Bowden obtained forgiveness for the
past, but she was obliged to turn her attention to
some other pursuit for the future. In this per-
plexity it occurred to her that the island furnished
plenty of straw of an appropriate species for the
manufacture of hats and bonnets, and there being
no makers of those articles on the island, the
local Solons had left the regulation of the manu-
facture out of their code. It is true neither Mrs.
Bowden nor her prisoners had ever learned to plait
straw, but the difficulty of acquiring this art was
little or nothing compared with that of a conflict

against the legislation of the southern hemisphere,
so they set about their work and soon accomplished
a hat, which was presented to the governor. Since
that time they have made hats and bonnets in
considerable quantities; nevertheless, as this task
is not suited to all, Mrs. Bowden is still suffering
under want of employment for many of her
prisoners. We believe this slight sketch of convict
management, as regards one particular class, will
furnish no unfair specimen of the state of our
convict population of Australia."